Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Administration of sc morphine has been recommended two hours after the end of iv morphine titration in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), but in some cases patients complain of pain earlier than this. We assessed pain after the end of iv morphine titration and studied the characteristics of patients who needed rescue sc morphine. ⋯ Sedation during titration and an initial VAS > or = 60 are characteristics of the patients who require rescue (less than two hours) sc morphine after iv morphine titration.
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The 2003 ASA Practice Guidelines for Management of the Difficult Airway suggest the early use of the Laryngeal Mask Airway and Combitube as rescue airway devices in the cannot ventilate-cannot intubate situation, switching the focus from laryngoscopy and intubation to ventilation and oxygenation. The Practice Guidelines are not intended as standards but as recommendations. Multiple new alternative airway devices were described in the last ten years. The Laryngeal Tube (LT) is a new Food and Drug Administration approved supraglottic airway device. The device is in use in Europe since 1999 and in the United States since 2002. ⋯ In these clinical situations of unexpected difficult airway with significant periglottic obstruction the LT provided adequate ventilation after the first insertion. The LT may complement the laryngeal mask airway in difficult airway management. Further research is needed to define the role of the LT in the management of difficult airways.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
The Microcuff tube allows a longer time interval until unsafe cuff pressures are reached in children.
To compare cuff pressures during nitrous oxide exposure in the new Microcuff pediatric tracheal tube (MPT) with ultrathin high volume - low pressure polyurethane cuff to a tube with a standard polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cuff. ⋯ When baseline inflation pressure was set at 20 cm H(2)O, cuff pressure increased similarly in MPT and PVC tubes. When inflated just to sealing pressure, the MPT allowed a longer time interval until the upper limit of 25 cm H(2)O was reached.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Preemptive gabapentin decreases postoperative pain after lumbar discoidectomy.
We investigated whether the preemptive use of gabapentin, a structural analogue of gamma amino butyric acid could reduce postoperative pain and fentanyl consumption in patients after single-level lumbar discoidectomy. ⋯ Preemptive gabapentin 300 mg po significantly decreases the severity of pain postoperatively in patients who undergo single-level lumbar discoidectomy.
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Multicenter Study
DNR directives are established early in mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients.
Setting treatment goals in the intensive care unit (ICU) often involves resuscitation decisions. Our objective was to study the rate of establishing do-not-resuscitate (DNR) directives, determinants, and outcomes of those directives for mechanically ventilated patients. ⋯ One third of mechanically ventilated patients had DNR directives established early during their ICU stay after the first 24 hr of admission. The strongest predictors of DNR directives were physician prediction of low probability of survival, physician perception of patient preference to limit life support, organ dysfunction, medical diagnosis and age.