RESUMO
Continuous infusion of potent, often short-acting drugs particularly affecting the cardiovascular system is becoming more common in the operating room and intensive care unit. Accuracy and, hence, safety are always important in drug therapy, and never more so than when using the potent vasoactive and cardioactive drugs, yet the multiplicity of methods for preparing these drugs for infusion creates a situation in which mistakes may easily occur. A series of decimally related dilutions for drug preparation is presented, which has been in use for the past 5 years in the cardiac intensive care units at this hospital. It is believed that this system is easy to understand and remember and it thereby simplifies the process. This system may enhance the accuracy of dosage and improve the safety for patients.
Assuntos
Anestesia , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Cardíacos , Infusões Intravenosas , Unidades de Terapia Intensiva , Peso Corporal , Esquema de Medicação , Humanos , Infusões Intravenosas/métodos , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Children recovering from intravenous methohexitone anaesthesia given for simple dental extractions frequently cry, or are restless and confused, during emergence from anaesthesia. This is disturbing for parents and other children. In an attempt to resolve this problem various doses of alfentanil (2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 micrograms/kg) were added to a standard intravenous dose of methohexitone (2 mg/kg), with the effects being assessed by comparison with a control group who received methohexitone only. The incidence of crying recorded was significantly lower in the group receiving the highest alfentanil supplement (10 micrograms/kg), when compared with the incidence in the group given lower doses of alfentanil or methohexitone alone. Among those who cried, there was a significant delay in onset in the high alfentanil dose group. No adverse effects were observed.
Assuntos
Alfentanil/administração & dosagem , Anestesia Dentária , Anestesia Intravenosa , Metoexital/administração & dosagem , Adolescente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Choro , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/prevenção & controle , Estresse Fisiológico/prevenção & controle , Extração Dentária/efeitos adversosRESUMO
The accuracy of the Ohmeda Biox 3700 pulse oximeter was evaluated in 10 paediatric patients, deliberately surface cooled to 25 degrees C in preparation for cardiac surgery, by comparing the arterial oxygen saturation results obtained from an Ohmeda Biox 3700 and a Radiometer OSM-2 Hemoximeter. Though there was a good correlation between the two series of results, the arterial oxygen saturation was over-estimated by the pulse oximeter compared to the OSM-2 Hemoximeter in the temperature range 36 degrees to 30 degrees C and under-estimated below 30 degrees C. These differences were greatest when the initial saturations were low.
Assuntos
Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Cardíacos/instrumentação , Hipotermia Induzida , Oximetria/instrumentação , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Cardíacos/métodos , Criança , Estudos de Avaliação como Assunto , HumanosRESUMO
One hundred patients aged 5-13 yr were randomly allocated to four groups in a double-blind study of premedication. Drugs studied were lorazepam, diazepam and trimeprazine. A placebo group was included. All the drugs appeared satisfactory as premedicants. Lorazepam induced the most sedation immediately after surgery, but by 4 h lorazepam and diazepam appeared similar. Lorazepam produced better amnesia than the other drugs. There were no untoward side-effects and no cardiorespiratory depression in any group. Lorazepam appears a suitable premedicant for children.