Peri-anesthetic management of tracheo-esophageal fistula.

During a 3-year period 11 neonates underwent general anesthesia for primary repair of tracheo-esophageal fistula (TEF). The age ranged from 1-10 days. Out of these patients, 8 (72.7%) had atresia of the esophagus with a blind upper pouch and lower segment communicating with a trachea. A total of 7 patients (63.6%) had aspiration pneumonitis pre-operatively. Intubation was difficult in 3 (27.3%). There was no intraoperative mortality. However, the incidence of post-operative mortality was 27.3% (3 cases). The cause of death in all these cases was severe non-resolving pneumonia.

Verapamil as a hypotensive agent under general anaesthesia.

Thirty-six adult female patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy under general anaesthesia were evaluated for the haemodynamic effects of IV verapamil in bolus dose of either 50 micrograms/kg (group A), 60 micrograms/kg (group B) or 75 micrograms/kg (group C). The result showed a dose dependent fall in the mean arterial pressure and increase in the P-R interval. The fall in heart rate was marginally more in group A and B as compared to group C.

Tracheal extubation under intravenous xylocaine.

The quality of extubation and circulatory changes during extubation of the trachea with or without prior xylocaine (1 mg/kg iv) were observed in 30 patients having CAD or 2 or more cardiac risk factors. 73.33 per cent of the patients receiving xylocaine had smooth extubation (grade I) in contrast to only 46.66 per cent in the control group. Also, in patients in the xylocaine group, the circulatory changes were statistically insignificant as compared to highly significant rise in rate pressure product in the control group.