Articles: general-anesthesia.
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Ann Ostet Ginecol Med Perinat · Nov 1991
[Incidence and complications of the aspiration of gastric contents syndrome during cesarean section in general anesthesia].
Maternal mortality attributed to anaesthesia, decreased in the last twenty years, has in inhalation of gastric contents one of its principal causes. Pregnant women are considered "high risk". In this retrospective investigation we studied 12,380 patients undergoing caesarean section in general anaesthesia between January 1977 and December 1991. ⋯ The emergency procedure (8 cases) and a difficult tracheal intubation (4 cases) are the more important risk factors. In our clinical practice we used prevention in few cases (3.1%). Our results suggest the utility in obstetric anaesthesia of high doses of thiopental (5-6 mg/kg); these doses didn't change the principal neonatal parameters, while give in pregnant woman a light anaesthesia.
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The possibility of processing sensory information during general anesthesia and the ability to recall it postoperatively is of major ethical, medical and even theoretical importance. Auditory stimuli especially are perceived intraoperatively and remembered postoperatively. Neuropsychological experiments indicate that sensory information can be processed and recalled both at a conscious and at an unconscious level. ⋯ Therefore, future studies should focus on several different points. The anesthetic state should be defined exactly and the functional state of the auditory modality should be monitored when auditory information is presented to the patients. The recollection of intraoperative events should be investigated using implicit memory tests, because these are regarded as more sensitive than explicit memory tests.
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Hysteria as a cause of failure to recover consciousness following general anaesthesia is a rare event. This case report describes such an instance in a young, healthy 22-year-old female suffering severe dental phobia who was undergoing dental conservation. The literature is reviewed and a summary of the possible physiological mechanisms involved is given.
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Nov 1991
Application of the laryngeal mask airway to thyroid surgery and the preservation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve.
We report our experience of using the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in 13 consecutive patients undergoing thyroid surgery and discuss the advantages and limitations of the technique. We also describe a method, based on the use of the LMA, for identifying and preserving the recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery.