Anesthesia and analgesia
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialThe side effects of morphine and hydromorphone patient-controlled analgesia.
Despite "clinical lore" among health care providers that treatment with hydromorphone results in improved pain control and fewer adverse side effects, morphine continues to be the first-line medication for postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). In this study, we compared the efficacy and side-effect profiles of morphine and hydromorphone at concentrations producing equivalent drug effect measured by pain score and miosis. ⋯ We found no systematic difference between morphine and hydromorphone in opioid-related side effects. Neither was there any difference in efficacy of pain control or patient satisfaction when patients self-titrated to equal drug effect as measured by equianalgesia and pupillary miosis. The choice between morphine and hydromorphone for use in PCA should be guided by patient history, as there may be idiosyncratic reactions to either drug.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2008
Biography Historical ArticleGaston Labat's Regional Anesthesia: the missing years.
Gaston Labat's textbook Regional Anesthesia: Its Technique and Clinical Application was one of the earliest regional anesthesia texts, and certainly one of the most successful. Although Dr. Labat was working on a third edition at the time of his death, its fate and the reason for a more than 30-year delay in publishing a third edition have often been speculated upon. ⋯ Lundy Archive revealed communications between Dr. Lundy and Labat's widow which help explain the delay. Further searches into the collections of John Adriani, MD, help explain how he came to be the one to publish the long-awaited third edition.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2008
The inhibition of human neutrophil phagocytosis and oxidative burst by tricyclic antidepressants.
Tricyclic antidepressants are being investigated as long-acting analgesics for topical application in wounds or IV for postoperative pain relief. However, it remains unclear if tricyclic antidepressants affect the host defense and if reported toxic effects on neutrophils are of relevance in this setting. We therefore investigated the effects of amitriptyline, nortriptyline, and fluoxetine on human neutrophil phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and neutrophil toxicity in a human whole blood model. ⋯ Phagocytosis and intracellular host defense are largely unaffected by antidepressants in concentrations of 10(-4) M and below. Our results confirm that antidepressants are highly toxic to neutrophils in millimolar concentrations. The neurotoxic effects and clinical side effects, but not effects on neutrophil functions, therefore, are likely to be the limiting factors in using antidepressants as analgesics.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2008
Etomidate has no effect on hypoxia reoxygenation and hypoxic preconditioning in isolated human right atrial myocardium.
We examined the effects of etomidate on recovery of contractile function after hypoxia reoxygenation and hypoxic preconditioning in vitro using isolated human myocardium. ⋯ Etomidate did not modify the in vitro FoC of human myocardium exposed to HR. Furthermore, etomidate did not modify the protective effect of hypoxic preconditioning.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effect of dexmedetomidine on perioperative hemodynamics in patients undergoing craniotomy.
The perioperative course of patients undergoing intracranial surgery is frequently complicated by hypertensive episodes. Dexmedetomidine (DEX), an alpha-2 adrenoreceptor agonist, is gaining popularity in neuroanesthesia, because its sympatholytic and antinociceptive properties may improve hemodynamic stability at critical moments of surgery. We designed this study to assess the efficacy of DEX in controlling hypertensive responses in patients undergoing intracranial surgery. ⋯ By using indices, which assess a global hemodynamic stability of the anesthetic, we determined that intraoperative DEX infusion was effective for blunting the increases in SBP perioperatively. The use of DEX did not increase the incidence of hypotension or bradycardia, common side effects of the drug.