British journal of anaesthesia
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Case Reports
Reducing the potential morbidity of an unintentional spinal anaesthetic by aspirating cerebrospinal fluid.
We describe two cases where we attempted to reduce the adverse effects of inadvertent spinal anaesthesia by aspirating local anaesthetic-contaminated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Analysis of this CSF for its local anaesthetic concentration revealed that we were able to recover 51% and 39% of the administered lignocaine. It is suggested that such aspiration may be a helpful additional measure to the supportive management of this complication.
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In a previous study, logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association of independent fixed patient factors with the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Female sex, previous history of PONV, use of postoperative opioids, previous history of motion sickness and an interaction between male sex and previous history of PONV were combined in an equation from which risk of PONV could be estimated. The present study was designed to test this equation in a group of patients with wide selection criteria. ⋯ The equation predicted an overall probability of PONV of 27.4%. If the model was used to define individual patients as predicted to have or not to have PONV, it was correct only 71% of the time. However, there was good agreement between the actual incidences of PONV and those predicted among the 16 risk groups created by the model.
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It has been suggested that haemodilution with saline may increase whole blood coagulation. This study was conducted in two parts. First, we investigated the effect of in vitro dilution of blood with saline on whole blood coagulation as measured by the thrombelastogram (TEG). ⋯ The r time, k time and r + k time were decreased relative to control in both diluent groups. The alpha angles were increased compared with control in both groups while maximum amplitude was unchanged in the Haemaccel diluted group. We conclude that haemodilution per se increases the coagulability of whole blood in vitro, but that saline haemodilution has a more marked effect on final clot strength.
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We have compared cardiorespiratory variables in anaesthetized piglets whose lungs were ventilated with oxygen in nitrous oxide (N2O group) or nitrogen (N group) after right ventricular carbon dioxide boluses (0.5 or 1 ml kg-1; n = 12) or slow graded injections (n = 6). Boluses affected all variables studied significantly (P < 0.05) except mean systolic arterial pressure. Significant changes in PE'CO2 (P = 0.012) and PaO2 (P = 0.048) values were observed in the N2O group. ⋯ Volumes and time required to induce a 50% increase in mean pulmonary arterial pressure differed significantly between groups (P < 0.05). We conclude that nitrous oxide worsened the effects of rapid and slow carbon dioxide emboli on cardiopulmonary variables. Rapid carbon dioxide embolism altered respiratory and haemodynamic variables, while slow carbon dioxide embolism changed only respiratory variables.