Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Pectoral nerves I block is associated with a significant motor blockade with no dermatomal sensory changes: a prospective volunteer randomized-controlled double-blind study.
The pectoral nerves (PECS) I block, first described in 2011 for surgery involving the pectoralis muscle, has principally been used for breast cancer surgery. No formal evaluation of its differential motor- and sensory-blocking abilities has been reported. We hypothesize that the PECS I block will produce a motor block of the pectoralis muscles with diminished upper limb adduction strength as measured with a handheld dynamometer. ⋯ This study shows that a PECS I block produces motor blockade as shown by reduced upper limb adductor strength without any overlying dermatomal sensory loss.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of oropharyngeal leak pressure between the Ambu® AuraGain™ and the LMA® Supreme™ supraglottic airways: a randomized-controlled trial.
Studies comparing the recently introduced Ambu® AuraGain™ (Auragain) with the LMA® Supreme™ (Supreme) supraglottic airway (SGA) have reported conflicting results regarding differences in oropharyngeal leak pressure (OLP). This randomized-controlled trial investigated the OLP of the Auragain compared with the Supreme in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery. ⋯ In patients undergoing ambulatory anesthesia, the OLP was higher but took longer to insert with the Auragain than with the Supreme. A higher OLP may allow for SGAs to be utilized in a wider range of patients and procedures.
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Increasingly, clinicians and researchers recognize that studies of interventions need to evaluate not only their therapeutic efficacy (i.e., the effect on an outcome in ideal, controlled settings) but also their real-world effectiveness in broad, unselected patient groups. Effectiveness trials inform clinical practice by comparing variations in therapeutic approaches that fall within the standard of care. In this article, we discuss the need for studies of comparative effectiveness in anesthesia and the limitations of individual patient randomized-controlled trials in determining comparative effectiveness. We introduce the concept of randomized cluster crossover trials as a means of answering questions of comparative effectiveness in anesthesia, using the design of the Benzodiazepine-Free Cardiac Anesthesia for Reduction in Postoperative Delirium (B-Free) trial (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03053869).