Anesthesiology
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Synergistic antinociception of opioids and local anesthetics has been established in bolus injections but not in long-term use. The somatic and visceral antinociceptive effects of intrathecally infused morphine or lidocaine were characterized, and the nature of the interaction of those agents in rats was evaluated. ⋯ Morphine and lidocaine intrathecally coadministered synergistically potentiated the antinociceptive effects of each other. That coinfusion dramatically potentiated visceral antinociception, whereas the infusion of morphine alone showed little visceral antinociception.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Population pharmacokinetics of midazolam administered by target controlled infusion for sedation following coronary artery bypass grafting.
Midazolam is commonly used for short-term postoperative sedation of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The purpose of this multicenter study was to characterize the pharmacokinetics and intersubject variability of midazolam in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. ⋯ The intersubject variability and predictability of the three-compartment pharmacokinetic model are similar to those of other intravenous anesthetic drugs. This multicenter study did not confirm previous studies of exceptionally large variability of midazolam pharmacokinetics when used for sedation in intensive care settings.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Efficacy and costs of patient-controlled analgesia versus regularly administered intramuscular opioid therapy.
Many studies have shown the efficacy of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). However, it is not clear whether PCA has clinical or economic benefits in addition to efficient analgesia. The current study was designed to evaluate these issues by comparing PCA with regularly administered intramuscular injections of opioids after hysterectomy. ⋯ Compared with regularly scheduled intramuscular dosing, PCA is more costly and does not have clinical advantages for pain management after hysterectomy. Because of the comparable outcomes, the general use of PCA in similar patients should be questioned.