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Objectives: Absorption of the fluid used for bladder irrigation during transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) may disturb the circulatory system and lead to clinical symptoms known as the transurethral resection syndrome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in electrolytes in patients who had undergone TURP. Methods: For all the cases with benign prostatic hypertrophy enrolled in the present study, TURP was performed as recommended in Miller's Anesthesia, the sixth edition. Sterile water was used as an irrigating fluid for bladder washing. Laboratory tests were performed before and immediately after the surgery. Results: No statistically significant changes were reported in the serum sodium, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and hematocrit. The most common complications were hypotension (8.3%), hypertension (7.8%), nausea (6.4%), and vomiting (2.8%). Hyponatremia, decreased hematocrit, and increased blood urea nitrogen/creatinine were rarely reported (2.5, 1.0, and 0.9%, respectively). Conclusion: Sterile water has been shown to be a safe irrigating fluid for TURF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of difficult laryngoscopy is reported in the range of 1.5% to 20%. We hypothesized that there is a close association between the occurrence of difficult laryngoscopy and the height between the anterior borders of the mentum and thyroid cartilage, while the patient lies supine with her/his mouth closed. We have termed this the "thyromental height test" (TMHT). Our aim in this study was to determine its utility in predicting difficult laryngoscopy., Methods: Three hundred fourteen consecutive male and female patients aged ≥ 16 years scheduled to undergo general anesthesia were invited to participate. Airway assessments were performed with the modified Mallampati test, thyromental distance and sternomental distance, and TMHT in the preoperative clinic. Afterward, Cormack and Lehane grade of laryngoscopy views was assessed during intubation. The laryngoscopist was unaware of airway assessments. As a primary end point, the validity and prediction indexes for the TMHT were calculated. Calculation of validity indexes for the 3 other methods of airway assessment was a secondary objective of this study., Results: The optimal sensitivity and specificity values were in the range of 47.46 to 51.02 mm. To facilitate clinical application, a cutoff value equal to 50 mm was chosen. TMHT was more accurate than the other tests (all P < 0.0001)., Conclusions: The TMHT appears to be a more accurate predictor of difficult laryngoscopy than the existing anatomical measurements.

Background: The GlideScope (Saturn Biomedical Systems, B.C., Canada) is a reusable videolaryngoscope and is considered an effective device for tracheal intubation. We designed this study to evaluate the application of this device in nasogastric tube (NGT) insertion., Methods: This randomized clinical trial was performed at a teaching hospital on 80 adult patients who required intraoperative placement of an NGT. The patients were divided into 2 groups (the control and the GlideScope group) using computerized, random allocation software. In the control group, the NGT was inserted blindly as commonly performed in operating rooms; however, in the GlideScope group, the tube was inserted with the assistance of a GlideScope. The number of attempts for NGT insertion and the time required for inserting the NGT properly along with the occurrence of possible complications were recorded., Results: The mean intubation time in the GlideScope group was 27.7 +/- 20.7 s shorter than that in the control group. NGT insertion in the first attempt was successful in approximately 85% of the patients in the GlideScope group; in the control group, however, the tubes were inserted successfully after the first attempt in 57.5% of the patients. Complications were reported in 14 patients (35%) of the control group and 8 patients (20%) of the GlideScope group., Conclusion: GlideScope facilitates NGT insertion and reduces the duration of the procedure.