Articles: general-anesthesia.
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Case Reports
[An emergency cesarean section using general anesthesia for a patient with schizophrenia].
A 27 year-old female in 39th week gestation with schizophrenia underwent an emergency Cesarean section using general anesthesia. A diagnosis of schizophrenia was made two years previously, since then oral anti-psychotic drugs such as chlorpromazine had been given to her. In June 1989 she suddenly became excited and generalized muscle rigidity was observed without any triggering episodes. ⋯ The baby's Apgar score was 9 and 1 min and 9 at 5 min after the delivery. The baby developed slight generalized tremor until next day, probably due to effect of levomepromazine given before the Cesarean section. The patient was discharged without any cardiorespiratory trouble and her baby has been doing well so far.
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Narcotics are used in neuro-anesthesiology according to their pharmacology and their effects on cerebral physiology. New narcotics (fentanyl, sufentanil, alfentanil) fulfill the requirements of modern neurosurgical anesthesiology looking for quick awakening.
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In a study of 280 patients (265 with cataract, 15 with strabismus), we investigated the ocular circulatory effects of 3 methods of anesthesia widely used in ophthalmic surgery, retrobulbar, peribulbar and general anesthesia. Retrobulbar anesthesia (RETRO) was performed with 2, 5 or 8 ml of a mixture (BLH-Mix) of bupivacaine 0.75%, lidocaine 2% and hyaluronidase; with 5 ml BLH-Mix and addition of adrenaline in a low (1:500,000) or a higher (1:200,000) concentration; with 5 ml bupivacaine 0.75% or lidocaine 2% or mepivacaine 2%; with 5 ml mepivacaine 2% and addition of 150 units hyaluronidase; or with 5 ml BLH-Mix plus adrenaline and additional oculopression. Peribulbar anesthesia (PERI) was performed with 8 ml BLH-Mix (5 ml inferotemporally/3 ml superonasally) or 10 ml BLH-Mix (8/4) injected outside the muscle cone. General anesthesia was performed using halothane (inspiratory concentration 0.5 vol%) and nitrous oxide (65 vol%); respiration was adjusted to produce slight hyperventilation (alveolar pCO2 33 mmHg) or forced hyperventilation (pCO2 20-25 mmHg), respectively. The following variables were measured; systolic ciliary perfusion and blood pressures (PPs,cil and Ps,cil, respectively) and ocular pulsation volume (PVoc) using oculo-oscillodynamography of Ulrich, and the intraocular pressure (IOD) using the Draeger handapplanation tonometer. ⋯ The anesthesia-induced lowering of both ocular perfusion and blood pressures as well as of the ocular pulsation volume, which is a measure of the pulsatile choroidal blood flow, can be interpreted as reflecting an inhibitory influence on ocular circulation. We suggest the following mechanisms to account for the changes during LA: elevation of IOP, adrenaline-induced retrobulbar vasoconstriction, LA-induced retrobulbar vasoconstriction (hypothetical), improved penetration of LA brought about by the orbital compression occurring during oculopression. The relative significance of the separate mechanisms differs, however, between the various LA types. The changes found during general anesthesia are attributable to the halothane-induced reduction of systemic blood pressure and cardiac stroke volume as well as to a relative hyperventilation-induced choroidal vasoconstriction. The results are relevant for ophthalmic surgery with respect to the prevention of complications and problems depending on pathologic or at least unphysiological changes in ocular circulation, e.g...
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Between 1982 and 1989 over 3000 patients were questioned about recall and dreaming after general anaesthesia for Caesarean section. Some 28 (0.9%) patients were able to recall something of their operation and 189 (6.1%) reported dreams. There was uniform adherence to a rigid anaesthetic protocol up to and including 1985, but a much publicized incident reported from the courtroom stimulated a relaxation of this regimen. ⋯ Recollections of surgery were confined to manipulations, noises and voices. None of our patients complained of pain at the time of interview, although one since has. The inadequacies of the initial protocol and an approach to informed consent are discussed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Ingestion of clear fluids is safe for adolescents up to 3 h before anaesthesia.
We have studied the effect of ingestion of unlimited clear fluids by adolescents up to 3 h before anaesthesia to determine the effect this fluid ingestion would have on thirst, hunger and gastric contents at induction of anaesthesia. We studied prospectively 152 adolescents (ages 13-19 yr) undergoing elective surgery. Fifty percent of the patients had nothing by mouth after midnight. ⋯ GV, GpH and subject hunger were unaffected by ingestion of clear fluids. Subject thirst was reduced by clear fluids. It is concluded that unlimited clear fluid ingestion by healthy adolescents up to 3 h before operation decreases thirst and does not affect gastric contents.