Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 1994
Psychological factors influencing the surgical patients' consent to regional anaesthesia.
To investigate the preoperative attitude of surgical patients to regional anaesthesia, 162 subjects scheduled for elective surgery were studied. On the day before operation, patients were interviewed by an anaesthesiologist, using a semi-structured schedule. Topics investigated were sociodemographic variables and clinical correlates, such as past anaesthetic experience, information about anaesthesia and surgery, as well as questions and fears related to anaesthesia. ⋯ Consent to regional anaesthesia was associated with advanced age, low neuroticism and high extroversion score in the EPQ, as well as longer duration of illness. The deniers of consent asked more questions and expressed more fears about anaesthesia. It is suggested that the patients' characteristics influence their preference, acceptance or refusal of regional anaesthesia.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 1994
Case ReportsUse of the laryngeal mask for fibrescope-aided tracheal intubation in an awake patient with a deviated larynx.
I report a case in which fibrescope-aided awake tracheal intubation was achieved using a laryngeal mask, in a patient with a mediastinal goitre in whom tracheal intubation with both a laryngoscope and a fibreoptic bronchoscope had failed. The tumour extended to the upper part of the mediastinum. The larynx and the upper segment of the trachea were displaced by the tumour. ⋯ The fibreoptic bronchoscope and the laryngeal mask were removed, and a reinforced endotracheal tube was then inserted over the plastic tube into the trachea. The time for tracheal intubation was about 70 s. The laryngeal mask may allow easier location of the laryngeal inlet with a fibreoptic bronchoscope, and this technique is a useful alternative to the conventional technique of tracheal intubation in the patient with a deviated larynx.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 1994
Comment Letter Comparative StudyComparison of two fentanyl doses to improve epidural anaesthesia with 0.5% bupivacaine for caesarean section.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jul 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialAn assessment of prilocaine as a topical anaesthetic agent for fibreoptic bronchoscopy in comparison with lidocaine.
We have evaluated prilocaine as a topical anaesthetic agent for fibreoptic bronchoscopy in comparison with lidocaine in terms of efficacy and safety. Forty patients were included in a randomised double-blind parallel-group study. Efficacy was assessed using visual analogue scales, a patient ranking scale and the number of doses of local anaesthetic and intravenous sedative required. ⋯ However, the median peak plasma concentration of prilocaine (0.5 micrograms.ml-1) was less than one-third that of lidocaine (1.76 micrograms.ml-1). The merits and hazards of using multiple-regression modelling to improve the precision of the analysis of the results are considered. We conclude that prilocaine can be used successfully as a topical anaesthetic agent for fibreoptic bronchoscopy and is associated with a lower risk of toxicity.