Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
-
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialPropofol and alfentanil total intravenous anaesthesia: a comparison of techniques for major thoracic surgery.
Previous work has highlighted the disadvantages of propofol as a sole agent for total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA). This randomised study investigated three combinations of propofol and alfentanil as TIVA for major thoracic surgery. ⋯ Continuous infusions of propofol and alfentanil provide safe and reliable TIVA for major thoracic surgery. TIVA was found to be a satisfactory technique in more elderly patients than previously described. The higher of the two alfentanil infusion rates may result in a better combination of propofol and alfentanil with respect to recovery times than the lower.
-
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffects of four anticholinesterase-anticholinergic combinations and tracheal extubation on QTc interval of the ECG, heart rate and arterial pressure.
Imbalance in cardiac sympathetic tone causes prolongation of the QTc interval of the ECG. On the other hand, impairment of the parasympathetic control of the heart rate caused by anticholinesterase-anticholinergic combinations might also affect the cardiac sympathetic tone and hence the QTc interval of the ECG. The main purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of four anticholinesterase-anticholinergic combinations used for the antagonism of the neuromuscular block on the QTc interval of the ECG, heart rate and arterial pressure. ⋯ On the basis of the present results, anticholinesterase-anticholinergic combinations should be avoided in patients having a long QT interval syndrome or a prolonged QT interval from other causes. In addition, the cardiovascular stimulation caused by tracheal extubation should also be avoided in these patients.
-
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 1998
Pulmonary function in adult survivors of severe acute lung injury treated with inhaled nitric oxide.
Following an episode of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), some degree of measurable pulmonary impairment may be anticipated. ARDS is thought to be the more severe form of acute lung injury (ALI) and a recently proposed addition to conventional therapy in ALI/ARDS is inhaled nitric oxide (INO). We carried out a non-randomised follow-up study with pulmonary function tests on survivors of severe ALI/ARDS treated with INO. ⋯ In this non-randomised follow-up study we conclude that a degree of measurable pulmonary impairment after INO treatment in severe ALI/ARDS was common, but did not differ markedly from other published studies on pulmonary function in similar patient material. No late unexpected major abnormalities due to the inhaled nitric oxide treatment could be identified in these survivors.
-
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 1998
Epidural anesthesia and the thermoregulatory responses to hyperthermia--preliminary observations in volunteer subjects.
Clinical reports associate the use of epidural anesthesia with an increase in core temperature in women in labor. We tested the hypothesis that epidural anesthesia alters thermoregulatory responses to hyperthermia in human volunteers. ⋯ An epidural block alters the thermoregulatory responses to warming by increasing the threshold for thermoregulatory sweating and, in some cases, preventing leg sweating.
-
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 1998
Combined effect of patient variables on sensory level after spinal 0.5% plain bupivacaine.
The combined effect of age, weight, height, and vertebral column length (VCL) on the distribution of isobaric 0.5% bupivacaine within the subarachnoid space is unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the combined influence of these patient variables on the upper sensory level and on its predictability. ⋯ Multiple regression analysis revealed that age, weight, and height significantly correlated with the sensory level after subarachnoid injection of plain bupivacaine. The low predictive value suggests that patient factors other than age, weight, or height add to cephalad spread of SA.