Objectives. Most patients are managed on the intensive care unit (ICU) after elective open aortic surgery. We preoperatively identify patients suitable for extubation in theatre with overnight management in theatre recovery before discharge back to the ward (overnight intensive recovery (OIR)). The safety of this was investigated. Design. Retrospective case note analysis of all patients who underwent EOAS from 1998 to 2002, recording in-hospital morbidity and mortality. Physiological and operative severity score for the enUmeration of mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) data were collected prospectively. Methods. Patients were divided into those selected for OIR and those booked for elective ICU admission. Observed morbidity and mortality data were compared with predicted outcomes generated by Portsmouth-POSSUM and POSSUM equations.Results. Hundred and fifty-two out of 178 patients used OIR; 155 patients had abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. The elective ICU group had significantly higher anaesthetic risk scores (ASA grade), larger AAA, greater intraoperative blood loss and longer operations. In the OIR group, ten patients (7%) needed ICU admission within 48 h postoperatively. Complications occurred in 85/152, with two deaths. There was no excess morbidity or mortality in the OIR group (predicted 95% CI 83-105 and 5-17, respectively). Conclusion. Most patients having elective open aortic surgery can be managed safely using OIR.
The plasma concentration-time profiles of meperidine following intravenous injection in surgical patients and volunteers were investigated by reference to a classical two-compartment open model. Physiologic characteristics of the subject and variables associated with the surgery and anesthesia were screened as determinants of the kinetic patterns observed. When meperidine administration preceded induction of anesthesia, induction was consistently followed by an increase in venous plasma concentrations that prevented classical kinetic analysis. To facilitate calculations in subsequent studies in patients, meperidine injections were made following induction of anesthesia. Type of anesthesia or premedication, patients' sex, or cigarette smoking did not appear to be important factors in this evaluation. Increasing alcohol consumption was associated with increasing volumes of distribution. Increasing age was associated with increasing fraction of drug unbound in plasma. These factors may relate directly to clinical observations that heavy alcohol consumers tend to be more refractory to central nervous system (CNS) depressants and that elderly patients are more susceptible to respiratory depression from narcotics.
Plasma concentrations of pethidine following i.m. gluteal injection were measured in surgical patients and volunteers. The mean plasma concentrations tended to be higher in the patients than in the volunteers; this may be a result of a slower initial absorption rate. At least 80% of the dose was absorbed from the injection site over the 6-hr period of the study. Fluctuations in plasma pethidine concentration were observed, probably caused by variations in local and systemic blood flow. This effect was more noticeable in the patient group. In general, the time-course of subjective effects in volunteers could be related to maximum plasma pethidine concentrations. However, patients appeared to be less sensitive to these effects at similar plasma drug concentrations, possibly because of catecholamine-mediated stimulus, suggesting that plasma concentrations may be a poor guide to the clinical response in patient-volunteer comparison.
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