Articles: general-anesthesia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Recovery after electroconvulsive therapy: comparison of propofol with methohexitone anaesthesia.
We have studied prospectively 39 patients receiving a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for major depressive disorder; they were allocated randomly to receive either propofol or methohexitone for anaesthesia. Recovery after the third ECT treatment was assessed by finger tap and digit symbol substitution tests at 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 min after induction. ⋯ There was no significant difference in psychometric recovery for drug type, duration of the seizure or initial severity of depression. These results suggest that the more rapid recovery rates noted with propofol in other procedures are not evident after electrically induced seizures.
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A wartime embargo on casualty figures and an imprecise contemporary editorial contributed to the persisting belief that a grossly excessive mortality rate from barbiturate anaesthesia for surgery of the injured occurred after the Japanese attack on the American bases in Hawaii in December 1941. From accounts by surgical staff and official hospital records which have become available through US Freedom of Information legislation, it is clear that the rumoured death rate from this cause has been greatly exaggerated.
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An evaluation of the Universal PAC and Oxford Miniature Vaporizers for paediatric field anaesthesia.
A laboratory study has demonstrated that the Universal PAC and Oxford Miniature Vaporizers can be used for paediatric anaesthesia in drawover mode at varying ambient temperatures. Changes in tidal volume have minimal effect on the delivered concentration of halothane from either vaporizer but varying ambient temperature significantly affects the output of the Oxford Miniature Vaporizer. The Oxford performs well in continuous flow mode, which is of particular use for T-piece anaesthesia, whereas the Universal PAC does not perform adequately in this way.