Anaesthesia
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Editorial Historical Article
150 years of ether anaesthesia and what is next?
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Two cases are reported of sciatic nerve palsy after delivery by Caesarean section in primigravidae. One mother was slender and had an emergency Caesarean section for failure to progress with a breech presentation. Epidural analgesia during labour was extended for operative delivery. ⋯ She experienced severe intrapartum hypotension. Both patients suffered right sided sciatic nerve palsy. The aetiologies of obstetric palsies and those following regional block are reviewed and the importance of careful diagnosis and of avoiding peripheral nerve compression during regional block are emphasised.
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We describe the effects of accidental intra-arterial injection of suxamethonium and atracurium into the femoral artery of an infant. An 11-month-old boy with Downs Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnoea presented for tonsillectomy. Peripheral venous cannulation proved impossible. ⋯ Within 30 min there was marked vasodilation of both legs with easily felt peripheral pulses. In view of the tonsillectomy anticoagulant and thrombolytic therapy were contra-indicated. There were no adverse sequelae.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Pain following craniotomy: a preliminary study comparing PCA morphine with intramuscular codeine phosphate.
We have performed a prospective randomised trial of 30 patients undergoing craniotomy to compare intramuscular codeine phosphate with patient-controlled analgesia using morphine 1 mg bolus with a 10-min lockout and no background infusion. For 24 h postoperatively, pain, nausea, Glasgow coma score, respiratory rate and sedation score were assessed. There was a wide variation in the amounts of morphine requested by the patients in the patient-controlled analgesia group in the first 24 h postoperatively (range 2-79 mg, median 17 mg). ⋯ There were no significant differences between the two groups in respect of nausea and vomiting, sedation score or respiratory rate. No major adverse effects were noted in either group. Patient-controlled analgesia with morphine is an alternative to intramuscular codeine phosphate in neurosurgical patients which merits further investigation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Pretreatment with controlled-release morphine for pain after hysterectomy.
In a double-blind randomised study, two dosing regimens for controlled-release morphine tablets were compared against placebo to ascertain the extent of prophylactic postoperative pain control in 51 women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy. One group of patients received controlled-release morphine every 12 h for 2 days before surgery, a second group received a single dose of controlled-release morphine 2 h before surgery and a third group received placebo. Patient-controlled analgesia system demands were compared for the first 38 h after surgery and 10-point pain scores and McGill pain questionnaires were compared for the first 6 postoperative days and at 6 weeks after surgery. ⋯ Pain scores on the third and fourth postoperative days were significantly lower in those who had a single pre-operative dose of controlled-release morphine compared with placebo and those who had been treated with-morphine every 12 h for 2 days (p = 0.043 and 0.024 for third and fourth day respectively). Patient-controlled analgesia demands were also fewer and less variable in those patients receiving the single dose of morphine 2 h before surgery. The study shows a beneficial analgesic effect of a single pre-operative dose of morphine, but shows no benefit for a more prolonged pre-operative dosing regimen.