Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Two case reports have cited the recreational use of cocaine as possible trigger of a malignant hyperthermia (MH) crisis. We evaluated whether toxic concentrations of cocaine altered the in vitro muscle response to halothane during contracture tests for MH. Twenty-two patients were studied. ⋯ In contrast, in the presence of 1% halothane, MH-susceptible muscle showed either no change in contracture (six patients), an increase (two patients), or a decrease (two patients) when exposed to cocaine. However, the overall effect of cocaine on muscle contracture in the presence of 1% halothane was insignificant in both groups. We conclude that cocaine, even at toxic levels, does not have a direct effect on skeletal muscle contractility and thus is safe for MH-susceptible patients.
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Autonomy is a central ethical principle of medical practice. The physician's autonomy is usually expressed in concert with the other, overriding, ethic of medical care: beneficence. The autonomy of patients, however, has had a growing influence on medical decision-making and can complicate the process. ⋯ Such communication, however, can be obstructed by social values about life and death and the urgent nature of medical care in these situations. To show how such communication ought to be incorporated into medical decision-making, one of the most difficult situations is examined hypothetically: the patient who has a DNR order but who consents to undergo anaesthesia and surgery. In these cases, frequent communication between physician and patient about each therapy and its effect most often will resolve dilemmas.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Quantifying the effect of enflurane on atracurium infusion requirements.
The present study was designed to evaluate the interaction between atracurium and enflurane in 40 adult surgical patients using closed-loop feedback control of infusions of atracurium. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and fentanyl and intubation was facilitated with atracurium 0.5 mg.kg-1 lean body mass. During the first 90 min, anaesthesia was maintained with nitrous oxide in oxygen (2:1) and fentanyl. ⋯ Patient characteristics and controller performance, i.e., the ability of the controller to maintain the neuromuscular blockade constant at the setpoint, did not differ among groups. In Group II ISS decreased from 0.33 +/- 0.12 to 0.26 +/- 0.08 mg.kg-1.hr-1 (P < 0.01), in Group III from 0.32 +/- to 0.12 to 0.24 +/- 0.08 mg.kg-1.hr-1 (P < 0.001) and in Group IV from 0.29 +/- 0.09 to 0.21 +/- 0.09 mg.kg-1.hr-1 (P < 0.001). In the control group atracurium requirements remained unchanged throughout the study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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We have compared the dose requirements and recovery characteristics of a continuous mivacurium infusion given by the anaesthetist to maintain 95-100% block at the hand muscles with that of a surgeon-controlled, on-demand dosing technique based on the direct assessment of abdominal muscle tone during elective Caesarean section. Twenty-four full term pregnant patients were included. A rapid-sequence induction using thiopentone 3-5 mg.kg-1 and succinylcholine 1 mg.kg-1 was used. ⋯ The total doses of mivacurium (mean +/- SD) were 23.2 +/- 10.4 and 12.4 +/- 3.5 mg in the infusion and SCR groups, P < 0.01. On-demand, surgeon-controlled doses of mivacurium were injected at a mean of T1 42.3 +/- 36%. At the end of surgery, T1 and TOF ratio were respectively 16.7 +/- 13%, 5 +/- 10% and 48 +/- 37%, 30 +/- 24% in the infusion and SCR groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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The influence of the level of experience of the laryngoscopist on the duration of laryngoscopy, the forces exerted on the tongue and on the maxillary incisors during laryngoscopy, were investigated. Five groups (anaesthetists, residents in anaesthesia, nurse anaesthetists, surgeons and medical students), each consisting of 15 individuals, participated in the study. An intubation manikin was used with a laryngoscope modified so that the forces applied during laryngoscopy could be measured. ⋯ The maximally applied forces on the tongue were 71.7 N, 60.5 N, 65.9 N, 74.2 N and 69.7 N, respectively. The maximally applied forces on the maxillary incisors were 49.9 N, 36.3 N, 41.1 N, 58.3 N and 53.9 N, respectively. These results indicate the level of experience has a significant influence on the duration of laryngoscopy but seems to have little influence on the forces applied to the tongue and the maxillary incisors.