British journal of anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Hypertonic saline prehydration in patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate under spinal anaesthesia.
Thirty-three patients undergoing elective transurethral resection of the prostate were allocated randomly to receive either 0.9% isotonic saline 7 ml kg-1 (16 patients), or 3% hypertonic saline 7 ml kg-1 (17 patients) as a preload before spinal anaesthesia. After spinal anaesthesia, the incidence of systolic arterial pressure < 75% of control value was greater in the normal saline group than in the hypertonic saline group. Also, the mean dose of phenylephrine required to maintain arterial pressure > 75% of the baseline value was significantly greater in the normal saline group than in the hypertonic saline group.
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The American College of Surgeons' Advanced Trauma Life Support procedure teaches that blind nasotracheal intubation should be performed in the presence of a suspected or proven cervical spine injury in an unconscious but breathing patient who requires an artificial airway. We studied a group of non-anaesthetically trained graduates of the Advanced Trauma Life Support course and examined their skill in performing blind nasal intubations. ⋯ We conclude that, in British hospitals, blind nasotracheal intubation should not be recommended as the first line management in securing the airway of patients with suspected or proven cervical spine injury. Alternative techniques such as bag-and-mask ventilation with cricoid pressure or a laryngeal mask airway with cricoid pressure should be adopted until oral intubation with in-line traction is performed.