A comparison of the cost-effectiveness of remifentanil versus fentanyl as an adjuvant to general anesthesia for outpatient gynecologic surgery.

The unique pharmacokinetic properties of remifentanil make it a potentially useful adjuvant during general anesthesia for ambulatory surgery. Fentanyl, inexpensive and easy to administer, is the most common opioid used for this purpose. As an adjuvant to general anesthesia for outpatient gynecologic surgery, we questioned if remifentanil was cost-effective as an alternative to fentanyl.

The use of near-infrared cerebral oximetry in awake carotid endarterectomy.

Study Objective: To determine the utility of cerebral oximetry for monitoring the adequacy of cerebral blood flow (CBF) during carotid cross-clamp.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: University hospital.

Graphical analysis of multivariate pain data in analgesic trials.

In order to compare analgesic treatments effectively one must measure pain over time. In a single-dose clinical analgesic trial one typically obtains repeated pain measurements from each patient during a relatively short period (4-6 hours). Such measurements constitute multivariate data, which are usually reduced by simple addition to a single derived pain measure for analysis of between-treatment differences.

Bioavailability and pharmacological effects of two slow-release theophylline preparations: intrasubject tablet-to-tablet variability.

The bioavailability and pharmacological effects of slow-release preparations oxtriphylline (Choledyl SA) and anhydrous theophylline (Theo-Dur) were compared in a single-blind, randomized, crossover study in 10 normal men. Subjects were administered three doses from the same lot of each preparation at weekly intervals. Plasma concentration of theophylline was measured at timed intervals for 33 hr by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

Oral ciramadol in the treatment of postoperative pain.

The efficacy and safety of single oral 15, 30, and 60 mg doses of ciramadol, an investigational agonist/antagonist analgesic, were studied in a postoperative pain model and compared with aspirin, 325 and 650 mg. Two visual analog pain assessment scales were also compared. Results showed that a pain relief score of moderate or better was reported at some time during the 6-hour observation period by 76% of the patients who took 15 mg ciramadol, by 60% of those who took 30 mg ciramadol, by 59% of those who took 60 mg ciramadol, and by 38% and 92% of the patients who took the low and high doses of aspirin, respectively.