Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Oct 1995
Neurological complications after anaesthesia. A follow-up of 18,000 spinal and epidural anaesthetics performed over three years.
17 733 consecutive central blocks (8501 spinal and 9232 epidural anaesthetics) performed during a three-year period were analyzed for alleged complications. Neurological complications related to anaesthesia were reported in 17 cases of which 13 patients had persisting lesions after three spinal and ten epidural blocks. ⋯ In five of these cases, polyneuropathy or nonspecific neurological symptoms were present. Three complications after epidural blocks were paraplegias caused by spinal haematomas in patients with deranged haemostatic capacity.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialAdenosine increases the cutaneous heat pain threshold in healthy volunteers.
Adenosine is an endogenously produced substance which in animal experiments exerts anti-nociceptive effects. In humans, algesic effects have been presented following exogenous adenosine administration. A recent study on anaesthetized patients, however, suggested an anti-nociceptive effect during i.v. adenosine. ⋯ Furthermore, warm and cold perception thresholds were not influenced significantly by any drug. Adenosine, morphine and ketamine produced well-known side-effects but of a mild intensity not necessitating any treatment. The present results show that i.v. adenosine can provide a modest but selective increase of cutaneous heat pain thresholds, suggesting a pain-reducing capacity of adenosine in humans.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialRespiratory changes during treatment of postoperative pain with high dose transdermal fentanyl.
This study made a longterm (72 hours) evaluation of the efficacy and possible side-effects of transdermal delivery of fentanyl (TTS-system) for post-operative pain relief. The study was double-blind, placebo-controlled with either a TTS-system delivering fentanyl 100 micrograms.h-1 and rescue analgesic on demand or a placebo system and analgesic on demand. Analgesic consumption, pain, general satisfaction, respiratory rate, and levels of SpO2 and tcCO2 (pulse oximetry and transcutaneous CO2 measuring) were evaluated. ⋯ These findings terminated the study. The 100 micrograms transdermal fentanyl system is agreeable to the patients, but apparently too potent for routine postoperative pain relief due to a risk of respiratory depression. Respiratory frequency can not be relied upon as sole indicator of insufficient respiration.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of the effects of neostigmine and edrophonium on the duration of action of suxamethonium.
Rapid sequence induction of anaesthesia necessitating the use of suxamethonium may occasionally be needed soon after antagonism of neuromuscular block with anticholinesterase agents. The onset and duration of action of 1 mg kg-1 of suxamethonium was recorded in groups of 10 patients each, 5 or 10 min after the administration of edrophonium 1 mg kg-1 or neostigmine 40 micrograms kg-1 given for the antagonism of atracurium-induced neuromuscular block. Plasma cholinesterase activity was measured before, and 5 and 10 min after the administration of the anticholinesterases. ⋯ The onset of action of suxamethonium was significantly prolonged when administered 5 min after both anticholinesterases, compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Recovery of suxamethonium block was delayed significantly after neostigmine, compared to both the edrophonium and the control groups (P < 0.05-0.001). Plasma cholinesterase activity was significantly reduced with the use of neostigmine but not with edrophonium (P < 0.001).
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 1995
A new method of using gas exchange measurements for the noninvasive determination of cardiac output: clinical experiences in adults following cardiac surgery.
New mathematical algorithms have been applied to a computer controlled closed breathing circuit system for non-invasive measurement of cardiac output (COniv). This system has been described in an animal study. Forty patients were studied 5 and 18 hours after cardiac surgery using the thermodilution technique as the reference (COtd). ⋯ The reproducibility of COniv was 0.03 l/min and for COtd -0.03 l/min with a standard deviation of the difference being 0.35 l/min for COniv and 0.31 l/min for COtd. In awake, but sedated extubated patients, the method proved unsatisfactory on account for uneven tidal volumes and difficulties with leakage around the mouth piece. We conclude that this new technique provides reliable and reproducible measures of cardiac output in sedated, ventilated patients.