Articles: general-anesthesia.
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A patient with an intracardiac conduction defect characterised by first degree atrioventricular block due to slowed transmission through the atrioventricular node with increased refractoriness of the node, is described. Asymptomatic first degree block, rarely progressing to transient Wenckebach (type 1 second degree) block had been present for a period of 32 years until general anaesthesia was required, when profound bradycardia attributable to complete atrioventricular block developed abruptly. Subsequent investigations located delayed intracardiac conduction through the atrioventricular node, and indicated excess vagal activity rather than structural disease as the cause. The significance of first degree heart block is discussed in relation to other forms of atrioventricular conduction defect and the current recommendations for temporary pacing for elective general anaesthesia.
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We report a patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who developed malignant hyperpyrexia during general anaesthesia. During anaesthesia bradycardia was followed by ventricular fibrillation, on which ventricular flutter supervened and a body temperature rise of 0.6 degrees C for 15 minutes, myoglobinuria and elevation of CPK level were observed. ⋯ Diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy was first established after the development of malignant hyperpyrexia in the present case as well as in previously reported cases. Determination of serum CPK is very important before general anaesthesia.
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Comparative Study
Increased neonatal risk from the use of general anesthesia in emergency cesarean section. A retrospective analysis of 374 cases.
Three hundred seventy-four consecutive cases of cesarean section were reviewed retrospectively for differences in neonatal outcome with respect to method of anesthesia used. In 205 elective sections no difference in neonatal outcome was observed irrespective of anesthesia method. ⋯ These preliminary results suggest that general anesthesia may increase the degree of central depression of the fetus already compromised by hypoxia before surgery. An investigation of this question on other sets of data and in a prospective trial should be done.
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Surg Gynecol Obstet · Nov 1982
The effect of general and epidural anesthesia upon neonatal Apgar scores in repeat cesarean section.
One-hundred and ninety-five elective cesarean deliveries were studied to determine the effects of general and epidural anesthesia upon the neonatal condition, as reflected by the one and five minute Apgar scores. Ninety were performed under general anesthesia, 0.5 per cent halothane, 50 per cent nitrous oxide and 50 per cent oxygen; 105 used the epidural technique, 3 per cent chloroprocaine plus 0.75 per cent bupivacaine. All patients were tilted to the left during operation. ⋯ More significantly, no correlation was noted between the duration of anesthesia and the Apgar scores in either group, p greater than 0.1. Specifically, no significant increase was found in depressed infants in the prolonged, greater than or equal to 15 minutes, incision to delivery group, p greater than 0.05. These data seem to suggest that the use of general anesthesia, in the technique described, yields infants with Apgar scores as good as those of infants delivered under regional block anesthesia and that prolonged duration of general anesthesia is not associated with a depression of the Apgar scores.