Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe influence of epidural needle bevel orientation on spread of sensory blockade in the laboring parturient.
Both asymmetrical sensory blockade and dural puncture are undesirable outcomes of epidural analgesia. Identifying the epidural space with the needle bevel oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the patient's back limits the risk of headache in the event of dural puncture. However, rotating the bevel to direct a catheter cephalad may risk dural puncture. We prospectively studied the effects of needle rotation on the success of labor epidural analgesia and on the incidence of dural puncture. One hundred sixty ASA physical status I or II laboring parturients were randomly assigned to one of four groups. The epidural space was identified with the bevel of an 18-gauge Hustead needle directed to the patient's left. It was then rotated as follows: Group 0 = no rotation, final bevel orientation left (n = 39); Group 90 = rotation 90 degrees clockwise, bevel cephalad (n = 43); Group 180 = rotation 180 degrees clockwise, bevel right (n = 36); Group 270 = rotation 270 degrees clockwise, bevel caudad (n = 42). A single-orifice catheter was inserted 3 cm, and analgesia was induced in a standardized fashion. Dural puncture was evenly distributed among the groups (4.4%). There were more dermatomal segments blocked, fewer one-sided blocks, and more patients comfortable at 30 min with the needle bevel directed cephalad. Using a catheter inserted through a needle oriented in the cephalad direction increases the success of epidural analgesia. ⋯ This prospective study shows that an epidural catheter inserted through a needle oriented in the cephalad direction increases the success of labor analgesia in the parturient. Carefully rotating the needle cephalad does not increase the risk of dural puncture, intravascular catheters, or failed blocks.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe efficacy of RS-25259, a long-acting selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting after hysterectomy procedures.
We evaluated the safety and efficacy of RS-25259, a potent and long-acting selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in women undergoing hysterectomy procedures. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, dose-ranging study, 218 healthy, consenting women were assigned to one of the six treatment groups: placebo or RS-25259 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, or 30 microg/kg. All patients underwent a standardized general anesthetic technique. The study medication was administered i.v. 20-30 min before the end of surgery. During the initial 24-h period after surgery, the incidence of vomiting, the need for rescue antiemetics, the time to the first episode of emesis, and administration of rescue antiemetic medication, as well as a nausea visual analog scale and verbal categorical scale scores were recorded. In addition, recovery times from the end of anesthesia and the incidences of perioperative side effects were noted. Only 30 microg/kg RS-25259 significantly decreased the incidence of vomiting and the requirement for rescue antiemetics. The largest dose of RS-25259 also delayed the time to the first emetic episode and reduced the number of treatment failures. However, no differences were found in the severity of postoperative nausea (versus saline), and postoperative headaches were more common after the administration of RS-25259 0.3-30 microg/kg i.v. In conclusion, RS-25259 30 microg/kg i.v. was effective in reducing the incidence of PONV after major gynecologic surgery, but the occurrence of headaches with the larger doses of RS-25259 is a concern. ⋯ RS-25259, a long-acting 5-HT3 antagonist, was effective in reducing postoperative vomiting only at the largest dose studied (30 microg/kg). However, RS-25259 had no antinausea activity, and the larger doses were associated with an increased incidence of headaches in the postoperative period.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialBetamethasone reduces postoperative pain and nausea after ambulatory surgery.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of a single-dose glucocorticoid on the incidence and severity of pain and nausea and vomiting (PONV) after ambulatory surgery. Seventy-eight ASA physical status I-III patients scheduled for hemorrhoidectomy or hallux valgus correction were studied using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled protocol. One group received 12 mg of betamethasone i.m. 30 min before the start of surgery (Group B), whereas the placebo group (Group P) received saline. General anesthesia was induced with propofol and fentanyl and maintained with isoflurane in both groups. Pain (measured using a visual analog scale, verbal score, and analgesic requirements), PONV, and other side effects were evaluated postoperatively. Patients in Group B experienced significantly less postoperative pain, less PONV, and better patient satisfaction during the first 24 h after surgery. In conclusion, a single dose of betamethasone (12 mg) seemed to produce analgesic and antiemetic effects after day-case surgery. ⋯ In a placebo-controlled study, the use of corticosteroid prophylaxis (betamethasone) produced a significant reduction in both postoperative pain and nausea in outpatients who received the corticosteroid injection before ambulatory foot or hemorrhoid operations.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialOnset time, endotracheal intubating conditions, and plasma histamine after cisatracurium and vecuronium administration.
Cisatracurium is a nondepolarizing muscle relaxant with a slow onset. We performed a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial in 60 patients (ASA physical status I or II) to assess whether cisatracurium (0.15 or 0.25 mg/kg) or vecuronium (0.15 mg/kg), administered as a bolus immediately after induction of anesthesia with fentanyl and thiopental, would provide a faster onset time and better tracheal intubating conditions than previously reported. We sought to determine whether patients given muscle relaxants in this commonly used induction sequence would exhibit cutaneous, systemic, or chemical evidence of histamine release. Onset time of the relaxants was determined by using mechanomyography. Intubating conditions were scored on a defined interval scale by an anesthesiologist blinded to the relaxant administered. Heart rate and arterial blood pressure were measured noninvasively every minute from 10 min before to 5 min after the application of the muscle relaxant. Mean (+/- SD) onset times for 0.25 mg/kg cisatracurium (68.3 +/- 19.5 s) and for 0.15 mg/kg vecuronium (69.5 +/- 29.2 s) were significantly different from those in the 0.15 mg/kg cisatracurium group (105 +/- 41.2 s). The intubating conditions were better with the larger dose of cisatracurium or vecuronium (P < 0.03). Although plasma histamine levels were not statistically different among groups, levels >1 ng/mL were observed in 5 of 40 patients who received cisatracurium but in none of the 20 patients who received vecuronium. There were no significant hemodynamic differences among the groups. In a dose of 0.25 mg/kg, cisatracurium has as rapid an onset time as vecuronium 0.15 mg/kg, but the former shows evidence of histamine release. ⋯ Cisatracurium has been considered a drug with a relatively slow onset but that has the significant benefit of being devoid of chemically mediated histamine release. In this study, we describe an onset time faster than previously reported when cisatracurium was given immediately after thiopental. We also note that several patients had abnormal histamine levels after cisatracurium administration.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialTopical lidocaine-prilocaine cream (EMLA) versus local infiltration anesthesia for radial artery cannulation.
In a randomized trial, we compared topical anesthesia by a lidocaine-prilocaine cream (EMLA; Laboratorie ASTRA, Manterre, France) with subcutaneous local lidocaine infiltration for radial artery cannulation. Patients included 538 adults scheduled for coronary angiography using a radial approach. EMLA was applied 2 h before radial cannulation, and lidocaine infiltration was performed 5 min before cannulation. The primary end point was pain as assessed by a verbal numerical scale (0 = no pain, 10 = extreme pain). Pain was less severe in the EMLA group than in the lidocaine infiltration group (Score of 2 vs 7; P = 0.0001). Additional lidocaine infiltration was required significantly less frequently in the EMLA group (relative risk 0.19). The failure rate of cannulation was significantly lower in the EMLA group (relative risk 0.38), and insertion time was shorter (4 versus 6 min). We conclude that EMLA, compared with lidocaine infiltration, reduces pain associated with radial artery cannulation and improves the success rate of the procedure. Routine application of EMLA should be performed in awake patients 2 h before radial artery cannulation. ⋯ In a randomized trial, we compared topical anesthesia by a lidocaine-prilocaine cream (EMLA) with subcutaneous local lidocaine infiltration for radial artery cannulation in 538 adults patients. EMLA reduced pain associated with radial artery cannulation and improved the success rate of the procedure.