British journal of anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Continuous infusion of fentanyl or alfentanil for coronary artery surgery. Effects on plasma cortisol concentration, beta-endorphin immunoreactivity and arginine vasopressin.
Plasma cortisol, beta-endorphin immunoreactivity (PBEir) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) responses during and after the continuous infusion of fentanyl or alfentanil were studied in 19 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Plasma cortisol concentration decreased significantly in both groups during the anaesthesia and surgery before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB); an increase was evident during CPB in both groups, but a statistically significant increase was not observed during the rest of the study, including the awakening from anaesthesia. PBEir increased with both opiates immediately after initiation of CPB and remained so during the rest of the study. ⋯ It is concluded that, with continuous fentanyl and alfentanil infusions in a total dose relationship of 1:13 in patients undergoing CABG, cortisol and AVP responses to surgery and CPB can be suppressed. However, during recovery from anaesthesia, the attenuating effect of alfentanil seems to wear off more rapidly than that of fentanyl. PBEir response to CPB and emergence from anaesthesia could not be prevented with either analgesic.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Double-blind evaluation of a lignocaine-prilocaine cream (EMLA) in children. Effect on the pain associated with venous cannulation.
The effect of the topical application of a lignocaine-prilocaine cream (EMLA) on the pain of venous cannulation was tested in a double-blind manner. Sixty boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 10 yr who were to undergo surgery participated in the study. No analgesic premedication was given and the venous cannulation was performed during the preparation for general anaesthesia. ⋯ The effect of EMLA in the alleviation of the pain of venous cannulation was considered significantly better than placebo by both anaesthetist (P less than 0.001) and patient (P less than 0.05) (verbal scales). One conventional pictorial scale showed a statistically significant difference (P less than 0.05), but the other, based on facial expressions, did not. Local reactions to the cream were minor and transient in both groups.
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Comparative Study
Changes in plasma vasopressin concentration in association with coronary artery surgery or thymectomy.
Plasma vasopressin concentrations in 14 patients undergoing coronary artery surgery were compared with those in eight patients undergoing thymectomy. Vasopressin concentrations increased similarly in both groups on sternotomy. A second, and more marked increase was noted in the patients requiring cardiopulmonary bypass. Haemodynamic stimuli could be responsible in both groups and might explain both the similarities and the differences between the groups.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Antagonism of profound neuromuscular blockade induced by vecuronium or atracurium. Comparison of neostigmine with edrophonium.
The effectiveness of neostigmine 0.07 mg kg-1 and edrophonium 0.8 mg kg-1 as antagonists of profound neuromuscular blockade induced by vecuronium 0.1 mg kg-1 or atracurium 0.5 mg kg-1 was studied in 59 healthy patients. The antagonists were administered 5 min after total ablation of the twitch response and the end-point of recovery was a train-of-four ratio of 70%. In 30 patients given vecuronium the mean time to reach this point (duration TOF70) was 66.7 min in the control group (no antagonist), 43.5 min in the group given neostigmine and 59.8 min in the group given edrophonium. ⋯ The durations TOF70 in the neostigmine (P less than 0.01) and edrophonium (P less than 0.01), groups were shorter than control. The duration TOF70 of the neostigmine group was shorter than in the edrophonium group (P less than 0.01). These results show that profound neuromuscular blockade cannot be rapidly antagonized by either of these two agents, but if reversal is required under these circumstances, neostigmine would be the more effective drug.