Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 2000
Assessment of postoperative nausea using a visual analogue scale.
Assessment of postoperative nausea intensity is difficult because nausea is a subjective and unpleasant sensation. We propose using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) device to increase the efficiency and precision in the assessment of nausea. We carried out a pilot study on postoperative patients suffering from nausea to measure the degree of agreement between the VAS scores and those given on a 4-point verbal descriptive scale (VDS). ⋯ The VAS method proved to be useful for assessing quantitative nausea intensity and for testing the efficacy of rescue medication. It was found that a cut-off value of 4 on the VAS may be considered as a critical threshold triggering anaesthesiologists or nurses to administer rescue medication.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialRopivacaine-clonidine combination for caudal blockade in children.
Adding clonidine to weak ropivacaine solutions (<0.2%) could potentially enhance analgesia as well as further reduce the risk for unwanted motor blockade. The aim of the present study was to compare the postoperative pain-relieving quality of a ropivacaine 0.1%-clonidine mixture to that of plain ropivacaine 0.2% following caudal administration in children. ⋯ The combination of clonidine (2 microg/kg) and ropivacaine 0.1% is associated with an improved quality of postoperative analgesia compared to plain 0.2% ropivacaine. The improved analgesic quality of the clonidine-ropivacaine mixture is achieved without causing any significant degree of postoperative sedation.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialThe effect of sedation on weaning following coronary artery bypass grafting: propofol versus oxycodone-thiopental.
Propofol has been advocated for sedation in intensive care because of superior recovery characteristics. We hypothesised that the use of two totally different sedation methods after coronary artery bypass grafting should result in differences not only in extubation time, but also in breathing pattern and gas exchange during weaning and after extubation. ⋯ Propofol infusion and oxycodone-thiopental bolus dosages, titrated to the same sedation end point, resulted in similar time from admission to extubation, although the weaning period was shorter in the propofol group. In terms of breathing pattern, gas exchange, blood gases and haemodynamics, the methods were similar. Propofol, despite its attractive pharmacological profile, may offer no clinical benefit in short-term sedation after a moderate dose fentanyl anaesthesia in cardiac surgery.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialTracheal intubation without the use of muscle relaxants: remifentanil or alfentanil in combination with propofol.
Alfentanil-propofol combination provides adequate conditions for tracheal intubation without neuromuscular blocking drugs in most patients. Providing an option for intense opioid effect without compromising recovery after short operations, remifentanil might offer benefits over alfentanil, especially in ambulatory surgery. In this study intubating conditions after remifentanil-propofol were compared to those after alfentanil-propofol. ⋯ The best method was the combination of remifentanil 4 microg kg(-1) and propofol 2.5 mg kg(-1). This provided satisfactory intubating conditions in 93%, and prevented cardiovascular intubation response.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of hypotensive epidural anaesthesia and spinal anaesthesia on blood loss and coagulation during and after total hip arthroplasty.
Hypotensive epidural anaesthesia (HEA) is a technique for reducing peroperative blood loss by significantly lowering mean arterial pressure (MAP). ⋯ HEA resulted in reduced blood loss due to hypotension and reduced number of transfused PRC units during total hip arthroplasty. Based on lower prothrombin time value and higher D-dimer concentrations in the SPA group, the coagulation system might be better preserved during HEA than SPA.