Journal of clinical anesthesia
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Postoperative pain control with methadone following lower abdominal surgery.
To describe a technique for the use of methadone during and following lower abdominal surgery that integrates its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties with the objective of postoperative analgesia; to compare methadone with morphine for postoperative pain control. ⋯ Sustained analgesia with methadone is predicted by its pharmacokinetics. Patients who received 22 +/- 2.9 mg of IV methadone (combined intraoperative and recovery room doses) reported less pain and required minimal additional analgesic over the next 72 hours than did patients who received morphine. This is consistent with sustained therapeutic plasma levels due to methadone's long plasma half-life (54 +/- 20 hours). Use of methadone in this manner is an effective therapy for postoperative pain control and is not associated with toxicity or notable side effects.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Anesthesia for craniotomy: total intravenous anesthesia with propofol and alfentanil compared to anesthesia with thiopental sodium, isoflurane, fentanyl, and nitrous oxide.
To compare a total intravenous (IV) anesthetic technique based on propofol and alfentanil with a commonly used anesthetic technique for craniotomy. ⋯ A total IV anesthetic technique with propofol and alfentanil is a valuable alternative to a more commonly used technique based on thiopental sodium, N2O, fentanyl, and isoflurane.
-
To examine and compare the mechanism of injury, diagnostic findings, initial methods of airway management, and outcome of patients who had upper airway injuries. ⋯ In any patient with possible upper airway injury, plain radiographs of the chest and neck should be obtained to aid in the diagnosis. Elective intubation should be attempted only with a surgical team present and prepared for emergency tracheotomy. Fiber-optic bronchoscopy could be a valuable aid for both intubation and evaluation in such cases.
-
Propofol was used for the induction and maintenance of anesthesia in a patient undergoing a laparoscopic tubal ligation. This new anesthetic has not been associated with postoperative ventricular arrhythmias. This report demonstrates the occurrence of supraventricular tachycardia deteriorating to ventricular tachycardia in a patient who received propofol. Included is a discussion of the possible causes of this event.