Masui. The Japanese journal of anesthesiology
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Paralysis after long-term administration of neuromuscular blocking agents especially pancuronium and vecuronium has been reported since 1970's. In this article, these papers were reviewed, and the etiology and the clinical features were analyzed. Most of the cases of muscle paralysis after prolonged use of pancuronium bromide were associated with concomitant use of large doses of steroids. ⋯ In patients with impaired hepatic and/or renal functions, metabolites of neuromuscular blocking agents might accumulate. In some patients with paralysis after neuromuscular blocking agents, underlying neuromuscular complications such as critical illness polyneuropathy have been implicated with the cause of the muscle paralysis. In order to avoid paralysis after long-term administration of neuromuscular blocking agents, following recommendations are made. 1) Monitor neuromuscular blockade. 2) Examine patient's neuromuscular status before starting to give relaxants. 3) Be careful in giving relaxants in patients with poor renal and/or hepatic functions. 4) Use smallest possible amount of relaxant. 5) Be careful about the drugs administered simultaneously especially steroids and antibiotics. 6) During the use of a neuromuscular blocking agent, perform physical therapy of extremities to avoid disuse atrophy especially when its administration is temporally terminated.
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Recent articles on total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) were reviewed. The definition of TIVA is a combination of hypnotic agent, analgesic drugs and muscle relaxants, excluding simultaneous administration of any inhaled drugs. Anesthesia with single and massive doses of narcotic drugs such as fentanyl for cardiac anesthesia is not described in this paper. ⋯ This combination of the drugs is considered the best, because propofol, alfentanyl and sufentanyl are not available in Japan so far. TIVA has many advantages over inhaled anesthesia and it can be easily employed not only in the modern sophisticated situations but also in so-called field conditions. We anesthesiologists should be much more familiar with this method of anesthesia.
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Review Case Reports
[Venous air embolism following repositioning from sitting to supine].
We have experienced a patient in whom venous air embolism reoccurred, when the patient's position was changed from sitting to supine. A 40 year old male with Arnold-Chiari malformation underwent suboccipital decompression and cervical laminectomy under the sitting position. ⋯ This case suggests that there is some remaining air in the large veins of the upper part of the body once the air embolism has occurred during sitting position and thus we need to confirm that no air is left in the large veins before repositioning. We should be cautious of reoccurrence of venous air embolism whenever patient's position is changed.
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Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been used as a monitor of cardiovascular function and as a diagnostic tool in anesthetic practice. TEE is the only available monitor to detect anatomical abnormalities such as of wall motion as well as valvular abnormalities. Doppler TEE has wider diagnostic functions. ⋯ There are, however, several shortcomings such as its cost, "too much sensitivity", requirement of some experience, interobserver variability, and so on. The computer-assisted on-line analysis would greatly augment usefulness of TEE. When these shortcomings are overcome, TEE would be one of the most important monitors in anesthetic practice.