Browsing by Author "Erasmus, F. R."

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Anaesthesia and the diabetic patient
    (HMPG, 1985) Roelofse, J. A.; Erasmus, F. R.
    Since it is estimated that 1 out of every 2 diabetic patients will require surgery at some point in his lifetime, it is imperative that the anaesthetist should understand the disease process as well as the anaesthetic problems associated with it. This article emphasizes the medical, surgical and anaesthetic aspects of the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus.
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    Anaesthetic management of cerebral artery aneurysms at Tygerberg Hospital, 1980-1982
    (Health and Medical Publishing Group -- HMPG, 1984-05) Erasmus, F. R.; Du Toit, H. J.; Rose-Innes, A. P.
    Forty-seven patients were operated on for intracranial artery aneurysms at Tygerberg Hospital, Parowvallei, CP, between January 1980 and December 1982. Problems related to anaesthesia which are peculiar to this condition and the solution thereof are outlined. The importance of meticulous anaesthetic management in the successful recovery of these patients, the majority of whom are young and in the productive phase of their lives, is stressed. A plea is made for increased awareness, early diagnosis and surgical intervention to decrease the high mortality rate associated with this lethal condition.
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    Early recognition of pulmonary dysfunction during intramedullary orthopaedic surgery
    (Health & Medical Publishing Group, 1982) Du Toit, H. J.; Erasmus, F. R.; Taljaard, J. J. F.
    Peri-operative partial arterial oxygen tension (Pa(O2)) was monitored in 20 patients undergoing total hip replacement. Three distinct groups emerged on analysis of the arterial oxygen tensions. In group I there was no initial decrease in Pa(O2) but it rose above baseline level towards the end of the procedure. In group II there was a distinct fall in Pa(O2) during the acetabular and femoral stages of the operation. On termination of the procedure Pa(O2) had returned to baseline levels. In group III Pa(O2) values were significantly lower than those in group II during the acetabular and femoral stages and decreased further at the end of the procedure. One patient in group II and 6 in group III developed postoperative pulmonary dysfunction. A progressive deterioration in Pa(O2) during hip replacement without recovery at end of the procedure indicates that the patient is likely to develop postoperative pulmonary dysfunction.
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    The effect of ventilatory patterns on prostacyclin (PGI2) synthesis in the lung
    (Health & Medical Publishing Group, 1984) Du Toit, H. J.; Erasmus, F. R.; Macfarlane, C. M.; Taljaard, J. F.; Shephard, E. G.; King, J. B.; De Klerk, A. J.
    Prostacyclin (PGI2) appears to be synthesized in the lungs of man and experimental animals. It has been stated that PGI2 must be regarded as a local hormone that inhibits platelet adhesion to vessel walls only very close to the site of synthesis. The wide range of normal values given for PGI2 may be related to the sensitivity and exclusiveness of the different assay techniques used. In animals, hyperventilation increases PGI2 synthesis by the lung, but in agreement with other authors we demonstrated that hyperventilation did not influence PGI2 synthesis in man. We used a radio-immunoassay technique to estimate PGI2 levels.
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    Feochromositoom tydens swangerskap
    (Health & Medical Publishing Group, 1981) Coetzee, A.; Hartwig, N.; Erasmus, F. R.
    Phaeochromocytoma during pregnancy, although rare, presents serious risks to the mother and fetus. An operation was done on a pregnant 19-year-old patient with this condition. The pre-operative preparation and anaesthetic management are discussed.
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    Methylprednisolone and the adult respiratory distress syndrome
    (Open access journal, 1984-06) Du Toit, H. J.; Erasmus, F. R.; MacFarlane, C. M.; Taljaard, J. J. F.; King, J. B.; De Klerk, A. J.; Elk, E.
    Total hip replacement was carried out on 22 patients under general anaesthesia. Of these, 10 were pretreated with methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg); 1 of these developed the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and had high levels of thromboxane B2 (TXB2) 5 minutes after fixation of the femoral prosthesis and at the end of the operation. The other 12 patients served as controls; 5 of them developed ARDS and had statistically significant higher TXB2 levels than the other 7 control patients who remained well. All patients who did not develop ARDS had low TXB2 levels. TXB2 and β-thromboglobulin levels followed the same trend and there was good correlation (r = 0.6806; P < 0.01) at the end of the operation in the control group patients who developed ARDS. There was no statistical difference in 6-keto-PGF(1α) levels between the patients who developed ARDS and those in the control group who remained well. Steroids reduce arachidonic acid metabolism by inhibiting the release of substrate for cyclo-oxygenase and lipoxygenase activity. Patients prone to ARDS thus benefit from methylprednisolone administration.
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    Should we pre-oxygenate?
    (Health & Medical Publishing Group, 1981) Erasmus, F. R.; Murray, W. B.
    The importance of routine pre-oxygenation before induction of anesthesia was demonstrated in animals. The onset of dangerous levels of hypoxia after the administration of suxamethonium can be delayed considerably by the administration of pure oxygen for 5 minutes before induction. This allows time for an atraumatic and panic-free intubation before controlled ventilation. After pre-oxygenation the volume of oxygen in the functional residual capacity of the lungs shows a sixfold increase. This is the principal oxygen stored during apnea.