British journal of anaesthesia
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Traditionally, programmes for specialist education in anaesthesia and intensive care have been based on lists of attributes such as skills and knowledge. However, modern research in the science of teaching has shown that competence development is linked to changes in the way professionals understand their work. The aim of this study was to define the different ways in which trainee anaesthetists understand their work. ⋯ Trainee anaesthetists understand their work in different ways. The trainee's understanding affects both his/her way of performing work tasks and how he/she develops new competences. A major task for teachers of anaesthesia is to create learning situations whereby trainees can focus on new aspects of their professional work and thus develop new ways of understanding it.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Remifentanil by bolus injection: a safety, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and age effect investigation in human volunteers.
Although remifentanil's short-acting pharmacokinetic profile makes it well suited for procedures during which a brief period of intense analgesia is required, setting up an infusion pump for brief procedures is inconvenient. The clinical pharmacology of remifentanil administered by bolus injection, a more convenient alternative, has not been explored in detail. The primary aim of this study was to examine the safety of single bolus doses of remifentanil in conscious, healthy, adult volunteers breathing room air. Secondary aims included the evaluation of remifentanil pharmacokinetics and analgesic effects after bolus injection and a comparison of these issues in younger vs older adults. ⋯ Bolus injection could potentially be a safe and effective means of administering remifentanil in clinical situations requiring a brief period of intense analgesia. Because some subjects, both old and young, experienced significant respiratory depression even at low doses, careful monitoring of respiratory function is essential.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
High plasma ropivacaine concentrations after fascia iliaca compartment block in children.
The pharmacokinetic profile of local anaesthetics is influenced by the mode of administration. We sought to compare the pharmacokinetics of two doses of ropivacaine after fascia iliaca compartment (FIC) block in children. ⋯ The administration of ropivacaine 3.5 mg x kg(-1) can be associated with sustained high plasma concentrations of ropivacaine, outside the tolerable range. In view of these results, we recommend the use of lower ropivacaine dosage during FIC block in children.
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Multicenter Study
The Patient State Index as an indicator of the level of hypnosis under general anaesthesia.
This retrospective study describes the performance of the Patient State Index (PSI), under standard clinical practice conditions. The PSI is comprised of quantitative features of the EEG (QEEG) that display clear differences between hypnotic states, but consistency across anaesthetic agents within the state. ⋯ The PSI, based upon derived features of brain electrical activity in the anterior/posterior dimension, significantly co-varies with changes in state under general anaesthesia and can significantly predict the level of arousal in varying stages of anaesthetic delivery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Alkalinization of intra-cuff lidocaine and use of gel lubrication protect against tracheal tube-induced emergence phenomena.
We sought to determine the benefits of using alkalinized lidocaine 40 mg to fill the cuff of a tracheal tube (ETT) in combination with water-soluble gel lubrication to prevent post-intubation sore throat. ⋯ These data show benefits of using an alkalinized lidocaine-filled ETT cuff in combination with water-soluble gel lubrication in preventing post-intubation sore throat.