Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Infusions of subhypnotic doses of propofol for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting.
We studied the antiemetic effects of a low dose infusion of propofol for 24 h after major gynaecological surgery in a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. Fifty women of ASA physical status 1 or 2 undergoing major gynaecological surgery received an infusion of 1% propofol or intralipid at 0.1 ml.kg-1.h-1 for 24 h after surgery. Pain was managed using morphine delivered by a patient-controlled analgesia pump. ⋯ There were no differences between the two groups in any of the measures of postoperative nausea and vomiting during the first 48 h after surgery. Postoperative nausea and vomiting in the control group was less on the second day compared with the first postoperative day, but not in the propofol group. There were no side effects from the propofol infusion.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of the recovery characteristics of sevoflurane and halothane in children.
The recovery characteristics of sevoflurane and halothane anaesthesia were compared in 40 children aged 6 months to 6 years undergoing day case surgery. The mean time taken to open eyes after surgery had ended was appreciably and significantly shorter after sevoflurane than after halothane (sevoflurane, mean time (SD) 7 min 52 s (5 min 46 s), halothane, mean time (SD) 15 min 50 s (9 min 2 s), t = 3.32, p = 0.002). ⋯ However, more children were in pain and given analgesia after sevoflurane (p < 0.01) and the mean time to reach the criteria for discharge home was similar in both groups (sevoflurane, mean time (SD) 2 h 9 min (17 min), halothane, mean time (SD) 2 h 4 min (8 min)). There were no major complications in either group.
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Surveys conducted in the United Kingdom over the last few years have revealed decreased job satisfaction and increased anxiety and depression in both hospital specialists and general practitioners. Anaesthesia is perceived to be a stressful specialty and there is evidence, albeit patchy, that certain stress-associated conditions are more common in anaesthetists. The 'middle years' seem to be a danger period. ⋯ While outcome studies are numerous much less attention has been paid to the structure and process of anaesthetic practice. Models for studying these aspects have been developed for investigating stress in general practitioners and doctors in training. Even minor degrees of professional impairment may place patients at risk and an investigation into the effects of the specialty on those who practise it is justified.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Analgesia for day surgery. Evaluation of the effect of diclofenac given before or after surgery with or without bupivacaine infiltration.
One hundred patients undergoing breast lump excision using a standard anaesthetic technique in the Day Care Unit were randomly divided into five groups. Groups A and B received either saline or diclofenac in a double-blind fashion before and at the end of the procedure, with both groups receiving 10 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine infiltration at the end. Groups C and D also received saline or diclofenac before and after surgery but had no bupivacaine infiltration at the end. ⋯ Although not significant (p = 0.22), fewer patients required rescue medication when diclofenac was given before surgery (10%) rather than after surgery (22.5%). Fewer patients had a fair amount or a great deal of pain in the 48 h following surgery when diclofenac was injected before (7.5%) rather than after surgery (12.5%). The mean number of oral analgesics taken in the 48 h after surgery was also lower in those patients who had the diclofenac before the surgery rather than after.
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Cardioversion is a minor procedure requiring sedation and analgesia. However, it is often performed out-of-hours in remote sites by inexperienced anaesthetists. An understanding is required both of the pathophysiology underlying cardiac arrhythmias and of the technical side of defibrillation equipment, including electrical safety. ⋯ The anaesthetic agent chosen for patients undergoing cardioversion must provide analgesia and sedation, cause the least cardiovascular compromise possible and still enable rapid recovery. Propofol may be the closest anaesthetic agent to this ideal currently available, although careful titration of any agent chosen is also important. Cardioversion may be performed as an emergency, including in the pregnant patient, providing safe anaesthetic practice is followed.