Evaluation of the Effects of Peritonsillar Infiltration of Tramadol-Ketamine Combination Versus Tramadol Alone on Posttonsillectomy Pain in Children.

Introduction: Tonsillectomy is associated with significant pain and post-operative pain control is often unsatisfactory. This study sought to evaluate the effect of peritonsillar infiltration of tramadol-ketamine combination, tramadol alone and ketamine alone on post-tonsillectomy pain in children.

Patients And Methods: A randomized double-blinded interventional study involving 90 patients aged 3-15 years of American society of anesthesiologists I or II physical status scheduled for elective adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy at JUTH was conducted.

Paediatric admissions and outcome in a general intensive care unit.

Background: It is believed that intensive care greatly improves the prognosis for critically ill children and that critically ill children admitted to a dedicated Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) do better than those admitted to a general intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods: A retrospective study of all paediatric (< 16 years) admissions to our general ICU from January 1994 to December 2007.

Results: Out of a total of 1364 admissions, 302 (22.

Unsedated flexible upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: need for routine oxygen monitoring?

Background: To determine the incidence of oxygen desaturation and whether routine oxygen monitoring is necessary during unsedated diagnostic flexible upper gastrointestinalendoscopy.

Methods: A prospective study involving 54 consecutive in and out patients who had diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at the endoscopy suit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria between March 2007 and October 2007. The patients were reviewed before the procedure and classified according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) classification into classes I, II, III and IV Endoscopy was carried out after topical pharyngeal anaesthesia using 10% lidocaine spray and oxygen saturation was monitored throughout the procedure.

Thyroidectomy under local anaesthesia: how safe?

Background: In order to compliment the inadequate health facilities in the rural areas in Nigeria, nongovernmental organisations provide adhoc outreach health camps that offer treatment in various medical specialties including surgery.

Setting: Rural outreach health camps.

Objective: To evaluate the safety of thyroidectomy under local anaesthesia at rural outreach setting with inadequate facilities for general anaesthesia.