Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 1992
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialVentilatory effects of epidural clonidine during the first 3 hours after caesarean section.
Many authors have shown the analgesic efficacy of 150-800 micrograms of epidural clonidine in the postoperative period. Its use as an analgesic after caesarean section has recently been studied with higher dosages (400-800 micrograms). Our study aimed at assessing the analgesic and ventilatory effects of two smaller doses of epidural clonidine (150 and 300 micrograms), which were compared to the effects of 10 mg of parenteral morphine (M) during the first 3 h after caesarean section. ⋯ Arterial blood pressure decreased from 30 min after the injection to the end of the study in both epidural clonidine groups. A marked sedation was observed in patients receiving 300 micrograms of epidural clonidine and was frequently associated with snoring, obstructive apnoea and episodes of arterial oxygen desaturation. We conclude that 150 micrograms of epidural clonidine provides better and longer analgesia after caesarean section than 10 mg of parenteral morphine, and seems preferable to higher doses (300 micrograms) in this setting, since 300 micrograms of epidural clonidine may produce unacceptable respiratory obstructive disturbances.
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The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with postoperative pulmonary complications. The influence of the anaesthetic technique was evaluated (i.e. general contra regional anaesthesia and long contra intermediately acting muscle relaxants (pancuronium and atracurium)) taking into account the patient's age, the presence or absence of chronic obstructive lung disease (preoperative risk factors), the type of surgery and the duration of anaesthesia (perioperative risk factors). Seven thousand and twenty-nine patients undergoing abdominal, urological, gynaecological or orthopaedic surgery were included in the study. ⋯ However, a logistic regression analysis indicated that long-lasting procedures involving pancuronium entailed a higher risk of postoperative pulmonary complications than did other procedures. In patients having regional anaesthesia, only 1.9% (18/967) developed postoperative pulmonary complications (P < 0.05 compared to general anaesthesia). However, when stratified for type of surgery there was a significantly higher incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications only in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery under general anaesthesia, 11.5% compared to 3.6% in patients given a regional anaesthesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 1992
Recollections of general anaesthesia: a survey of anaesthesiological practice.
In order to identify the factors to which patients attach importance when undergoing general anaesthesia, 678 patients were retrospectively asked about their recollections of previous anaesthetics during routine preoperative screening over a period of 14 months. The most frequently mentioned recollections concerned the post-anaesthetic period, followed by recollections of the induction of anaesthesia. From the post-anaesthetic period, nausea/vomiting and drowsiness were most often cited. ⋯ More than a quarter of the patients were not satisfied with the anaesthesia. No correlation was found between the assessment of the anaesthesia and complaints about nausea/vomiting and drowsiness. The possible role of psychological factors in the origin of complaints about anaesthesia is discussed.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 1992
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialClinical and metabolic responses to different kinds of premedication in ASA III patients.
Clinical and metabolic responses to atropine plus pethidine and to scopolamine plus morphine premedication were studied in 45 ASA physical status III patients undergoing gynaecological procedures. Atropine 0.5 mg plus pethidine 50 mg intramuscularly (Group 1), scopolamine 0.24 mg plus morphine 8 mg (Group 2), or intramuscular placebo (Group 3) premedication were given in random, double-blind fashion. Scopolamine-morphine premedication caused a significant decrease in energy expenditure (EE) and oxygen consumption (VO2) (from 1229 +/- 193 to 1184 +/- 221 kcal/24 h, P = 0.004 and from 105 +/- 11 to 102 +/- 12 ml/min/m2, P = 0.006, respectively) simultaneously with a decrease in rate-pressure product (RPP) (P = 0.0001) and an increase in pressure-rate quotient (PRQ) (P = 0.034). ⋯ The degrees of subjective tiredness and anxiolysis were significantly greater in Groups 1 and 2 (showing good sedative and anxiolytic effect) than in Group 3. These results show that in ASA III patients, atropine-pethidine premedication does not decrease the sympathoadrenal reaction to the degree its anxiolytic and sedative effect would suggest. This may indicate neuroendocrine stress induced by atropine-pethidine.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 1992
Elimination of apparatus dead space--a simple method for improving CO2 removal without increasing airway pressure.
During mechanical ventilation the apparatus dead space can be eliminated by insufflating through one lumen of a tracheal double-lumen tube and allowing expiration through the other. In six intravenously anesthetized pigs, this technique resulted in an 18% (1 kPa) decrease in PaCO2 compared with insufflating through both lumens (32 ml rebreathing volume). ⋯ Flushing the trachea with fresh gas during the expiratory phase did not improve the efficiency of ventilation. It is concluded that elimination of apparatus dead space improves CO2 removal without increasing airway pressures and tidal volumes, and it is suggested that minimization of apparatus dead space should be tried before more advanced ventilatory modes are considered.