Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialA randomized double-blinded comparison of metoclopramide, ondansetron and cyclizine in day-case laparoscopy.
This study determined the overall incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in 38 patients undergoing laparoscopic gynaecological procedures who received a standardized propofol/isoflurane anaesthetic but no preoperative antiemetic. A further 166 patients similarly anaesthetized were then randomly allocated to receive either metoclopramide 10 mg. ondansetron 4 mg, or cyclizine 50 mg as an intravenous antiemetic immediately preinduction. Overall incidence of PONV was determined for all groups and the relative efficacy of the three antiemetic agents assessed. ⋯ There was no detectable difference in relative efficacy between ondansetron 4 mg and metoclopramide 10 mg. The incidence of PONV in the group who received cyclizine was similar to that found in the pilot group who received no PONV prophylaxis. Both metoclopramide and ondansetron may potentially decrease the incidence of PONV following gynaecologic laparoscopy by up to 50% when administered intravenously prior to a propofol/isoflurane anaesthetic.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialProphylactic administration of histamine 1 and/or histamine 2 receptor blockers in the prevention of heparin- and protamine-related haemodynamic effects.
The efficacy of prophylactic administration of H1 and H2 receptor blockers to prevent adverse haemodynamic responses to heparin and protamine was studied. The control group (n = 10) received no histamine receptor blocker, group H1 (n = 10) received oral terfenadine 60 mg, group H2 (n = 10) received oral ranitidine 300 mg, and group H1+H2 (n = 10) received both terfenadine and ranitidine on the night before the operation and on call to the operating room. Heparin sulphate 300 U/kg was injected directly into the right atrium, and protamine hydrochloride was administered at the conclusion of bypass over at least three minutes through a peripheral route. ⋯ Protamine infusion did not lead to an increase in H-LA. Prophylactic administration of histamine receptor blockers (H1 or H2) attenuated the heparin-induced adverse haemodynamic response but did not change the protamine-related haemodynamic effects. Factors other than histamine may play a major role in protamine induced cardiovascular changes.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialRecovery from mivacurium block with or without anticholinesterase following continuous infusion in obstetric patients.
Neostigmine antagonism after suxamethonium followed by mivacurium chloride bolus and infusion was studied. Thirty ASA group I or II patients were given mivacurium 0.15 mg/kg followed by infusion during nitrous oxide-enflurane-pethidine anaesthesia. Train of four (TOF) stimuli were applied to the ulnar nerve at the wrist and TOF twitch height and ratio measured by TOF-GUARD nerve stimulator. ⋯ There were significant differences in the time taken to TOFR of 25% (P < 0.0001) and 50% (P < 0.05) but no difference in the time taken for TOFR to return to 70%. We concluded that mivacurium is suitable for use in caesarean section despite a decrease in plasma cholinesterase activity. Neostigmine antagonism is not required as a routine.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 1996
Comparative StudyInhaled aerosolized prostacyclin and nitric oxide as selective pulmonary vasodilators in ARDS--a pilot study.
Nitric oxide 10 ppm and inhaled aerosolized prostacyclin 50 ng/kg/min were compared as selective pulmonary vasodilators in five patients with hypoxaemia secondary to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Neither agent resulted in systemic haemodynamic changes, indicating true pulmonary selectivity. Inhaled aerolized prostacyclin improved oxygenation to a degree comparable to nitric oxide, as measured by the arterial alveolar oxygen partial pressure gradient and shunt fraction.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 1996
Alveolar overdistension is an important mechanism of persistent lung damage following severe protracted ARDS.
It is now widely accepted that mechanical ventilation may damage the lung, but the mechanism of lung damage is not clear. Possible causes include overdistension of aerated alveoli by inappropriately large tidal volumes (volutrauma), shear stresses generated during the recruitment and de-recruitment of lung units at the junction of aerated and collapsed lung, and infective or ischaemic necrosis of persistently collapsed lung. ⋯ All three patients had persistent abnormalities of lung structure which were most marked in the anterior regions of the lung. These findings suggest that overdistension of non-dependent lung regions in the main mechanism of lung damage persisting after recovery from severe protracted ARDS.