Reliability of individual umbilical artery pH measurements.

To examine the reliability of umbilical artery pH measurements, two study designs were employed: (1) contemporaneous measurement of two adjoining segments of umbilical cords at birth (n = 40) and (2) repeat measurements at < 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes after birth in separate sections of the same cords (n = 40). The cord sections were left at room temperature. Limits of agreement of the contemporaneous pH measurements were from -0.

Pharmacodynamic interaction between propofol and alfentanil when given for induction of anesthesia.

Background: Propofol and alfentanil often are combined during induction of anesthesia. However, the interaction between these agents during induction has not been studied in detail. The influence of alfentanil on the propofol concentration-effect relationships was studied for loss of eyelash reflex, loss of consciousness, and hemodynamic function in 20 unpremedicated ASA physical status 1 patients aged 20-55 yr.