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Biomedical subjects

L E Larsen

Publications and source records attributed to L E Larsen.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Psychomotor recovery following propofol or isoflurane anaesthesia for day-care surgery.

A newly developed test for the assessment of psychomotor recovery--the perceptive accuracy test (PAT)--is described. Seventy-four subjects who performed the test though that it was easy to perform and some were motivated to try it on a number of occasions. Eight persons performed the test on different days and at different periods of time; the results were consistent and reproducible. Eight more persons were then asked to do the test 4 times at 15-min intervals; no 'learning' was seen with this test. A randomized, prospective study was then performed in two groups of 15 patients, undergoing arthroscopic procedures of the knee. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with an infusion of propofol 12 mg/kg/h for the first 15 min, followed by 8 mg/kg/h subsequently in the propofol group. In the isoflurane group, anaesthesia was also induced with propofol, but isoflurane (0.5-2%) was used to maintain anaesthesia. Alfentanil was the analgesic used in both groups of patients. Results were compared with a third group of unanaesthetised controls, who were asked to perform psychomotor tests including choice reaction time and PAT at 30-min intervals for 2.5 h. There was a significant difference (P less than 0.01) in psychomotor recovery on the PAT-200 between the propofol group and control groups, but not in the isoflurane and control groups at 30 min. Both groups had returned to baseline values at 60 min in the PAT-60 and PAT-200. The choice reaction time showed no significant difference in either group 30 min after the anaesthetic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Thiopentone or propofol for induction of isoflurane-based anaesthesia for ambulatory surgery?

This study compares psychomotor recovery following induction of anaesthesia with either thiopentone or propofol in 30 healthy, unpremedicated patients undergoing outpatient arthroscopic procedures of the knee. A battery of tests including simple reaction time (SRT), choice reaction time (CRT), perceptive accuracy test (PAT) and digit symbol substitution test (DSST) were done before anaesthesia. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group 1 was induced with thiopentone 5-6 mg/kg while Group 2 was induced with propofol 2-3 mg/kg. Anaesthesia was then maintained with isoflurane (0.5-2%) in oxygen and air, and supplements of alfentanil were given for analgesia during spontaneous respiration with a face mask. Psychomotor recovery assessed every 30 min postoperatively for 120 min showed that patients in Group 1 had not returned to baseline values until 120 min after the operation on the PAT, while those in Group 2 had returned to baseline values at 60 min. No patient had any significant side effects. The SRT, CRT and DSST proved to be relatively insensitive in the detection of residual effects of anaesthesia and had a significant learning effect. This study suggests that induction of anaesthesia with propofol followed by maintenance with isoflurane in oxygen and air during spontaneous ventilation is associated with rapid psychomotor recovery and is a suitable method for ambulatory surgery. The PAT is sensitive and not associated with some of the problems found with other commonly used tests.

Adult

Hypoxaemia during anaesthesia--an observer study.

We have investigated 296 inpatients in a single-blind observer study to determine the incidence, degree and duration of hypoxaemia during anaesthesia. The clinical recognition of hypoxaemia, period of time until recognition and risk factors were studied. Oxygen saturation (Spo2) was monitored continuously with a pulse oximeter (Ohmeda, model 3700). One or more episodes of mild hypoxaemia (Spo2 86-90%) were recorded in 53% of patients. Severe hypoxaemia with Spo2 values less than 81% were recorded in 20% of patients. The mild hypoxaemic episodes lasted up to 34.6 min (mean 2.3 min) and 70% were not detected by the anaesthetist. In the remaining 30% of episodes, the anaesthetist diagnosed the complication with a mean time delay of 70 s. After intervention a mean time delay of 57 s was recorded until Spo2 exceeded 90%. Utilizing a stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis, we found that risk factors associated with a greater incidence of hypoxaemia were patient age (P less than 0.005) and anaesthetic technique (P less than 0.00001). We conclude that hypoxaemic episodes in our operating rooms are common during anaesthesia and suggest preoxygenation in all patients in addition to administration of supplementary oxygen during arousal from anaesthesia and during transfer to the recovery room.

Adolescent

Computerized dynamic posturography: a new method for the evaluation of postural stability following anaesthesia.

Dynamic posturography, a new method to study postural stability in humans, was performed in 11 healthy volunteers before administration of midazolam 0.1 mg/kg body weight i.v., and repeated subsequently at 45, 105 and 165 min. Results indicate that balance was affected significantly (P less than 0.008) up to 45 min after i.v. midazolam and did not return to control values until 105 min. The quantified version of the Romberg test performed with the eyes open or closed using the Equitest did not appear to be sensitive in detecting residual effects of midazolam on balance. We conclude that healthy, young persons should not be considered to have regained postural stability for up to 105 min after sedation with midazolam. Dynamic posturography appears to be a useful test in the objective assessment of balance disturbances.

Adult

An off-line image processing system for digital display in computed tomography.

Early clinical application of an off-line image processing and analysis system for digital display in conjunction with computed tomography is described. The system consists of three operational subsystems: (a) a flexible disk for digital storage of absorption values in each of eight or more tomographic planes; (b) a high-speed interactive video system which displays the tomographic plane in correct geometry with the absorption values, which serve as the pictorial elements; and (c) a paper hard copy of the absorption values in a simulated gray-tone image of the tomographic plane in which the numerical values are the pictorial elements. Both the video and paper displays provide explicit numerical values of x-ray attenuation for each location on the tomographic plane in an image which combines analog and digital qualities.

Brain Neoplasms

Microwave interrogation of dielectric targets. Part II: by microwave time delay spectroscopy.

A method is described which overcomes the problems of multipath propagation and range ambiguity that is suffered by the single-frequency continuous-wave microwave-imaging system described in part I. This technique is essentially a variation of chrip radar techniques, which have been adapted to time delay and attenuation measurements through a target. The feasibility of discriminating between paths whose differential time delay is on the order of 100 ps is demonstrated. Further, the need for small physical aperture in the transmitting and receiving antennas is demonstrated.

Electric Conductivity

Microwave scattering parameter imagery of an isolated canine kidney.

This paper describes a method for imaging biosystems using radiation in the microwave frequency range (3.9 GHz). The advantages of interrogation with microwave radiation are discussed in terms of its physiological significance. An electromechanical scanning system for imaging isolated organs and the subsequent image processing techniques are described. Imagery is presented for a phantom target and an isolated canine kidney. The kidney images are interpreted in terms of the known anatomical and functional organization of the organ. It does appear to be possible to distinguish cortex corticis corresponding to a high proportion of proximal and distal convoluted tubules, deeper cortical layers corresponding to a high population density of glomeri, a medullary outer zone corresponding to the loops of Henle as well as the collecting system, and the region of calyces/renal pelvis.

Animals