Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2003
The effects of surgical case duration and type of surgery on hourly clinical productivity of anesthesiologists.
Surgical duration (hours per case; h/case) and type of surgery (ASA base units per case; base/case) determine the hourly clinical productivity (total ASA units per hour of anesthesia care; tASA/h) for anesthesiology groups. In previous studies, h/case negatively influenced tASA/h, but base/case did not differ significantly. However, when cases are grouped by surgical service, the mean base/case varies. ⋯ The services with the shortest h/case had the highest tASA/h. The accurate prediction of both clinical and billing productivity requires inclusion of both base/case and surgical duration data. Anesthesiology groups should consider surgical duration when making strategic decisions.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe effects of small-dose ketamine on morphine consumption in surgical intensive care unit patients after major abdominal surgery.
In a randomized, double-blinded study, we evaluated the analgesic effect of ketamine in the management of pain in a surgical intensive care unit after major abdominal surgery. Patients received morphine patient-controlled analgesia with either placebo (Group M) or ketamine (Group K). Morphine was administered with initial loading doses of 2 mg until the visual analog scale (VAS) score was <30 and thereafter with bolus doses of 1 mg and a lockout time of 7 min. ⋯ VAS scores at rest and at mobilization were similar. The cumulative consumption of morphine was significantly smaller in Group K (P < 0.05). We concluded that small doses of ketamine were a valuable adjunct to opioids in surgical intensive care unit patients after major abdominal surgery.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialHyperbaric bupivacaine 2.5 mg prolongs analgesia compared with plain bupivacaine when added to intrathecal fentanyl 25 microg in advanced labor.
We investigated the effect of sequential administration of intrathecal (IT) hyperbaric bupivacaine (after the initial administration of IT hypobaric fentanyl) on the duration of spinal analgesia. Thirty-seven nulliparous parturients with a cervical dilation >/= 5 cm were randomized to receive either IT fentanyl 25 micro g and plain bupivacaine 2.5 mg (group P; n = 19) or IT fentanyl 25 micro g and hyperbaric (with 8% glucose) bupivacaine 2.5 mg (group H; n = 18). The two components of the IT injectate were administered sequentially (fentanyl 25 micro g diluted in 2 mL of normal saline, immediately followed by 0.5 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine). ⋯ Group H also had a more limited dermatomal spread (median highest sensory level of T8 versus T4 in group P; P < 0.05). The side-effect profile was similar. Under these circumstances, hyperbaric bupivacaine conferred an increased duration of IT analgesia compared with plain bupivacaine.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialOnset time, quality of blockade, and duration of three-in-one blocks with levobupivacaine and bupivacaine.
Levobupivacaine is the isolated S(-)-stereoisomer of racemic bupivacaine. Important pharmacodynamic properties of levobupivacaine have not been determined for the femoral three-in-one block. In this randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial, we studied 60 ASA physical status I-III patients scheduled for surgery of the lower limb. ⋯ The analgesic quality of the blockade was also not significantly different among the three groups, whereas a complete sensory block was achieved in significantly fewer patients in the levobupivacaine 0.25% group (P = 0.02). The duration of blockade was significantly shorter with levobupivacaine 0.25% compared with the other groups: bupivacaine 0.5%, 1053 min (802-1304 min); levobupivacaine 0.5%, 1001 min (844-1158 min); and levobupivacaine 0.25%, 707 min (551-863 min) (P = 0.01). Levobupivacaine 0.5% is recommended instead of bupivacaine 0.5% for the three-in-one block.