No abstract

An investigation was made of the accuracy of a portable hematocrit measurement device (Stat-Crit) on the infusate of an autologous blood transfusion system. Baseline hematocrit values were determined by three methods on in vivo blood samples of surgical patients immediately after the start of surgery, and again on the first product of the autologous blood retrieval system. At baseline, there were no significant differences in the values determined by the Stat-Crit (33.4% +/- 6.2%, mean +/- SD) and those determined by the microcentrifuge technique (33.8% +/- 4.7%) or by the Coulter method (33.5% +/- 4.5%) (P = 0.9). In contrast, hematocrit values determined on infusate samples by the Stat-Crit (36.6% +/- 4.8%) were significantly lower than those determined by the microcentrifuge technique (51.2% +/- 5.9%) or by the Coulter method (51.6% +/- 5.8%) (P = 0.0001). This study confirms close agreement of hematocrit values derived by the conductivity of whole blood in normal samples with those determined by conventional laboratory techniques, but indicates that this method will report falsely low readings in situations where plasma has been replaced by crystalloid, as in patients who have received large transfusions of processed autologous blood.

hour after induction of anesthesia, both RE and SE increased with respective peak values of 96 and 81. We increased the propofol and remifentanil target concentrations to values that caused hypotension, and treated him with ephedrine boluses, but this treatment failed to alter the RE and SE. The train-offour response elicited four twitches, indicating inadequate neuromuscular blockade. We treated the patient with 4 mg of cisatracurium, causing both RE and SE to abruptly decrease to 20 and 18 respectively, and BSR increased to 33 (Fig. 1).EMG artifact increased the RE and SE values, while depressing the BSR. This differs from prior reports suggesting that only RE is sensitive to EMG interference (1,2).

Templates and sizers are used as tools to assist in the design and construction of both structural and artistic works. These templates and sizers are used frequently in the field of aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. The use of a template to assist with construction of cartilage grafts in rhinoplasty allows the surgeon to sculpt by replicating the template model. Templates and sizers are useful and advantageous tools in the rhinoplasty operation.