Body temperature in acute stroke: relation to stroke severity, infarction size and outcome

This study included 20 patients with cerebrovascular stroke admitted to ICU. Patients were classified into two groups: Group I included ten patients with cerebral infarction [size range between 1-3cm] admitted within six hours of stroke onset and exposed to mild hypothermia [35C] for 24 hours using cooling blankets and group II included ten patients served as controls. Nasopharyngeal temperature is significantly lower in patients with cerebral infarction who were exposed to cooling therapy [group I] than that of controls [group II]. Also, the infarction size was significantly more smaller [2.4 cm2] in patients exposed to hypothermia than that of control group [2.9 cm2] after four weeks from admission

Evaluation of the intubating laryngeal mask as a primary airway device and with a fiberoptic guidance

This study was done using the intubating laryngeal mask airway [ILMA] and a portex tracheal tube to compare success rates, hemodynamic effects and postoperative morbidity with two methods of tracheal intubation. Ninety healthy ASA physical status I or II women with normal airways were enrolled in this randomized controlled study. All of the 90 patients were successfully ventilated. The results have shown that the success rates are equally high for tracheal intimation using ILMA-blind and ILMA-FOP techniques in women with normal airways. The intubating laryngeal mask airway [ILMA] can be used as a primary airway for oxygenation and ventilation

Effects of tonsillar infiltration on intra-and post-tonsillectomy pain in children

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that blockade of nociceptive input with lidocaine 1%, bupivacaine 0.5% and ropivacaine 0.5% during tonsillectomy could decrease both the dose of inhalational anesthetic intraoperatively and the pain beyond the immediate postoperative period. Sixty patients between the ages of 6 and 12 years scheduled for tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy were randomly divided into four groups. Anesthesia was induced in all groups with 7 mg/kg thiopentone and 1.5 mg/kg succinyl choline. The results showed that after the preincisional infiltration with ropivacaine 0.5%, bupivacaine 0.5% and lidocaine 1%, the operation could be achieved under light general anesthesia using only halothane 0.5% concentration in oxygen with reduced recovery times

Comparative study of epidural bupivacaine fentanyl versus bupivacaine on the course of labour

This work was carried out to compare the effects of epidural analgesia for painless labor using bupivacaine 0.25% either alone or mixed with fentanyl on the course of labor as well as the fetal and neonatal well-being. This study included two groups of patients. The first group was given 10 ml of bupivacaine 0.25% as a bolus dose and subsequent top up doses. The second group received 10 ml of bupivacaine 0.25% plus 50 mug fentanyl as a bolus dose and the same volume plus 25 mug fentanyl as subsequent top up doses. The results demonstrated that the addition of fentanyl to bupivacaine 0.25% for the relief of labor pain improved the quality of analgesia making the onset faster and the duration longer and reducing the total dose of bupivacaine with a subsequent reduction of motor block. Furthermore, it was safe as regards fetal and neonatal well-being

Comparison of induction and recovery characteristics of sevoflurane and halothane in children

Forty ASA I or II children undergoing adenoidectomy with bilateral myringotomy with the insertion of tubes were included in the study. The clinical profile of sevoflurane was compared with that of halothane. Intubating conditions were assessed and the quality of tracheal intubation was graded according to the easiness of laryngoscopy, position of vocal cords, coughing, jaw relaxation and movement of limbs. This study suggested that the intubating conditions were better in the halothane group than in the sevoflurane group. Sevoflurane provided a superior clinical profile to halothane in pediatric patients, including a smoother and more rapid induction of anesthesia, a significantly more rapid emergence and recovery from anesthesia and a lesser propensity for postoperative nausea and vomiting

Laryngeal mask airway in children

This study was designed to compare the clinical evaluation of the insertion of a newly invented device, laryngeal mask airway [LMA], versus the endotracheal intubation [ETT] in pediatric anesthesia. The assessment included the induction characteristics as well as hemodynamic and metabolic responses to the insertion of the LMA or ETT. Twenty patients were included in this study and underwent short [less than one hour duration] elective surgical procedures. The anesthetic technique was standardized and all patients were observed for 24 hours. It was found that the use of LMA was associated with minimal coughing, gagging and laryngospasm. Also, it could be of a value in one-day surgery as it required lighter levels of anesthesia with less cardiovascular and metabolic responses. It was concluded that LMA was a good competitor for the ETT being easily inserted, well tolerated by the patients and allowed hands- free anesthetist. Moreover, it provoked a less reflex response than tracheal intubation. So, it can be a good choice for spontaneously breathing patients scheduled for short procedures away from the patient's head

Neuromuscular blocking effects of rocuronium with different inhalation anaesthetics

This study was designed to examine the interactions of 1.0 MAC of two different inhalation anesthetic agents, isoflurane and sevoflurane, [and 66% nitrous oxide in oxygen, 20-min steady state] or total intravenous anesthesia [TIVA] using propofol/fentanyl with rocuronium. Neuromuscular function was monitored using relaxograph date, NMT100. Neuromuscular block was monitored by measuring the force of contraction of the abductor pollicis muscle after single-twitch stimulation of the ulnar nerve at 0.1 Hz. The ED50 and ED95 [dose required to produce 50% and 95% depression of twitch tension, respectively] of rocuronium were recorded