No abstract available.
Anesthesia and Analgesia* ; Anesthesia* ; Lidocaine ; Meperidine

Peripheral nerve blocks are commonly used for surgical anesthesia, postoperative analgesia, and to reduce opioid requirements. Although these blocks have traditionally been carried out using local anesthetics, single-injection techniques can be short-lived and limited by the relatively brief duration of action of currently available local anesthetics. Increasing the dose or concentration of local anesthetics may prolong the duration of analgesia, but may also increase the risk such as unwanted motor weakness or systemic toxicity of local anesthetics. Numerous adjuvant medications have been added to local anesthetics to prolong the durations of anesthesia and analgesia achieved by peripheral nerve blocks, and currently, a number of different adjuvants are used to improve quality of the block. This article will review the several nerve block adjuvants used in combination with local anesthetics to provide blockade of peripheral nerves in clinical practice, describing the rationale for their use in peripheral nerve blocks, and the evidence for their effectiveness.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia and Analgesia ; Anesthetics, Local* ; Nerve Block* ; Peripheral Nerves

Peripheral nerve blocks are commonly used for surgical anesthesia, postoperative analgesia, and to reduce opioid requirements. Although these blocks have traditionally been carried out using local anesthetics, single-injection techniques can be short-lived and limited by the relatively brief duration of action of currently available local anesthetics. Increasing the dose or concentration of local anesthetics may prolong the duration of analgesia, but may also increase the risk such as unwanted motor weakness or systemic toxicity of local anesthetics. Numerous adjuvant medications have been added to local anesthetics to prolong the durations of anesthesia and analgesia achieved by peripheral nerve blocks, and currently, a number of different adjuvants are used to improve quality of the block. This article will review the several nerve block adjuvants used in combination with local anesthetics to provide blockade of peripheral nerves in clinical practice, describing the rationale for their use in peripheral nerve blocks, and the evidence for their effectiveness.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia and Analgesia ; Anesthetics, Local ; Nerve Block ; Peripheral Nerves

Analgesia, Patient-Controlled* ; Anesthesia, Obstetrical*

BACKGROUND: Propofol sedation using target-controlled infusion (TCI) system can be used in MAC (Monitored Anesthesia Care).Remifentanil is an ultra-short-acting opioid that is advantageous in combination with propofol due to its rapid onset and offset times and analgesic effect.The present study sought to identify the EC50 of propofol for 'loss of response to command' when administered alone or with 2 or 3 ng/ml remifentanil using TCI. METHODS: Seventy patients were randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups:Group 1 = propofol only (n = 20), Group 2 = propofol plus 2 ng/ml remifentanil (n = 25) and Group 3 = propofol plus 3 ng/ml remifentanil (n = 25).The EC50 was determined by calculating the mean of the midpoint dose of all independent pairs of patients who manifested crossover from 'response to command' to 'loss of response to command'. RESULTS: The EC50 of propofol was found to be 3.41 +/- 0.25microgram/ml in Group 1, 2.04 +/- 0.22microgram/ml in Group 2, and 1.98 +/- 0.15microgram/ml in Group 3.Statistical analysis showed the EC50 for Group 1 was higher than those for Groups 2 and 3, and that the EC50 of latter groups were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Using the modified Dixon's up and down method, the present study estimated the EC50 of propofol for 'loss of response to command' when remifentanil was infused in analgesic doses using TCI.Those concentrations can safely and effectively generate sedation and analgesia without clinically significant side effects in MAC.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Humans ; Piperidines ; Propofol

The purpose of this paper is to present a utility analysis of the hierarchical framework of pre- anesthetic evaluation as part of antenatal care. A sensitivity analysis will likewise be done to test the robustness of the assumptions.
DELIVERY, OBSTETRIC ; ANESTHETICS ; ANESTHESIA ; ANALGESIA

BACKGROUND: The aim of this randomized double-blinded study was to determine the optimal concentration of alfentanil with 0.15% ropivacaine for postoperative patient-controlled epidural analgesia. METHODS: Forty five patients undergoing major abdominal surgery under general anesthesia were assigned to groups receiving patient-controlled thoracic epidural analgesia with 0.15% ropivacaine + 45 microgram/ml alfentanil (Group I), 75microgram/ml alfentanil (Group II), 150 microgram/ml alfentanil (Group III). The incidence of side effects and additional analgesic use, VAS (visual analog pain scale) on resting and coughing, and patient's satisfaction were checked for 24 hours after a loading dose injection. RESULTS: The VAS on coughing and resting 1 hour after the loading dose injection were significantly lower in Groups II and III than in Group I. The patients in group II were more satisfied with the result than those in Group I. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of 0.15% ropivacaine and 75microgram/ml alfentanil for thoracic epidural analgesia after major abdominal surgery provides the best analgesia with minimal side effects and a higher level of patient's satisfaction.
Alfentanil* ; Analgesia ; Analgesia, Epidural* ; Anesthesia, General ; Cough ; Humans ; Incidence

BACKGROUND: The lower levels of cardiotoxicity and motor block make ropivacaine well suited as an epidural infusion for postoperative analgesia. This study examined the analgesic efficacy of an epidural infusion of ropivacaine alone and in combination with alfentanil after major abdominal surgery. METHODS: Thirty patients undergoing major abdominal surgery under general anesthesia were divided into two groups receiving patient-controlled thoracic epidural analgesia with 0.2% ropivacaine (Group I) and 0.15% ropivacaine +150 microgram/ml alfentanil (Group II). The motor block, side effects, VAS (visual analog pain scale) score on coughing and resting, additional analgesics use, and patient's satisfaction were checked for 24 hours after a loading dose injection. RESULTS: The VAS score in group II was significantly lower than in group I, and the patients in group II were more satisfied than those in group I (P < 0.05). However, there were more side effects in group II. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative epidural infusion of 0.15% ropivacaine with 150 microgram/ml alfentanil is more effective than 0.2% ropivacaine only.
Alfentanil* ; Analgesia* ; Analgesia, Epidural ; Analgesics ; Anesthesia, General ; Cough ; Humans

Comparision of analgesia and side effects in spinal anesthesia administered by bupivacaine combined with fentanyl in 66 patients with indicated abdominal hysterectomy in the Institute of Military Medicine No.103, from February to July, 2003. The results showed that: spinal anesthesia and the safe in surgeries have agained with the same dose 0.18mg/kg bupivacaine and 25mcg fentanyl at spinal interspace L2-3 and L3-4. However, spinal anesthesia was administered at the interspace L2-3 difference L3-4: onset time of sensory blockade at the T6 is faster, analgesia level after 20mins is higher, hemodynamic changing are faster and more serious
Anesthesia, Spinal ; Analgesia/adverse effects ; Surgery

Acupuncture Analgesia ; Acupuncture Points ; Anesthesia ; Thyroidectomy