Ondansetron is as effective as diphenhydramine for treatment of morphine-induced pruritus after cesarean delivery.

BACKGROUND: Subarachnoid (SA) morphine, highly effective for the management of pain after a cesarean delivery, is associated with a significant incidence of pruritus in up to 80% of patients. No previous study has compared the effectiveness of ondansetron (5-HT(3) antagonist) vs. diphenhydramine (H(1) receptor blocker) for the treatment of this side effect. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind study, 113 patients with a pruritus score 3 or 4 (1=absent; 2=mild, no treatment required; 3=moderate pruritus, treatment required; and 4=severe pruritus) after SA morphine 0.2 mg were assigned to group ondansetron, which received 4 mg intravenously (i.v.) ondansetron, and group diphenhydramine, which received 25 mg i.v. diphenhydramine. Patients who continued to have pruritus > or =3, 30 min after the study drug were considered treatment failures and were treated with naloxone 0.04 mg i.v. repeatedly, as well as patients who relapsed. Pain scores, nausea, vomiting, and sedation were determined before and 30 min after the study drugs were administered. Patients were followed up for 24 h. RESULTS: The success rate was comparable between the two groups [40/57 (70%) and 38/56 (70%), P=0.79, in group ondansetron and group diphenhydramine, respectively]. Among the successfully treated patients, the recurrence rates of moderate to severe pruritus were 11/40 (28%) in group ondansetron and 13/38 (35%) in group diphenhydramine, P=0.52. The side effect profile was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Ondansetron is as effective as diphenhydramine in relieving pruritus caused by SA morphine in patients undergoing a cesarean delivery. However, up to 50% of patients required naloxone either for primary failure or for recurrence.

Addition of ketamine to propofol for initiation of procedural anesthesia in children reduces propofol consumption and preserves hemodynamic stability.

BACKGROUND: There is no ideal anesthesia protocol to perform short invasive procedures in pediatric oncology. The combination of propofol and ketamine may offer advantages over propofol alone. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized, double-blind study, we analyzed 63 consecutive procedures performed in 47 oncology children. All patients received 1 mug/kg fentanyl, followed by propofol 1 mg/kg in group P (n=33) or propofol 0.5 mg/kg and ketamine 0.5 mg/kg in group PK (n=30) for the initiation of anesthesia. The need for supplementation with propofol and/or fentanyl to maintain an adequate level of anesthesia was recorded. The hemodynamic and respiratory profile, recovery time and the occurrence of side effects were compared. RESULTS: Significantly more children required propofol (100% vs. 83.3%) and fentanyl (75.5% vs. 43.3%) rescue doses, and developed hypotension (63.6% vs. 23.4%) and bradycardia (48.5 vs. 23.4%) in group P compared with group PK, with a comparable incidence of respiratory adverse events and recovery times. However, 40% of children in group PK were agitated following recovery compared with 6% in group P. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of propofol and ketamine for invasive procedures in pediatric oncology resulted in reduced propofol and fentanyl consumption and preserved hemodynamic stability, but more children in the combination group recovered with agitation.

Supplementation of pre-oxygenation in morbidly obese patients using nasopharyngeal oxygen insufflation.

During apnoea following induction of anaesthesia, morbidly obese patients may suffer a rapid decrease in oxygen saturation. This study compares pre-oxygenation alone with pre-oxygenation followed by nasopharyngeal oxygen insufflation on the onset of desaturation occurring during the subsequent apnoea. A randomised controlled trial was performed in 34 morbidly obese patients undergoing gastric bypass or gastric band surgery. Seventeen patients received nasopharyngeal oxygen supplementation following pre-oxygenation (Study group, body mass index = 41.8 (6.9) kg.m(-2)), and the other 17 patients received pre-oxygenation alone (Control group, body mass index = 42.7 (5.4) kg.m(-2)). Time from the onset of apnoea until S(p)o(2) fell to 95% was compared between the two groups with a cut-off of 4 min. In the control group, the S(p)o(2) fell from 100% to 95% during the subsequent apnoea in 145 (27) s, with a significantly negative correlation (r(2) = 0.66, p < 0.05) between the time to desaturation to 95% and the body mass index. In the study group, the S(p)o(2) was maintained in 16 of 17 patients at 100% for 4 min when apnoea was terminated. In conclusion, nasopharyngeal oxygen insufflation following pre-oxygenation in morbidly obese patients delays the onset of oxyhaemoglobin desaturation during the subsequent apnoea.

Nasopharyngeal oxygen insufflation following pre-oxygenation using the four deep breath technique.

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of nasopharyngeal oxygen insufflation following preoxygenation using the four deep breath technique within 30 s, on the onset of haemoglobin desaturation during the subsequent apnoea. Thirty ASA I or II patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups. In the study group (n = 15), pre-oxygenation was followed by insufflation of oxygen at a flow of 5 l.min(-1) via a nasopharyngeal catheter commenced at the onset of apnoea. In the control group, pre-oxygenation was not followed by nasopharyngeal oxygen insufflation (n = 15). In the control group, SpO2 fell to 95% within a mean (SD) apnoea time of 3.65 (1.15) min, whereas in the study group, SpO2 was maintained in all patients at 100% throughout the 6 min of apnoea, at which point apnoea was terminated and positive pressure ventilation commenced. We conclude that nasopharyngeal oxygen insufflation following pre-oxygenation using the four deep breath technique can delay the onset of haemoglobin desaturation for a significant period of time during the subsequent apnoea.