Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · May 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialIntrathecal sufentanil (5 vs. 10 microg) for labor analgesia: efficacy and side effects.
Despite growing popularity, there are few studies examining the relative efficacy of different doses of intrathecal sufentanil for labor analgesia. This prospective, randomized, double-blind study compared the efficacy and side effects of 5 and 10 microg intrathecal sufentanil. ⋯ Both 5 and 10 microg intrathecal sufentanil provided adequate labor analgesia. Both doses were associated with measurable spinal (itching) and supraspinal (sedation, respiratory depression) side effects.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · May 1998
Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialComparison of double-hole and single-hole pencil-point needles for spinal anesthesia with hyperbaric bupivacaine.
The use of thin single-hole pencil-point (SHPP) spinal needles may be a reason for subarachnoid maldistribution of local anesthetic. A new double-hole pencil-point (DHPP) needle may be preferable because of a theoretic more uniform initial distribution of local anesthetic. ⋯ There was no difference between the spread of analgesia using either SHPP or DHPP spinal needles. The DHPP needles appear to be vulnerable to tip damage from mechanical contact.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · May 1998
Case ReportsPatient-controlled analgesia using ropivacaine via an intrathecal catheter.
A 38-year-old woman presented with severe intractable pain in the sacral and perirectal areas secondary to metastatic stage I.B. squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. ⋯ The use of ropivacaine in combination with other analgesics, via an intrathecal catheter for patient-controlled analgesia, was an effective treatment for this patient. In the future, ropivacaine administered epidurally or intrathecally alone, or in combination with other analgesics, may become the local anesthetic of choice due to its preservation of motor function. Certainly, further scientific studies are indicated in the cancer patient population.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · May 1998
Computed tomographic study of lumbar (L3-4) epidural depth and its relationship to physical measurements in young adult men.
This study was performed to devise a method for predicting epidural depth more accurately with a variety of physical measurements not previously studied. ⋯ Addition of the physical parameters such as waist circumference/neck circumference ratio or BMI results in a higher predictive value for epidural depth than use of more traditional physical parameters such as weight/height ratio and/or weight only. The value of Sl-Ep is independent of any physical parameters. Thus, the significant correlation between the physical measurements and the epidural depth seems to be due only to obesity-related factors.