Articles: function.
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"Pain under Discussion" aims at the education of patients with chronic headache and back pain by applying a standardized manual with detailed instructions for seven sessions in a group setting. Apart from encouraging a reconceptualization of the patients' pain experience with reference to a bio-psycho-social model, the program provides information about the vicious circle of pain, avoidance and demoralization and relies heavily on behavioral assumptions about the process of chronicity. Patients are offered participation in progressive relaxation according to Jacobson, they learn to engage in pleasant activities, and are instructed to more and more maintain an upright body position during various activities of every day life. The study evaluates the outcome of the training. Moreover, as an algorithm for grading pain patients according to their level of chronicity has recently been developed by Gerbershagen, we use this algorithm in order to investigate the relationship between the outcome of treatment and the assigned level of chronicity. In addition, we test the assumption that a higher level of chronicity is related to a lower level of psychological functioning pre treatment. ⋯ Irrespective of the initial pain grading of the patients the training program has proven to be effective with regard to different outcome measures.
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Journal of anesthesia · Jun 1997
Normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass: effect on the incidence of persistent postoperative neurological dysfunction following coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
We retrospectively reviewed the records of 250 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) from January 1994 through January 1996 to determine the incidence of persistent postoperative neurological dysfunction after CABG and to compare normothermic and moderate hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Normothermic CPB was used in 128 patients (36°-37°C) and hypothermic CPB (27°-28°C) in 122 patients. Postoperative neurological dysfunction included focal motor deficits, delayed recovery of consciousness (>24h) after surgery, and seizures within 1 week postoperatively. ⋯ The incidence of persistent postoperative neurological dysfunction was 4.1% in the hypothermic CPB group and 2.3% in the normothermic CPB group. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P=NS). These results suggest that normothermic CPB did not increase the incidence of persistent postoperative neurological dysfunction compared to hypothermic CPB.
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Journal of anesthesia · Jun 1997
Right ventricular performance during hypotension induced by prostaglandin E1, nicardipine HCl, glycerine trinitrate, and isosorbide dinitrate.
This study investigated right ventricular (RV) performance during hypotensive anesthesia and compared the effect of the vasodilators prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), nicardipine HCl (Nic), glycerin trinitrate (GTN), and isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) on RV function. Fifty patients were allocated into four groups [PGE1 (n=20), Nic (n=10), GTN (n=10), and ISDN (n=10)] in random order. Pulmonary and RV hemodynamics were measured using a rapid-response thermodilution catheter before and during induced hypotension, when systolic arterial pressure was maintained at 80 mmHg. ⋯ Nic was a useful alternative agent for hypotensive anesthesia. GTN and ISDN reduced RV preload and RVSV; however, cardiac output was maintained by increasing heart rate (HR). Therefore, such nitrates should be used under an adequate RV preload.
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Journal of anesthesia · Jun 1997
Circulatory and catecholamine responses to tracheal intubation and skin incision during sevoflurane, isoflurane, or halothane anesthesia.
The anesthetic suppression of responses to noxious stimuli might reflect a summation of the suppression of the basal functions and the response capability. We investigated the basal suppression and response capability in hemodynamics and plasma catecholamine levels with different anesthetics at the same minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) level. Fifty-four patients were allocated to one of 6 groups to receive sevoflurane, isoflurane, or halothane at 1.25 or 2.0 MAC. ⋯ The mean arterial pressure, heart rate, rate-pressure product, and plasma levels of noradrenaline and adrenaline at the prestimuli period showed no difference between agents at each MAC. The rises in these variables by tracheal intubation and skin incision were greatest in the sevoflurane group, least in the halothane group, and intermediate in the isoflurane group. Although basal hemodynamic suppression is similar at the same MAC, the suppressive action of sevoflurane on the circulatory response capability to noxious stimuli is weaker than that of isoflurane and halothane.