Fiberoptic bronchoscopic view change of laryngopharyngeal tissues by different airway supporting techniques: comparison of patients with and without open mouth limitation.

Study Objective: To investigate the changes in view of the laryngopharyngeal tissues on the fiberoptic bronchoscope (FOB) with different techniques of supporting the airway.

Design: Prospective, observational, stratified study.

Setting: University hospital.

Ultrasonographic examination to search out the optimal upper arm position for coracoid approach to infraclavicular brachial plexus block--a volunteer study.

Background: Infraclavicular brachial plexus block has been widely used for surgical procedures below the mid humerus owing to its excellent anesthetic quality and ease of practice. However, what is the optimal upper arm position for carrying out the procedure still lacks consensus of opinion. The primary goal of this study was to determine the optimal upper arm position for coracoid infraclavicular block by ultrasonographic examination.

Age-related changes in oxytocin-, arginine vasopressin- and nitric oxide synthase-expressing neurons in the supraoptic nucleus of the rat.

Many histochemical investigations indicated that the oxytocin (OXY), the arginine vasopressin (AVP) and the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) have been synthesized in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) neurons. The objective of this study was to examine the age-related expression of the OXY, the AVP and the NOS in the SON of the young adult (2-month-old) and the aged (24-month-old) rats. The histochemistry for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d; marker for the NOS) and the double labeling histochemistry for the OXY/NADPH-d or the AVP/NADPH-d were employed, and the quantitative analysis was performed with a computer-assisted image processing system.

A xanthine-based epithelium-dependent airway relaxant KMUP-3 (7-[2-[4-(4-nitrobenzene)piperazinyl]ethyl]-1,3-dimethylxanthine) increases respiratory performance and protects against tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced tracheal contraction, involving nitric oxide release and expression of cGMP and protein kinase G.

KMUP-3 (7-[2-[4-(4-nitrobenzene)piperazinyl]ethyl]-1,3-dimethylxanthine) was investigated in guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle. Intratracheal instillation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha (0.01 mg/kg/300 microl) induced bronchoconstriction, increases of lung resistance, and decreases of dynamic lung compliance.

Total intravenous anesthesia for repair of congenitral diaphragmatic hernia: a case report.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a cardiopulmonary anomaly that causes severe respiratory disorder. Traditionally, inhalational anesthetics with mechanical hyperventilation, opioids, and muscle relaxants are used in anesthesia for repair surgery. In this case, we used total intravenous anesthesia combined with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and inhaled nitric oxide for surgical repair of the diaphragm.

Comparison of the effect of two different doses of 0.75% glucose-free ropivacaine for spinal anesthesia for lower limb and lower abdominal surgery.

We compared the clinical efficacy and safety of two doses of ropivacaine for spinal anesthesia in Chinese patients undergoing lower limb and lower abdominal surgery. In this randomized, open-label study, 40 patients were divided into two groups: group A received 3.5 mL (26.

Lightwand-assisted intubation of patients in the lateral decubitus position.

In some situations, patients need endotracheal intubation to maintain airway patency while they are constrained in the lateral position. In this study we compared lightwand-guided intubation of 120 randomly enrolled patients placed in the supine, right, or left lateral position. Group S patients were initially placed in the supine position, and subsequent to the artificial airway having been established they were turned to the lateral decubitus position.

Accurate central venous port-A catheter placement: intravenous electrocardiography and surface landmark techniques compared by using transesophageal echocardiography.

Unlabelled: Using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to locate the tip of central venous catheters inserted via the right subclavian vein, we compared IV electrocardiography (IV-ECG)-guided catheter tip placement with the conventional surface landmark technique. Sixty patients were randomly assigned into two groups. In Group E, the IV-ECG signal was conducted along an NaHCO(3)-filled catheter to facilitate catheter placement.

Spinal process landmark as a predicting factor for difficult epidural block: a prospective study in Taiwanese patients.

Although epidural anesthesia is a common practice in neuraxial blockade, difficult access to the epidural space is a frequent problem in operating theaters. We designed this study of epidural blocks to determine if the spinal landmark grading system is valuable in predicting a difficult epidural block. Before the epidural block, we collected the following data: demographics, body habitus (normal, thin, obese, pregnant), spinal anatomy (normal, deformed), spinal level (lumbar, thoracic), and spinal landmark grade (grade 1: spinous processes visible; grade 2: spinous processes not seen but easily palpated; grade 3: spinous processes not seen and not palpated but the interval between them is palpated as a low landmark under the thumb; grade 4: other).

Ropivacane 0.1 % with or without fentanyl for epidural postoperative analgesia: a randomized, double-blind comparison.

Epidural analgesia is often considered optimal postoperative analgesia for certain surgical procedures. Ropivacaine is a new local anesthetic that is less toxic than its homologue, bupivacaine. Epidural infusions usually comprise a local anesthetic, an opioid, or a combination of the two to improve analgesic efficacy and reduce unwanted side effects.

In vivo electroporation of proopiomelanocortin induces analgesia in a formalin-injection pain model in rats.

Opioids remain the most efficacious pharmacological agents for various clinical pain syndromes. Recently, various engineered cells capable of secreting opioidergic peptides have been applied to relieve pain in animal models. In vivo gene delivery by viruses encoding endogenous opioids has also been used with success.

Epidural ropivacaine for postoperative analgesia in Taiwanese patients.

Background: Ropivacaine is the latest long-acting amide local anesthetic. As it is less cardiovasculotoxic and neurotoxic than bupivacaine it is an attractive anesthetic agent used in clinical anesthesia and postoperative analgesia. This study was undertaken to seek for a suitable dosage of ropivacaine in postoperative analgesia for Taiwanese patients whose average physicality is not entirely compatible with the pharmacopeially recommended dosage for western people.

An alternative technique for accurate placement of central venous catheter tips.

For intravenous electrocardiography (IVECG), a wire stylet is usually utilized as the exploring probe to correctly position the central venous catheter. We present an alternative technique using the transduction probe connected to the original right arm lead of the ECG monitor to accurately position the central venous catheter. We compared the efficacy and quality of the IVECG signals of the two techniques.

Reducing dust using the electrocautery pencil with suction combined with the infusion catheter in mastectomy.

The dust from the vaporized tissue released during a mastectomy presents a hazard to the patients and the operating room personnel. More dust has been noted using the conventional electrocautery pencil in dissecting breast tissue than with the metal knife used in the past. It is very important to reduce the hazardous dust released during mastectomy.

The train of four ratio decreases to zero in anesthetized children is the guide to achieve a satisfactory intubation condition.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the satisfactory (excellent or good) intubation conditions attained when the TOF ratio was zero in anesthetized children. Sixty children undergoing elective ophthalmic surgery were allocated randomly into three groups. Anesthesia was induced with thiopentone 4 mg/kg and halothane in combination with 66% N2O and O2 (2 L/min).