Journal of clinical anesthesia
-
Clinical Trial
Effects of split torso positioning and laparoscopic surgery for donor nephrectomy on respiratory mechanics.
To test whether split torso positioning, abdominal insufflation, and other procedures performed during laparoscopic nephrectomy would affect mechanical impedances to inflation [i.e., elastance (E) and resistance (R) of the total respiratory system (Ers, and Rrs), lungs (EL and RL), and chest wall (Ecw and Rcw)] differently from previously studied laparoscopic procedures. ⋯ Laparoscopic nephrectomy affects lung and chest wall mechanical properties differently from other laparoscopic procedures. This finding could be due to the split torso positioning, and the effects of abdominal swelling on the chest wall caused by administration of more perioperative fluids with laparoscopic nephrectomy.
-
Clinical Trial
Pulmonary aspiration in pediatric patients during general anesthesia: incidence and outcome.
To determine the incidence of, outcome of, and risk factors for anesthesia-related pulmonary aspiration in the predominantly pediatric population receiving anesthesia care. ⋯ The overall incidence of anesthesia-related aspiration in our series (0.10%) was twice that reported in studies of adults, and four times (0.25%) higher for those at highest risk (ASA physical status III or IV vs. physical status I or II). Anesthesia-related pulmonary aspiration was proven to be a rare event in this tertiary pediatric center and its consequences relatively mild. Because of the very low frequency and the lack of serious outcome after aspiration in ASA physical status I and II pediatric patients, it appears that routine prophylactic administration of histamine blockers or propulsive drugs in healthy pediatric patients is unwarranted.
-
Case Reports
Subcutaneous morphine is superior to intrathecal morphine for pain control in a patient with hypernephroma.
This case report illustrates differences in analgesia quality and morphine consumption between an intrathecal infusion and the subcutaneous instillation of morphine in a cancer patient with hypernephroma. Superior analgesia was obtained with a 450 mg dose of subcutaneous morphine [i.e., visual analog scale (VAS) score 0/10] than with 10 mg intrathecal morphine/day administered at the thoracolumbar (twelfth dorsal vertebra) level (VAS score 2/10). If the instillation occurs at the lumbosacral level (between the last lumbar and the first sacral vertebra), a dosage of 70 mg morphine/day cannot induce the same pain relief as 450 mg subcutaneous morphine (VAS score 5/10 vs. 0/10). In some cancer patients, subcutaneous morphine offers superior pain control than intrathecal morphine.
-
Muscle relaxant pharmacophysiology can be altered in various clinical situations. We report increased requirement of vecuronium in a patient diagnosed with testicular feminization. Increased level of endogenous testosterone and steroidal-core structure of vecuronium may explain the increased tolerance to vecuronium in this patient.