Although glufosinate ammonium herbicides are considered safe when used properly, ingestion of the undiluted form can cause grave outcomes. Recently, we treated a 34-yr-old man who ingested glufosinate ammonium herbicide. In the course of treatment, the patient developed apnea, mental deterioration, and sixth cranial nerve palsy; he has since been discharged with full recovery after intensive care. This case report describes the clinical features of glufosinate intoxication with a focus on sixth cranial nerve palsy. Our observation suggests that neurologic manifestations after ingestion of a "low-grade toxicity herbicide" are variable and more complex than that was previously considered.
Abducens Nerve Diseases/*chemically induced/drug therapy ; Adult ; Aminobutyrates/*poisoning ; Enzyme Inhibitors/poisoning ; Herbicides/*poisoning ; Humans ; Male ; Seizures/chemically induced ; Surface-Active Agents/poisoning ; Unconsciousness/chemically induced

BACKGROUNDPerioperative disorder of magnesium, an important cation in the human body, may affect clinical anesthesia. The pharmacological data of propofol use, which is popularly used in the anesthesiology department and intensive care unit, is incomplete in Chinese patients. This study aimed to assess the effect of magnesium sulfate on the calculated plasma medial effective concentration (Cp50cal) of propofol at loss of response to command in Chinese females.

METHODSFifty patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery were randomly divided into the control group and the magnesium group. Before induction, magnesium sulfate (30 mg/kg) or placebo (equal volume of 0.9% saline) was given to patients in the magnesium group or the control group, respectively. Propofol was infused using a target-controlled infusion system, with a target concentration for each patient decided by up-and-down sequential allocation. After the equilibration between target plasma concentration and effective-site concentration, the state of consciousness was assessed. For determination of serum magnesium and calcium concentration, blood samples were taken before induction, after induction and at the end of surgery.

RESULTSThe Cp50cal was 2.52 µg/ml (2.47 - 2.57 µg/ml) for patients in the control group, and 2.46 µg/ml (2.41 - 2.51 µg/ml) for those in the magnesium group. A significant reduction of Cp50cal was observed (P = 0.021). There was a significant difference between the serum magnesium concentrations after induction and at the end of the surgery (P < 0.05). In the magnesium group, there was a trend toward decreasing after surgery, while in the control group, Cp50cal decreased significantly (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSCp50cal of propofol at loss of response to command was 2.52 µg/ml (2.47 - 2.57 µg/ml) for Chinese female adults in this study. Infusion of 30 mg/kg magnesium sulfate may reduce the Cp50cal of propofol at loss of consciousness, which implies that magnesium may enhance the pharmacological effects of propofol.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anesthetics ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Magnesium Sulfate ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Propofol ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; therapeutic use ; Unconsciousness ; chemically induced ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDIn this prospective randomized study, we compared the predicted blood and effect-site C 50 for propofol and remifentanil target-controlled infusion (TCI) and the bispectral index (BIS) values at loss of consciousness (LOC) and response to a standard noxious painful stimulus (LOS) in elderly and young patients, respectively. We hypothesized that the elderly patients will require lower target concentration of both propofol and remifentanil at above two clinical end-points.

METHODSThere were 80 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II unpremedicated patients enrolled in this study, they were divided into elderly group (age ≥65 years, n = 40) and young group (aged 18-64 years, n = 40). Propofol was initially given to a predicted blood concentration of 1.2 μg/ml and thereafter increased by 0.3 μg/ml every 30 s until Observer's Assessment of Alertness and Sedation score was 1. The propofol level was kept constant, and remifentanil was given to provide a predict blood concentration of 2.0 ng/ml, and then increased by 0.3 ng/ml every 30 s until loss of response to a tetanic stimulus. BIS (version 3.22, BIS Quattro sensor) was also recorded.

RESULTSIn elderly group, the propofol effect-site C 50 at LOC of was 1.5 (1.4-1.6) μg/ml, was significantly lower than that of young group, which was 2.2 (2.1-2.3) μg/ml, the remifentanil effect-site C 50 at LOS was 3.5 (3.3-3.7) ng/ml in elderly patients, was similar with 3.7 (3.6-3.8) ng/ml in young patients. Fifty percent of patients lost consciousness at a BIS value of 57.3 (56.4-58.1), was similar with that of young group, which was 55.2 (54.0-56.3).

CONCLUSIONIn elderly patients, the predicted blood and effect-site concentrations of propofol at LOC were lower than that of young patients. At same sedation status, predicted blood and effect-site concentrations of remifentanil required at LOS were similar in elderly and young patients. BIS were not affected by age. Low-propofol/high-opioid may be optional TCI strategy for elderly patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Piperidines ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Propofol ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Unconsciousness ; chemically induced ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of Narcotrend (NT) index monitoring versus standard hemodynamic parameters in predicting the recovery of consciousness in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

METHODSForty ASA I or II patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery were randomized into two groups to receive sevoflurane-sufentanil anesthesia monitored by NT index or solely by clinical parameters. Anesthesia was induced with the inhalation of 8% sevoflurane and sufentanil target-controlled infusion at 0.2-0.5 ng/ml. The values of NT stage (NTS), NT index (NTI), and hemodynamic parameters (MAP and HR) were recorded during the period of recovery. The prediction probability (Pk) of each parameter was calculated and compared.

RESULTSNTS and NTl were closely correlated to the changes of consciousness during the recovery from general anesthesia. The Pk values of NTS and NTI in predicting eye opening and orientation recovery were 0.95, 0.92, and 0.92, 0.89, respectively, obviously higher than the Pk values of MAP and HR (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONNT monitoring can be used to effectively predict the recovery of consciousness in patients undergoing abdominal surgery and facilitates a significant reduction of the recovery time and sufentanil dosage during a sevoflurane-sufentanil anesthesia.

Abdomen ; surgery ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anesthesia Recovery Period ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; administration & dosage ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; Electroencephalography ; methods ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Methyl Ethers ; administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; methods ; Sufentanil ; administration & dosage ; Unconsciousness ; chemically induced ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDIn recent years, increasing numbers of patients are accepting neoadjuvant chemotherapy before their operation in order to get a better prognosis. But chemotherapy has many side-effects. We have observed that patients who accepted neoadjuvant chemotherapy are more sensitive to anesthetics. The aim of this study was to determine the median effective dose (EC(50)) of intravenous anesthetics for neoadjuvant chemotherapy patients to lose consciousness during target-controlled infusion.

METHODSTwo hundred and forty breast cancer patients undergoing elective operations were assigned to six groups according to treatment received before their operation and the use of intravenous anesthetics during anesthesia; non-adjuvant chemotherapy + propofol group (group NP, n = 40), Taxol + propofol group (group TP, n = 40), adriamycin + cyclophosphamide + 5-Fu + propofol group (group CP, n = 40), non-adjuvant chemotherapy + etomidate group (group NE, n = 40), taxol + etomidate group (group TE, n = 40), adriamycin + cyclophosphamide + 5-Fu + etomidate group (group CE, n = 40). We set the beginning effect-site concentration (Ce) of propofol as 3.0 µg/ml and etomidate as 0.2 µg/ml. The concentration was increased by steps until the patient was asleep, (OAAS class I-II), then gave fentanyl 3 µg/kg and rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg and intubated three minutes later. The patients' age, height, and weight were recorded. BIS was recorded before induction, at the initial effect-site concentration and at loss of consciousness. The effect-site concentration was recorded when patient lost consciousness.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences between groups in general conditions before treatment; such as BIS of consciousness, age, sex and body mass index. The EC(50) of propofol in the NP, TP and CP groups was 4.11 µg/ml (95%CI: 3.96 - 4.26), 2.94 µg/ml (95%CI: 3.36 - 3.47) and 2.91 µg/ml (95%CI: 3.35 - 3.86), respectively. The EC50 of etomidate in the NE, TE and CE groups was 0.61 µg/ml (95%CI: 0.55 - 0.67), 0.38 µg/ml (95%CI: 0.33 - 0.44), and 0.35 µg/ml (95%CI: 0.34 - 0.36), respectively. There was no significant difference of BIS level before induction or in BIS50 level in any group when patients lost consciousness.

CONCLUSIONSThe EC(50) of intravenous anesthetics to cause loss of consciousness in neoadjuvant chemotherapy groups is lower than in the control group. There was no significant difference of BIS level at which patients lost consciousness.

Adult ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Doxorubicin ; therapeutic use ; Etomidate ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; adverse effects ; Paclitaxel ; therapeutic use ; Propofol ; therapeutic use ; Unconsciousness ; chemically induced