British journal of anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Efficacy and respiratory effects of low-dose spinal morphine for postoperative analgesia following knee arthroplasty.
A randomized, double-blind study of 38 patients undergoing total knee replacement was undertaken to compare the efficacy and respiratory effects of low-dose spinal morphine and patient-controlled i.v. morphine against patient-controlled i.v. morphine alone. Patients received either morphine 0.3 mg or saline 0.3 ml with 0.5% heavy spinal bupivacaine 2-2.5 ml. ⋯ There was a small but statistically significant reduction in the median oxygen saturation (SpO2) in the intrathecal morphine group 97 (95-99)% compared with the placebo group 99 (97-99)% (P < 0.05). Although marked disturbances in respiratory pattern were observed in both groups, none of the patients in the study had severe hypoxaemia (SpO2 < 85% > 6 min h-1) and there was no significant difference in the incidence of mild (SpO2 < 94% > 12 min h-1) or moderate (SpO2 < 90% > 12 min h-1) hypoxaemia or in the incidence of episodes of apnoea or hypopnoea in the two groups.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of intravenous and oral ketoprofen for postoperative pain after adenoidectomy in children.
One hundred children, aged 1-9 yr, undergoing adenoidectomy were randomized to receive ketoprofen 1 mg kg-1 either i.v. with an oral placebo (n = 40) or ketoprofen 1 mg kg-1 orally with an i.v. placebo (n = 40), or both oral and i.v. placebo (n = 20). The study design was prospective and double blind with parallel groups. The pain was assessed at rest and during swallowing using the Maunuksela pain scale (0 = no pain, 10 = worst possible pain) after surgery for 3 h. ⋯ Children in the i.v. group needed significantly less doses (1, 1-3; median and 10th/90th percentiles) of rescue analgesic compared with the oral group (2, 1-3; P = 0.024). Of those who needed rescue analgesic, three out of 30 children in the i.v. group required three or more doses of fentanyl compared with 10 out of 28 children in the oral group. There were no differences between the groups with respect to pain scores, operation times, perioperative bleeding or frequency of adverse events.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Which is most pungent: isoflurane, sevoflurane or desflurane?
We compared the pungency and tolerability of three inhaled anaesthetics in a randomized, double-blind study. Eighty-one unpremedicated patients (n = 27, each group) inhaled 2 MAC of isoflurane (2.3%), desflurane (12%) or sevoflurane (4%) for 60 s from an anaesthetic breathing circuit via a mask. Two blinded observers recorded coughing, complaints of burning and irritation, and how long the inhalation was tolerated. ⋯ All sevoflurane, 20 isoflurane and seven desflurane patients completed the study period (average 60, 49 and 33 s, respectively, P < 0.05). The irritability grading was: desflurane > isoflurane > sevoflurane (P < 0.05). Sevoflurane is the least irritating agent for inhalation at 2 MAC concentration.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Onset/offset characteristics and intubating conditions of rapacuronium: a comparison with rocuronium.
We compared onset and offset of action and tracheal intubating conditions after rapacuronium and rocuronium in 60 patients in a randomized, assessor-blinded study. Following induction of anaesthesia with propofol 2.5 mg kg-1, either rapacuronium 1.5 mg kg-1 (n = 30) or rocuronium 0.6 mg kg-1 (n = 30) was administered to facilitate tracheal intubation. Anaesthesia was maintained with either a propofol infusion (100 micrograms kg-1 min-1) or sevoflurane (1% end-tidal) with 66% nitrous oxide (N2O), n = 15 in each subgroup. ⋯ The onset time of rapacuronium was shorter than rocuronium (87 (20) vs 141 (65) s, P < 0.001), and the degree of block at 60 s was greater (69 (26) vs 50 (27)%, P < 0.05). Twenty-five per cent recovery was shorter with rapacuronium than rocuronium during propofol (15.0 (3.2) vs 39.1 (14.2) min, P < 0.001) and sevoflurane (15.1 (4.2) vs 47.8 (19.0) min, P < 0.001) anaesthesia. We conclude that rapacuronium 1.5 mg kg-1 had a more rapid onset, similar intubating conditions, and shorter recovery times than rocuronium 0.6 mg kg-1.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Rapacuronium recovery characteristics and infusion requirements during inhalation versus propofol-based anaesthesia.
We examined the effect of four maintenance anaesthetics on the neuromuscular blocking activity and spontaneous recovery characteristics after a short-term infusion of rapacuronium. Eighty ASA I-III adult patients undergoing elective surgery were studied at four centres. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol 1.5-2.5 mg kg-1 and fentanyl 1-2 micrograms kg-1, followed by a bolus of rapacuronium 1.5 mg kg-1. ⋯ The duration of infusion lasted between 45 and 60 min, and the average infusion rates of rapacuronium were similar in all groups, ranging from 1.6 to 2.5 mg kg-1 h-1. There were no significant differences among the groups in the times for T1/T0 to return to 25%, 75% or 90%, or for T4/T1 to return to 70% and 80% upon discontinuation of the infusion. When potent inhalation anaesthetics are used in clinically relevant concentrations for maintenance of anaesthesia, the neuromuscular recovery profile of rapacuronium administered as a variable-rate infusion for up to 1 h is similar to that found with a propofol-based anaesthetic technique.