Anesthesia and analgesia
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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
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe efficacy of esophageal detector devices in verifying tracheal tube placement: a randomized cross-over study of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.
We performed this prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of esophageal detector devices (EDDs), both the bulb and the syringe-type, to indicate positioning of endotracheal tubes (ETTs) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. Forty-eight adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were enrolled. Immediately after tracheal intubation and ETT cuff inflation in the emergency department, the patients were allocated randomly to two cross-over groups. ⋯ No statistical difference was found among the tests. EDDs were less sensitive in detecting tracheal intubation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. Therefore, proper clinical judgment in conjunction with these devices should be used to confirm ETT placement in these difficult situations.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2001
Case ReportsThoracic epidural anesthesia for bilateral reduction mammoplasty in a patient with Klippel-Feil syndrome.
General anesthesia is best avoided in cases of Klippel-Feil syndrome where tracheal intubation is potentially difficult. The syndrome features severe abnormalities of the neck and upper thoracic spine, which may also lead to difficulties with neuraxial blockade. We describe the use of epidural anesthesia for bilateral reduction mammoplasty in a patient with this condition.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2001
How much are patients willing to pay to avoid postoperative nausea and vomiting?
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are unpleasant experiences. However, there is no drug that is completely effective in preventing PONV. Whereas cost effectiveness analyses rely on specific health outcomes (e.g., years of life saved), cost-benefit analyses assess the cost and benefit of medical therapy in terms of dollars. ⋯ Seventy-six percent of patients considered avoiding postoperative nausea and 78% of patients considered avoiding vomiting as important (> or = 50 mm on a 0--100-mm visual analog scale). Nausea or vomiting in the postanesthetic care unit, greater patient income, previous history of PONV, more importance placed on avoiding nausea and vomiting, increasing age, and being married are independent covariates that increase the willingness to pay estimates. Patients associated a value with the avoidance of PONV and were willing to pay between US$56 and US$100 for a completely effective antiemetic.
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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.