Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialOndansetron for treatment of intrathecal morphine-induced pruritus after cesarean delivery.
Pruritus induced by intrathecal morphine is a concern in many obstetric patients after cesarean delivery and may detract from the benefit of postoperative pain relief. This study was performed to investigate the efficacy of ondansetron (5-HT3 receptor antagonist) in treatment of pruritus following intrathecal morphine. ⋯ Ondansetron treats intrathecal morphine-induced pruritus after cesarean delivery, particularly in patients suffering from both nausea/vomiting and pruritus.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2000
ReviewMaternal fever, neonatal sepsis evaluation, and epidural labor analgesia.
Numerous studies have found an association between epidural analgesia for labor and maternal fever (temperature > or =38 degrees C). Maternal fever often results in treatment with maternal or neonatal antibiotics, neonatal sepsis evaluation, and increased costs. ⋯ Maternal epidural labor analgesia is associated with maternal fever and possibly increased neonatal sepsis evaluation. There is no proof the relationship is causal.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2000
Technical aspects and postoperative sequelae of spinal and epidural anesthesia: a prospective study of 3,230 orthopedic patients.
Major complications after spinal or epidural anesthesia are extremely rare. The occurrence of less serious and transient sequelae and complaints may be underestimated if there is no established organization for the systematic and continuous surveillance of patients after anesthesia. This study was designed to evaluate the possible relationship between various block-related occurrences and the intra- and postoperative side effects and complaints. ⋯ Although sensory changes were quite frequent, they were mild and transient. Rather than having been caused by the anesthetic technique, per se, a "nonanesthetic" reason (position, tourniquet, immobilization) should also be considered as their origin. Sensory disturbances, as well as strong pain for at least a week, were reported by several patients, and to become aware of these problems and improve the quality of treatment, a universal regional anesthesia follow-up system is recommended.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2000
Effect of clonidine on upper extremity tourniquet pain in healthy volunteers.
Tourniquet pain is often a limiting factor during intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 1 microg/kg of clonidine added to IVRA-lidocaine in decreasing the onset of severe tourniquet pain. ⋯ This study shows that the addition of 1 microg/kg of clonidine to 40 mL of 0.5% IVRA-L delays the onset time of tourniquet pain in healthy, unsedated volunteers.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2000
Is urinary drainage necessary during continuous epidural analgesia after colonic resection?
Postoperative urinary retention may occur in between 10% and 60% of patients after major surgery. Continuous lumbar epidural analgesia, in contrast to thoracic epidural analgesia, may inhibit urinary bladder function. Postoperative urinary drainage has been common in patients with continuous epidural analgesia, despite the lack of scientific evidence for its indication after thoracic epidural analgesia. This study describes 100 patients who underwent elective colonic resection with 48 hours of continuous thoracic epidural analgesia and only 24 hours of urinary drainage. ⋯ The low incidence of urinary retention (9%) and urinary infection (4%) suggests that routine bladder catheterization beyond postoperative day 1 may not be necessary in patients with ongoing continuous low-dose thoracic epidural analgesia.