Publications by authors named "Alexander Sloninsky"

Background: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs have become increasingly popular as part of multimodal analgesic regimens for pain management in the ambulatory setting. We designed this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of postoperative administration of either a nonselective nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (ibuprofen) or the cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitor (celecoxib when administered as part of a multimodal analgesic regimen) on the severity of pain, the need for rescue analgesics, and clinically relevant patient outcomes after ambulatory surgery. The primary end point was the time to resumption of normal activities of daily living.

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Background: There is controversy regarding the relative perioperative benefits of desflurane versus sevoflurane when used for maintenance of anesthesia in the ambulatory setting. Although studies have consistently demonstrated a faster emergence with desflurane (versus sevoflurane), the impact of this difference on the later recovery end points has not been definitively established. Furthermore, the effect of desflurane (versus sevoflurane) on the incidence of coughing is also controversial.

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Background: Given the controversy regarding the use of droperidol and the high cost of the 5-HT3 antagonists, a cost-effective alternative for routine use as a prophylactic antiemetic would be desirable. We designed two parallel, randomized, double-blind sham and placebo-controlled studies to compare the early and late antiemetic efficacy and adverse event profile of transdermal scopolamine (TDS) 1.5 mg, to ondansetron 4 mg IV, and droperidol 1.

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Based on comparative studies in patients receiving emetogenic chemotherapy, it has been suggested that granisetron would be more effective than ondansetron for the prevention of postdischarge nausea and vomiting (PDNV). However, there have been no direct comparisons of these two popular 5-HT3 antagonists with respect to PDNV and quality of recovery. We designed this randomized, double-blind study to compare the antiemetic efficacy of oral granisetron (1 mg) to a standard IV dose of ondansetron (4 mg) when administered for antiemetic prophylaxis as part of a multimodal regimen in a laparoscopic surgical population.

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Cerebral monitoring indices are associated with a large degree of inter-patient variability and electrical signal interference during surgery. We designed this clinical study to test the hypothesis that use of the spectral entropy (Entropy) module is associated with less frequent intraoperative interference with the displayed indices than the bispectral index (BIS) monitor when used during general anesthesia with propofol and desflurane. Thirty consenting patients scheduled for major laparoscopic surgery procedures were enrolled in this prospective study.

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New disposable electrodes, the PSArray and XP sensor, have been developed for the patient state analyzer (PSA) and the bispectral index (BIS) monitors, respectively. We designed this clinical study to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the patient state index (PSI) with the BIS during the perioperative period when the new electrode sensors were used. Twenty-two consenting patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic procedures were enrolled in this prospective study.

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Background: Analogous to the Bispectral Index (BIS) monitor, the auditory evoked potential monitor provides an electroencephalographic-derived index (AAI), which is alleged to correlate with the central nervous system depressant effects of anesthetic drugs. This clinical study was designed to test the hypothesis that intraoperative cerebral monitoring guided by either the BIS or the AAI value would facilitate recovery from general anesthesia compared with standard clinical monitoring practices alone in the ambulatory setting.

Methods: Sixty consenting outpatients undergoing gynecologic laparoscopic surgery were randomly assigned to one of three study groups: (1) control (standard practice), (2) BIS guided, or (3) AAI guided.

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Unlabelled: Non-opioid analgesics have become increasingly popular as part of a multimodal regimen for pain management in the ambulatory setting. We designed this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of perioperative administration of the cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor rofecoxib on patient outcome after inguinal herniorrhaphy procedures. Sixty consenting outpatients undergoing elective hernia repair surgery were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: control (vitamin C, 500 mg) or rofecoxib (rofecoxib, 50 mg).

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Unlabelled: There is controversy regarding the optimal technique for maintaining hemodynamic stability during anesthesia. We designed this prospective, randomized, double-blinded study to test the hypothesis that the technique used for maintaining hemodynamic stability during general anesthesia can influence recovery after ambulatory surgery. Forty-five healthy consenting women undergoing gynecologic laparoscopy procedures were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: Group 1 (control, n = 15) received normal saline 5 mL and 1 mL, followed by a saline infusion at a rate of 0.

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Background: Office-based surgery has become increasingly popular because of its cost-saving potential. However, the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) can delay patient discharge. Prophylaxis using a combination of antiemetic drugs has been suggested as an effective strategy for minimizing PONV.

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Study Objective: To evaluate the effect of different maintenance boluses of a short-acting nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking drug on its spontaneous recovery profile during anesthesia.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, dose-ranging study.

Setting: University-based medical center.

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Unlabelled: The patient state index (PSI), a quantitative electroencephalographic index, has been recently introduced into clinical practice as a monitor for assessing consciousness during sedation and general anesthesia. We designed this observational study to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the PSI with that of the bispectral index (BIS) with respect to their ability to predict the loss of consciousness and emergence from anesthesia, as well as to assess changes in IV (propofol) and inhaled (desflurane) anesthetics during the maintenance period. Twenty consenting patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic surgical procedures were enrolled in this prospective clinical study.

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Background: The analgesic efficacy and side effect profile of intravenous parecoxib, a novel cyclooxygenase type-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, was assessed in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study involving patients undergoing major gynecologic surgical procedures.

Methods: After Institutional Review Board approval, 60 consenting women, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III, undergoing lower abdominal surgery with a standardized general anesthetic technique were randomly assigned to receive one of three study medications: group 1 (control) received normal saline; group 2 received intravenous parecoxib, 20 mg; and group 3 received intravenous parecoxib, 40 mg. The initial dose of study medication was administered when the patient first requested pain medication after surgery.

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