[Evaluation of 13 cases of upper airway obstruction caused by laryngeal mask ProSeal, improved by other types of laryngeal mask airway].

Background: Although the cases of upper airway obstruction with ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA) during spontaneous respiration were reported, the structural comparison with other types of laryngeal mask are not known. We thus examined the relationship between upper airway obstruction and the structure of laryngeal mask.

Methods: With approval of the human research committee at Kawanishi City Hospital, and written informed consent, we enrolled 27 patients scheduled for elective surgery.

Anesthesia for pancreatoduodenectomy in a patient with history of coronary artery bypass graft surgery: determination of optimal surgical management by the graft clamping test.

We report a case of a 72-year-old man undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy, who had a history of coronary artery bypass graft surgery using the right gastroepiploic artery. We intraoperatively used the graft clamping test, which was assessed via electrocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography, to verify patency of the right gastroepiploic artery graft. Because the graft clamping test was positive, first, we interposed the saphenous vein graft between the splenic artery and right coronary artery.

Oral clonidine premedication reduces minimum alveolar concentration of sevoflurane for laryngeal mask airway insertion in children.

Background: Sevoflurane is widely employed for inhalational induction in children. Clonidine deepens volatile anesthetics and reduces several types of MAC of sevoflurane. Laryngeal mask airway is a useful device for pediatric anesthesia.

[Anesthetic management for Cesarean section in a patient with left ventricular noncompaction].

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a rare disease characterized by heart failure, arrhythmia, and embolic events. We report anesthetic management of a pregnant woman with LVNC. At 24 weeks gestation of the first pregnancy, the patient was scheduled for Cesarean section.

Oral clonidine does not change ventilatory response to carbon dioxide in sevoflurane-anesthetized children.

Background: Clonidine is a useful premedicant for pediatric anesthesia. The drug has potential for ventilatory depression. The aim of the current study was to determine the effects of clonidine premedication on the ventilatory response to hypercapnia during sevoflurane anesthesia using the carbon dioxide (CO(2)) steady state method.

The effects of enflurane, isoflurane, and intravenous anesthetics on rat diaphragmatic function and fatigability.

Unlabelled: We examined the effect of isoflurane, enflurane, midazolam, ketamine, propofol, and thiopental on diaphragmatic functions under unfatigued and fatigued conditions in 228 rat isolated muscle strips. Diaphragmatic twitch characteristics and tetanic contractions were measured before and after muscle fatigue, which was induced by repetitive tetanic contraction with or without exposure to one of the anesthetics at clinically relevant plasma concentrations, and at 10 and 100 times this concentration, or at 1, 2, and 3 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration (MAC). Isoflurane, midazolam, ketamine, propofol, and thiopental did not induce a direct inotropic or lusitropic effect under unfatigued and fatigued conditions.

Accuracy of visual estimation of body height and weight in supine paediatric patients.

Background: When it is impossible to measure the weight and height of paediatric patients, these are usually estimated. We undertook this study to see how accurate these estimates are in practice.

Methods: Five observers estimated body height and weight, and subsequently calculated body surface area, in 48 paediatric inpatients who were lying on surgical ward trolleys.

The efficacy of lafutidine in improving preoperative gastric fluid property: a comparison with ranitidine and rabeprazole.

Acid aspiration syndrome remains a potentially critical perioperative complication. We compared lafutidine, ranitidine, and rabeprazole for reduction of preoperative gastric fluid acidity and volume in elective surgery and found that these variables were minimized with a single morning dose of lafutidine 20 mg compared with ranitidine or rabeprazole. Preoperative oral lafutidine may be an alternative to ranitidine as a prophylaxis against aspiration pneumonia.

Efficacy of clonidine for prevention of perioperative myocardial ischemia: a critical appraisal and meta-analysis of the literature.

Background: There is a belief that clonidine may be effective in reducing perioperative myocardial ischemic events, although the results of several trials are conflicting. The aim of the current study was to provide a systematic review of randomized controlled trials that tested the efficacy of clonidine in this regard.

Methods: Data was collected from a MEDLINE search of English-language studies published from 1980 to 1999 and a manual search of bibliographies from retrieved articles.