Preoperative oral thyroid hormones to prevent euthyroid sick syndrome and attenuate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass in children: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Both euthyroid sick syndrome and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury are common and have been significantly associated with morbidity and mortality after pediatric cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. This single-center, prospective, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical pilot trial was designed to assess if preoperative oral thyroid hormone therapy could prevent the occurrence of euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS) and attenuate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in children.

Methods: Forty children aged 3 to 12 year, scheduled for elective congenital heart disease repair surgery with CPB, were randomized into 2 groups of equal size to receive the following treatments in a double-blind manner: placebo (control group) and thyroid tablet 0.

Effects of ulinastatin on early postoperative cognitive function after one-lung ventilation surgery in elderly patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

We investigated the effects of ulinastatin on early postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) after one-lung ventilation (OLV) surgery in elderly patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Eighty elderly patients with preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy scheduling for radical esophagectomy under OLV were recruited. They were randomly divided into an ulinastatin pretreatment group (U group, n = 40) and a control group (C group, n = 40).

[Effects of NO3- stress on cucumber seedling growth and magnesium absorbing under suboptimal temperature].

The effects of NO3- stress on the growth and the magnesium absorption of cucumber seedlings were investigated after 1 and 14 d of suboptimal temperature [18 °C/12 °C (day/night)] treatment. The results indicated that the growth, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, Fv/Fm and ΦPSII of cucumber seedlings were significantly inhibited by NO3- stress under suboptimal temperature. The magnesium content of cucumber seedlings was also significantly decreased compared with control treatment, especially in the IV treatment (suboptimal temperature +140 mmol · L(-1) NO3- + 1 mmol · L(-1) Mg2+), and the antagonistic impact of magnesium ion absorption on the absorption of potassium and calcium ion was observed.

[Effect of remifentanil preconditioning on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury].

Objective: To investigate the delayed cardioprotection induced by remifentanil in intact rat ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) models.

Methods: Totally 42 adult male Wistar rats weighing 200-300 g were randomly divided into 7 groups (n = 6 in each group): In Group I, rats were injected with normal saline via tail vein, performed with the regimen of 3 x 5-min intravenous (i.v.

Median effective dose of remifentanil for awake laryngoscopy and intubation.

Background: Awake intubation requires an anesthetic management that provides sufficient patient safety and comfort, adequate intubating conditions, and stable hemodynamics. In this prospective clinical study, our aim was to determine the median effective dose (ED(50)) of remifentanil in combination with midazolam and airway topical anesthesia for awake laryngoscopy and intubation.

Methods: Thirty-six female adult patients, scheduled for elective plastic surgery under general anesthesia requiring orotracheal intubation were included in this study.

Clinical assessment of awake endotracheal intubation using the lightwand technique alone in patients with difficult airways.

Background: There is few study to determine whether the use of the lightwand technique alone could achieve effective, safe and successful awake endotracheal intubation (ETI), therefore we designed a prospective clinical study to systematically evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of awake ETI using the lightwand alone in patients with difficult airways.

Methods: Seventy adult patients with difficult airways were enrolled in this study. After the desired sedation with fentanyl and midazolam, airway topical anesthesia was performed with 9 ml of 2% lidocaine, which were in order sprayed in three aliquots at 5 minutes intervals into the supraglottic (two doses) and laryngotracheal areas (one dose) using a combined unit of the lightwand and MADgic atomizer.

Comparison of bolus remifentanil versus bolus fentanyl for blunting cardiovascular intubation responses in children: a randomized, double-blind study.

Background: The authors found no study to compare the efficacy of bolus dose fentanyl and remifentanil blunting the cardiovascular intubation response in children, so they designed this randomized, double-blind clinical study to assess the effects of remifentanil 2 microg/kg and fentanyl 2 microg/kg by bolus injection on the cardiovascular intubation response in healthy children.

Methods: One hundred and two children, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status 1-2 and scheduled for elective plastic surgery under general anesthesia, were randomly divided into one of two groups to receive the following treatments in a double blind manner: remifentanil 2 microg/kg (Group R) and fentanyl 2 microg/kg (Group F) when anesthesia was induced with propofol and vecuronium. The orotracheal intubation was performed using a direct laryngoscope.

Bolus dose remifentanil and sufentanil blunting cardiovascular intubation responses in children: a randomized, double-blind comparison.

Background And Objective: The present randomized controlled study was designed to compare the efficacy of remifentanil 2 microg kg(-1) and sufentanil 0.2 microg kg(-1) by bolus injection on the cardiovascular response to intubation in healthy children.

Methods: One hundred and five children, ASA 1-2 and scheduled for elective plastic surgery under general anaesthesia, were randomly divided into one of two study groups to receive the following treatments in a double-blind manner: remifentanil 2 microg kg(-1) (group R) and sufentanil 0.

Circulatory responses to nasotracheal intubation: comparison of GlideScope videolaryngoscope and Macintosh direct laryngoscope.

Background: The GlideScope videolaryngoscope (GSVL) has been shown to have no special advantage over the Macintosh direct laryngoscope (MDL) in attenuating the circulatory responses to orotracheal intubation, but no study has compared the circulatory responses to nasotracheal intubation (NTI) using the two devices. This prospective randomized clinical study was designed to determine whether there was a clinically relevant difference between the circulatory responses to NTI with the GSVL and the MDL.

Methods: Seventy-six adult patients were randomly allocated equally to the GSVL group and the MDL group.

Clinical experience of airway management and tracheal intubation under general anesthesia in patients with scar contracture of the neck.

Background: Because patients with scar contracture of the neck are at a high risk of loss of the airway control after anesthesia induction, awake intubation is usually recommended. This retrospective clinical study was designed to evaluate the possibility, safety and efficacy of airway management and tracheal intubation under general anesthesia in such patients.

Methods: This retrospective study included 1683 patients from January 1994 to December 2006 with scar contracture of the neck, aged 1.

[Comparison of cardiovascular responses between orotracheal and nasotracheal intubation with the aid of GlideScope video laryngoscope].

Objective: To compare the cardiovascular responses to orotracheal or nasotracheal intubation with the aid of GlideScope video laryngoscope (GSVL).

Methods: Sixty patients, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I, aged 16-50 years, scheduled for elective plastic surgery under general anesthesia,were randomly allocated equally to the orotracheal intubation group (OTI group) and the nasotracheal intubation group (NTI group). After the routine anesthesia induction, orotracheal and nasotracheal intubation was respectively performed with the aid of GSVL.

Hemodynamic responses to tracheal intubation with the Glidescope videolaryngoscope: a comparison of oral and nasal routes.

Background: Although there have been numerous favorable reports on the uses of the GlideScope videolaryngoscope (GSVL) in oral and nasal intubations, no study has compared the hemodynamic responses to oral and nasal intubations with the GSVL in a single clinical trial. The purpose of this randomized clinical study was to determine whether there was a clinically relevant difference between the hemodynamic responses to oral and nasal intubations with the GSVL.

Methods: A total of 71 patients, ASA physical status I, aged 18-50 years, scheduled for elective plastic surgery under general anesthesia, were randomly allocated to the oral intubation group (OI group) and the nasal intubation group (NI group).

[Influence of pressure on cricoid on insertion ProSeal laryngeal mask airway and ventilation function].

Objective: To assess the influence of cricoid pressure (CP) on insertion and ventilation function of ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA).

Methods: Fifty adult patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status category I, scheduled for elective plastic surgery were studied. After induction of intravenous anesthesia, the PLMA was inserted using an introducer under CP and the intracuff pressure was set to 60 cm H(2)O (1 cm H(2)O=0.

Effect of intrathecal NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester administration on Fos expression in the spinal dorsal horn in rats following sciatic nerve ligation.

Background: In the available literature, the pro- or antinociceptive role of nitric oxide (NO) is warmly disputed. As a marker of neuronal activation of the central nervous system, Fos expression has been widely used to assess the change in central neuronal activity evoked by peripheral input. In this study, we examined the effect of intrathecal L-NAME, a non-selective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, on nociceptive behavior and spinal Fos expression in rats following chronic constriction injury (CCI) of sciatic nerve, a model of neuropathic pain similar to that observed in clinical setting.

Assessment of small-dose fentanyl and sufentanil blunting the cardiovascular responses to laryngoscopy and intubation in children.

Background: The authors found no study assessing the efficacy of small-dose narcotics on the cardiovascular response from intubation in children, so they observed the effects of fentanyl 2 microg x kg(-1) and sufentanil 0.2 microg x kg(-1) on the cardiovascular changes during laryngoscopy and intubation in children.

Methods: Ninety-three children aged 3-9 years were randomized to one of three groups to receive the following treatments in a double-blind manner: normal saline (group C), fentanyl 2 microg x kg(-1) (group F) and sufentanil 0.