Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · May 1992
Alveolar oxygenation and mouth-to-mask ventilation: effects of oxygen insufflation.
The effect on alveolar oxygen fraction (FAO2) of insufflating oxygen under a mask (or through an inflow nipple provided in the mask) during simulated mouth-to-mask ventilation was investigated using a lung model. A variety of commercially produced masks were evaluated. Two patterns of artificial ventilation were applied: 1. 500 ml tidal volume at 20 breaths per minute, and 2. 900 ml tidal volume at 12 breaths per minute. ⋯ The relationship between oxygen flow and FAO2 was not linear however, and an oxygen flow rate of 10 l/min was adequate to generate FAO2's around 50% with either ventilatory pattern. The equilibrium FAO2 achieved was greater with smaller tidal volumes and with larger mask deadspace. We also found that several breaths were required for equilibration of FAO2 during each trial, supporting recommendations that several breaths should be given on commencement of artificial ventilation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · May 1992
Prediction of difficult laryngoscopy: an assessment of the thyromental distance and Mallampati predictive tests.
Two hundred and fifty patients were assessed preoperatively using the Mallampati classification and by measuring their thyromental distances. The ease or difficulty of direct laryngoscopy was assessed at the time of induction of anaesthesia. ⋯ It was found that both assessments predicted less than two in three difficult laryngoscopies and had high false positive rates. It was found that external laryngeal pressure often improved the view of the glottis in difficult laryngoscopies.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · May 1992
Propofol is a 'safe' anaesthetic agent in malignant hyperthermia susceptible patients.
In this study we investigated in vitro and in vivo effects of propofol in malignant hyperthermia susceptible (MHS) patients in order to assess the safety of propofol infusion as a non-triggering anaesthetic technique for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. In vitro, human MHS muscle samples were exposed to propofol and changes in (a) baseline tension and (b) contracture tension on exposure to halothane and caffeine were measured. In vivo, (a) anaesthesia was induced in ten muscle biopsy positive MHS patients with propofol 2.5 mg/kg and (b) anaesthesia was produced in five muscle biopsy positive MHS patients with infusions of propofol up to 10 mg/kg/hr. ⋯ In vivo, no evidence of an MH response was detected following induction or maintenance of anaesthesia with propofol. Our results and literature review are in agreement that propofol is a 'safe' induction and maintenance agent in MHS patients. Propofol can be used for muscle biopsy anaesthesia because it does not alter the sensitivity of diagnostic muscle biopsy testing.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · May 1992
Letter Case ReportsDetection of faulty CO2 absorber by capnography.