Articles: analgesia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Dental treatment in young handicapped patients. An assessment of relative analgesia as an alternative to general anaesthesia.
A trial was undertaken to assess the suitability of oxygen/nitrous oxide sedation (relative analgesia) for dental treatment in unmanageable handicapped young patients. Fifty patients with chronological ages 5-22 years and mental ages 1 1/2-14 years participated in the double blind trial to see if premedication with diazepam 0.2 mg/kg would be a useful adjunct. After the trial, previous dental histories and behaviour at regular recall visits over the next 12-18 months were studied. ⋯ It appears that the use of diazepam premedication improves patient demeanour and operating conditions although this improved effect is not carried over to recall visits. The results obtained indicate that routine dental procedures can be safely carried out by an experienced operator-sedationist in young handicapped patients using oxygen/nitrous oxide sedation. The frequency with which potentially hazardous techniques need to be used can be reduced, as can hospital admissions.
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A twin-tube system for nitrous oxide analgesia in dental surgeries is described. The system is a non-polluting modification of the Mapleson A system, employing the principle of co-axial tubing introduced by Bain & Spoerel (1972). Active, continuous and calibrated gas removal takes place via the co-axial tubing by means of an ejector flowmeter. ⋯ The system described is safe and easy to handle. It is made of light-weight material and is adaptable to the equipment available. No rebreathing takes place when using a fresh gas inflow of 150 ml/kg body weight/min.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Cryoanalgesia in the management of pain after thoracotomy.
The demand for postoperative analgesia was compared between 29 patients treated with cryoanalgesia to the relevant intercostal nerves during thoracotomy and a control group who did not have cryoanalgesia. The cryoanalgesia group required significantly less (p < 0.005) postoperative analgesia than did the control group.