pubmed-article:1770566 | pubmed:abstractText | Twenty-two elective thoracic surgeries were performed under epidural high dose fentanyl anesthesia. These included 11 mastectomies, 3 lung lobectomies, and 8 operations for esophageal carcinoma. Through an epidural catheter, 10 micrograms.kg-1 fentanyl with [E (+)] or without [E (-)] epinephrine (1: 100,000) was given. N2O (66%) and enflurane (0.2-0.8%) were also administered, and muscle relaxants were given as needed. The onset and duration of the action were approximately 20 minutes and 3 hours, respectively. Anesthesia was maintained with enflurane (up to 0.4%) in 17 patients (77.3%). There were no differences between the E (+) group and the E (-) group. Systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and heart rate during operations were about 30% lower than those observed before the operations. Patients recovered from anesthesia rapidly. Naloxone was administered intravenously in 6 patients after mastectomies or lung lobectomies (42.9%), whose respiratory rate was below 10.min-1. The patients with short operating time (shorter than 2 hours) needed more naloxone. Troubles did not occur either in the recovery room or in the ward with both naloxone and non-naloxone groups. | lld:pubmed |