Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Gastric fluid volume and pH in elective inpatients. Part I: Coffee or orange juice versus overnight fast.
In order to assess the effect of preoperative oral fluids, with and without ranitidine, on gastric fluid volume and pH, 300 elective surgical inpatients, ASA physical status I or II, were randomly assigned to one of six groups. The three groups that received placebo are discussed in this paper, Part I, and the three that received ranitidine in Part II. Between two and three hours before the scheduled time of surgery patients received either 150 ml coffee (Group 1), or 150 ml orange juice (Group 2), while the control group continued their overnight fast (Group 3). ⋯ Immediately following induction of anaesthesia the residual gastric fluid was obtained by suction on a nasogastric tube and its volume and pH measured. Residual gastric fluid volumes showed no statistically significant differences among the groups (Group 1: 24.5 +/- 21.6 ml; Group 2: 23.7 +/- 18.4 ml; Group 3: 23.2 +/- 17.3 ml; p greater than 0.1). Values for pH among the groups were also similar (Group 1: 2.18 +/- 1.58; Group 2: 1.95 +/- 1.24; Group 3: 1.95 +/- 1.62; p greater than 0.1).
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Two cases with rib injuries are reported where intercostal nerve block without rib palpation was safely and successfully performed on six separate occasions using a Doppler blood-flow detector ultrasound stethoscope. A third case studied by a radiologist using a pulsed Doppler flowmeter, determined the source of the Doppler signals as originating from the intercostal artery. The significance of these findings is discussed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Postoperative vomiting following strabismus surgery in paediatric outpatients: spontaneous versus controlled ventilation.
The study was designed to compare the frequency and severity of postoperative vomiting in paediatric out-patients receiving controlled ventilation (IPPV) or breathing spontaneously (SV) during anaesthesia for strabismus repair. One hundred and twenty unpremedicated children (ages 2-12 years) were studied in a randomized fashion. After intravenous induction of anaesthesia and tracheal intubation, patients breathed halothane 1-1.5 per cent inspired and N2O 66 per cent in O2 spontaneously (n = 60), or received IPPV, halothane 0.5-1 per cent, N2O 66 per cent, and pancuronium 0.05 mg.kg-1, which was reversed with neostigmine and atropine (n = 60). ⋯ This was not the case with IPPV. There was no correlation between age, sex, duration of surgery, or number of extraocular muscles repaired, and frequency or severity of vomiting or time to discharge. No significant advantage was afforded by IPPV over SV in the present study.
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Patients with the mucopolysaccharidoses show widespread, progressive involvement and derangement of many organs and tissues which can have profound implications for the anaesthetist. These disorders are uncommon and few anaesthetists care for these patients on a regular basis although individual patients often undergo multiple anaesthetics for procedures intended to improve their quality of life. There is a relative paucity of literature dealing with clinical anaesthetic experience with these patients. ⋯ The establishment and maintenance of an adequate airway represents the most commonly encountered anaesthetic-related problem in these patients. We found an overall incidence of airway-related problems of 26 per cent. In patients with the Hurler or Hunter syndromes the incidence of airway-related problems was 53 per cent.