Anaesthesia and Intensive Care back issues from December 2005:
Ultrasound in Regional Anaesthesia-Removing the Blindfold?
Dec 01, 2005; ... The aim of regional anaesthesia has always been to deposit the chosen anaesthetic mixture as close as possible to the target nerves to ensure rapid onset and the highest possible success rate without causing damage to the nerves themselves or the surrounding structures. The classical ...
Muscle Relaxants-Decamethonium
Dec 01, 2005; ... In 1948 two papers appeared in the journal Nature on the curare-like properties of polymethylenc bisquaternary ammonium salts. Barlow and Ing in Oxford and Paton and Zaimis in London had separately reached the conclusion that these compounds had ncuromuscular blocking properties. Their work had ...
Comparison of the Re-usable LMA Classic(TM) and Two Single-use Laryngeal Masks (LMA Unique(TM) and SoftSeal(TM)) in Airway Management by Novice Personnel
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY In a single-blind randomized trial, three types of laryngeal masks: the reusable LMA Classic(TM), the single-use LMA Unique(TM) and SoftSeal(TM) were inserted by novice medical officers in anaesthesia. Fire successive attempts were undertaken with each mask type. The order of the ...
Precise Control of End-tidal Carbon Dioxide Levels Using Sequential Rebreathing Circuits
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY Anaesthesiologists have traditionally been consulted to help design breathing circuits to attain and maintain target end-tidal carbon dioxide (P^sub ET^CO^sub 2^). The methodology has recently been simplified by breathing circuits that sequentially deliver fresh gas (not ...
Long-term Survival of Surgically Treated Hip Fracture in an Australian Regional Hospital
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY This study was undertaken to identify factors influencing outcome in elderly patients operated for hip fracture. In particular, this study examined factors related to mortality at least 30 months post-fracture. Hospital records and death registrations were analysed for 463 ...
The Influence of the Current Medicolegal Climate on New South Wales Anaesthetic Practice
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY A survey was posted to all New South Wales and Provisional Fellows of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists to assess the influence of the current medicolegal climate on their anaesthetic practice. Information collected included demographics, opinions regarding ...
Anaesthetists' Knowledge of the QT Interval in a Teaching Hospital
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY Many drugs used in anaesthesia may prolong the QT interval of the electrocardiogram (ECG), and recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines mandate monitoring of the ECG before, during and after droperidol administration. We surveyed 41 trainee and consultant anaesthetists ...
Provision for Major Obstetric Haemorrhage: An Australian and New Zealand Survey and Review
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY Obstetric haemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal death and the most common contributor to serious obstetric morbidity. Maternal mortality audit data suggest that appropriate preparation and good emergency management leads to improved outcome. The aim of this study was to ...
Arterial Oxygen Desaturation During One-lung Ventilation in a Patient with Segmental Pulmonary Infarction
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY A left thoracotomy for decortication of an infected haemothorax was performed on a 52-year-old man with a partially infarcted left lower lobe that occurred as a rare complication of a pulmonary venous embolus. Before the completion of surgery, after an uncomplicated 40 minutes of ...
Severe Uncontrolled Pain in Buttock in a Patient on Naltrexone: A Diagnostic Challenge
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY A 26-year-old woman with a history of intravenous drug use was admitted to hospital with worsening pain in the right buttock radiating to the lateral part of the thigh and to the calf with no suspicion of cauda equina compression. Eventually, a diagnosis of sacroiliitis was made ...
Anaphylaxis to Cisatracurium Following Negative Skin Testing
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY General anaesthesia for the patient with a history of anaesthesia-related anaphylaxis is challenging. Precautions against anaphylaxis and the use of skin test negative drugs can reduce but not eliminate the risk. In the majority of such cases, subsequent anaesthesia is ...
Nasal insertion of tube to aid in Glidescope use
Dec 01, 2005; ... As a moderately proficient GlideScope® (Saturn Biomedical, Burnaby, Canada) user, I wish to suggest a technique that I found aided the use of the GlideScope® during an unanticipated difficult intubation recently. The patient, a slim 42-year-old woman presented for major gynecological ...
Serotonin syndrome and the anaesthetist/Serotonin syndrome and the anaesthetist-Reply
Dec 01, 2005; ... It is with great interest that I read the article by Jones and Story 'Serotonin Syndrome and the Anaesthetist'1. I have a further drug to add to the list. Recently I performed a preoperative interview with a patient who was to undergo a septoplasty and reduction of turbinates ....
Critical Care: The Requisites in Anesthesiology
Dec 01, 2005; ... Critical Care: The Requisites in Anesthesiology. P. J. Papadakos, J. E. Szalados; Elsevier Australia, 30-52 Smidmore Street, Marrickville, N.S.W. 2204; $136.50; 280x220 mm; pp. 450; ISBN: 0-323-02262-6. This book was written for the "anaesthesiologist who may work in the ICU but also who ...
Off-label use of drugs remains a concern for anaesthetists caring for children
Dec 01, 2005; ... In his editorial1, Dr Neville Gibbs raises the issue of off-label use of recombinant activated factor VII and the limitations that this imposes on the use of this drug. Anaesthetists caring for children are very commonly forced into the off-label use of drugs in their patients. Many drugs that ...
Critical Care Focus-II: Trauma
Dec 01, 2005; ... Critical Care Focus-II: Trauma. H. F. Galley; Blackwell Publishing, 550 Swanston Street, PO Box 378, Carlton South, Victoria; $41.95; 235x155 mm: pp. 89; ISBN: 0-7279-1694-7. This 89-page paperback aims to provide a snapshot of current thought and practice by renowned experts. It is the ...
Regional Nerve Blocks and Infiltration Therapy-Textbook and Colour Atlas, 3rd edition
Dec 01, 2005; ... Regional Nerve Blocks and Infiltration TherapyTextbook and Colour Atlas, 3rd edition. D. Jankovic; Blackwell Publishing, 550 Swanston Street, PO Box 378, Carlton South, Vie.; $501.00; 285x215 mm; pp. 430; ISBN: 1-4051-2263-3. This comprehensive text on regional anaesthesia begins with a ...
Clinical Cases in Anesthesia-3rd Edition
Dec 01, 2005; ... Clinical Cases in Anesthesia-3rd Edition. A. P. Reed, F. S. Yudkowitz; Elsevier Australia, 30-52 Smidmore Street, Marrickville, N.S.W. 2204; $165.00; 260x210 mm; pp. 553; ISBN: 0-443-06624-8. This updated edition remains organized by organ system and subspecialty including Pediatrics, ...
Future Meetings
Dec 01, 2005; ... 2005 December 9-13, New York, NY, U.S.A.: New York State Society of Anesthesiologists 59th Postgraduate Assembly in Ancsthesiology. Venue: New York Hilton. Information: Kurt G. Becker, NYSSA, 360 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1800, New York, NY 10014, U.S.A. Tel: 1 212 867 7140. Fax: 1 212 867 ...
Comparison of Forced-air Warming and Radiant Heating during Transurethral Prostatic Resection under Spinal Anaesthesia
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY Forced-air warming is commonly used to warm patients intraoperatively, but may not achieve normothermia during a short procedure. Comparative trials of a new radiant warming device in general anaesthesia (Suntouch(TM), Fisher and Paykel, Auckland, New Zealand) have had ...
A Randomized Trial of Ultrasound-guided Brachial Plexus Anaesthesia in Upper Limb Surgery
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY Ultrasound guidance allows real-time identification of relevant anatomy and needle position when performing brachial plexus regional anaesthesia. The aim of this investigation was to determine whether the use of surface ultrasound could improve the quality of brachial plexus ...
The Effect of Supplemental Oxygen on Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Children Undergoing Dental Work
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY Administration of 80% intraoperative oxygen has been proposed as being a cheap, safe and effective means of reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) but no studies have been performed in the high risk paediatric population. We tested whether 80% intraoperative oxygen ...
Evaluation of the SLIPA(TM) (Streamlined Liner of the Pharynx Airway), a Single Use Supraglottic Airway Device, in 60 Anaesthetized Patients Undergoing Minor Surgical Procedures
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY The Streamlined Liner of the Pharyngeal Airway, SLIPA(TM) (Hudson RCI) is a new disposable supraglottic airway device that has no inflatable cuff and has features designed to reduce aspiration risk. This study aimed to assess the insertion success and effectiveness of the ...
Debriefing After Critical Incidents for Anaesthetic Trainees
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY This survey investigated the need, and the availability, of debriefing after critical incidents for training anaesthetists. A cross-sectional postal survey of all Australian anaesthetic trainees was conducted in May 2002. Four hundred and nineteen responses were analysed ...
Fibreoptic Intubation Skills Among Anaesthetists in New Zealand
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY The aim of this study was to investigate methods of practice, assess skill level, and evaluate attitudes towards fibreoptic intubation in the anaesthetic community of New Zealand. A postal suirev questionnaire was sent to all vocationally registered anaesthetists in New Zealand ...
The Theoretical Basis for Using Apnoeic Oxygenation Via the Non-ventilated Lung During One-lung Ventilation to Delay the Onset of Arterial Hypoxaemia
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY At the time one-lung ventilation is initiated, nitrogen from the atmosphere may enter the non-ventilated lung via a double-lumen tube connector that has been left open to air, even momentarily. Ongoing oxygen uptake from the non-ventilated lung raises the partial pressure of ...
Arterial Oxygen Desaturation During only one of two Similar Thoracoscopic Procedures on the Same Patient
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY The present report describes two similar thoracoscopic procedures performed on the same 81-year-old male patient. Because acute hypoxia had developed during one-lung ventilation on the first occasion, serial blood gases were taken during the second. Also, whereas on the first ...
Bilateral Brachial Plexopathy Following Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery
Dec 01, 2005; ... SUMMARY This report describes a case of postoperative bilateral brachial plexopathy following laparoscopic bariatric surgery. The patient, a 39-year-old morbidly obese man, developed motor and sensory deficit, loss of reflexes, and pain in both arms postoperatively. Slow, but complete ...
Effect of hyaluronidase and bicarbonate on local anaesthetic pH
Dec 01, 2005; ... Various authors1,2 reported improved peribulbar anaesthesia with alkalinization or addition of hyaluronidase to local anaesthetic solutions containing 1:100 000 adrenaline. Adrenaline is a vasoconstrictor that delays absorption and wash-out of local anaesthetic into the systemic circulation ....
Management of serotonin syndrome
Dec 01, 2005; ... We were interested in the review article on serotonin syndrome and its management by Jones and Story in a recent issue of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care1. However we would like to make several additional points. In addition to the drugs listed by the authors as inducing serotonin ...
Successful guided insertion of a ProSeal LMA in a patient with limited mouth-opening after failed insertion of a flexible LMA
Dec 01, 2005; ... There are numerous reports of the use of the Classic and Intubating Laryngeal Mask Airways (LMAs) in patients with difficult airways. There have been few reports of the use of either Flexible or ProSeal LMA in such cases and even fewer reports were one laryngeal mask device fails but another ...
A novel method to facilitate nasogastric tube placement
Dec 01, 2005; ... We read with great interest the correspondence of Mahajan et al suggesting that insertion of a flexible J-tip wire, as used for central venous catheter insertion, through the nares facilitates nasogastric tube (NGT) placement in patients with severe nasal deformity or extensive facial trauma who ...
On-line Electronic Help for Anaesthesiologists-CD Rom
Dec 01, 2005; ... On-line Electronic Help for AnaesthesiologistsCD Rom. A. Perel; Philips Medical Systems, Boeblingen GmbH, Hewlett-Packard Str.2, 71034, Boeblingen, Germany; Free of charge to European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) members; 140x120 mm. This CD Rom was given to attendees at the European ...
The Year in Anaesthesia and Critical Care-Volume 1
Dec 01, 2005; ... The Year in Anaesthesia and Critical Care-Volume 1. J. M. Hunter, T. M. Cook, H. J. Priebe, M. Struys; Clinical Publishing, 52 New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, OXl 2QD; US$119.95; 240x 160 mm; pp. 432; 1904392474. I liked this book and the concept that it represents. It attempts to gather, ...
Lippincott's Interactive Critical Care Library on CD-ROM
Dec 01, 2005; ... Lippincott's Interactive Critical Care Library on CD-ROM. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; 16522 Hunters Green Parkway, Hagerstown, MD, 21740-2116, U.SA.; $659.20; 190 x 130 mm; ISBN: 0-7817-4345-1. This CD includes three well-known intensive care medical texts, which extensively ...
Top Tips in Anaesthesia
Dec 01, 2005; ... Top Tips in Anaesthesia. T. Perris, S. Brudney; Cambridge University Press, 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, Vie. 3207; $42.95; 185x 120 mm; pp. 68; ISBN: 1-84110-171-0. This book is a compilation of practical hints with accompanying caveats gathered from both sides of the Atlantic ...