Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A comparison of intubating conditions in children following induction of anaesthesia with propofol and suxamethonium or propofol and remifentanil.
Sixty ASA 1 and 2 children aged between 2 and 16 years who required tracheal intubation as part of anaesthesia for elective surgery were studied. We evaluated intubating conditions, haemodynamic responses and duration of apnoea following propofol 4 mg.kg-1 combined with either remifentanil 1.25 microg.kg-1 (group R), or suxamethonium 1 mg.kg-1 (group S). Tracheal intubation was graded as excellent, good or poor according to ease of laryngoscopy, vocal cord position, coughing, and jaw relaxation and limb movement. ⋯ Overall, intubation conditions were excellent or good in 26/30 (87%) patients in group S and 20/30 (67%) in group R (p<0.05). Mean apnoea time was 190 s in group S, and 362 s in group R (p<0.001). Heart rate increased in response to suxamethonium (p<0.01) and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased in the remifentanil group (p<0.01).
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Inflation with air via a facepiece for facilitating insertion of a nasogastric tube: a prospective, randomised, double-blind study.
Insertion of a nasogastric tube is a routine procedure but during anaesthesia it is often difficult and time consuming. One hundred and sixty adults undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia were randomly divided into two groups. ⋯ Insertion of the nasogastric tube was successful in 75/78 (96%) following inflation compared with 54/80 (68%) without inflation (p<0.001). In four patients receiving inflation, a fibreoptic endoscope was passed as far as the upper oesophageal sphincter; this revealed opening of the upper oesophageal sphincter during inflation.