British journal of anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Loss of volition and pain response during induction of anaesthesia with propofol or sevoflurane.
We compared the time to reach two anaesthetic end-points during induction of anaesthesia with a potent inhalation agent (sevoflurane) and an i.v. agent (propofol). We used a method to ensure steady breathing during inhalation induction, and measured loss of tone in the outstretched arm and loss of response to a painful stimulus. Thirty-eight female patients (age 39 (9) yr, weight 65 (11) kg, and height 165 (8) cm) (mean (SD)) were randomly allocated to receive either propofol or sevoflurane. ⋯ The variances of these three measurements were not significantly different, indicating that these dose-response relationships were similar. In contrast, only 11 of the patients given propofol lost the response to pain after 2.5xED(50) had been given. These results support previous evidence of substantial differences between anaesthetic end-points, and show that this evidence can be obtained using a simple and rapid method.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Influence of nitrous oxide on induction of anaesthesia with sevoflurane.
Nitrous oxide is often used during inhalation induction of anaesthesia with sevoflurane. Although the value of using nitrous oxide during inhalation induction with other volatile anaesthetics has been studied, the popularity of sevoflurane induction and the different characteristics of this agent make a study of the combination of nitrous oxide with this agent of interest. We compared induction times, oxygenation, and excitatory events during inhalation induction of anaesthesia using sevoflurane, with and without nitrous oxide. ⋯ Mean time to induction of anaesthesia (fall of an outstretched arm) was 102 s in both groups, but excitation (limb or head movement) was more frequent in those receiving nitrous oxide (10 patients) than in those receiving oxygen only (five patients) (P<0.05). Oxygenation was similar in both groups. We conclude that nitrous oxide confers no advantage when anaesthesia is induced with sevoflurane in this way.
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Traumatic haemopericardium is an uncommon but life threatening condition. It is usually caused by penetrating cardiac injuries or cardiac rupture from blunt chest trauma. We report haemopericardium and cardiac tamponade in a young girl after blunt abdominal trauma. ⋯ No damage was found at laparotomy and she remained haemodynamically unstable. Further investigation found cardiac tamponade and haemopericardium. This was managed by insertion of a pericardial drain using transthoracic echocardiogram guidance, with later drainage in the operating theatre using guidance with a transoesophageal echocardiogram.
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In many patients, a 'type and screen' procedure is routinely performed before surgery. However, most patients are not transfused after all. Can we predict, which surgical patients will and will not be transfused, to reduce the number of these investigations? We studied 1482 consecutive surgical patients with intermediate risk for transfusion. ⋯ In the remaining 65% of the patients, a further reduction in type and screen investigations of 15% could be achieved using the preoperative haemoglobin concentration. Using a simple prediction rule, preoperative type and screen investigations in patients who have to undergo surgery procedures with intermediate transfusion risk can be avoided in about 50%. This may reduce patient burden and hospital costs (on average: 3 million US$ per 100 000 procedures).
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The effect of sepsis on the minimum alveolar concentration of desflurane (MAC(DES)) in humans and other animals has not been reported previously. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that sepsis might alter MAC(DES) in a normotensive septic porcine model. Twenty-four young healthy pigs were premedicated with ketamine 10 mg kg(-1 )i.m and then anaesthesia was established with propofol 3 mg kg(-1) and the trachea was intubated. ⋯ Significant increases in heart rate, cardiac output, mean pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance occurred in the sepsis group. MAC(DES) was 9.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 6.8-10.6%) for the saline group and 6.7% (95% CI: 4.7-10.4) for the sepsis group (P<0.05). These data indicate that MAC(DES) is significantly decreased in this normotensive hyperkinetic septic porcine model.