This study was designed to determine the effects of pre-warming on core body temperature (CBT) and hemodynamics from the induction of spinal anesthesia until 30 min postoperatively in surgical patients who undergo total hip replacement under spinal anesthesia. Our goal was to assess postoperative shivering and inflammatory response.

Sixty-two surgical patients were recruited by informed notice. Data for this study were collected at a 1,300-bed university hospital in Incheon, South Korea from January 15 through November 15, 2013. Data on CBT, systemic blood pressure (SBP), and heart rate were measured from arrival in the pre-anesthesia room to 3 hours after the induction of spinal anesthesia. Shivering was measured for 30 minutes post-operatively. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were measured pre-operatively, and 1 and 2 days postoperatively. The 62 patients were randomly allocated to an experimental group (EG), which underwent pre-warming for 30 minutes, or a control group (CG), which did not undergo pre-warming.

Analysis of CBT from induction of spinal anesthesia to 3 hours after induction revealed significant interaction between group and time (F=3.85, p=.008). In addition, the incidence of shivering in the EG was lower than that in the CG (χ²=6.15, p=.013). However, analyses of SBP, heart rate, CRP, and ESR did not reveal significant interaction between time and group.

Pre-warming for 30 minutes is effective in increasing CBT 2 and 3 hours after induction of spinal anesthesia. In addition, pre-warming is effective in decreasing post-operative shivering.

This study was performed to identify changes in blood glucose at preoperative fasting time in surgical patients over 60 yr.

Data collection was performed from July, 2008 through July, 2009. Participants consisted of 80 nondiabetic surgical patients. Blood glucose was checked from 3 to 5 times. The 5 times were 2-hr fasting on the pre-operative day (T1, n=80), 8 hr (T2, n=80), 10 hr (T3, n=17), 12 hr (T4, n=34) and 14 hr fasting on the day of the operation (T5, n=29).

Of the patients, 27.5% had a blood glucose level of less than 79 mg/dL at T2; 17.6% at T3; 32.4% at T4; and 17.2% at T5. Mean blood glucose levels were 93.8 mg/dL at T1; 88.4 mg/dL at T2; 91.7 mg/dL at T3; 87.4 mg/dL at T4: and 94.1 mg/dL at T5. Blood glucose was the lowest at T2 (p<.001).

As 17.6-32.4% of the patients showed the blood glucose level of less than 79 mg/dL at 8-14 hr pre-operative fasting, the authors recommend that surgical patients >60 yr-of-age be observed for hypoglycemia during pre-operative fasting of more than 10 hr and that surgical patients >60 yr-of-age with risks for hypoglycemia be scheduled for operation within 10 hr preoperative fasting.

This study was performed to identify effects of pneumoperitoneum on hemodynamic changes of hypertensive patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy under general anesthesia.

Data collection was done from January 2 to June 10, 2008. Seventy-six patients, including 38 hypertensive patients, who had taken antihypertensive drugs more than 1 month and 38 normotensive patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy were enrolled in this study. The hemodynamic parameters were heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cardiac output (CO) which were measured 7 times from before induction of anesthesia to 5 min after deflation of the pneumoperitoneum. Collected data were analyzed using Repeated Measures ANOVA and Bonferroni comparison method.

HR in the hypertensive group was significantly decreased at deflation of the pneumoperitoneum and 5 min after deflation of the pneumoperitoneum (p=.012). MAP in the hypertensive group was not different from the normotensive group (p=.756). CO in hypertensive group was significantly lower than normotensive group (p<.001) from immediately after pneumoperitoneum to 5 min after deflation of the pneumoperitoneum.

The results indicate that pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery does not lead to clinically negative hemodynamic changes in heart rate, mean arterial pressure or cardiac output of hypertensive patients, who have taken antihypertensive drugs for more than 1 month.

This study was performed to find out the effects of lidocaine or 8.4% sodium bicarbonate mixed with rocuronium on mean arterial pressure, heart rate and withdrawal movement.

Data collection was performed from December 15, 2006 through May 31, 2007. Seventy-five patients with American Society Anesthesiologist (ASA) physical status I & II, under general anesthesia, were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: R group (RG) received rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg; RL group (RLG), rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg mixed with 2 mL of 2% lidocaine; RS group (RSG), rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg with the same volume of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate and withdrawal movement were observed from its injection until 5 min after endotracheal intubation.

The incidence of withdrawal movement with its corresponding injections was 72%, 40% and 4% in RG, RLG and RSG, respectively (p<.001). Score of withdrawal movement was the lowest in RSG of all groups (p<.001). While mean arterial pressure (p=.011) in RSG decreased significantly, and heart rate (p=.003) in RG increased more with its injection than before induction of anesthesia.

Administration of the equivalent volume of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate with rocuronium is more effective than that of lidocaine with rocuronium compared with rocuronium only, in preventing withdrawal movement and in stabilizing mean arterial pressure and heart rate.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of ondansetron combined with dexamethasone on Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) and pain with ondansetron alone in patients with laparoscopy assisted vaginal hysterectomy under general anesthesia.

Data were collected from April 1 through September 30, 2005 using a double blind method. Ondansetron 4 mg and dexamethasone 10 mg were administered to the experimental group (25 patients), and ondansetron 4 mg only to the control group (25 patients). The medications were administered through an intravenous line at the beginning peritoneum suture. PONV by Index of Nausea Vomiting and Retching (INVR), nausea by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and pain (VAS) were assessed at postoperative 1 hr, 3 hr, 6 hr, 24 hr, and 48 hr. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni methods.

The experimental group that received ondansetron combined with dexamethasone had less PONV (p=.048), and nausea (p=.012) than control group that received ondansetron alone. However, there was no difference in pain (p=.557) between the patients in the two groups.

We conclude that the administration of ondansetron combined with dexamethasone is more effective than the administration of ondansetron alone to reduce PONV in patients with laparoscopic hysterectomy.

This study investigated the preemptive analgesic effects of Morphine and Ketorolac on postoperative pain, cortisol, O₂ saturation and heart rate for the first 24 hr after abdominal surgery.

Data collection was performed from April 1 to September 30, 2006. Forty patients undergoing a gastrectomy under general anesthesia were randomly allocated to the experimental or control group. The experimental group (20 patients) was administered Morphine and Ketorolac approximately 1 hr prior to skin incision, but the control group (20 patients) was administered Morphine and Ketorolac at peritoneum closure through a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump. Postoperative pain, blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol, O₂ saturation, frequency of the PCA button pressed and doses of additional analgesics were observed through post operative 24 hr. Collected data was analyzed using t-test, χ² test, repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni methods.

Postoperative pain, cortisol, the frequency of PCA button pressed, and dose of additional analgesics of the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group. There were no statistical differences in blood pressure, heart rate and O₂ saturation between the experimental group and control group.

We concluded that administration of morphine and ketorolac at 1 hr prior to skin incision resulted in decreasing postoperative pain, but it didn't affect blood pressure, heart rate or O₂ saturation for 24 hr after abdominal surgery.