BACKGROUND: The size and depth of the double-lumen tube (DLT) are important for one-lung ventilation (OLV). In patients of a short stature, it is difficult to perform OLV successfully. We designed this study to evaluate the dimensions and margin of safety of the left main bronchi in patients of a short stature for appropriate OLV. METHODS: Chest computed tomography (CT) scans of 241 patients (22 male, 219 female) of a short stature (height below 155 cm) were analyzed retrospectively. The diameters of the trachea (DT), the right and left main bronchi (DR and DL), and the lengths of the right and left main bronchi (LR and LL) were measured at the coronal section of the chest CT scans using a picture archiving communication system program. RESULTS: There were no significant correlations between the heights and lengths of the right and left main bronchi. In addition, the ages and weights of the patients showed no significant correlations with the airway dimensions. The lengths of the bronchial lumen of the left-sided Mallinckrodt DLT show variations of 3 to 5.5 mm with tubes of identical sizes. The margin of safety is 13.8 +/- 4.1 mm assuming that appropriately sized DLTs are inserted. CONCLUSIONS: For successful and safe OLV in patients of a short stature, anesthesiologists should consider the length of the main bronchus and the actual length of the bronchial lumen of the DLT.
Body Height ; Bronchi ; Humans ; Male ; One-Lung Ventilation ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Trachea ; Weights and Measures

Achondroplasia is the most common non-lethal skeletal dysplasia. Underdevelopment and premature ossification of bones result in characteristic craniofacial and spinal abnormalities. Achondroplastic dwarfs have low fertility rates and require delivery by cesarean section due to their cephalo-pelvic disproportion. Controversy exists regarding the ideal anesthesia for an achondroplastic parturient dwarf for urgent cesarean section. Anesthesia, whether general or regional, presents many potential problems during cesarean section. We report the experience of the epidural anesthesia in an achondroplastic dwarf undergoing elective cesarean section.
Achondroplasia ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Birth Rate ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to compare the effect of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil used in anesthetic induction on hemodynamic change after direct laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. METHODS: A total of 90 ASA class 1 or 2 patients were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups to receive one of the following treatments in a double-blind manner: normal saline (Group C, n = 30), dexmedetomidine 1 microg/kg (Group D, n = 30), remifentanil 1 microg/kg (Group R, n= 30). Anesthesia was induced with propofol 2 mg/kg and rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg and maintained with 2 vol% sevoflurane and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen. In group D, dexmedetomidine 1 microg/kg was infused for 10 min before tracheal intubation. Patients in group R was received 1 microg/kg of remifentanil 1 minute before tracheal intubation. The systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were recorded from entrance to operation room to 5 min after tracheal intubation. RESULTS: The percent increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure due to tracheal intubation in group D and R were significantly lower than that of group C (P < 0.05). The heart rate 1 min after tracheal intubation was lower in groups R and D than in the group C (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In healthy normotensive patients, the use of dexmedetomidine during anesthetic induction suppressed a decrease in blood pressure due to anesthetic induction and blunted the hemodynamic responses to endotracheal intubation.
Androstanols ; Anesthesia ; Blood Pressure ; Dexmedetomidine ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngoscopy ; Methyl Ethers ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Piperidines ; Propofol

Intraoperative formation and management of a thrombus in right atrium has been reported occasionally. Nevertheless, it is rare that a right atrial thrombus with unstable hemodynamic changes detected by transesophageal echocardiography is resolved spontaneously. We report upon the 44-year-old woman, who had a right atrial thrombus detected by transesophageal echocardiography during laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy and resolved during thromboembolectomy.
Adult ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hysterectomy, Vaginal ; Laparoscopy ; Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: Pain after laparoscopy is multifactorial and different treatments have been proposed to provide pain relief. Multimodal analgesia is now recommended to prevent and treat post-laparoscopy pain. Dexamethasone is effective in reducing postoperative pain. The timing of steroid administration seems to be important. We evaluated the analgesic efficacy of preoperative intravenous dexamethasone 1 hour before versus during laparoscopic cholecystectomy with multimodal analgesia. METHODS: One hundred twenty patients aged 20 to 65 years old were allocated randomly into one of three groups (n = 40, in each). The patients in the group N received normal saline 1 hour before induction and after the resection of gall bladder. The patients in the group S1 received dexamethasone 8 mg 1 hour before induction and normal saline after the resection of gall bladder. The patients in the group S2 received normal saline 1 hour before induction and dexamethasone 8 mg after the resection of gall bladder. RESULTS: VAS scores of group S1 and S2 were lower than that of group N during 48 hours after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There were no significant differences of VAS scores between the group S1 and the group S2. The analgesic consumption of group S1 and S2 were significantly lower than that of group N. CONCLUSIONS: A single dose of dexamethasone (8 mg) intravenously given 1 hour before induction or during operation was effective in reducing postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy with multimodal analgesia. The analgesic efficacy of preoperative intravenous dexamethasone 1 hour before versus during surgery was not significantly different.
Aged ; Analgesia ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Dexamethasone ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Pain, Postoperative ; Urinary Bladder

Thoracic outlet syndrome has neurologic symptoms caused by compression of brachial plexus, blood vessel symptoms are caused by compression of the artery or vein. The authors report a case of sudden decrease in blood pressure of the left arm after turning the patient from supine position to prone position. They confirmed that the patient had thoracic outlet syndrome after performing computed tomography.
Arm ; Arterial Pressure ; Arteries ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Vessels ; Brachial Plexus ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Prone Position ; Supine Position ; Thoracic Outlet Syndrome ; Veins

BACKGROUND: The administration of a single dose of propofol is reported to be effective in decreasing the incidence and severity of emergence agitation (EA) in children following sevoflurane anesthesia. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of a single dose of propofol 1 mg/kg at the end of adenotonsillectomy for reducing the incidence of EA after sevoflurane anesthesia. METHODS: Ninety children, aged 3-8 years, undergoing adenotonsillectomy were randomized into two groups: the propofol group (n = 45) and the saline group (n = 45), of which 88 children completed the study. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane 2-2.5 vol% and nitrous oxide/oxygen (50%/50%). At the completion of adenotonsillectomy, the propofol group patients were given 1 mg/kg of propofol and the saline group patients were given saline 0.1 ml/kg in the same volume. The incidence of EA was assessed with Aono's four point scale and the severity of EA was assessed with pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium (PAED) scale at 5 min (T5), 15 min (T15) and 30 min (T30) after emergence. RESULTS: Of the 88 patients, the incidence of EA at T5, T15 and T30 was 61.4%, 27.3%, and 4.5% in the propofol group while in the saline group was 68.2%, 29.5%, and 9.1%, respectively. The incidence and severity of EA were not found to be significantly different between the two groups, but the scales in each group decreased significantly over time. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of propofol 1 mg/kg at the end of surgery did not have any significant effect in reducing the incidence and severity of EA in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy under sevoflurane anesthesia.
Aged ; Anesthesia ; Child ; Delirium ; Dihydroergotamine ; Humans ; Incidence ; Methyl Ethers ; Propofol ; Weights and Measures

There are many cause of cholinesterase deficiency, including drugs, liver disease, chronic anemia, malignant states, cardiac failure, severe acute infection, surgical shock, severe burn, collagen disease and vasculitis syndromes. Vasculitis syndromes are relatively rare, and among them, Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is even rarer. We report here on a case of a patient with CSS who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery under general anesthesia.
Anemia ; Anesthesia, General ; Burns ; Cholinesterases ; Churg-Strauss Syndrome ; Collagen Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Shock, Surgical ; Vasculitis

There are many causes of prolonged postoperative muscle weakness, including drugs, residual anesthetics, cerebrovascular events, electrolyte imbalance, hypothermia, and neuromuscular disease. Neuromuscular diseases are relatively rare, with the most common being myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). We report an unusual case in which a patient who was given a muscle relaxant during mediastinoscopy developed postoperative muscle weakness that was ultimately diagnosed as secondary to LEMS.
Anesthetics ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome ; Mediastinoscopy ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscles ; Myasthenia Gravis ; Neuromuscular Diseases

BACKGROUND: Similar to lipid emulsion propofol, microemulsion propofol also causes a high incidence of pain during intravenous injection. Various methods have been used to minimize the incidence and severity of pain on injection of lipid emulsion propofol. In this study, we investigated the effect of a lidocaine mixture on pain induced by microemulsion propofol injection, and sought to determine the optimal dose of lidocaine that could reduce pain on injecting a propofol-lidocaine mixture. METHODS: One hundred sixty (n = 160) patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status class I or II were randomly allocated to four groups: Group A, control; Group B, 20 mg lidocaine; Group C, 30 mg lidocaine; Group D, 40 mg lidocaine. In each patient, pain on microemulsion propofol solution injection was graded as none, mild, moderate, or severe. RESULTS: The incidence of pain in groups A, B, C, and D was 97.5%, 80%, 65%, and 50%, respectively. Increasing the lidocaine dose significantly reduced pain (P < 0.05). One patient in Group D (2.5%) had moderate to severe pain, which was significantly lower than groups B (42.5%) and C (32.5%) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The lidocaine and propofol mixture is effective in alleviating pain associated with microemulsion propofol injection. Within this dose range and in this patients population, increasing lidocaine dosage significantly reduced pain during injection of microemulsion propofol.
Humans ; Incidence ; Injections, Intravenous ; Lidocaine ; Propofol