Article Notes

• Hide
  • Pearls
  • Summaries
  • Comments

pearl
1
Anesthesia with nitrous oxide preserves awake features of the EEG leading to inappropriately higher BIS values.
Foster BL Liley DT. Nitrous oxide paradoxically modulates slow electroencephalogram oscillations: implications for anesthesia monitoring. Anesth. Analg. 2011 Oct 1;113(4):758-65.
  Daniel Jolley
pearl
1
Propofol and thiopentone are physiochemically compatible when mixed.
Prankerd RJ Jones RD. Physicochemical compatibility of propofol with thiopental sodium. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 1996 Nov 1;53(21):2606-10.
  Daniel Jolley
pearl
1
Video-laryngoscopy in pediatric anesthesia improves glottis visualization but prolongs intubation time and increases failure.
Sun Y, Lu Y, Huang Y et al. Pediatric video laryngoscope versus direct laryngoscope: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Paediatr Anaesth. 2014 Oct 1; 24 (10): 1056-65.
  Daniel Jolley
pearl
1
The addition of ketamine to lignocaine-based IVRA (Bier's block) significantly improved analgesia and patient satisfaction without increasing side effects.
Abdel-Ghaffar HS, Kalefa MA, Imbaby AS. Efficacy of Ketamine as an Adjunct to Lidocaine in Intravenous Regional Anesthesia. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2014 Sep 1; 39 (5): 418-22.
  Daniel Jolley
pearl
1
Closed loop control of propofol/remi TIVA targeting BIS 40-60 is more precise than manual control.
Orliaguet GA, Lambert FB, Chazot T et al. Feasibility of Closed-loop Titration of Propofol and Remifentanil Guided by the Bispectral Monitor in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients: A Prospective Randomized Study. Anesthesiology. 2015 Apr 1;122(4):759-67.
  Daniel Jolley
pearl
1
In high risk cardiac surgery, anesthesia with either sevoflurane or TIVA results in comparable postoperative mortality and morbidity.
Landoni G, Guarracino F, Cariello C et al. Volatile compared with total intravenous anaesthesia in patients undergoing high-risk cardiac surgery: a randomized multicentre study. Br J Anaesth. 2014 Dec 1;113(6):955-63.
  Daniel Jolley
pearl
1
Perioperative gabapentin does not significantly improve pain after neuraxial caesarean section.
Monks DT, Hoppe DW, Downey K et al. A Perioperative Course of Gabapentin Does Not Produce a Clinically Meaningful Improvement in Analgesia after Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Anesthesiology. 2015 Aug 1;123(2):320-6.
  Daniel Jolley
summary
1
A enjoyable trip down memory lane with Prof. Kester Brown. A brief description of the history of barbiturates and their structure activity relationships, culminating in the seven decade dominance of thiopentone.
The second half of this paper briefly describes the drugs that have challenged thiopentone, those you will likely have used (propofol, etomidate) and those most likely not (propanidid, althesin, gamma-hydroxybutyrate).
An quick and enjoyable read. Click through for the full-text.
Brown TC. Thiopentone and its challengers. Paediatr Anaesth. 2013 Oct 1;23(10):957-8.
  Daniel Jolley
pearl
1
Prophylactic ondansetron does not prevent shivering during cesarean section under regional block.
Browning RM, Fellingham WH, O'Loughlin EJ et al. Prophylactic ondansetron does not prevent shivering or decrease shivering severity during cesarean delivery under combined spinal epidural anesthesia: a randomized trial. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2013 Jan 1;38(1):39-43.
  Daniel Jolley
pearl
1
Surgical Pleth Index-guided analgesia may not be valid for use in children.
Park JH, Lim BG, Kim H et al. Comparison of Surgical Pleth Index-guided Analgesia with Conventional Analgesia Practices in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Anesthesiology. 2015 Jun 1;122(6):1280-7.
  Daniel Jolley