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Biomedical subjects

M L Heath

Publications and source records attributed to M L Heath.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Patient-controlled analgesia. A serious incident.

A patient received a massive overdose of papaveretum intravenously (estimated to be 180 mg) when the glass syringe of a patient-controlled analgesia machine disengaged from the drive mechanism. She was successfully resuscitated. The pump, on loan from the supplier, had passed a brief evaluation by the infusion pump test house designated by the Medical Devices Directorate of the Department of Health; it has since been withdrawn. It is recommended that patient-controlled analgesia equipment should be placed at or below patient heart level. The Department of Health is called on to institute a full, independent evaluation scheme for patient-controlled analgesia equipment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Intubation through the laryngeal mask. A technique for unexpected difficult intubation.

Unexpected difficulty with tracheal intubation contributes to anaesthetic mortality. The laryngeal mask can almost always be placed satisfactorily and its position should facilitate blind intubation. A 6-mm cuffed tube will pass through both adult sizes of the mask and this study tested the feasibility of intubation through the mask. The effect of the application of cricoid pressure on the technique was also investigated. Intubation via the laryngeal mask was attempted in 100 routine patients: of the first 50 (group 1, no cricoid pressure), 45 (90%) were successfully intubated. Maintenance of cricoid pressure throughout the manoeuvre (group 2) reduced the success rate significantly to 56% (p less than 0.05). Despite the possibility that cricoid pressure may have to be interrupted momentarily, the ease with which the technique can be learnt, and the immediate availability of the necessary apparatus suggest that it should be considered for inclusion in failed intubation drill.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Endotracheal intubation through the Laryngeal Mask--helpful when laryngoscopy is difficult or dangerous.

The correctly placed Laryngeal Mask will act as a guide to endotracheal intubation in over 90% of adult patients. Although the size of tube is limited to a 6-mm-internal-diameter cuffed oral or nasal pattern tube the technique is easy to learn and can provide a rapid solution when endotracheal intubation is necessary but conventional laryngoscopy is unexpectedly difficult or dental restorations are at risk. Application of cricoid pressure reduces the success rate of the technique; therefore, if this manoeuvre is indicated to reduce the risks of regurgitation, anaesthetists are advised to arrange for its momentary relaxation during the final stages of placement of the Laryngeal Mask and of the endotracheal tube.

Anesthesiology↗
PubMed1984

Accidents associated with equipment.

Serious accidents in which the possibility of equipment-related hazards are raised have been reported to the Scientific and Technical Branch of the Department of Health and Social Security. The author has examined anonymous summaries of 23 such reports of events which occurred over a 5-year period. The principle cause of catastrophe in seventeen of the incidents was user error involving disconnexion or misconnexion. Faulty systems of equipment management combined in some cases with inadequate pre-anaesthetic checking of apparatus were responsible for the other instances. Appropriate systems of equipment management and checking together with meticulous basic clinical monitoring are recommended as the best safeguards in anaesthetic practice.

Anesthesia, General↗