Anaesthesia
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Use of the oesophageal detector device in children under one year of age.
The efficacy of a modified oesophageal detector device was evaluated in a single-blind study of 20 healthy infants. It was found to be unreliable as a method to discriminate oesophageal from tracheal intubation in this age group.
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Comparative Study
Pressure generated during insertion of lumbar epidurals. A comparison with the Portex epidural injection simulator.
The aim of this study was to measure pressures exerted during insertion of lumbar epidurals in obstetric patients. The pressures were compared with those obtained when the Portex epidural injection simulator was used, and were significantly greater when a saline technique was used compared to those when air was used (p less than 0.05). There were no differences between the pressures obtained with the simulator and those measured in vivo.
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Comparative Study
Paraesthesia with lumbar epidural catheters. A comparison of air and saline in a loss-of-resistance technique.
The epidural space was located in 32 obstetric patients using loss of resistance to air, while in a further 35 saline was used. The incidence of paraesthesia was 56% in the air group and 57% in the saline group. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of other complications or in the quality of analgesia provided.
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The laryngoscopic conditions of 62 diabetic patients who underwent renal transplantation or vitrectomy were studied. Anaesthesia was induced with fentanyl and a sleep dose of thiopentone. Conditions for direct laryngoscopy after 0.1 mg/kg vecuronium were scored from 0 to 3 (easy-very difficult). ⋯ The correlation coefficient between these two factors was r = 0.6 (p less than 0.001). Our study shows that joint rigidity possibly caused by tissue glycosylation may also involve laryngeal and cervical areas resulting in a strenuous laryngoscopy. A defective palm print is a warning sign for difficult laryngoscopy.