British journal of anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of the surgical Pleth Index™ with haemodynamic variables to assess nociception-anti-nociception balance during general anaesthesia.
The Surgical Pleth Index (SPI) is proposed as a means to assess the balance between noxious stimulation and the anti-nociceptive effects of anaesthesia. In this study, we compared SPI, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) as a means of assessing this balance. ⋯ SPI, HR, and MAP are of comparable value at gauging noxious stimulation-CeREMI balance. Their interpretation is improved by taking account of IVS, treatment for chronic high arterial pressure, and concordance between their predictions.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Ultrasound reduces the minimum effective local anaesthetic volume compared with peripheral nerve stimulation for interscalene block.
Previous studies have demonstrated that lower local anaesthetic (LA) volumes can be used for ultrasound (US)-guided interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB). However, no study has examined whether US can reduce the volume required when compared with nerve stimulation (NS) for ISB. Our aim was to do this by comparing the minimum effective analgesic volumes (MEAVs). ⋯ US reduces the number of attempts, LA volume, and postoperative pain when compared with NS for ISB.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Randomized controlled trial comparing morphine or clonidine with bupivacaine for caudal analgesia in children undergoing upper abdominal surgery.
Various additives have been used to increase the duration of analgesia provided by bupivacaine administered by single-shot caudal injection in children. ⋯ Caudal clonidine 2 µg kg⁻¹ in bupivacaine 0.2% provides a longer duration of analgesia and sedation compared with caudal morphine 30 µg kg⁻¹ in bupivacaine 0.2% without significant side-effects in children undergoing upper abdominal surgery.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and ultrasound imaging for nerve localization.
Percutaneous nerve stimulation (PNS) is a non-invasive technique to localize superficial nerves before performing peripheral nerve blocks, but its precision has never been evaluated by high-resolution ultrasound. This study compared stimulating points at the skin with the position of nerve structures determined by ultrasound. Correlations between distances and percutaneous stimulation thresholds were determined. ⋯ PNS with a stimulating pen is not a reliable technique for nerve localization in the brachial plexus as verified by high-resolution ultrasound.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Eye tracking for assessment of workload: a pilot study in an anaesthesia simulator environment.
Workload assessment is an important tool for improving patient safety in anaesthesia. We tested the hypothesis that heart rate, pupil size, and duration of fixation increase, whereas saccade amplitude decreases with increased workload during simulated critical incidents. ⋯ Pupil size and heart rate reflect workload increase within simulator sessions, but they do not permit overall workload comparisons between individuals or sessions. Contrary to our assumption, the duration of fixation decreased with increased workload. Saccade amplitude did not reflect workload fluctuations.