Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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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 Clinical TrialMilrinone therapy in catecholamine-dependent critically ill patients with heart failure.
Treatment with the PDE-III inhibitor milrinone improves hemodynamics in patients with heart failure. We examined whether therapy with milrinone is safe and effective in critically ill patients with catecholamine-dependent heart failure and whether treatment with milrinone facilitates weaning from prolonged catecholamine therapy. ⋯ Milrinone improves central hemodynamics and may facilitate weaning from prolonged catecholamine support in critically ill patients with heart failure. Its administration in this subset of critically ill patients is safe, but eventually is associated with additional vasoconstrictor and fluid requirements.
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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 Comparative Study Clinical TrialAnaesthesia, recovery and postoperative nausea and vomiting after breast surgery. A comparison between desflurane, sevoflurane and isoflurane anaesthesia.
Whereas induction and recovery will occur more rapidly with the new low soluble anaesthetics than with isoflurane, the quality of anaesthesia and recovery with special emphasis on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is not well known. ⋯ The quality of anaesthesia, time to opening of eyes and influence on respiration was similar with all three anaesthetics. As the emergence from anaesthesia did not differ significantly between the three agents, the choice of agent could be based on PONV rate and price. Desflurane had a significantly higher 24 h PONV rate than isoflurane. Early PACU PONV rate was significantly (P<0.05) lower for the more soluble isoflurane (4%) than for the low soluble gases, desflurane and sevoflurane together (28%). The result of this study does not give a rationale for a transition to the new low soluble agents in breast cancer surgery.