Rectal indomethacin was compared with placebo in a randomised, double-blind study of 100 patients undergoing spinal surgery, in which postoperative pain scores, pethidine, diazepam and metoclopramide consumption, bleeding time, blood loss and oral fluid and food tolerance were measured. Side-effects of indomethacin and pethidine were compared in the two groups. In the indomethacin group, pain scores were significantly less for all measurements made during the first three postoperative days, pethidine and diazepam consumption were significantly less on all three days, bleeding time was significantly increased, although still within the clinically normal range, intraoperative and postoperative blood losses were not significantly affected, coagulation was not significantly impaired as assessed clinically, patients tolerated oral feeding significantly earlier, there was no significant increase in the incidence of gastro-intestinal side-effects except for diarrhoea, and there was no significant reduction in the incidence of side-effects associated with the use of pethidine.
The management of a patient with Pheochromocytoma is reported. Consideration of pre-operative preparation, hazards of beta-blocking agents in the absence of alpha blockade, potential hazards of butyrophenones, control of arterial blood pressure with sodium nitroprusside and the usefulness of continuous pulmonary artery wedge pressure monitoring are discussed.
The infusion of ascitic fluid from the peritoneal cavity into the central venous circulation may relieve massive intractible ascites, and improve renal function when hepatorenal syndrome is present. Preoperative preparation of these patients includes investigation of hepatic, renal, pulmonary, cardiac and neurological function, correction of electrolyte and coagulation abnormalities, restoration of normal fluid balance and the provision of supplemental vitamins and calories. Premedication is achieved with an oral benzodiazepine or an intramuscular injection of a narcotic agent. General anaesthesia is provided by thiopentone, suxamethonium, nitrous oxide, oxygen, pancuronium and a narcotic, with intermittent positive pressure ventilation. Close monitoring of cardiac, respiratory and renal function is imperative perioperatively. Postoperatively, supervision in an Intensive Care Unit is advised as complications such as cardiac failure, septicaemia and disseminated intravascular coagulation may occur.
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