AANA journal
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The effect of pH-adjusted 2-chloroprocaine on the duration and quality of pain relief with a subsequent continuous epidural bupivacaine infusion.
A randomized, double-blind true experimental design with a post-test only was chosen to determine if the addition of sodium bicarbonate to 2-chloroprocaine would result in a longer duration of epidural analgesia, as well as increase the quality of pain relief in stage I parturients receiving a continuous bupivacaine epidural infusion. The experimental group (number (N) = 16) received sodium bicarbonate and 2-chloroprocaine followed by a continuous bupivacaine epidural infusion. The control group (N = 15) received normal saline and 2-chloroprocaine followed by a continuous bupivacaine epidural infusion. ⋯ Additional bolus injections occurred nine times in the control group and six times in the experimental group. The differences were not found to be significant (P > .106). The differences in time and amount of local anesthetic delivered were also found to be trivial (P > .80).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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A 28-year-old female with a diagnosis of multiparity was scheduled for laparoscopic tubal ligation. The patient had an unremarkable medical history, except that she had been a pack-a-day smoker for the past 10 years and had experienced a recent upper respiratory infection. General anesthesia was accomplished without incident, and insufflation of the abdomen with carbon dioxide (CO2) gas was begun. ⋯ The effect of CO2 insufflation on the patient should be given special consideration in these cases. Although serious complications associated with the use of CO2 gas are rare, such procedures must not be viewed with complacency. A protocol for the management of emergency situations should be developed and reviewed.