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A retrospective examination of regional plus general anesthesia in children undergoing open heart surgery.

The use of regional anesthesia in combination with general anesthesia for children undergoing cardiac surgery is receiving increasing attention from clinicians. The addition of regional anesthesia may improve clinical outcomes and decrease costs as a result of the reduced need for postoperative mechanical ventilation. The goal of this retrospective chart review was to evaluate whether spinal anesthesia (SAB) or epidural anesthesia (EPID) in combination with general anesthesia was associated with circulatory stability, satisfactory postoperative sedation/analgesia, and a low incidence of adverse effects. The medical records of 50 consecutive children having open heart surgery with SAB or EPID and general anesthesia between September 1996 and December 1997 were reviewed. We found no significant differences in the incidence of clinically significant changes in vital signs, oxygen desaturation, hypercarbia, or vomiting. Patients in the SAB group received significantly more sedative/analgesic interventions than those in the EPID group.

Anesthesia, Conduction↗

For outpatient rotator cuff surgery, nerve block anesthesia provides superior same-day recovery over general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Both general and nerve block anesthesia are effective for shoulder surgery. For outpatient surgery, it is important to determine which technique provides more efficient recovery. The authors' goal was to compare nerve block with general anesthesia with respect to recovery profile and patient satisfaction after rotator cuff surgery. METHODS: In this clinical trial, 50 consenting outpatients (aged 18-70 yr) were randomly assigned to receive either fast-track general anesthesia followed by bupivacaine (0.25%) wound infiltration or interscalene brachial plexus block (0.75% ropivacaine), each under standardized protocols. Blinded recovery room nurses assessed the need for pain treatment and rated patient eligibility for bypass of the phase 1 postanesthesia care unit and for discharge home. Patients were followed up for 2 weeks postoperatively. The primary outcome measures were postanesthesia care unit bypass and same-day discharge. Other same-day recovery outcomes included severity of and treatment for pain and time to ambulation. Postoperative outcomes at home included satisfaction with the anesthesia technique and absence of complications (at 2 weeks). RESULTS: Patients who received nerve block (vs. general anesthesia) bypassed the postanesthesia care unit more frequently (76 vs. 16%; P < 0.001), reported less pain, ambulated earlier, were ready for home discharge sooner (123 vs. 286 min; P < 0.001), had no unplanned hospital admissions (vs. 4 of 25 patients who underwent general anesthesia; P = 0.05), and were more satisfied with their care. No complications were reported in either treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Nerve block anesthesia for outpatient rotator cuff surgery provides several same-day recovery advantages over general anesthesia.

Adolescent↗

The position and the state of the larynx during general anesthesia and muscle paralysis.

Based on a chance observation in two patients in whom the larynges could be visualized during direct laryngoscopy using topical anesthesia but not after general anesthesia and muscle paralysis, the authors postulated that there will be a shift in the position of the larynx with the onset of general anesthesia and muscle paralysis. To verify this the authors measured the position of larynx in lateral radiographs of necks taken in human volunteers when they were awake, and after induction of general anesthesia and muscle paralysis. The authors found that the hyoid bone and epiglottis were shifted anteriorly and the supraglottic region or the vestibule of the larynx was enlarged with the onset of general anesthesia and muscle paralysis. In addition, the larynx was also stretched longitudinally with wide separation of the vestibular and vocal folds. The authors conclude that consciousness is associated with tonic muscular activity that folds the larynx and partially closes it and that onset of general anesthesia and muscle paralysis opens the larynx wider and shifts it anteriorly, which might make visualization of the larynx during direct laryngoscopy difficult in some patients.

Anesthesia, General↗

Clinical office anesthesia: the use of propofol for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia.

Ambulatory surgery has become routine for many plastic surgery procedures. Anesthesia techniques including general anesthesia by inhalation and intravenous infusion and the dissociative technique have all been used successfully for outpatient anesthesia. Propofol (Diprivan), a relatively new agent, has proven to be a safe and effective general anesthesia agent for outpatient surgery. We report on our experience with propofol as an induction agent and continuous drip for general anesthesia maintenance in 100 consecutive outpatient, plastic surgery procedures performed in an office facility. Assessment factors were recovery-room time, nausea and vomiting in the recovery room and at home, hallucinations, patients' recollection of anesthesia experience, and overall patient satisfaction.

Ambulatory Surgical Procedures↗

The accuracy and precision of body temperature monitoring methods during regional and general anesthesia.

UNLABELLED: We tested the hypotheses that accuracy and precision of available temperature monitoring methods are different between spinal anesthesia (SA) and general anesthesia (GA), and that patients receiving SA are at equal risk for hypothermia as those receiving GA. Patients scheduled for radical retropubic prostatectomy were enrolled. Either GA (n = 16) or SA (n = 16) was given according to patient and clinician preference. Temperatures were monitored with thermocouple probes at the tympanic membrane, axilla, rectum, and forehead skin surface. Tympanic temperatures were also measured with an infrared device, and forehead skin temperatures were monitored with two brands of liquid crystal thermometer strips. Accuracy and precision of these monitoring methods were determined by using tympanic membrane temperature, measured by thermocouple, as the reference core temperature (T(c)). At the end of surgery, T(c) was similar between SA (35.0 +/- 0.1 degrees C) and GA (35.2 +/- 0.1 degrees C) (P = 0.44). Accuracy and precision of each temperature monitoring method were similar between SA and GA. Rectal temperature monitoring offered the greatest combination of accuracy and precision. All other methods underestimated T(c). These findings suggest that patients receiving SA or GA are at equal and significant risk for hypothermia, and should have their temperatures carefully monitored, recognizing that most monitoring methods underestimate T(c). IMPLICATIONS: Body temperature should be monitored during spinal anesthesia because patients are at significant risk for hypothermia. Rectal temperature is a valid method of measuring core temperature, whereas other methods tend to underestimate true core temperature.

Anesthesia, General↗

Spinal versus general anesthesia for orthopedic surgery: anesthesia drug and supply costs.

Total hip or knee replacement surgeries are common orthopedic interventions that can be performed with spinal anesthesia (SA) or general anesthesia (GA). No study has investigated the economic aspects associated with the two anesthetic techniques for this common surgery. We randomized 40 patients to receive either SA or GA and analyzed the drug and supply costs for anesthesia und recovery. Anesthesia-related times, hemodynamic variables, and pain scores were also recorded. Total costs per case without personnel costs were almost half in the SA group compared with the GA group; this was a result of less cost for anesthesia (P < 0.01) and for recovery (P < 0.05). This finding was supported by a sensitivity analysis. There were no relevant differences regarding anesthesia-related times. Patients in the GA group were admitted to the postanesthesia care unit with a higher pain score and needed more analgesics than patients in the SA group (both P < 0.01). We conclude that SA is a more cost-effective alternative to GA in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement, as it is associated with lower fixed and variable costs. Moreover, SA seems to be more effective, as patients in the SA group showed lower postoperative pain scores during their stay in the postanesthesia care unit.

Analgesics↗

[Respiratory outcome in extremely premature infants following general anesthesia].

This study was aimed to predict the need of postoperative tracheal intubation in premature infants following anesthesia using volatile anesthetics by means of the scoring system derived from our former study of ketamine anesthesia. The subjects consisted of 14 infants (birth weight: 719 +/- 130 g and weight at operation 1882 +/- 312 g) needing cryotherapy for retinopathy and anesthetized with less than 1 MAC of volatile anesthetics. Respiratory outcome was successfully predicted in 9 patients (64%) while no infant was predicted incorrectly to be ready for tracheal extubation. The incidences of postoperative ventilatory support were 28% and 32% after anesthesia with volatile anesthetics and ketamine anesthesia, respectively. However, general anesthesia with volatile anesthetics appeared to be superior in actual outcome to ketamine anesthesia among the patients with high risk scores.

Anesthesia, General↗

Epidural ropivacaine anesthesia decreases the bispectral index during the awake phase and sevoflurane general anesthesia.

The sedative effects of epidural anesthesia without volatile and IV anesthetics and quantification of the degree of epidural anesthesia-induced sedation have not been investigated. In the current study we evaluated the effects of epidural anesthesia on the bispectral index (BIS) during the awake phase and during general anesthesia. After placing the epidural catheter, the patients were randomly allocated to 2 groups receiving either 5 mL of epidural saline (group S) or the same volume of 0.75% ropivacaine (group R). The BIS measurements during the awake phase were performed at 7, 12, 13, 14, 22, and 23 min after the epidural injection. General anesthesia was then induced with propofol and vecuronium and maintained with 0.75% sevoflurane. From approximately 10 min after tracheal intubation, the BIS measurements were made at 1-min intervals for 10 min. The BIS during the awake phase was significantly lower in group R than in group S (P < 0.05). The BIS during general anesthesia was significantly lower in group R than in group S (P < 0.0001). Epidural anesthesia decreased the BIS during the awake phase and during general anesthesia. The decrease of the BIS associated with epidural anesthesia was more prominent during general anesthesia than during the awake phase.

Aged↗

Purely intra-articular versus general anesthesia for proposed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy of the knee: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare intra-articular anesthesia alone versus general anesthesia with regard to ease of the procedure, level of postoperative pain, and patient satisfaction when partial meniscectomy is anticipated. METHODS: We prospectively randomized to general anesthesia or to intra-articular anesthesia 107 patients who were about to undergo knee arthroscopy, in whom partial meniscal resection was anticipated on the basis of clinical or radiologic grounds. Technical difficulty of the procedure, level of postoperative pain and nausea, and overall patient satisfaction were assessed. RESULTS: The ease of obtaining arthroscopic views, the adequacy of these views, and the ease of performing partial meniscal resection or another procedure were similar in both groups according to scores assigned by the operating surgeon. Pain at 6 hours postoperatively was significantly less in the intra-articular anesthesia group but was similar in the 2 groups at 24 and 48 hours. Patients who were given intra-articular anesthesia reported higher satisfaction rates in understanding the underlying disease of the knee. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that intra-articular anesthesia alone can be effectively used in knee arthroscopies in which partial meniscal resection is anticipated. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, high-quality randomized controlled therapeutic trial.

Adult↗

[Target-controlled propofol infusion for general anesthesia in three obese patients].

We report three cases in which the target-controlled propofol infusion technique was used in obese patients for general anesthesia. General anesthesia was induced by intravenous administration of fentanyl 150-300 micrograms and ketamine 50-80 mg and propofol 2 micrograms.ml-1 to achieve a target blood concentration by target-controlled infusion system. Anesthetic maintenance was achieved by ketamine 1 mg.kg-1.h-1 for 1 hour after the induction, propofol at target blood concentration of 2-3.5 micrograms.ml-1 and the intermittent epidural injection of 1.5% lidocaine through an epidural catheter. The surgical procedures were uneventful. The estimated blood concentrations of propofol at emergence from anesthesia calculated by ConGrace ranged from 1.49-1.69 micrograms.ml-1, and it took 230-300 seconds to emerge from anesthesia. The target-controlled propofol infusion technique appears useful to control the depth of anesthesia in obese patients.

Adult↗

Selective spinal anesthesia for outpatient laparoscopy. V: pharmacoeconomic comparison vs general anesthesia.

PURPOSE: To compare the cost and effectiveness of small-dose spinal anesthesia (SP) with general anesthesia (GA) for outpatient laparoscopy. METHODS: A retrospective record analysis of 24 patients who received SP were compared with 28 patients who received GA in our Daycare centre. The costs of anesthesia and recovery were calculated, from an institutional perspective, using 1997 Canadian Dollar values. Effectiveness was measured in terms of time for anesthesia and recovery, and postoperative antiemetic and analgesic requirements. RESULTS: Both groups were well matched for age, weight, duration and type of surgery. The mean total cost for the SP group of $53.45 +/- 10.40 was no different from that for the GA group of $48.92 +/- 10.25 (95% CI -10.3, 1.2). Time to administer anesthesia was longer in the SP group with a mean time of 18 +/- 8 min compared with 10 +/- 3 min in the GA group (CI -11.3, -4.7). Recovery time in the PACU was longer in the SP group 123 +/- 51 min compared with 94 +/- 48 min (CI -56.6,-1.4). Postoperative antiemetic requirements were similar: 8% in SP group vs 14% in GA group, whereas analgesic requirements were less in the SP group with 25% receiving analgesia compared with 75% in the GA group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The total cost of anesthesia and recovery using SP is similar to that for GA when used for outpatient laparoscopy. Spinal anesthesia was less effective than GA in time to administer anesthesia and in duration of recovery. Postoperative analgesic requirements were reduced using SP.

Adult↗

[Study on combined acupunctural and general anesthesia in pneumonectomy].

Combined acupunctural and general anesthesia in pneumonectomy were studied. The result showed that general anesthesia complemented with electro-acupuncture at He Gu (LI 4) and San Yang Luo(SJ 8) reduced amount of Fentanyl 38-85 micrograms/h compared with general anesthesia alone. There were no statistical difference in blood pressure and heart rate during the operation in every group, all of the SPO2 were in normal range. It was considered that acupuncture in combination with general anesthesia could reduce dosage of anesthetics and the inhibition of physiological function. It is a practical and acceptable anesthetic method by the surgeon and patient.

Acupuncture Analgesia↗

Local versus general anesthesia for carotid endarterectomy: report of 329 cases.

Since stroke is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, carotid endarterectomies are used frequently to reduce the risk of stroke and death. Unfortunately, an inherent risk of the carotid endarterectomy procedure is that surgery itself may result in stroke. At this point the question is which method of anesthesia, local or general, is better to protect and monitorize the brain function during cross-clamp period in carotid endarterectomies? In the authors' center, 365 carotid endarterectomies were applied to 329 patients between 1990 and 2001; 165 operations were done under general anesthesia and the other 200 operations were done under local anesthesia. These 2 groups, general (group I) and local anesthesia (group II), were studied retrospectively according to preoperative and postoperative data. In group I, the rate of major stroke was 7.3%, but this rate was 1% in group II (p < 0.05). Intraoperative shunts were used in 50 (30.3%) operations of group I, but the usage of shunt was 8% (16 operations) in group II (p < 0.0001). The hospitalization period was also much shorter in group II than in group I. The time of hospitalization was 4.1 +/-1.9 days in group I and 2.4 +/-1.1 days in group II (p < 0.0001). In terms of cost analysis, the mean costs were 1007.14 dollars +/-135.71 dollars in group I and 885.71 dollars +/-78.57 dollars in group II (p < 0.0001). In short, the local procedure was more cost-effective. As a result, in carotid endarterectomy procedures, the authors prefer local anesthesia to achieve better brain function monitoring and to reduce hospitalization time and cost.

Aged↗

[The combination of general anesthesia and interscalene block in shoulder surgery].

Surgery on the shoulder often causes severe pain and, therefore, requires high doses of opiates. As postoperative pain is frequently treated inadequately, it is desirable to seek alternatives for providing effective analgesia. In a prospective study we examined the efficacy of balanced anesthesia consisting of general anesthesia combined with interscalene brachial plexus blockade for intra- and postoperative analgesia for operations on the shoulder. METHODS. Using the technique described by Winnie, interscalene block (ISB) was performed in 100 awake patients. After location of the brachial plexus by means of a peripheral nerve stimulator, we injected 40 ml bupivacaine 0.375%, after which general anesthesia (GA) was induced. At three predetermined points in time (recovery room, 8 h, and 24 h after the end of surgery), pain was evaluated by a visual analogue scale ranging from 0 to 10 and the extent of sensory blockade was tested by the pinprick method. The results of the pain scores and individual demands for analgesics were compared with a group of 22 patients who received only GA. Both groups were comparable in age, sex, and type of surgical procedure. RESULTS. We noted technical failure of the ISB in 8% of our patients. Side effects such as Horner's syndrome (18%), phrenic nerve paralysis (10%), and recurrent laryngeal nerve block (1%) were only temporarily observed during the action of the local anesthetics. During the surgical procedure, the group with ISB received a mean dose of 0.13 +/- 0.07 mg fentanyl versus 0.29 +/- 0.08 mg in the GA group (P less than 0.01) with equipotent doses of volatile anesthetics (1.0 to 1.5 MAC enflurane). Postoperative pain occurred for the first time in 39% of the patients given ISB later than 12 h after the end of surgery (average 8.7 +/- 5.9 h). In contrast, 95% of the patients with GA complained of pain in the recovery room. Pain measurement by the analogue scale clearly demonstrated the advantages of balanced anesthesia directly and 8 h after the operation (P less than 0.01). Even 24 h after the end of the surgical procedure the patients had better pain relief (P less than 0.05) in spite of the decreasing effect of the ISB. These significant differences led to the following results for postoperative treatment: 35% of the patients with ISB did not require additional analgesics during the first 24-h period after surgery, whereas 95% of those with GA requested analgesia. Only 32% of the ISB patients required opioids versus 86% with GA. The average duration of stay in the recovery room was reduced by 25% in the group with ISB (86 vs 134 min). In a final assessment, 84% of the patients were satisfied with the balanced anesthesia and only 5% were disappointed with the method. CONCLUSION. The combination of ISB and GA allows a reduction in intraoperative doses of opiates and facilitates postoperative pain management. Because of the low incidence of side effects, the lack of complications, and the high degree of patient acceptance, we recommend this type of balanced anesthesia for patients undergoing shoulder surgery.

Acromion↗