Anesthesiology
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Left-lateral tilt position is used to reduce assumed aortocaval compression by the pregnant uterus. ⋯ In parturients, the aorta was not compressed, and a 15° left-lateral tilt position did not effectively reduce inferior vena cava compression.
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Preclinical data suggest that oxytocin reduces hypersensitivity by actions in the spinal cord, but whether it produces antinociception to acute stimuli is unclear. In this article, the authors examined the safety of intrathecal oxytocin and screened its effects on acute noxious stimuli. ⋯ This small study supports further investigation on oxytocin for analgesia for hypersensitivity states, with continued systematic surveillance for possible effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and neurologic function.
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Core temperature patterns in patients warmed with forced air remain poorly characterized. Also unknown is the extent to which transient and mild intraoperative hypothermia contributes to adverse outcomes in broad populations. ⋯ Even in actively warmed patients, hypothermia is routine during the first hour of anesthesia. Thereafter, average core temperatures progressively increase. Nonetheless, intraoperative hypothermia was common, and often prolonged. Hypothermia was associated with increased transfusion requirement, which is consistent with numerous randomized trials.