Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The use of a nasogastric tube to facilitate nasotracheal intubation: a randomised controlled trial.
During nasotracheal intubation, the tracheal tube passes through either the upper or lower pathway in the nasal cavity, and it has been reported to be safer that the tracheal tube passes though the lower pathway, just below the inferior turbinate. We evaluated the use of a nasogastric tube as a guide to facilitate tracheal tube passage through the lower pathway, compared with the 'conventional' technique (blind insertion of the tracheal tube into the nasal cavity). ⋯ In 20 out of 30 patients (66.7%) with the nasogastric tube-guided technique, the tracheal tube passed through the lower pathway, compared with 8 out of 30 patients (26.7%) with the 'conventional' technique (p = 0.004). Use of the nasogastric tube-guided technique reduced the incidence and severity of epistaxis (p = 0.027), improved navigability (p = 0.034) and required fewer manipulations (p = 0.001) than the 'conventional' technique.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of the predictive performance of three pharmacokinetic models for propofol using measured values obtained during target-controlled infusion.
We compared the predictive performance of the existing Diprifusor and Schnider models, used for target-controlled infusion of propofol, with a new modification of the Diprifusor model (White) incorporating age and sex covariates. The bias and inaccuracy (precision) of each model were determined using computer simulation to replicate the infusion profiles in an earlier study of 41 patients undergoing surgery with propofol administered by target-controlled infusion and in which timed, measured blood propofol concentrations were available. ⋯ Temporal changes were such that with all three models, bias differed at induction and recovery. None of the models accounted fully for the extent of inter-individual variation in propofol clearance, but the improved performance with the White model suggests it has merit.