Journal of clinical anesthesia
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Smoking is the single most cause of preventable disease and premature death in the United States. We discuss potential hazards that the anesthesiologist should be aware of when caring for patients who abuse tobacco. A review of recent preoperative smoking cessation initiatives is also provided in addition to recommendations on how anesthesiologists may use the preoperative visit as an opportunity to play a more active role in reducing the burden of tobacco-related disease.
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To examine, with a large database, the effect of postoperative epidural analgesia (vs systemic analgesia) on mortality after colectomy is unclear. ⋯ The presence of postoperative epidural analgesia may decrease the odds of death after elective colectomy; however, the mechanism of such a benefit is not clear from our analysis.
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To evaluate the effects of epidural, spinal, and general anesthesia on pain after lower-limb amputation. ⋯ Patients who received epidural anesthesia and those who received spinal anesthesia recalled better analgesia in the first week after their amputation than did patients who received general anesthesia. Anesthetic technique had no effect on stump pain, phantom limb sensation, or phantom limb pain at 14 months after lower-limb amputation.
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Case Reports
Emergency cesarean section in a patient with Fontan circulation using an indwelling epidural catheter.
Management of parturients with a history of Fontan procedure requires careful monitoring of cardiovascular parameters and anticipation of potential complications. We describe potential pitfalls in a parturient with atriopulmonary Fontan circulation, who received epidural analgesia for labor and who later required emergency cesarean section. Low-dose local anesthetic in combination with meperidine provided excellent perioperative epidural analgesia and cardiovascular stability. Epidural analgesia during labor offered optimal pain relief and facilitated conversion to surgical anesthesia for an emergency cesarean section.
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This case report describes the use of a bronchial blocker (BB) with a wheel-controlled tip (Cohen flexitip endobronchial blocker) to provide initially middle and lower right lobe isolation and then right lung isolation (RLI) during right lower lobectomy in a patient with compromised pulmonary function preoperatively. As predicted, RLI and one-lung ventilation were associated with worsening oxygenation. ⋯ The BB design made lobar isolation easier and enabled repositioning of the BB during surgery. The techniques used for BB insertion as well as lobar and lung separation are described.