Eye hue and the oculocardiac reflex.

During operations for squint nodal rhythm and other more serious arrhythmias such as heart block and multifocal ventricular extrasystoles, as well as the oculocardiac reflex, are shown to occur more frequently in patients with brown or hazel eyes than in patients with blue or grey eyes.

Postoperative analgesia using continuous infusion of papaveretum.

A technique of postoperative analgesia using continuous intravenous papaveretum with a dosage derived from previous intravenous titration is described. Hourly pain scores, pulse and respiration rates, and blood pressure readings were recorded. The patients were followed up until discharge from hospital. The nature and incidence of various complications were noted.

Postoperative gastric aspirations reduced by glycopyrrolate during upper abdominal surgery.

Glycopyrrolate is shown to reduce the incidence of large volumes (more than 40 ml) of postoperative gastric contents, but not the pH, after major abdominal operations and reduce the consequent risk of regurgitation. It should be preferred to atropine during these procedures.

Postoperative analgesia using papaveretum and orphenadrine. A preliminary trial.

The action of orphenadrine when given towards the end of a general anaesthetic is described. It is shown to delay the need for postoperative analgesia and extend the analgesic action of papaveretum.

Relief of pain after surgery. A comparison of sublingual buprenorphine and intramuscular papaveretum.

Sublingual buprenorphine (0.4 mg) and intramuscular papaveretum (20 mg) were compared in sixty patients after abdominal hysterectomy. Though slower in onset of effect the sublingual tablets proved effective for pain relief and appeared to have a longer duration of action. The only side-effects of note were nausea and vomiting which occurred after both treatments. Haloperidol was tried as a long acting antiemetic and appeared successful.

Use of propanidid and lignocaine to modify the increase in serum potassium concentration following injection of suxamethonium.

A technique of general anaesthesia involving the use of propanidid, nitrous oxide, oxygen and halothane followed by a slow injection of suxamethonium and lignocaine is described. The technique decreased the increase in serum potassium concentration that follows the injection of suxamethonium and, it is suggested, possesses advantages over the existing practice of the injection of non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs before suxamethonium in an attempt to reduce the frequency of serious cardiac arrhythmia.

A simple mask for nitrous oxide and oxygen analgesia.

The construction and use of a disposable mask for post-operative nitrous oxide and oxygen analgesia are described.

The use of propanidid and lignocaine to reduce suxamethonium fasciculations.

A technique of induction of anaesthesia using propanidid, lignocaine and suxamethonium is described, and the muscle fasciculations that follow it are shown to be significantly less than those accompanying induction with methohexitone and suxamethonium.

Hyoscine butylbromide: a useful premedicant.

The actions of intravenous hyoscine butylbromide (Buscopan) and atropine sulphate on reduction of upper respiratory tract secretions during anaesthesia are compared. Hyoscine butylbromide has a significantly more powerful action.

Oral premedication: diazepam, metoclopramide and a drink.

A technique of premiedication using oral diazepam and metoclopramide with a drink is described and shown to provide better sedation and less vomiting than pethidine and atropine given intramuscularly without a drink to a group of similar patients.

Doxapram after general anaesthesia. Its role in stopping shivering during recovery.

A group of patients who developed postoperative shivering after receiving inhalational anaesthesia were assigned, at random, to receive either doxapram or a placebo under double-blind conditions. A significantly higher proportion of patients stopped shivering after being given doxapram than after the placebo.

Hypglycaemia in paediatric anaesthesia: The influence of metoclopramide and oral maltose in paediatric surgical patients.

A safe and effective way to prevent the development of hypoglycaemia in young children during general anaesthesia is to give drinks sweetened with maltose 2 hours before operation. Metoclopramide (Maxolon) is injected intramuscularly to hasten absorption. The postoperative blood sugar in the maltose-treated group (28 patients) was 100+/-22-21 mg/ml (5-5+/-1-232 mmol/litre) and significantly higher ( P less than 0-0005) than in the starved group (22 patients).