To evaluate the accuracy of two non-invasive techniques for cardiac output (CO) measurement, we have measured CO simultaneously by thoracic electrical bioimpedance (TEB), pulsed Doppler ultrasound (DU) and standard thermodilution methods (TD) under different clinical conditions. Measurements were made in 10 patients: (I) during steady state anaesthesia with controlled IPPV ventilation (n = 131), spread over the entire ventilatory cycle; (II) during apnoea (n = 56); (III) during spontaneous breathing (n = 152) in the intensive care unit. Mean (SD) cardiac output values were: (I) COTD 3.5 (1.0) litre min-1, COTEB 3.4 (0.7) litre min-1, CODU 2.8 (0.7) litre min-1; (II) COTD 3.6 (0.6) litre min-1, COTEB 3.5 (0.4) litre min-1, CODU 2.9 (0.7) litre min-1; (III) COTD 7.7 (1.5) litre min-1, COTEB 7.6 (1.9) litre min-1, CODU 5.2 (1.4) litre min-1. The mean percentage deviation of TEB from TD ranged from -2.2% to 1.4% and that of DU from TD was from -16% to -32%. There were no statistically significant differences between TD and TEB, but TD and DU differed significantly during IPPV, apnoea and spontaneous ventilation (P < 0.0001).

No abstract

Since children's intellectual perception is limited, the preoperative visit by an anesthesiologist alone can rarely help to free the small patients from fear and restlessness prior to elective surgery. In order to relieve anxiety which should be the primary goal of premedication in any patient - children need anxiolytic premedication agents. Drugs for premedication administered by intramuscular or rectal route in children often cause pain, fear and discomfort. The present study was performed in order to investigate oral given midazolam in the premedication of children with special regard to the practical suitability of this method. 100 children, 0.5 to 10 years of age (group A: 0.5-4 years, group B: 5-10 years) undergoing elective urological surgery received 0.4 mg/kg midazolam orally about 20 minutes prior to the arrival in the operation unit. After insertion of a venous cannula into a forearm vein anesthesia was induced with thiopental and maintained by inhalation with Isoflurane, nitrous oxide and oxygen (fi O2:0.3). Degree of sedation, state of mind and behaviour (for 100 children) as well as blood pressure and heart rate (separately for group A and B) were registered preoperatively at defined, comparable and representative circumstances. Side effects prior and during induction phase of anesthesia were documented. The personal data are representative for a normal population of children with typical urological diseases. Oral administered midazolam had only a mild or non sedative effect in 76-84% of the children 70-84% of the small patients showed an indifferent or euphoric state of mind and 67-88% behaved cooperatively or passively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

After administration of a therapeutic dose, urapidil permeates the BBB and may interact with central 5-HT1A-receptors.

The effects of different conditions during mechanical ventilation on the accuracy of thoracic electrical bioimpedance compared to the standard thermodilution method were evaluated in 12 adult men and women undergoing neurosurgical removal of intracranial tumors or aneurysms. Measurements were made (1) at fixed points of the ventilatory cycle and (2) spread over the entire ventilatory cycle with a low respiratory rate and a high tidal volume and with a high respiratory rate and low tidal volume. There was no significant difference in cardiac output measurements for all conditions (total(TD) = 3.72 liters/min and total(TEB) = 3.69 liters/min with a mean difference of 0.85% for all conditions). In conclusion, thoracic electrical bioimpedance is an appropriate method for measuring cardiac output during different conditions of mechanical ventilation.