A prospective study of 2 sedation regimens in children: chloral hydrate, meperidine, and hydroxyzine versus midazolam, meperidine, and hydroxyzine.

The aim of this study was to compare both the behavioral and physiological effects of 2 drug regimens in children: chloral hydrate (CH), meperidine (M), and hydroxyzine (H) (regimen A) versus midazolam (MZ), M, and H (regimen B). Patients between 24 and 54 months of age were examined by crossover study design. Behavior was analyzed objectively by the North Carolina Behavior Rating System and subjectively through an operator and monitor success scale.

Advances in oral anti arrhythmic therapy: implications for the anaesthetist.

Surgical patients often are receiving antiarrhythmic therapy. Thus, because anaesthetic agents can affect cardiac function and may interact with concurrent antiarrhythmic medications, the anaesthetist should be aware of the electrophysiology associated with dysrhythmias and their management. Tocainide, flecainide, mexiletine, encainide and amiodarone have been introduced recently and each has an unique pattern of bioavailability, metabolism and toxicity.