Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
The Bain, ADE, and Enclosed Magill breathing systems. A comparative study during controlled ventilation.
The Enclosed Magill, Humphrey ADE and the Bain breathing systems are all used for controlled ventilation of the lungs. This study compares the three systems in vitro with a lung model and in clinical practice. No difference was observed, with ventilatory variables commonly used in clinical practice, between the Bain and the ADE, while significantly lower end-tidal carbon dioxide values were observed with the Enclosed Magill (about 7%). Lower fresh gas flows can be used under these circumstances to maintain normocapnia with the Enclosed Magill than either the Bain or the Humphrey ADE.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Paediatric postoperative analgesia. A comparison of rectal diclofenac with caudal bupivacaine after inguinal herniotomy.
Forty-three children for day case inguinal herniotomy under general anaesthesia were assigned randomly to receive either 1 ml/kg caudal bupivacaine 0.25% or rectal diclofenac 0.25 mg/kg intra-operatively to provide postoperative analgesia. Pain and demeanour were assessed by an observer in the early postoperative period after operation and by questionnaire for the parents over the first 24 hours. Caudal bupivacaine provided more pain-free patients at first but later the incidence of pain was similar in the two treatment groups. Rectal diclofenac is a useful alternative to caudal blockade in this group of patients.
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Subdural placement of the tip of the Tuohy needle or epidural catheter may account for many unexpected complications of attempted epidural blockade, for example, 'unexplained' headache, false-negative aspiration test down needle or catheter, false-negative test dose, unilateral block, delayed total spinal and neurological sequelae, as well as profound block of delayed onset that is characteristic of subdural blockade. Cases are reported in support of this hypothesis.
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Life-threatening extensions of conduction block during obstetric epidural analgesia can be classified according to the risk to the mother. High blocks that occur in the presence of the anaesthetist should present a readily treatable problem. Reports of total spinal anaesthesia that occur with no anaesthetist in attendance call for a reappraisal of present practice. Changes in current anaesthetic practice, which might increase safety with epidural analgesia, are top-ups by midwives, but only when the anaesthetist is on the delivery suite; repeated assessment of the nature of the conduction block by an anaesthetist; and continuous infusions with anaesthetist-only top-ups.
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A patient with achondroplasia presented for elective Caesarean section under epidural anaesthesia. A block from C5 to S4 developed over 20 minutes after 12 ml plain bupivacaine 0.5%. This case serves to highlight the difficulties of regional anaesthesia in the gravid achondroplastic dwarf.