British journal of anaesthesia
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Percutaneous cannulation of the internal jugular vein in paediatric patients may be technically difficult and is prone to complications. To investigate the possibility that anatomical factors contribute to these difficulties, we used a two-dimensional ultrasound scanner to examine venous anatomy in children aged up to 6 yr. ⋯ We also evaluated the use of this ultrasound scanner during percutaneous central venous cannulation in neonates and infants. Determining the course of the internal jugular vein with the scanner and then marking it on the overlying skin reduced both the time and number of needle insertions required to aspirate jugular venous blood and increased the chance of a complication-free cannulation.
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Comparative Study
Long-term backache after extradural or general anaesthesia for manual removal of placenta: preliminary report.
A questionnaire designed to investigate the incidence of newly acquired, long-term backache was sent to women who had previously undergone manual removal of the placenta during a 12-month period in one maternity hospital. There was a significantly greater incidence of long-term backache in patients who had extradural anaesthesia specifically for manual removal of the placenta compared with patients receiving a general anaesthetic for the same procedure. The results of this retrospective study in a small population warrant examination in a large, prospective, controlled investigation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Tracheal intubation after induction of anaesthesia with propofol, alfentanil and i.v. lignocaine.
We have assessed tracheal intubating conditions in 60 ASA I or II patients after induction of anaesthesia with propofol 2.5 mg kg-1 and alfentanil 10 or 20 micrograms kg-1 with or without i.v. lignocaine 1 mg kg-1. No neuromuscular blocking agents were administered. ⋯ Intubating conditions were acceptable in 20%, 73%, 73% and 93% of patients in groups 1-4, respectively. Intubating conditions were better and there was less coughing in the lignocaine group.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of recovery from anaesthesia induced in children with either propofol or thiopentone.
We studied 102 children undergoing day-case surgery, allocated randomly to receive either thiopentone 5 mg kg-1 or propofol 3 mg kg-1 i.v. at induction of anaesthesia. They then inhaled nitrous oxide and halothane in oxygen until a laryngeal mask airway could be inserted. Thereafter, halothane was substituted by isoflurane and analgesia provided by regional nerve block. ⋯ In children aged less than 5 yr, only the time to spontaneous eye opening was shorter after propofol induction (P < 0.05). In children aged 5-11 yr, times of spontaneous eye opening, giving name and discharge were shorter after propofol induction (P < 0.05). These results indicate that propofol hastened early recovery in children undergoing day-case surgery, but earlier discharge occurred only in older children.
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We have studied the efficiency of an oesophageal warming device in the prevention of perioperative hypothermia in 22 patients undergoing total hip replacement. Aural canal and skin temperatures (15 sites) were measured before induction of anaesthesia, at the end of surgery and 1 h after recovery and mean body heat was calculated to quantify heat distribution. ⋯ Both groups of patients lost body heat to the same extent (P = 0.34). Thus the oesophageal heat exchanger was ineffective in preventing perioperative hypothermia in a group of patients undergoing total hip replacement.