Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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An audit of 265 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions from the operating room was performed for the year 1991. In a quality assurance exercise we identified 34 unanticipated ICU admissions (UIAs) by a retrospective peer review of the medical charts. Of these UIAs, 16 were deemed predictable and seven preventable. ⋯ ICU-specific interventions were not initially required in 36% of admissions and these patients had a low risk (1.1%) of eventually requiring ICU-specific interventions. In comparison with patients requiring ICU-specific interventions, they had lower Apache II scores (10.2 vs 13.1), shorter ICU stays (medians of one vs two days), lower ICU mortality (0 vs 8.2%), P < 0.05, but hospital mortality was not different (7.4 vs 15.3%). This audit has prompted reorganisation of our intensive care services, so that patients not requiring ICU-specific interventions will be managed in an intermediate care area with nurse:patient ratios of 1:3 or 4, in comparison with 1:1 or 2 ratios in the intensive care area.
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Comparative Study
Airway irritation produced by volatile anaesthetics during brief inhalation: comparison of halothane, enflurane, isoflurane and sevoflurane.
Eleven male volunteers were studied to compare the airway irritation produced by the four anaesthetic agents: halothane, enflurane, isoflurane and sevoflurane at two concentrations, equivalent to one and two MAC. Tidal volume, respiratory frequency and functional residual capacity changes induced by 15 sec inhalation of the anaesthetics were measured using respiratory inductive plethysmograph. Appearance of the cough reflex was also observed. ⋯ The orders of appearance of the cough reflex and of subjective airway irritation were similar. Sevoflurane did not elicit a cough reflex. It is concluded that sevoflurane was the least irritant anaesthetic and is considered to be the most suitable for inhalational induction of anaesthesia.
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Case Reports
Successful epidural anaesthesia for a patient with Takayasu's arteritis presenting for caesarean section.
The management of a 24-yr-old parturient with Takayasu's arteritis (TA) presenting at term for Caesarean section is discussed. The best anaesthetic management for the patient with TA is controversial, but avoiding regional anaesthesia has been suggested by some authors because of the risk of hypotension and the subsequent need for vasopressors. We report the use of regional anaesthesia in a term parturient with severe TA undergoing Caesarean section. ⋯ The initial doses of 60 mg and 150 mg were followed by a decrease in BP (from 110/70 to 70/40) which was corrected with iv fluids and ephedrine 25 mg. Additional doses of chloroprocaine, 150 and 90 mg, were uneventful. It is concluded that an epidural can be made in safety to provide anaesthesia for Caesarean section in patients with TA.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the halothane concentration in N2O required to block the cardiovascular responses to skin incision (MAC CVR) in infants and children. We studied 64 unpremedicated ASA 1 infants and children (one month to seven years). In each infant or child, anaesthesia was induced slowly with halothane and N2O, and an endotracheal tube was placed. ⋯ The changes of MAP were correlated with changes of both HR and pupillary diameter. These results indicate that the values of MAC CVR50 of halothane in infants and children are higher than those required to block motor responses (MAC). The halothane requirement to block cardiovascular responses is lowest in the children aged one to three years.