Articles: analgesia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Intrathecal clonidine as a sole analgesic for pain relief after cesarean section.
In a small number of studies and isolated case reports, intrathecally administered clonidine has been reported to relieve intractable cancer pain and to prolong spinal anesthesia induced by various local anesthetics. A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was carried out in order to evaluate the effect of intrathecal clonidine on pain following cesarean section. Twenty patients who underwent elective cesarean section received, 45 min after general anesthesia, either 150 micrograms (n = 10) clonidine or saline (control group, n = 10) intrathecally. ⋯ Maximal reduction of systolic arterial pressure was 15 +/- 9%, of diastolic arterial pressure 22 +/- 12%, and of mean arterial pressure 18 +/- 12%. Clonidine did not affect arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation or PaCO2. Patients in the clonidine group were significantly more sedated (P less than 0.05) and more frequently reported a dry mouth (P less than 0.01) compared to the normal saline group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Droperidol has both anti-emetic and neuroleptic properties and its epidural administration has been reported (Naji et al. 1990). Its side effects when administered via this route are not known. We report a case of long-term (2 months) epidural administration of droperidol to a cancer patient who was receiving epidural morphine and who manifested nausea and vomiting. Akathisia developed progressively and subsided 72 h after droperidol was discontinued.
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Comparative Study
An automated system for testing the accuracy of patient-controlled analgesia devices.
A system was developed to test the accuracy of patient-controlled analgesia devices in situations simulating clinical use. Bolus requests are made automatically at predetermined intervals, and the infusate delivered is measured and recorded without the need for operator presence. ⋯ However, when an infusion was started in an unprimed system or after a period of no bolus requests in a bolus-only mode the Graseby and IVAC machines under-delivered. This system provides a means of testing patient-controlled analgesia devices operating in any delivery mode.
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The management of pediatric pain is a complex, multifaceted subject. By viewing pediatric pain management as a priority, health care providers may diminish children's suffering in hospital settings. Critical care nurses can make a difference by increasing awareness of pain issues, incorporating pain assessment tools into their flow sheet, being knowledgeable about pain management interventions, and collaborating with the other health care team members to cope effectively with each child's individual pain management needs.