Journal of clinical anesthesia
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Comparative Study
An evaluation of a new continuous blood pressure monitoring system in critically ill patients.
To determine if the DxTek monitor, which is a device that measures blood pressure (BP) noninvasively and continuously by means of pulse velocity and wave shapes derived from the pulse oximeter optical plethysmograph and electrocardiogram is as accurate as an oscillometric cuff device when compared with intraarterial BP measurement. ⋯ The DxTek monitor provides continuous, noninvasive BP measurements with an accuracy comparable to oscillometric devices.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of lower extremity cutaneous temperature changes in patients receiving lumbar sympathetic ganglion blocks versus epidural anesthesia.
To investigate if paravertebral lumbar sympathetic ganglion block and lumbar epidural anesthesia result in comparable cutaneous temperature changes in the lower extremity. ⋯ The similar rate and magnitude of cutaneous temperature change in the distal lower extremity suggests the degree of sympathetic blockade is similar with lumbar sympathetic blockade and epidural anesthesia. Either technique should provide adequate sympathectomy for treating sympathetically maintained pain once the diagnosis has been confirmed using selective sympathetic blockade.
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To evaluate the usefulness in pediatric patients of the cuffed oropharyngeal airway (COPA), an airway device with an inflatable cuff around its distal portion, and which provides airway patency in the majority of anesthetized adult patients. ⋯ The results using the COPA in pediatric patients seem to parallel the experience of using larger sizes in adult patients.
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Two cases of inadvertent dural puncture in patients at high risk for dural puncture headache are presented. These patients were managed with an immediate epidural blood patch through a catheter placed at another level with placement of this catheter occurring immediately following the dural puncture. Following the blood patch, the patients were anesthetized with the epidural catheter being used for supplementation of the general anesthetic and for postoperative pain management. Neither patient required further management of a dural puncture headache nor did it appear that the blood interfered with the patients receiving adequate postoperative analgesia through the use of this epidural catheter.