[Anesthetic management for a patient with pure autonomic failure].

Pure autonomic failure is characterized by orthostatic hypotension, sweating disorder, urinary incontinence, and syncope. A 64 year-old man with pure autonomia failure was scheduled for suprapubic prostatectomy. We monitoring direct arterial pressure and inserted pulmonary artery catheter prior to the induction of anesthesia. General anesthesia was induced with diazepam 10 mg, fentanyl 0.3 mg, and vecuronium 8 mg for tracheal intubation. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane (0.2-1.5%), 60% nitrous oxide in oxygen supplemented with intermittent epidural anesthesia. During anesthesia, blood loss was immediately replaced with banked blood because autonomic failure could not compensate hypovolemia well. Epidural anesthesia in this patient was considered to cause less hypotension than in patients with normal autonomic function. Therefore, we think epidural anesthesia is a useful anesthesia method for patients with pure autonomic failure. The emergence from anesthesia was smooth and no complications were seen during the perioperative period.

[The changes of intraocular pressure during sevoflurane anesthesia in children].

We investigated the intraocular pressure (IOP) during sevoflurane anesthesia in 20 children. We measured IOP, mean blood pressure and heart rate at 7 points in each subject. IOP was measured first after induction, then after vecuronium administration, immediately after intubation, and 5, 10, 15, 30 min after intubation. There were no significant changes in IOP and hemodynamics during sevoflurane anesthesia. We consider that the optimal time for IOP measurement is 5 or 10 min after intubation and the normal range of IOP is within the mean +/- 2 standard deviation. The peak values of IOP were 19.2 and 18.8 mmHg at 5 and 10 min after intubation. The results suggest that normal range of IOP is below 20 mmHg during sevoflurane anesthesia in children.

[Influence of calcium channel blockers and beta-blockers on pain relief with iontophoresis].

We studied usefulness of iontophoresis on pain relief using several Ca channel blockers, propranolol and guanethidine. Subjects were 18 healthy adult volunteers. We used 4% lidocaine with/without several drugs (2 mg of nicardipine, verapamil, diltiazem, propranolol and 10mg of guanethidine), and evaluated the pain relief effect with Nakahama's algesimeter. In all groups except for propranolol group, the pain recognition time was elongated significantly in comparison with control. In making comparison between each Ca channel blocker, we did not observe any significant differences, but, in propranolol group, elongation of pain threshold time was observed in some subjects. During these processes, systemic blood pressure and heart rate showed no remarkable changes. Our results suggest that it is possible to achieve more prolonged analgesic effect by the Ca channel blockers.

[Clinical evaluation of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) spray: a study on the plasma concentrations of ISDN and on its hemodynamic effects using three administration routes].

The effects of ISDN spray has been evaluated using oral, nasal or tracheal routes in patients under enflurane anesthesia. These 30 patients were in ASA I or II physical status without cardiovascular, kidney or liver diseases. Under enflurane anesthesia, hemodynamic parameters (blood pressure and heart rate), blood gas and plasma concentration of ISDN were measured at several points before and after drug administration. The plasma concentration reached a maximum point (C max) 4 min after drug administration in the oral group (O-group) and nasal group (N-group), and the values obtained were 48.4 +/- 5.4 ng.ml-1 and 87.4 +/- 13.8 ng.ml-1 respectively. The C max of the N-group was significantly higher than that of O-group (P less than 0.05). In the O- and N-groups, systolic blood pressure decreased 10% and 17%, after 4 min (P less than 0.05) and recovered 20 after min. Diastolic blood pressure decreased in both groups after 4 min (P less than 0.05). Heart rate significantly increased in the N-group (P less than 0.05), and continued to change up to 60 min after drug administration. In both groups, PaO2/FIO2 decreased 14% and 9% after 10 min (P less than 0.01). In the tracheal group, plasma concentration did not increase and these hemodynamic changes were not observed. These results suggest that nasal route of ISDN spray is the best route of administration.