Articles: nerve-block.
-
Convulsions developed in two patients after retrobulbar block. The amount of local anesthetic agent that was used was considerably less than the intravenous toxic dose in both cases. No retrobulbar hemorrhage resulted. The probable cause of seizures was inadvertent injection of local anesthetic directly to the CNS via the ophthalmic artery or its sheath.
-
The time from the end of surgery to the administration of the first post-operative analgesic has been measured in 86 patients following brachial plexus block with bupivacaine, lignocaine, nepivacaine or prilocaine. A signficant increase in time occurred with bupivacaine; the combination of regional and general anesthesia significantly increased the time when compared with general anaesthesia in the same patient. In children, the use of regional anaesthesia almost removed the need for analgesia after surgery.
-
The plasma concentrations of pancuronium were monitored during i.v. infusions of the relaxant in dogs. Pancuronium was administered at rates which maintained the degree of neuromuscular blockade at three predetermined levels. The concentrations of the drug in the blood were consistent for any one animal but showed considerable overlap for the three levels of paralysis between animals. ⋯ The concentrations at 80% of control were 0.094 microgram ml-1 and 0.083 microgram ml-1 respectively. The agreement between these results suggests a relationship between the plasma concentration of the relaxant and its effect during the termination of the action after a large bolus injection of the drug. As this occurs chiefly during the postdistribution equilibrium, the relatively slow decrease in plasma concentration would appear to become the rate-limiting factor in recovery from paralysis.