European journal of anaesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Effect of a radiant heater on post-operative hypothermia: comparison with a reflective blanket.
Thirty patients with post-operative hypothermia following major surgery (thoracic, abdominal, orthopaedic) were allocated randomly to either active warming with a radiant heater (500 W) or passive rewarming with a reflective blanket. Rectal temperature, mean skin temperature (at four measuring sites), continuous haemoglobin saturation and shivering were measured for 2 h post-operatively. Although post-operative heat supply with a radiant heater resulted in faster rewarming, there were no differences between the two groups with respect to haemoglobin saturation and shivering.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The effects of midazolam followed by administration of either vecuronium or atracurium on the QT interval in humans.
Prolongation of the QT interval may produce potentially hazardous dysrhythmias. The effects on the QT interval of midazolam followed by administration of either vecuronium or atracurium have been investigated. Thirty patients, ASA I or II, without cardiovascular problems, electrolyte abnormalities or receiving any medication were studied. ⋯ Midazolam followed by administration of either vecuronium or atracurium did not produce any significant change in QTc interval (QT interval corrected for heart rate). Statistically significant prolongation of QTc was observed in both groups after intubation, although the mean QTc values did not exceed the upper limits of normal. Heart rate and arterial pressure were also increased significantly in both groups after intubation.
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Comparative Study
Continuous non-invasive blood pressure monitoring by brachial artery displacement method in high-risk surgical patients.
Continuous non-invasive blood pressure (CNBP) measurements were compared to invasive radial artery pressure recordings in 26 patients with cardiac, vascular and/or pulmonary disease. Patients were studied during general anaesthesia (n = 6), regional anaesthesia (n = 10), or combined technique (n = 10) for abdominal or transurethral surgery. CNBP was obtained from a cuff placed around the upper arm and simultaneously compared to invasive pressure from the ipsilateral radial artery. ⋯ During anaesthesia induction (n = 672) the difference between consecutive measurements (trend of pressure changes) with invasive and CNBP method exceeded 20 mmHg in 90 (13.3%) instances for systolic, in 33 (4.9%) instances for diastolic, and in 45 (6.6%) instances for mean blood pressure. In conclusion, the CNBP method by brachial artery wall displacement failed to measure the blood pressure reliably and to display the trend of pressure changes correctly during anaesthesia induction. In its present form this CNBP method should not replace invasive blood pressure monitoring in high-risk patients neither for anaesthesia induction nor during non-thoracic surgical procedures.