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Biomedical subjects

J Gjessing

Publications and source records attributed to J Gjessing.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Protection against acid pulmonary aspiration with cimetidine.

Gastric pH values were studied prior to, and up to, ninety minutes after an intravenous injection of cimetidine 200 mg given before general anaesthesia, in twenty surgical patients, all with a gastric pH less than 3.5. At thirty, sixty and ninety minutes, sixteen, eighteen and twenty patients had a gastric pH greater than 3.5 respectively. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that cimetidine 200 mg given intravenously 90 minutes before surgery will reduce the hazard of chemical pneumonitis should stomach content be aspirated.

Anesthesia, General↗

Postoperative pain control with intrathecal morphine.

A clinical study of the use of intrathecal morphine in two groups of surgical patients, 32 in all, showed that the morphine provided very powerful and prolonged analgesia with little disturbance of cerebral function. When combined with a spinal block it did not interfere with the action of the spinal anaesthetic. When combined with a relaxant technique of anaesthesia some persistent curarisation was seen. The only complication to emerge from the study was respiratory depression which could be very delayed in its offset. The depression was sufficient to induce carbon dioxide narcosis in two patients. It is suggested that the dose of intrathecal morphine in the very elderly should be very severely restricted as they appeared to be unduly sensitive to the respiratory depressant effect of morphine when given intrathecally.

Adult↗

Hypercapnia and hyperkalaemia.

Studies in patients undergoing peritoneal laparoscopy, in which carbon dioxide was used as insufflating gas, showed that artificial hyperventilation was an effective means of preventing serious hypercapnia. The hypercapnia caused a rapid hyperkalaemia and there was a linear relationship between the two. Reversal of the hypercapnia caused the serum potassium to fall towards normal but the speed of this fall did not match the speed of reduction in Paco2. It is suggested that the changes in serum potassium following changes in Paco2 may have some clinical relevance in potassium-depicted patients.

Adult↗

Balanced regional analgesia--an hypothesis.

An hypothesis is advanced, based upon observation of patients undergoing selected types of regional analgesic blocks, that total patient care during any regional analgesic technique consists of maintaining a balance of local analgesia, tranquillity and the use of a centrally acting analgesic. The latter is required to relieve non-specific distress unrelated to the operation which appears to be caused by a disturbance of sensory input to the cerebral cortex, possibly the proprioceptive input. A small group of patients will not respond to any sedation accompanying regional analgesia and need general anaesthesia. It is suggested that failure to appreciate all three parts of this triad may contribute to uncertainty of patient control during regional block.

Anesthesia, Conduction↗

An unusual solvent.

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Anesthesia, Epidural↗

Intravenous sedation and regional analgesia.

A double-blind study of 229 patients with the use of intravenous diazepam as compared with a placebo to produce sedation during local analgesia showed that significantly improved sedation occurred when diazepam was used. The diazepam was dissolved in cremophor and this reduced the pain of intravenous injection of the diazepam. One patient who received Cremophor only, showed a moderately severe allergic reaction. It is suggested that a small test dose should always be given before giving any drug which is dissolved in Cremophor.

Adolescent↗

A possible means of rapid cooling in the emergency treatment of malignant hyperpyrexia.

A possible means of rapid cooling in the emergency treatment of malignant hyperpyrexia, peritoneal dialysis using a cold dialysate, is described. Experimental observations in a young man on a regular peritoneal dialysis regime showed that significant heat extraction can be obtained when either a cool (20 degrees C) or cold (9 degrees C) dialysis fluid is used. The maximum heat exchange observed was 17.5 kJ/min when 2 litre of cold dialysis was instilled for a mean time of 10 min. This rate of heat exchange is within the 10--40 kJ/min range of excess heat production that occurs in malignant hyperpyrexia. Since peritoneal dialysis is, technically, a very quick and simple procedure, it is suggested that it might play a very useful role in the emergency treatment of malignant hyperpyrexia. The dialysis treatment would also correct some of the biochemical disturbances that occur in this condition.

Anesthesia, General↗

Acute appendicitis and continuous peritoneal lavage.

In a series of 117 patients of all ages who were found to have acute appendicitis with perforation, it was found that continuous peritoneal lavage started immediately after appendicectomy had a significant effect in reducing the morbidity and complication rate of this condition. The treatment lasted on average 18 hours and approximately 40 litres of dialysate were used per patients. Treatment was continued until the effluent was macroscopically clean.

Acute Disease↗

Diagnostic abdominal paracentesis.

Diagnostic abdominal paracentesis was performed in 43 patients in whom the diagnosis was uncertain. It was found to be particularly useful in abdominal pain resulting from trauma. In 12 patients the findings led to their being spared a laparotomy while in several other patients they led to very early diagnosis of the lesion responsible enabling early surgical treatment to be undertaken. A false-negative result was obtained in only one patient. It is concluded that diagnostic abdominal paracentesis is an extremely reliable diagnostic aid and can lead to improved surgical care of the patient with atypical acute abdominal pain.

Abdomen↗