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Biomedical subjects

P Farling

Publications and source records attributed to P Farling.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Anesthetic management of the pregnant patient for endovascular coiling of an unruptured intracranial aneurysm.

Diagnosis of an intracranial aneurysm during pregnancy is a rare event requiring multidisciplinary care for successful management. The knowledge base for the anesthesiologist involves principles of both obstetric and neuroanesthesia, as well as critical care. This article reports such a case and discusses the relevant pathophysiology, along with details of the perioperative management by the anesthesiology team.

Adult↗

Cerebroventricular infusion of pentosan polysulphate in human variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy believed to be caused by the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent, an abnormal isoform of the prion protein (PrP(sc)). At present there is no specific or effective treatment available for any form of CJD. Pentosan polysulphate (PPS), a large polyglycoside molecule with weak heparin-like activity, has been shown to prolong the incubation period of the intracerebral infection when administered to the cerebral ventricles in a rodent scrapie model. PPS also prevents the production of further PrP(sc) in cell culture models. These properties of PPS prompted its cerebroventricular administration in a young man with vCJD. Long-term continuous infusion of PPS at a dose of 11 microg/kg/day for 18 months did not cause drug-related side effects. Follow-up CT scans demonstrated progressive brain atrophy during PPS administration. Further basic and clinical research is needed in order to address the issue of efficacy of PPS in vCJD and in other prion diseases.

Adult↗

Adcon -L gel and intraoperative hypotension during lumbar discectomy.

This case report describes an intraoperative hypotensive event associated temporally with application of topical Adcon -L gel during lumbar surgery. Documented serum cardiac and immunological markers suggest a non-anaphylactoid aetiology. The aetiology of this phenomenon is discussed with reference to available literature.

Aged↗

Anesthetic management for a combined Cesarean section and posterior fossa craniectomy.

A 33-year-old primigravida presented with intracranial tumor during the third trimester of pregnancy. She underwent a ventriculoatrial shunt and a combined cesarean section and posterior fossa craniectomy during this period. The neuroanesthetic requirement for this patient is prevention of rise in intracranial pressure with a slow and smooth induction and maintenance. Cesarean section demands rapid induction with minimum anesthetic until the delivery of the baby. Achieving these contradictory requirements at the same time can be challenging to an anesthesiologist. We report the anesthetic management of this patient during the above surgical procedures. Perioperative management of such patients with regard to use of uterine stimulants and prevention of venous stasis also are discussed.

Adult↗

Neuromuscular effects of rocuronium in patients receiving beta-adrenoreceptor blocking, calcium entry blocking and anticonvulsant drugs.

We have studied the onset and duration of action of rocuronium 0.6 mg kg-1 in patients receiving therapy for more than 1 month with beta-receptor blocking drugs (n = 16), calcium entry blocking drugs (n = 17) or anticonvulsant drugs (n = 14) and compared these data with those from a control group (n = 27). Anaesthesia comprised fentanyl, propofol infusion and nitrous oxide in oxygen. Neuromuscular block was monitored by measuring the force of contraction of the adductor pollicis muscle in response to train-of-four (TOF) stimulation. There were no significant differences in onset times between the four groups (mean 62-76 s). Mean times to 25% recovery of T1 (first response in the TOF) and of the TOF ratio of 0.7 were 38 (SD 15) and 58 (22) min, 36 (8) and 61 (19) min, 40 (11) and 68 (22) min, and 25 (6) and 35 (9) min in the control, beta-blocker, calcium entry blocker and anticonvulsant groups, respectively (P < 0.01 between the anticonvulsant and other groups). We conclude that chronic therapy with anticonvulsant drugs reduces the duration of action of rocuronium.

Adolescent↗