Anaesthesia
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Three possible factors predisposing to Althesin hypersensitivity, namely total dose, method of administration, either by bolus dose or infusion, and pregnancy have been studied in patients receiving the drug for the first time. Of 137 patients given Althesin, four exhibited clinical signs of mild hypersensitivity, while C3 conversion alone, indicative of a subclinical reaction, was seen in a further six patients. No reactions were observed in two control groups in whom anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone. Neither the total dose nor method of administration appeared consistently to influence the incidence of reactions, but eight of the ten patients producing an altered response to Althesin were pregnant.
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The absorption of nitrous oxide in halothane was studied by bubbling nitrous oxide and nitrous oxide/oxygen gas mixtures through a halothane bottle, using 100% oxygen as a control. The gas volume emerging from the halothane bottle was measured each minute, over a period of up to 15 minutes. ⋯ However, in the presence of nitrous oxide, the initial flow rate of the gas emerging from the halothane bottle was greatly diminished, but then accelerated rapidly to reach that obtained with oxygen. The results suggested that nitrous oxide dissolved in large quantities in halothane, and the data are consistent with an Ostwald coefficient in excess of 4.0.
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This study aimed to establish whether it was practical to perform sciatic nerve block by the anterior approach in a group of children of different ages and weights. A total of 82 blocks were performed of which 78 (95.2%) were judged to have been successful. ⋯ There were no immediate or late complications associated with this block in any of the patients. It is concluded that the block is easy to perform and can produce reliable postoperative analgesia for most common operations on the foot and ankle in paediatric practice.