Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialMivacurium compared with three different doses of suxamethonium for nasotracheal intubation.
Suxamethonium in the doses of 1.0, 0.5 and 0.25 mg/kg was compared with mivacurium 0.15 mg/kg in 80 patients requiring nasotracheal intubation for maxillofacial surgery in a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone 5 mg/kg and alfentanil 15 micrograms/kg. Patients were randomly allocated to one of the four relaxant groups. ⋯ Significantly fewer patients given suxamethonium 0.5 mg or 0.25 mg/kg had acceptable intubating conditions (90% and 70% respectively) (P = 0.003). Poor intubating conditions requiring additional relaxation were seen in two patients given suxamethonium 0.25 mg/kg and two given 0.5 mg/kg, while no patients given suxamethonium 1.0 mg/kg or mivacurium 0.15 mg/kg required additional relaxation (P = 0.004). Only four patients had postoperative myalgia, all of whom were given suxamethonium 0.5 mg/kg or more but no significant difference between groups could be demonstrated.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 1998
Comparative StudyA comparison of the Hamamatsu NIRO 500 and the INVOS 3100 near-infrared spectrophotometers.
Near-infrared spectroscopy is a technique used for non-invasive measurement of cerebral oxygenation and a number of commercial devices are currently available for use. We compared measurements of cerebral oxygenation made with two near-infrared spectrophotometers--the Somanetics Invos 3100 cerebral oximeter and the Hamamatsu NIRO-500 near-infrared spectrophotometer. Hypoxia was induced in six healthy male volunteers with and without occlusion of scalp blood flow. ⋯ The NIRO-500 displays change in total haemoglobin concentration and oxyhaemoglobin concentration, and the cerebral oxygen saturation was calculated offline. Statistical analysis disproved the assumption that the INVOS 3100 and the NIRO-500 were measuring the same changes in cerebral oxygenation. Neither machine can be confirmed for reliability against a gold standard and operational difficulties mean that neither can be recommended for routine clinical use.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 1998
Obstetricians' knowledge and attitudes toward epidural analgesia in labour.
A survey of all registered obstetrician/gynaecologists in Western Australia (n = 79) was conducted to obtain information regarding their level of knowledge about epidural analgesia (EA) in labour and its complications, their sources of information about EA, and their opinions regarding its role in labour and effect on progress of labour. Response rate was 68%. Most respondents had only received lectures about EA after specialist training and 20% did not achieve an adequate knowledge score. ⋯ Seventy-seven per cent believed EA prolonged the second stage of labour, though opinion varied regarding EA effects on the duration and progress of first and third stages. Up to thirty minutes delay before epidural placement is acceptable to 87%. This survey suggests that there is both a demand and a need for greater education about EA in labour, particularly with respect to EA side-effects, complications and effects on labour, in the subgroup of obstetricians who have been in obstetric practice more than five years.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 1998
Letter Case ReportsTarget-controlled infusion of propofol for the difficult airway.