Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialPostoperative analgesia at home after ambulatory hand surgery: a controlled comparison of tramadol, metamizol, and paracetamol.
We compared in a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study the analgesic efficacy of three drugs in 120 ASA I and II patients scheduled to undergo ambulatory hand surgery with IV regional anesthesia. At discharge, oral analgesic tablets were prescribed as follows: tramadol 100 mg every 6 h, metamizol 1 g every 6 h, and paracetamol (acetaminophen) 1 g every 6 h. Rescue medication consisted of oral dextropropoxyphene 100 mg on demand. ⋯ Although tramadol was more effective, its use was associated with the highest frequency and intensity of adverse effects and the most patient dissatisfaction. Metamizol and acetaminophen provided good analgesia with a small incidence of side effects. For patients undergoing ambulatory hand surgery, postoperative pain can last longer than 2-3 days, and there is a need for both better education before the procedure and oral analgesic therapy at home.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialLevobupivacaine for epidural analgesia in labor: the sparing effect of epidural fentanyl.
Evidence suggests that levobupivacaine has similar pharmacodynamic properties to racemic bupivacaine. We sought to investigate whether this similarity extends to opioid sparing when levobupivacaine is used for epidural analgesia in laboring women by quantifying the effect of fentanyl on the minimum local analgesic concentration (MLAC) of levobupivacaine. One-hundred-six women requesting epidural analgesia for labor pain were recruited in this randomized, double-blinded, up-down sequential allocation study. ⋯ Fentanyl at concentrations of 2 microg/mL and 3 microg/mL significantly reduced the MLAC of levobupivacaine to 0.047% wt/vol (95% CI, 0.023-0.072) and 0.050% wt/vol (95% CI, 0.035-0.065), respectively (P < 0.001). A dose-dependent effect was not demonstrated. We conclude that fentanyl significantly reduces levobupivacaine requirements for epidural analgesia in labor.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialDoes pregnancy protect against intrathecal lidocaine-induced transient neurologic symptoms?
We investigated the incidence of transient neurologic symptoms (TNS) after the use of hyperbaric lidocaine as compared with hyperbaric bupivacaine in patients undergoing cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. Two hundred women scheduled for cesarean delivery were randomly allocated to receive spinal anesthesia with 75 mg hyperbaric lidocaine 5% (n = 100) or 12 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.75% (n = 100). Spinal anesthesia was administered to all patients in the sitting position with a 25-gauge Whitacre needle. ⋯ The patients were interviewed postoperatively for three consecutive days to detect the occurrence of TNS. The incidence of TNS was zero (95% confidence interval 0%--3%) in both the Lidocaine and the Bupivacaine Groups. Our results indicate that the frequency of postoperative TNS does not exceed 3% in patients undergoing cesarean delivery at term using hyperbaric lidocaine 5% or hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.75%.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2001
Case ReportsValidation of a simple algorithm for tracheal intubation: daily practice is the key to success in emergencies--an analysis of 13,248 intubations.
A fundamental skill of the anesthesiologist is airway management. We validated a simple endotracheal intubation algorithm with a large proportion of fiberoptic tracheal intubations used for years in daily practice. Over 2 yr, 13,248 intubations (>90% of all intubations, including obstetrics and ear, nose, and throat patients) in a heterogeneous patient population at our acute care hospital were evaluated prospectively. ⋯ By following our algorithm, intubation failed in 6 out of 13,248 cases (0.045%; 95% confidence interval 0.02%-0.11%). We demonstrate that a simple algorithm for endotracheal intubation, basically limited to fiberoptics as the only aid, is successful in daily practice. Only methods that are practiced daily can be used successfully in emergencies.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2001
Anterior approach to the sciatic nerve block: the effects of leg rotation.
In the anterior approach to the sciatic nerve block, the femur often obstructs the passage of the needle toward the sciatic nerve. In this study, by using a human cadaver model, we assessed how internal and external rotation of the leg influences the accessibility of the sciatic nerve with the anterior approach. Ten lower extremities from five adult cadavers were studied. ⋯ Medial redirection of the needle (10 degrees--15 degrees) allowed it to pass the lesser trochanter but brought the tip of the needle too medial to the sciatic nerve. Internal rotation of the leg facilitated passage of all needles inserted at the level of the lesser trochanter. We conclude that internal rotation of the leg may significantly facilitate needle insertion in the anterior approach to sciatic block.