Evoked potential monitoring in anaesthesia and analgesia

Electrophysiological monitoring of selected neural pathways of the brain, brainstem, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system has become mandatory in some surgery of the nervous system where preventable neural injury can occur. Evoked potentials are relatively simple methods of testing the integrity of various aspects of the nervous system. This review covers the variety of evoked potentials that can be monitored and outlines the principles of their measurement. Their use in specific situations and how factors such as anaesthesia might affect them is presented.     

Increases in serum concentrations of cardiac proteins and the prediction of early postoperative cardiovascular complications in noncardiac surgery patients

We investigated the use of measurements of serum concentrations of the cardiac proteins troponins I and T as biochemical markers of myocardial cell damage in 80 patients undergoing vascular or major orthopaedic surgery. Holter electrocardiographic monitoring was carried out before surgery and for 3 days after surgery. Blood samples for troponins I and T and creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme were taken on each of these 4 days. Outcome was assessed at 3 months using a patient questionnaire, general practitioner follow-up and case notes review. Silent postoperative myocardial ischaemia was detected in 21 patients; increases in troponins I and T and creatine kinase-MB occurred in four, six and 17 of these patients, respectively. Eight patients suffered major postoperative complications (cardiac death, myocardial ischaemia, congestive cardiac failure, unstable angina and cerebrovascular accident) and 21 minor complications (poorly controlled hypertension needing increased or new additional treatment, palpitations, increased tiredness or shortness of breath in the absence of known respiratory disease). There were no associations between postoperative ischaemia and cardiac protein concentrations. The relative odds for the associations of major adverse outcome at 3 months after surgery and postoperative ischaemia or increased serum concentrations of the three proteins were 5.39 [95% confidence intervals 1.16-27.67] for postoperative ischaemia; 5.64 [1.07-31.00] for creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme; 17.00 [2.20-116.54] for troponin T and 13.20 [1.12-135.00] for troponin I. We found troponin T to be the only prospective marker for both major and minor cardiovascular complications (relative odds 10.65 [1.26-252.88]).     

Evaluation of a spinal needle locking device for use with the combined spinal epidural technique

Success of the 'needle-through-needle' technique for combined spinal epidural analgesia requires the immobilisation of the spinal needle during intrathecal injection. A device that achieves this was evaluated in 200 labouring women, randomly allocated to receive a combined spinal epidural using the CSEcure(R) (SIMS Portex, UK) locking needle or a conventional, non-locking technique. Data collection included the incidence of dural click as the spinal needle penetrated the dura mater, presence of cerebrospinal fluid in the spinal needle hub and the number of technical failures with the spinal component. Successful dural punctures with the spinal needle were similar for locking and non-locking needles (99.0 vs. 98.0%; p = 0.55), despite a small but significant reduction in dural click with the locking needle compared with the non-locking technique (97. 0 vs. 84.7%; p < 0.01). Although not statistically significant, there was a higher number of technical failures, mainly due to spinal needle movement, in the non-locking group (9.1 vs. 3.1%; p = 0.08). The locking needle device may be a useful alternative to conventional methods for combined spinal epidural analgesia.     

The incidence of transient neurological symptoms after spinal anaesthesia with lidocaine compared to prilocaine

The purpose of this double-blind study was to investigate the incidence of transient neurological symptoms after the use of isobaric lidocaine and isobaric prilocaine for spinal anaesthesia. Seventy patients (ASA 1-2, age between 18 and 70 years) were randomly assigned to two groups of 35 patients each, to receive either isobaric 2% lidocaine 4 ml or isobaric 2% prilocaine 4 ml intrathecally, at the L3-4 interspace. One patient in the prilocaine group could not be included because data were incomplete. On the first postoperative day, patients were evaluated for transient neurological symptoms. Pain was scored on a 10-point scale. Seven patients (20%) in the lidocaine group had transient neurological symptoms with a mean pain score of 5.3, whereas no patient in the prilocaine group had these complaints (p = 0.006). Symptoms disappeared within 4 days. Prilocaine results in a lower incidence of transient neurological symptoms than lidocaine intrathecally and therefore it is more suitable for short surgical procedures.     

静脉全麻复合骶管阻滞在婴幼儿先天性心脏病介人封堵治疗的研究

目的比较静脉全麻复合单次骶管阻滞麻醉与单纯静脉全麻用于婴幼儿先天性心脏病介入封堵治疗的效果。方法616例婴幼儿先天性心脏病介入封堵治疗患者随机分成两组:骶管阻滞加静脉全麻(I组);另一组用全凭静脉麻醉(II组)。结果全麻药的用量,II组比I组明显增多(P<0.05);I组苏醒时间短,分泌物少,手术后呕吐发生率少(P<0.05)。结论静脉全麻复合小儿单次骶管阻滞麻醉比全凭静脉麻醉用于婴幼儿先天性心脏病介入封堵治疗麻醉费用少,生命体征平稳,麻醉并发症少,值得推广。     

无痛消化内镜诊疗术的临床应用(附5 200例报告)

目的探讨咪唑安定、异丙酚等药物在消化内镜检查及治疗中应用的安全性和依从性。方法分析5 200例接受消化内镜检查及治疗的患者予咪唑安定 异丙酚 氯胺酮等静脉复合麻醉的临床情况,并以同期5 000例常规操作者为对照组。比较2组患者舒适程度、接受内镜复查及检查成功率。结果(1)无痛组患者感觉舒适率65%,无痛苦率100%,愿意复查率97%。对照组分别为0%、5.5%、14%。(P<0.001)。无痛组肠镜至回盲部率100%,高于对照组的98%。(2)无痛组有8例血氧饱和度下降经处理后顺利完成。本组病例无重大并发症发生。结论咪唑安定、异丙酚、氯胺酮等药物在消化内镜检查及治疗中应用患者感觉舒适、无痛苦,安全性高,增加了患者的依从性。值得临床推广。     

Anaesthetic management of an obstetric patient with Pompe disease

Pompe disease (Glycogen storage disease type II) leads to abnormal glycogen deposition in various vital organs resulting in multiple systemic sequelae. We present the anaesthetic management for caesarean section of a 31-year-old parturient with known Pompe disease. The parturient had symptoms and signs of respiratory dysfunction and the pregnancy was complicated by preeclampsia. She underwent urgent caesarean section under regional anaesthesia resulting in the birth of a healthy baby girl. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of both spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section and successful live birth in a patient with Pompe disease.     

Another look at religious objections to obstetric anaesthesia

Starting with the earliest biographies of James Young Simpson, the topic of religious opposition to obstetric anaesthesia in 1847 was gradually embellished in historical articles. Objective data are lacking and it has been suggested that this is a myth of recent medical history. A search for more information led to a contemporaneous case-book of the maternity hospital in Edinburgh, which was examined. The provision of anaesthesia in the 11 months before publication of Simpson’s pamphlet Answer to the Religious Objections was compared with that in the 11 months after. This revealed a marked increase (P<0.01) in the provision of anaesthesia for childbirth after the publication of Simpson’s pamphlet in December 1847. This analysis supports the existence of opposition to obstetric anaesthesia and the success of Simpson’s pamphlet in overcoming it, but the introduction of chloroform about six weeks earlier, may also have contributed.     

自控麻醉在双气囊内镜检查中的应用研究

目的评价自控镇痛(Patient controlled analgesia,PCA)技术在双气囊内镜(double balloon endoscopy,DBE)检查过程中的安全性和可行性。方法共对120例疑有小肠疾病的患者采用未行麻醉处理(A组)、TCI静脉泵输注丙泊酚(B组)、PCA泵静脉输注瑞芬太尼(C组)的3种检查方法,记录患者的血压、心率、血氧饱和度等生命体征,操作成功率、耐受性评分、离院时间、内镜到达肠段深度及病变检出率,对3种方法在双气囊内镜检查中的可行性和安全性进行评价。结果 A组患者耐受性差,检查成功率只达80%,3组操作时间无显著性差异,但到达肠段深度有显著性差异,B组、C组病变检出率高,但B组患者操作中血氧饱和度较操作前下降,使麻醉风险增加。C组患者操作中生命体征与操作前无明显变化,结束及离院时血压、血氧饱和度稳定,降低了麻醉风险。结论本研究认为PCA技术在双气囊内镜检查中的应用,可满足患者在不同时刻的个体化镇痛需要,提高患者对检查的耐受性及依从性,能与操作者进行交流及配合变换体位,可降低操作风险,提高双气囊内镜的操作成功率,具有良好的安全性和优越性。     

Dental damage in anaesthesia

Damage to the teeth during general anaesthesia is a frequent cause of morbidity for patients and a source of litigation against anaesthetists. Most injuries occur as a result of laryngoscopy. To prevent damage during emergence from anaesthesia, bite blocks should be placed between molar teeth. However oropharyngeal airways may not prevent damage. Patients should be advised about the possibility of dental trauma during anaesthesia and should be advised to have preoperative dental treatment to minimize dental factors that increase the risk of injury. Those with pre-existing dental problems and children in the mixed dentition phase (normally between the ages of 5 and 12 years) are at particular risk. Anaesthetic departments should have local protocols in place to refer patients for dental treatment postoperatively in the event of trauma.