Acta anaesthesiologica Belgica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Belg · Dec 1985
Sciatic nerve block in the popliteal fossa with atraumatic needles and nerve stimulation.
Seventy-three popliteal sciatic nerve blocks were performed with the help of a nerve stimulator and teflon-sheathed needles in order to assess the usefulness and the reliability of the method in orthopaedic surgery. After a careful description of the technique, the results and complications are presented: successful blocks = 89%; supplementary local anesthesia = 5.5%; general anesthesia = 5.5%. The indications, the results and the technique of the popliteal sciatic nerve block are discussed. The benefits brought by the use of atraumatic needles and nerve stimulators in regional anesthesia are outlined.
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The requirements for muscle relaxation in out-patient anesthesia are: a short total relaxation enabling the induction of an endotracheal tube followed by a period of 15-20 minutes of clinical relaxation. Reversal should be spontaneous. ⋯ Spontaneous reversal of these small doses is achieved within 20-30 minutes. Potentiation of the relaxation by inhalational agents is not recommended.
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The effects of the intravenous anesthetic etomidate have been investigated on ACTH-induced steroidogenesis in vitro, using purified isolated rat adrenal cells. It was found that etomidate almost completely blocked corticosterone production induced by physiological concentrations of ACTH at doses of 200 ng or greater. The mean inhibitory etomidate concentration resulting in 50% inhibition approximated 1.5 X 10(-7)M which is in the range of concentrations measured after clinical doses of etomidate.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Belg · Sep 1985
Anesthesia for foreign bodies in the tracheo-bronchial tree in children.
The authors present the anesthetic and ventilation techniques, used in 106 children, who were suspected of foreign body aspiration in the respiratory tract. In 62 children a foreign body was found. The youngest child was 8 months old and the oldest 13 years, with an age distribution peak in the 1 to 2 years age group. ⋯ The technique so far used, proved to be satisfactory, specially since HFPPV is used. Few complications occurred. One child died during the bronchoscopic procedure and in an other child a tracheostomy had to be performed for extraction of the foreign body.