British journal of anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Dose-response relationships for neostigmine antagonism of vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block in adults and the elderly.
We have studied the dose-response relationship for neostigmine in 36 adult (ages 18-50 yr) and 36 elderly (ages > 70 yr) subjects during antagonism of neuromuscular block induced by vecuronium. All patients received vecuronium 0.08 mg kg-1 and neuromuscular block was monitored mechanomyo-graphically using the train-of-four (TOF) mode of stimulation. Six patients of each age group were allocated randomly to receive neostigmine 5, 15, 25, 35 or 45 micrograms kg-1 or saline at 10% recovery of T1 (first response in the TOF). ⋯ There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the time to spontaneous recovery of T1 to 10% between the adults (24 (SD 5.5) min) and the elderly (33 (7.8) min). Dose-response curves for neostigmine were parallel in the two age groups, but those for the elderly were significantly to the right of the curves for the adults. This suggests an apparently lesser relative potency of neostigmine, or the requirement of a larger dose, in the elderly for attaining antagonism of a moderately intense vecuronium block at the same time as in adults.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Pain on injection of propofol: comparison of lignocaine with metoclopramide.
We have conducted a randomized, double-blind study in 255 ASA I and II patients to compare the efficacy of lignocaine and metoclopramide in minimizing the pain of injection of i.v. propofol. When administered immediately before propofol into a dorsal hand vein, compared with placebo both drugs significantly reduced the incidence of pain on subsequent injection of propofol (P < 0.001). Twenty patients who had received metoclopramide (n = 85) experienced pain, compared with 18 who had received lignocaine (n = 85) and 42 who had been pretreated with saline (n = 85).
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We studied recovery in 25 adult patients, ASA I, undergoing elective orthopaedic procedures after anaesthesia with 0.65 MAC desflurane (n = 16) or isoflurane (n = 9) with 60% nitrous oxide in oxygen. Early emergence from anaesthesia was assessed in the operating room by measuring time to spontaneous movement, cough, response to painful pinch, tracheal extubation, opening of the eyes and stating correct age, name and body parts. The return of cognitive functions in the late recovery phase was assessed in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) by post-anaesthesia recovery scores (PARS), the Trieger dot test (TDT), and the digit substitution test (DST). ⋯ Recovery times were not increased by increased duration of desflurane anaesthesia. The desflurane patients showed no delirium, minimal sedation and less shivering during the entire postoperative course. We conclude that desflurane anaesthesia was superior to isoflurane anaesthesia, not only in emergence, but also in the recovery of cognitive functions.
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Comparative Study
Regurgitation of gastric contents during general anaesthesia using the laryngeal mask airway.
We have investigated the incidence of regurgitation of gastric contents during general anaesthesia administered via a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) or face mask and Guedel airway in 56 patients with no risk factors for regurgitation. Patients swallowed a gelatin capsule containing methylene blue 10 min before induction of anaesthesia. ⋯ No patients in the face mask-Guedel airway group regurgitated dye (P = 0.005). There was no evidence of aspiration of dye.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of intubating conditions after administration of Org 9246 (rocuronium) and suxamethonium.
We have assessed intubating conditions after administration of Org 9426 (rocuronium) 600 micrograms kg-1 at 60 or 90 s in groups of 20 patients anaesthetized with thiopentone, nitrous oxide in oxygen and small doses of fentanyl, and compared the data with those obtained after suxamethonium 1 mg kg-1 in similar groups of patients. The influence of prior suxamethonium administration on the potency of Org 9426 was studied also by constructing a dose-response curve. ⋯ The average time for the onset of block following Org 9426 at this dose was 89 s (which is shorter than with any of the currently available non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs); the duration of clinical relaxation (25% recovery of twitch height) 30 min. Prior administration of suxamethonium did not appear to influence the potency of Org 9426.