British journal of anaesthesia
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Absence of memory for intraoperative information during surgery under adequate general anaesthesia.
Using the isolated forearm technique (IFT), we wished to determine if patients known to be unresponsive to commands during general anaesthesia with nitrous oxide, halothane and neuromuscular blocking agents had any evidence of explicit or implicit recall. Two groups of women, studied in a single-blind sequential block design, heard different tapes, either a command and information tape (n = 34) or radio static (n = 34), throughout surgery. ⋯ With or without hypnosis, category generation, serial position of category exemplars and word association tests did not reveal evidence of priming. We conclude that during light general anaesthesia with nitrous oxide, halothane and atracurium, patients had neither explicit nor implicit memory for information presented during a period when they are known to be unresponsive to commands.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Use of modified fluid gelatin and hydroxyethyl starch for colloidal volume replacement in major orthopaedic surgery.
We have compared 6% hydroxyethyl starch (HES 200/0.5) with 3% modified fluid gelatin (MFG) for volume replacement in major orthopaedic surgery and studied the effects on haemodynamic state, colloid osmotic pressure, blood clotting and plasma homeostasis. Using a controlled, randomized, single-blind clinical design, we studied 46 consecutive patients undergoing major elective orthopaedic hip surgery. The two groups were comparable in age, body weight and duration of surgery. ⋯ Laboratory variables were not clinically different. We conclude that both colloidal solutions were comparable in volume efficacy and effects on plasma oncotic pressure, clotting and plasma homeostasis. In the small number of patients studied, 6% HES 200/0.5 was found to be safe when administered in amounts corresponding to the currently accepted maximum daily dose in Germany and France of 33 ml/kg body weight and 2.0 g/kg body weight, respectively.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Cardiorespiratory changes during gynaecological laparoscopy by abdominal wall elevation: comparison with carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum.
We have studied the cardiorespiratory changes produced by abdominal wall elevation (AWE) or carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum (PN) in 20 women undergoing gynaecological laparoscopy. Arterial pressure, heart rate, lung/chest complicance and blood-gas tensions were measured 10 min after induction of general anaesthesia (T0), 10 min after abdominal distension in the supine position (T1) and 10 min after the Trendelenburg position was assumed (T2). Visual analogue scores for pain were recorded 1 and 6 h after the end of surgery. ⋯ AWE patients had greater abdominal pain 1 h after surgery. Six hours after surgery pain was similar in the two groups. These data indicate that abdominal wall elevation reduced pulmonary compliance less than a pneumoperitoneum in patients undergoing gynaecological laparoscopy.
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Comment Letter Case Reports
Cardiac arrest after caesarean section under subarachnoid block.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Low-dose rocuronium improves conditions for tracheal intubation after induction of anaesthesia with propofol and alfentanil.
We studied 60 adult patients to assess if low doses of rocuronium improved conditions for tracheal intubation during induction of anaesthesia with propofol 2.5 mg kg-1 and alfentanil 10 micrograms kg-1. In a double-blind, randomized design, patients were allocated to one of three groups: group P = saline; group R1 = rocuronium 0.1 mg kg-1; and group R3 = rocuronium 0.3 mg kg-1. Intubation conditions were judged as optimal, suboptimal or failure, based on the scoring of ease of jaw opening and laryngoscopy, position of the vocal cords and degree of straining after tracheal intubation. ⋯ The addition of low doses of rocuronium significantly improved intubation conditions (P < < 0.001). Ventilation was controlled during surgery, and in no patient was any problem encountered with antagonism of neuromuscular block with neostigmine. Injection of rocuronium 0.3 mg kg-1 (ED95) with propofol and alfentanil provided a high proportion of optimal intubation conditions.