Axillary brachial plexus block using 20 mL of 0.75% ropivacaine or 2% mepivacaine was compared in a prospective, randomized, double-blind study of two groups of 15 patients. The times to onset of sensory and motor block and to resolution of motor block, as well as the time to onset and degree of post-operative pain were recorded by an observer blinded to the identity of drug. Times to onset of sensory block were similar in the two groups (ropivacaine 10 min, mepivacaine 8 min). Resolution of motor block in the operated hand and the time to first requirement of post-operative analgesia occurred later with ropivacaine (9 h 50 min and 10 h) than with mepivacaine (3 h 50 min and 6 h), P<0.01 for both measurements. Nine patients who received ropivacaine and two patients who received mepivacaine did not require further post-operative analgesia (P<0.05). Ropivacaine is less toxic than other long-acting local anaesthetics, and 0.75% ropivacaine may be better for brachial plexus block when fast onset is required and prolonged pain relief is useful.

We report the occurrence of oesophageal perforation and dilatation during percutaneous tracheostomy. The Combitube was used for airway maintenance during this procedure. This case highlights the limitations of the Combitube when used in this situation.

In a randomized, double-blind investigation the analgesic effect of continuous blockade of the lumbar plexus as an adjunct to acetylsalicyclic acid by suppository after surgery for femoral neck fractures under spinal anaesthesia was examined in 20 patients. Before surgery, a catheter was inserted into the femoral nerve sheath. The patients were allocated randomly to receive bupivacaine or saline by bolus and then continuous infusion, started immediately after the operation. No statistically significant differences in additional morphine requirements, visual analogue pain scores or adverse effects were observed between the two treatment groups. It is concluded that continuous blockade of the lumbar plexus as an adjunct to rectal acetylsalicyclic acid offers no major additional pain relief after surgery for femoral neck fractures under spinal anaesthesia.

Intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure can occur when the sternum is closed following cardiac surgery, causing anaesthetic and surgical problems. We measured intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure after sternal closure in two studies of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with the same anaesthetic regime. In one, patients were ventilated at 10 breaths min−1, in the other they were randomized to be ventilated at 10 or 20 breaths min=1. After sternal closure, intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure increased significantly, especially in patients in whom it had been present before sternotomy. Multiple linear regressions with the pooled data from the studies showed that intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure was positively correlated with ventilatory rate (P<0.005), age (P<0.005) and Body Mass Index (P<0.0005), and negatively with FEV1, as percentage of predicted (P<0.01). There was no correlation between intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure and a history of smoking. As there was no difference in expiratory resistance between patients ventilated at the two different rates, any effect on intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure of the higher ventilatory rates could have been due only to the shorter expiratory time.

The thermoregulatory responses in 13 haemodynamically stable patients were evaluated over a 7-h period following coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Cutaneous vasoconstriction was defined by a forearm-to-fingertip skin temperature gradient (ΔTskin) ≥ 4°C and muscular hyperactivity was assessed by integrating the electromyographic signals (iEMG). Blood gases and lactate were measured in arterial, mixed venous and femoral venous blood. After arrival in ICU, we observed: (1) mild central hypothermia (Tc = 34.8±0.6°C) and elevated peripheral vascular resistance in all the patients; (2) ΔTskin ≥ 4°C in 11 of 13 patients that persisted until a median Tc of 37.1°C was achieved; (3) a transient increase in iEMG (±18%)was accompanied by an increase in total body O2 uptake (+28%); (4) elevated muscle O2 extraction rate(56±18% after 3 h) and lactate release. These data suggest that residual hypothermia in sedated patients safter cardiac surgery elicits appropriate thermoregulatory responses that are associated with transient O2 supply/uptake mismatch within skeletal muscles.

In two consecutive, randomized, double-blind studies the effect of ondansetron on the time to induction of anaesthesia with propofol and, subsequently, thiopentone was assessed. In each study 40 patients received either ondansetron 8mg or placebo immediately before induction of anaesthesia with a standardized dose of propofol (2.5 mg kg−1) or thiopentone (5 mg kg−1). Times to induction of anaesthesia were determined by assessing loss of verbal response, motor power and eyelash reflex. There was no difference in either study in times to induction of anaesthesia between immediate pre-treatment with ondansetron or placebo. Side effects were minor and of similar incidence in the ondansetron and placebo groups.