Anesthesia and analgesia
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialA new axillary approach for continuous brachial plexus block. A clinical and anatomic study.
Catheter insertion in the neurovascular space by axillary approach allows a continuous brachial plexus block and/or postoperative analgesia. We developed a perivenous technique whereby the approach to the neurovascular sheath is guided under fluoroscopy by a preopacified axillary vein. A randomized study compared this technique to the technique of Selander in ASA grade I-II patients scheduled for surgery or painful physiotherapy of the hand. ⋯ The concentrations were higher (P < 0.01) in failed blocks; the median value was 1.69 micrograms/mL (95% confidence interval: 0.58-2.8). A complementary anatomic study of three arms from fresh cadavers allowed verification of the correct localization of the Teflon cannula and flexible catheter, as well as homogeneous diffusion of the methylene blue inside the brachial plexus. The perivenous technique for continuous axillary brachial plexus block may improve the success rate due to its radiologic and accurate location of the neurovascular sheath.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 1995
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialA pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation of milrinone in adults undergoing cardiac surgery.
Milrinone can reverse acute postischemic myocardial dysfunction after cardiopulmonary bypass, although neither the appropriate bolus dose nor its pharmacokinetics has been established for cardiac surgical patients. Consenting patients undergoing cardiac surgery received milrinone (25, 50, or 75 micrograms/kg) in an open-label, dose-escalating study if their cardiac index was < 3 L.min-1.m-2 after separation from bypass. Heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and cardiac index were determined before and after the administration of milrinone. ⋯ Similarly, the following clearances were estimated for the three compartments: Cl1 = 0.067 L/min, Cl2 = 1.05 L/min, and Cl3 = 0.31 L/min. The 50-micrograms/kg loading dose appeared more potent than the 25-micrograms/kg dose, and, as potent, but with possibly fewer side-effects than the 75-micrograms/kg dose. The short context-sensitive half-times of 6.7 or 10.2 min after 1- or 10-min bolus infusions underscore the need for prompt institution of a maintenance infusion when milrinone concentrations must be maintained.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 1995
Comparative StudyComparison of isoflurane and desflurane anesthetic depth using burst suppression of the electroencephalogram in neurosurgical patients.
We compared the anesthetic effects of desflurane and isoflurane using percent burst suppression of the electroencephalogram (EEG) as an end-point in 10 neurosurgical patients. The EEG was recorded from frontal leads and processed variables were analyzed as a function of increasing isoflurane and desflurane concentration with age and baseline delta EEG power (0.5-3.75 Hz) as independent variables. Isoflurane and desflurane (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration [MAC]) were incrementally administered until the EEG was quiesecent at least 40% of the time. ⋯ Patients with baseline delta EEG power > 80% of total power produced no change in EEG frequency with increasing anesthesia but revealed a greater sensitivity to the development of burst suppression. These results show that isoflurane and desflurane produce similar EEG suppression in neurosurgical patients. If the EEG is initially slow, further slowing cannot be used to assess anesthetic depth.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 1995
The effect of midazolam on left ventricular pump performance and contractility in anesthetized patients with coronary artery disease: effect of preoperative ejection fraction.
Forty patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were studied, of whom 24 had depressed global left ventricular (LV) function at preoperative catheterization, to evaluate the effects of midazolam on LV pump performance and contractility. Transesophageal echocardiography and simultaneous hemodynamic measurements were used to assess LV preload, afterload, and systolic performance during inhalation of 100% O2 and after 0.1 mg/kg of midazolam. Systolic function indices were expressed as a percent of the predicted value for observed end-systolic stress to estimate LV contractility. ⋯ As a result, systolic function decreased in relation to observed end-systolic stress, providing evidence of reduced LV contractility. Thus, midazolam administration (0.1 mg/kg) caused no change in cardiac pump performance but decreased LV contractility in the entire population. Myocardial contractility was lower at baseline and after the administration of midazolam in the depressed ejection fraction group, but the decrease in contractility was not exaggerated in the depressed ejection fraction group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)