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The concept of postoperative acute rehabilitation was introduced to accelerate postoperative recovery and improve outcome. We investigated whether intravenous lidocaine infusion, which decreases postoperative pain and speeds the return of bowel function, can be used instead of epidural analgesia in an acute rehabilitation protocol for patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy.Twenty eight consecutive patients scheduled for laparoscopic colectomy were prospectively included in this case series study. Segmental colectomy was performed only for benign pathology. Intraoperative opioid use was restricted. After a bolus injection of lidocaine 1.5 mg x kg(-1), an infusion (2 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1), i.v.) was started before pneumoperitoneum. Balanced analgesia was used to reduce postoperative opioid consumption. Patients were allowed to drink 6 h postoperatively. The day after surgery, patients were allowed to eat a normal breakfast. Enforced mobilisation and ambulation were required from the patients. Our goal was to discharge patients within 3 days after surgery. Postoperative pain was measured. Time to first flatus, defecation, and hospital discharge were recorded.Mean postoperative pain at rest and mobilisation remained below 30 mm on a 100 mm visual analogue scale. Time to first flatus, defecation, and hospital discharge were 29 +/- 13 h, 38 +/- 13 h, and 3.0 +/- 1.0 days, respectively.Acute rehabilitation after laparoscopic colectomy using i.v. lidocaine gives similar outcomes to those reported using epidural analgesia.

Supplemental intra-operative oxygen (80%) halves the incidence of nausea and vomiting after open and laparoscopic abdominal surgery, perhaps by ameliorating the subtle intestinal ischemia associated with abdominal surgery. It is unlikely that thyroid surgery compromises intestinal perfusion. We therefore tested the hypothesis that supplemental perioperative oxygen does not reduce the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after thyroidectomy. As a positive control, we simultaneously evaluated the anti-nausea efficacy of droperidol. One hundred and fifty patients undergoing thyroidectomy were given sevoflurane anaesthesia. After induction, patients were randomly assigned to the following treatments: 1) 30% oxygen, balance nitrogen; 2) 80% oxygen, balance nitrogen; or 3) 30% oxygen with droperidol 0.625 mg. The overall incidence of nausea during the first 24 postoperative hours was 48% in the patients given 30% oxygen, 46% in those given 80% oxygen, and 22% in those given droperidol (P = 0.004). There were no significant differences between the 30% and 80% oxygen groups in incidence or severity of PONV, the need for rescue anti-emetics, or patient satisfaction. Droperidol significantly shortened the time to first meal. Supplemental oxygen was ineffective in preventing nausea and vomiting after thyroidectomy, but droperidol halved the incidence.

The study was designed to characterise the emergence from target-controlled anesthesia assessed by the recovery of spontaneous breathing, eye opening to command, and extubation in 18 adult patients undergoing intracranial surgery. Total intravenous anesthesia was induced and maintained with propofol and sufentanil. Target plasma concentration of propofol ranged between 3.0 and 5.5 micrograms.ml-1 and infusion was stopped after head dressing. The initial target plasma sufentanil concentration of 0.50 ng.ml-1 was decreased to 0.15 ng.ml-1 after craniotomy; sufentanil infusion was discontinued at the dura closure. The time from the end of surgery (head dressing) to recovery of spontaneous breathing was 8.3 +/- 6.5 min, and the time to eye opening and extubation was 14.7 +/- 10.0 min. At the end of surgery, the calculated plasma propofol concentration was 3.42 +/- 0.26 micrograms.ml-1. It significantly decreased to 2.11 +/- 0.51 micrograms.ml-1 at recovery of spontaneous breathing and to 1.81 +/- 0.41 micrograms.ml-1 at eye opening and extubation. The calculated plasma sufentanil concentration was 0.108 +/- 0.019 ng.ml-1 at the end of surgery but did not change significantly between recovery of spontaneous breathing (0.089 +/- 0.013 ng.ml-1), eye opening and extubation (0.087 +/- 0.013 ng.ml-1). The calculated plasma propofol concentrations recorded at emergence were not correlated with patient age, total dose of propofol, and duration of infusion; corresponding calculated sufentanil concentrations were not correlated with age and total dose of sufentanil. An inverse relationship (p0.05) was found between the duration of sufentanil infusion and the calculated sufentanil concentrations at emergence. No correlation was observed between calculated concentrations of propofol and sufentanil at emergence.

Computer based instrumentation for continuous monitoring of airway flow, pressure, O2 and CO2 concentration offers an improved noninvasive management technique for patients on mechanical ventilators. Computation of these basic signals provides routinely the following measurements: respiratory rate, tidal volume in and out, minute ventilation, positive end-expiratory pressure, mean airway pressure, inspiration-expiration ra measurements, except for O2 consumption and partially for tco2 production. The system works as a monitor of the respirator (detection of malfunction) and as a monitor of the lung function of the patient. It is particularly useful when adjusting the respirator and at time of weaning a patient from the respirator. These maneuvers can be made more safely because they are based on objective measurements and followed by immediate new sets of data. Defining the optimal values of tidal volume and positive end-expiratory pressure has been simplified by the use of pressure-volume plots. A "fighting", is now used as a measure of the severity of "fighting", that is of the effort of the patient to breathe spontaneously while being ventilated. It can detect fighting before it is diagnosed clinically and so can provide a warning that significant physiological changes will occur unless the fighting is controlled. New information about the distribution of ventilation-perfusion ratio can be derived from the expired concentration curve for CO2. Quantitative measurement of the distribution of ventilation shows a very close correlation with clinical events and can be carried out automatically during the normal routine of care of the patient. These on-line quantitative measurements, with the immediate reporting of results, appear to make a positive contribution to patient care.

We have studied 45 patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Pathological studies were performed on 30 open lung biopsies and 15 autopsies. Concomitantly the physiologic characteristics of the hypoxemia in response to different inspired oxygen fraction (FIO2) and Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) were determined. These studies allowed categorization of ARDS into 3 groups. Group I had the most severe hypoxemia and a severe fixed shunt at all PEEP and FIO2. Pathologically, there was extensive acute edema, hemorrhage, and exudation to the point of consolidation. Group II had less severe hypoxemia which improved moderately but slowly in response to PEEP and shunt increased with decrease in FIO2 indicating diffusion disturbances or severe ventilation-perfusion abnormalities. Pathology showed severe fribrosis. Group III had least hypoxia which rapidly and markedly improved with PEEP. Shunt also increased with decrease in FIO2. Pathology showed acute changes similar to but less severe than group I. Prognosis was best for group III with 10 of 21 long term survivors (one after ECMO or extracorporeal membrane exygenation). In group I only 2 of 11 survived after prolonged periods of ECMO. In group II, 3 of 13 survived (one required ECMO) with satisfactory pulmonary function despite biopsy evidence of severe fibrosis during the acute illness. These pathological and physiologic studies are useful to better understand ARDS, to optimize respiratory care and for prognosis.