Anesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Combined spinal-epidural versus epidural labor analgesia.
Despite the growing popularity of combined spinal-epidural analgesia in laboring women, the exact role of intrathecal opioids and the needle-through-needle technique remains to be determined. The authors hypothesized that anesthetic technique would have little effect on obstetric outcome or anesthetic complications. ⋯ Labor progress and outcome are similar among women receiving either combined spinal-epidural or epidural analgesia. The difference in neonatal outcome appears related to the presence of confounding variables. The combined spinal-epidural technique is not associated with an increased frequency of anesthetic complications. Either technique can safely provide effective labor analgesia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Changes in blood volume and hematocrit during acute preoperative volume loading with 5% albumin or 6% hetastarch solutions in patients before radical hysterectomy.
The impact of acute preoperative volume loading with colloids on blood volume has not been investigated sufficiently. ⋯ The double-label measurements of blood volume performed showed that 30 min after the infusion of approximately 20 ml/kg of 5% albumin or 6% hetastarch solution (within 15 min), only mean 38 +/- 21% and 43 +/- 26%, respectively, of the volume applied remained in the intravascular space. Different, i.e., earlier or later, measuring points, different infusion volumes, infusion rates, plasma substitutes, or possibly different tracers for plasma volume measurement might lead to different results concerning the kinetics of fluid or colloid extravasation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of two different temperature maintenance strategies during open abdominal surgery: upper body forced-air warming versus whole body water garment.
A new system has been developed that circulates warm water through a whole body garment worn by the patient during surgery. In this study the authors compared two different strategies for the maintenance of intraoperative normothermia. One strategy used a new water garment warming system that permitted active warming of both the upper and lower extremities and the back. The other strategy used a single (upper body) forced-air warming system. ⋯ The investigated water warming system, by virtue of its ability to deliver heat to a greater percentage of the body, results in better maintenance of intraoperative normothermia that does forced-air warming applied only to the upper extremities, as is common practice.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Changes in plasma creatinine concentration after cardiac anesthesia with isoflurane, propofol, or sevoflurane: a randomized clinical trial.
Renal impairment often follows cardiac surgery. The authors investigated whether sevoflurane produces greater increases in plasma creatinine concentration than isoflurane or propofol after elective coronary artery surgery. ⋯ Sevoflurane did not produce greater increases in creatinine than isoflurane or propofol after elective coronary artery surgery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Randomized study comparing the "sniffing position" with simple head extension for laryngoscopic view in elective surgery patients.
The "sniffing position" is recommended for optimization of glottic visualization under direct laryngoscopy. However, no study to date has confirmed its superiority over simple head extension. In a prospective, randomized study, the authors compared the sniffing position with simple head extension in orotracheal intubation. ⋯ Routine use of the sniffing position appears to provide no significant advantage over simple head extension for tracheal intubation in this setting. The sniffing position appears to be advantageous in obese and head extension-limited patients.