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Biomedical subjects

A M Cyna

Publications and source records attributed to A M Cyna.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Cervical osteomyelitis following tonsillectomy.

We present a case of fatal cervical osteomyelitis following an elective tonsillectomy in a previously fit young man. Following induction of general anaesthesia, and prior to surgery, the patient received bilateral glossopharyngeal nerve blocks with 0.5% bupivacaine and adrenaline 1:200,000. The initial recovery was uneventful but persistent throat and neck pain developed at home which was diagnosed as a throat infection and possible hyperextension injury of the neck. It is impossible to say how much the dissection of chronically infected tonsils or the infiltration of local anaesthetic into or near a potentially infected area contributed to the development of cervical osteomyelitis. The absence of any other symptoms and signs, a normal blood count and cervical spine X-ray, and the rarity of cervical osteomyelitis, all contributed to a delay in diagnosis.

Adult↗

The effect of glossopharyngeal nerve block on pain after elective adult tonsillectomy and uvulopalatoplasty.

This controlled, randomised, double-blind study compared whether glossopharyngeal nerve block and intravenous morphine administered peri-operatively, decreased pain following elective adult tonsillectomy and uvulopalatoplasty more than morphine alone. Sixteen of 30 patients undergoing uvulopalatoplasty and 38 of 78 patients having tonsillectomy received bilateral glossopharyngeal nerve blocks, using bupivacaine 0.5% and adrenaline 1:200,000, or no intervention. There were no differences in postoperative analgesic consumption between the two groups. Visual analogue pain scores measured during swallowing in the recovery room and on the ward postoperatively were significantly less overall in uvulopalatoplasty patients who had received a block (p = 0.004). This difference was not found for tonsillectomy. We found no significant differences between groups, in pain scores recorded during the first 5 days at home. We conclude that glossopharyngeal block does not improve analgesia following tonsillectomy although there is short-lived benefit following uvulopalatoplasty.

Adult↗

Anaesthesia in rural Queensland: clinical experience with the Flying Obstetric and Gynaecology Service.

The Flying Obstetric and Gynaecology (FOG) service visits 27 outback towns scattered over approximately one million square kilometers of western Queensland. The role and workload of an anaesthetist attached to the FOG Service and a prospective audit of 760 consecutive anaesthetics over a ten-month period are reported. Flying anaesthetists are in an ideal position to review standards of equipment, staffing levels, anaesthetic assistance in theatre as well as participate in both medical and nursing rural training programs. This ensures that deficiencies in anaesthetic related areas are identified and appropriate action taken. The challenge to rural practitioners must be to provide a service, of at least an equivalent standard to that of their metropolitan counterparts.

Adolescent↗

Training nursing staff in airway management for resuscitation. A clinical comparison of the facemask and laryngeal mask.

The place of the laryngeal mask in emergency airway management by nonanaesthetists has yet to be established. We have compared the tidal volume achieved by nurses during hand ventilation using standard resuscitation equipment with a facemask, with or without a Guedel airway, and following placement of a laryngeal mask in the same patients. The tidal volumes measured while using the laryngeal mask were significantly greater (p < 0.01) than those measured during facemask ventilation.

Adolescent↗

AURA: a new respiratory monitor and apnoea alarm for spontaneously breathing patients.

Previous attempts to introduce non-invasive monitoring of ventilation of spontaneously breathing patients into routine practice have been unsuccessful. The Aberdeen University Respiratory Alarm (AURA) allows such monitoring by utilizing the pyroelectric property of polarized polyvinylidine fluoride sensors to detect temperature changes that occur during breathing into an oxygen delivery face mask. A quartz crystal oscillator generates pulses that allow measurement of interexpiratory time and ventilatory frequency. The system incorporates LED digital displays, a bargraph and audiovisual alarms. An analog output permits display and analysis of the sensed signals. AURA performed satisfactorily in both volunteer studies and six patients in the clinical setting. AURA may be an appropriate respiratory transducer in those patients requiring oxygen therapy.

Adult↗

Hypotension due to unexpected cardiac tamponade.

We report a case of profound hypotension, after induction of general anaesthesia, that resulted from unexpected cardiac tamponade. The differential diagnosis was complicated by the absence of any evidence to indicate that there was significant direct chest injury. Many of the recognised clinical signs of cardiac tamponade were absent, in particular, there was no compensatory tachycardia, and heart rate remained stable despite severe hypotension before surgical drainage of the pericardium. The possible aetiology and pathophysiology is discussed. It is suggested that after major trauma, cardiac tamponade should be considered as a possibility even in the absence of significantly abnormal cardiovascular signs, evidence of direct chest injury, or an abnormal chest X ray.

Adult↗

Are the recommendations being met in the general practice year of vocational training? Trainees' views in the West Midlands region.

Vocational trainees in the West Midlands who were in their general practice year were sent a postal questionnaire to find out whether there were important differences between the criteria for training of the 1986 West Midland postgraduate education committee (based on national recommendations) and the perceptions of the trainees of their current trainers and practices. The response rate was 86.2% (75 out of 87). Sixty four per cent (48) of trainees reported that they received on average less than the recommended minimum of three hours of teaching time a week. They felt that experience was inadequate in paediatric surveillance (62.7%) and preventive medical care (37.3%). Most trainers gave topic teaching (90.7%), and few used role play (5%). Most of the trainees (52%) had not signed a contract, a third did not get help with recommended allowances, and 37% thought that their progress had not been reviewed. Several trainees commented on the excellence of their training practices, and most of the practices appeared to be keeping to the spirit of the recommendations. There are, however, discrepancies between what some trainees feel they receive and what is recommended.

Adult↗