A comparison of diclofenac with ketorolac for pain relief after knee arthroscopy.

We performed a double-blind controlled trial to compare the analgesic effect of two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We compared rectal diclofenac 100 mg given 1 h before induction of anaesthesia with intravenous ketorolac 10 mg given immediately before anaesthesia in 40 patients undergoing arthroscopy of the knee as day cases. A visual analogue scale was used to assess pain prior to discharge.

Local anaesthesia for cannulation. Has practice changed?

A questionnaire study was undertaken to assess the influence of recently published, simple and conclusive research on the practice of anaesthetists in four centres. The research had clearly demonstrated the benefit of subcutaneous infiltration of local anaesthetic in reducing the pain of intravenous cannulation. Of the 81% who responded, 71% were aware of the research; 43% of these anaesthetists had altered their clinical practice as a result of the research and 73% used local anaesthesia for cannulae of 18 gauge or less, compared with only 46% of those who were unaware of the research.

A prospective study to assess the demand for a high dependency unit.

We performed a prospective study in our teaching hospital to determine the demand for a High Dependency Unit where none had existed before. An admission criteria protocol was designed for medical and surgical patients and this was used in an intense surveillance of 22 acute wards over 2 weeks. It was predicted that a high dependency unit of eight beds would operate to capacity 50% of the time.

Analgesia after caesarean section. The use of rectal diclofenac as an adjunct to spinal morphine.

A double-blind placebo-controlled study was performed to assess the analgesic effect of rectal sodium diclofenac 100 mg after Caesarean section using subarachnoid hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% and morphine 0.2 mg.