[Emergency cesarean section: role of locoregional anesthesia].

Emergency cesarean section is sometimes required for acute fetal distress but also for some maternal vital emergencies. In spite of its maternal (Mendelson's syndrome, difficult intubation) and fetal (neonatal depression) risks, general anaesthesia was classically used. The arguments in favor of regional anaesthesia techniques for emergency cesarean section and the respective advantages of spinal and epidural anaesthesia are developed in this text.

[Postoperative respiratory depression following ambulatory anesthesia for abortion. Evolution of the ventilatory response to CO2 following the use of propofol alone or in association with different opioids: comparison with midazolam in the same situation].

Sixty patients, undergoing minor gynaecologic procedures, were prospectively enrolled in this randomized study. They were anaesthetized with either propofol or midazolam supplemented or not with fentanyl or alfentanil. Respiratory depression was evaluated using repeated measurements of ventilatory response to CO2 (Read's method) during the preoperative period until the second postoperative hour.

[Ambulatory anesthesia in gynecologic surgery].

Surgical gynecologic procedures are among the best clinical indications of ambulatory surgery as the patients are usually young and healthy. The beneficial effects of this type of organization (economical, medical and psychological) are numerous. A rational approach of the main objectives of ambulatory surgery and anesthesia is needed to choose the more logical anesthetic agents to allow rapid patient's recovery with a minimal rate of postoperative problems.

[Alkalization of bupivacaine in the combination fentanyl-bupivacaine in epidural obstetrical analgesia].

A randomized double blind study was carried out to determine whether alkalization of a 0.25% bupivacaine solution in a fentanyl-bupivacaine mixture hastened the onset, and increased the duration and quality, of extradural analgesia during labour. The study included 120 women with uncomplicated full-term gestation.