Annales françaises d'anesthèsie et de rèanimation
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Ann Fr Anesth Reanim · Jan 1985
[Changes in temperature during transurethral resection of the prostate under peridural anesthesia].
Superficial and central body temperatures were measured during anaesthesia and recovery in eleven elderly patients undergoing transurethral resection under epidural anaesthesia. A significant decrease in central body temperature as measured on the tympanic membrane was found during surgery. After a significant increase during induction of anaesthesia, mean skin temperature remained stable throughout surgery. ⋯ During recovery, all temperatures increased significantly. But mean body temperature returned to normal faster than central body temperature. Routine monitoring of core temperature and the use of warmed irrigation fluids are recommended during transurethral resections in elderly patients.
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Ann Fr Anesth Reanim · Jan 1985
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialSkin testing in the investigation of reactions to intravenous anaesthetic drugs. A prospective trial of atracurium and tubocurarine.
Intradermal skin testing is widely used to determine the causative drugs of presumed anaphylactic anaesthetic reactions. This paper sets out to evaluate the usefulness of skin tests, both intradermal and prick testing, in the prediction of anaesthetic reactions. The muscle relaxant drugs tubocurarine and atracurium were chosen for study since they are known to produce a high incidence of minor histaminoid reactions. ⋯ The results of the trial, combined with external reports to this centre, indicate that intradermal testing of anaesthetic drugs, particularly muscle relaxants, produces a high incidence of false positive results. This probably reflects their pharmacological activity rather than antigenicity. It is recommended, therefore, that skin testing should be reserved for situations in which there are strong indications from laboratory tests, backed by case history, of immune sensitization.
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Intradermal testing is a valid manoeuvre for the determination of the drug responsible for an anaphylactoid reaction during anaesthesia. It does not fill criteria for a screening test and will have limited use in the preoperative diagnosis of anaesthetic allergy unless a high risk group is selected.
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Ann Fr Anesth Reanim · Jan 1985
[Analgesia with an implanted device for repetitive intrathecal injections of morphine].
The use of intraspinal narcotics has been widely accepted as pain relief treatment for intractable cancer pain. Intraspinal low doses of morphine induce a potent selective long lasting analgesia. To avoid repetitive lumbar puncture, a drug delivery device was surgically implanted in 41 patients. ⋯ CSF leakage was noted in 11 patients; this was a challenge for us, as no other authors reported such a high rate for this complication. Aseptic meningitis was noted three times. In all cases but one, the symptoms resolved with appropriate treatment.