Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 1997
The effects of chronic tacrine therapy on d-tubocurarine blockade in the soleus and tibialis muscles of the rat.
Tacrine (THA) is an anticholinesterase drug used to manage Alzheimer's dementia, but it is not clear how its chronic use might affect response to nondepolarizing muscle relaxants. We determined the magnitude and time course of the effects of chronic oral THA and of intravenous (IV) THA on d-tubocurarine (dTC) blockade at the soleus and tibialis muscles. Six groups of adult rats were given 10 mg/kg THA twice daily by gavage for 1, 2, 4, or 8 wk (chronic THA groups), or 1 mL of saline twice daily by gavage for 1-8 wk (control), or IV THA approximately 20 min before (acute), and the cumulative dose-response curves of dTC at the tibialis and soleus muscles were determined during indirect train-of-four stimulation in the anesthetized, mechanically ventilated rat. ⋯ Chronic THA increased both the ED50 and ED95 of dTC 1.5- to 2-fold (P > or = 0.05), and this effect tended to decrease with duration of THA therapy. We conclude that chronic THA therapy in rats causes resistance to dTC, with a tendency for the resistance to decrease with time, probably because of down-regulation of postsynaptic acetylcholine receptors. The same may apply to Alzheimer's patients taking THA chronically.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialEpidural meperidine after cesarean section: the effect of diluent volume.
We investigated the effect of diluent volume on analgesia and systemic absorption from epidural meperidine after cesarean section in a randomized, double-blind study. At the first request for postoperative analgesia, 36 parturients were given epidural meperidine 25 mg diluted with saline to either 2 mL (12.5 mg/mL), 5 mL (5 mg/mL), or 10 mL (2.5 mg/mL). Visual analog pain scores measured in the first 30 min were greater in the 2-mL group compared with both the 5-mL group (P = 0.028) and the 10-mL group (P = 0.031). ⋯ No adverse side effects were recorded. Previous work has suggested that injection of epidural opioids in large volumes increases the potential risk of respiratory depression from cephalad spread of the drug. Therefore, we conclude that analgesia is optimum when epidural meperidine is administered diluted to 5 mL.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffect of dexmedetomidine on lumbar cerebrospinal fluid pressure in humans.
Dexmedetomidine's potential for analgesia without respiratory depression and its opioid- and anesthetic-sparing properties make it an attractive choice as an anesthetic adjunct for patients undergoing neurosurgery. However, the effects of dexmedetomidine on intracranial pressure are not known. We therefore studied the effect of dexmedetomidine on lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure in patients after transphenoidal pituitary tumor surgery. Sixteen transphenoidal pituitary tumor surgery patients were randomized to receive placebo (n = 9) or dexmedetomidine (n = 7) for 60 min in the postanesthesia care unit. The study drug was administered by a continuous computer-controlled infusion to achieve an estimated plasma dexmedetomidine concentration of 600 pg/mL, the highest plasma concentration that has been used for clinical purposes. Patient-controlled analgesia was used to administer morphine for postoperative discomfort. Lumbar CSF pressure (via lumbar intrathecal catheter), intraarterial blood pressure, and heart rate were monitored continuously. There was no change in lumbar CSF pressure in either group. The highest values obtained were 19 mm Hg in the dexmedetomidine group and 20 mm Hg in the placebo group. During infusion, mean arterial pressure decreased from 103 +/- 10 mm Hg to 86 +/- 6 mm Hg (P < 0.05), heart rate decreased from 77 +/- 12 bpm to 64 +/- 7 bpm (P < 0.05), and cerebral perfusion pressure decreased from 95 +/- 8 mm Hg to 78 +/- 6 mm Hg (P < 0.05) in the dexmedetomidine group, but not in the placebo group. We conclude that dexmedetomidine does not have an effect on lumbar CSF pressure in patients with normal intracranial pressure who have undergone transphenoidal pituitary hypophysectomy. ⋯ The effects of dexmedetomidine (an alpha2-agonist) or placebo on lumbar cerebrospinal fluid pressure, measured via an intrathecal catheter, were studied postoperatively in 16 patients. Dexmedetomidine had no effect on lumbar cerebrospinal fluid pressure. We will continue to investigate the potential utility of dexmedetomidine for neurosurgical anesthesia.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialImmediate 8% sevoflurane induction in children: a comparison with incremental sevoflurane and incremental halothane.
We compared the efficacy and tolerance of pediatric inductions with immediate 8% sevoflurane in 70% nitrous oxide with either incremental sevoflurane or incremental halothane in 70% nitrous oxide. Forty-six unpremedicated children had anesthesia induced by immediate 8% sevoflurane (high sevoflurane [HS]; circuit primed with 70% N2O and 8% sevoflurane before application of the face mask), gradual sevoflurane (GS; primed with 70% N2O with increments of sevoflurane), and gradual halothane (HAL; 70% N2O with incremental halothane). Blind video recordings were made, and each child's distress was rated prior to mask application, during mask application, and every 10 s thereafter using a behavioral rating scale. ⋯ Times to eye closure were also significantly different (P < 0.001): HS 37 +/- 10 s (range 15-56); GS 70 +/- 18 s (range 35-114); HAL 81 +/- 34 s (range 55-140). Distress scale scores showed more rapid decrement with HS than with GS or HAL. We conclude that 1) immediate 8% sevoflurane/N2O results in a significantly faster induction than GS or HAL;2) in children, HS in N2O will not result in a single-breath induction under the conditions of this study; 3) in this small group, HS was extremely well tolerated in ASA class I and II patients.