Analysis of physiological [PAO[2], pulse and blood pressure] changes during modified ECT under general anaesthesia

To study the changes in physiological parameters ie PAO[2], pulse and blood pressure changes during ECT under GA. Quasi-experimental study. Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anaesthesiology, Combined Military Hospital Abbottabad from Sep 2009 to Feb 2010. A total of 50 patients with depression were given four separate ECT sessions each. All patients were anaesthetized using propofol 180-200 mg I/V and suxamethonium 50 mg ie 0.75-1 mg per kg I/V without atropine. They were stratified according to physiological changes including PAO[2], pulse and blood pressure at 1, 2 and 5 min after ECT. Oxygen saturation was measured using a pulse oximeter, which measures saturations in the range of 65-100%. Age range was 19-65 years; mean 46 years [SD +/- 13]. Mean diastolic BP before ECT was 84.72 that decreased post ECT ie 78.02 and 77.46 and 74.44 at interval of 1, 2 and 5 minute respectively. Post-ECT pulse and PAO[2] behaved similarly. Post ECT systolic BP decreased at land 5 minutes. Pulse rate decreased after ECT. ECT under propofol is one of the most effective and safe modality of treatment for psychiatric patients under the supervision of qualified psychiatrists and anaesthesiologists and it gives more stable hemodynamic changes

TIVA and conventional general anaesthesia in elective C-section: comparative effects on the neonate

A comparative study was carried out on 70 patients, admitted at MH Rawalpindi from January 2003 to April 2003. The object of the study was to compare the effects on the new born of TIVA [total intravenous anaesthesia] using IV Propofol and conventional general anaesthesia. The selection criteria included, pregnant patients of ASA class I aged between 20 and 30 years, undergoing elective caesarean section, having no fetal abnormalities on antenatal ultra sound and incision to delivery time less than 5 minutes. The apgar score of the new born delivered was measured at first minute and fifth minute after birth and it was seen that the average apgar score of the group delivered by TIVA using IV Propofol was 9.63 the other group delivered by using conventional general anesthesia was 7.94. However as the Apgar score is highly subjective, so it was supplemented by observing various neurobehavioral reflexes. This also proved that the newborn babies delivered by TIVA using IV Propofol had higher Neurobehavioral scores as compared to newborns delivered using conventional general anaesthesia