Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialParavertebral blockade for minor breast surgery.
Paravertebral blockade (PVB) has been advocated as a useful technique for breast surgery. We prospectively compared the efficacy of PVB via a catheter technique with the efficacy of general anesthesia (GA) for minor breast surgery. Thirty patients were randomized into two groups to receive either PVB or GA. Variables of efficacy were postoperative pain measured on a visual analog scale, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), recovery time, and patient satisfaction. Postoperative visual analog scale scores in the PVB group were significantly lower in the early postoperative period (maximum, 12 vs 45 mm; P < 0.01). In both groups, PONV was nearly absent. There was no difference in recovery time. Patient satisfaction was better in the PVB group (2.8 vs 2.3; scale, 0-3; P < 0.01). There was one inadvertent epidural block and one inadvertent pleural puncture in the PVB group. Although PVB resulted in better postoperative pain relief, the advantages over GA were marginal in this patient group because postoperative pain was relatively mild and the incidence of PONV was small. Considering that the technique has a certain complication rate, we conclude that at present the risk/benefit ratio of PVB does not favor routine use for minor breast surgery. ⋯ This study confirms the previously reported superior pain relief after paravertebral blockade (PVB) for breast surgery. However, considering the relatively mild postoperative pain and therefore the limited advantage of PVB for these patients, the risk/benefit ratio does not favor the routine use of PVB for minor breast surgery.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialSmall-dose selective spinal anesthesia for short-duration outpatient laparoscopy: recovery characteristics compared with desflurane anesthesia.
We conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare the recovery characteristics of selective spinal anesthesia (SSA) and desflurane anesthesia (DES) in outpatient gynecological laparoscopy. Twenty ASA physical status I patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopy were randomized to receive either SSA with lidocaine 10 mg + sufentanil 10 microg or general anesthesia with DES and N(2)O. Intraoperative conditions, recovery times, postanesthesia recovery scores, and postoperative outcomes were recorded. Intraoperative conditions were comparable in both groups. All patients in the SSA group were awake and oriented at the end of surgery, whereas patients in the DES group required 7 +/- 2 min for extubation and orientation. SSA patients had a significantly shorter time to straight leg raising (3 +/- 1 min versus 9 +/- 4 min; P < 0.0001) and to ambulation (3 +/- 0.9 min versus 59 +/- 16 min; P < 0.0001) compared with the DES group. SSA patients had significantly less postoperative pain than DES patients (P < 0.05). We concluded that SSA was an effective alternative to DES for outpatient gynecological laparoscopy. ⋯ This study compared the use of a desflurane general anesthetic to a small-dose spinal anesthetic in ambulatory gynecological laparoscopy. Using the spinal technique, patients can walk from the operating room table to a stretcher on completion of surgery. Their recovery time was similar to that of the desflurane group.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThoracic epidural anesthesia for cardiac surgery: the effects on tracheal intubation time and length of hospital stay.
Improvements in analgesia after major surgery may allow a more rapid recovery and shorter hospital stay. We performed a prospective randomized trial to study the effects of epidural analgesia on the length of hospital stay after coronary artery surgery. The anesthetic technique and postoperative mobilization were altered to facilitate early intensive care discharge and hospital discharge. Fifty patients received high (T1 to T4) thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) with ropivacaine 1% (4-mL bolus, 3-5 mL/h infusion), with fentanyl (100-microg bolus, 15-25 microg/h infusion) and a propofol infusion (6 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1)). Another 50 patients (the General Anesthesia group) received fentanyl 15 microg/kg and propofol (5 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1)), followed by IV morphine patient-controlled analgesia. The TEA group had lower visual analog scores with coughing postextubation (median, 0 vs 26 mm; P < 0.0001) and were extubated earlier (median hours [interquartile range], 3.2 [2.1-4.6] vs 6.7 [3.3-13.2]; P < 0.0001). More than half of all patients were discharged home on Postoperative Day 4 (24%) or 5 (33%), but there was no difference in the length of stay between the TEA group (median [interquartile range], Day 5 [5-6]) and the General Anesthesia group (median [interquartile range], Day 5 [4-7]). There were no differences in postoperative spirometry or chest radiograph changes or in markers for postoperative myocardial ischemia or infarction. No significant TEA-related complications occurred. In summary, TEA provided better analgesia and allowed earlier tracheal extubation but did not reduce the length of hospital stay after coronary artery surgery. ⋯ We found that epidural analgesia was more effective than IV morphine for cardiac surgery. Epidural anesthesia also allowed earlier weaning from mechanical ventilation, but it did not affect hospital discharge time.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialChloroprocaine is less painful than lidocaine for skin infiltration anesthesia.
Skin infiltration of local anesthetics causes pain. In a double-blinded protocol, 22 volunteers received random intradermal injections to the volar surface of the forearm with each of the following solutions: normal saline solution 0.9% (NSS), lidocaine 1% (L), lidocaine 1% and sodium bicarbonate 8.4% (L+BIC), 2-chloroprocaine 2% (CP), 2-chloroprocaine 2% and sodium bicarbonate 8.4% (CP+BIC), and NaCHO(3) 8.4% (BIC). Initially, each volunteer received an open-labeled injection of NSS. A 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS, 1-100) was used to assess pain with each injection. The pH of each solution was stable for the length of the study. Repeated measures of variance were used for analysis. The VAS scores (mean +/- SD) for open-label and blinded NSS injections were 15.5 +/- 15.9 and 14.0 +/- 18.1, respectively. The scores for the studied solutions were as follows: BIC, 47.2 +/- 25.5; L, 25.8 +/- 27.6; L+BIC, 16.0 +/- 14.2; CP, 8.6 +/- 7.4; and CP+BIC, 6.8 +/- 6.7. No significant difference was found between CP and alkalinized CP, but the injection of both solutions was significantly less painful than that of all other solutions (P < 0.05). The pH of the solutions was not related to the pain score. We found that chloroprocaine caused less pain at injection than the more commonly used lidocaine. ⋯ Using 2-chloroprocaine can diminish pain caused by the intradermal injection of lidocaine. pH variations of the solution did not relate to the pain profile of the local anesthetic.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe effect of nitrous oxide on jugular bulb oxygen saturation during remifentanil plus target-controlled infusion propofol or sevoflurane in patients with brain tumors.
During propofol/fentanyl anesthesia, a large percentage of patients have jugular bulb oxygen saturation (SjO(2)) <50%. The incidence is less with isoflurane/N(2)O. We evaluated the effect of N(2)O on SjO(2) during remifentanil-based anesthesia with concurrent propofol or sevoflurane in 20 adults undergoing brain tumor surgery. Anesthesia was randomized: Group 1 (n = 10), target-controlled infusion propofol; and Group 2 (n = 10), thiopental 2-3 mg/kg followed by sevoflurane 0.9% end-tidal. Jugular bulb and arterial blood samples for gas analysis were withdrawn during the administration of oxygen 33% with nitrogen 67% and then with N(2)O 67%. All samples were drawn before surgery and 20 min after the addition of the study gas and with an ETCO(2) 26-28 mm Hg and mean arterial pressure >90 mm Hg. Both groups had similar demographic and physiologic data. In the Propofol group, SjO(2) was 50% +/- 10% with nitrogen and 52% +/- 9% with N(2)O (not significant); in the Sevoflurane group, however, N(2)O 67% increased SjO(2) from 56% +/- 13% to 66% +/- 12% (P < 0.01). This indicates that N(2)O does not reduce the incidence of low SjO(2) values during propofol anesthesia. ⋯ This study demonstrates that nitrous oxide can increase jugular bulb venous oxygen saturation when added to sevoflurane/remifentanil anesthesia, but not to propofol/remifentanil anesthesia, in patients with brain tumors.