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December 1996
Alpha-2-Adrenergic agonists for regional anesthesia.
Eisenach JC, De Kock M, Klimscha W;
Anesthesiology 1996; 85:655-674
[ no abstract available ]
This article is a recent clinical investigation focusing on a specific application of clonidine in patients undergoing vascular surgery--a population particularly susceptible to significant perioperative myocardial ischemic episodes. In their study consisting of 297 patients undergoing elective vascular procedures, they found that pretreatment with a small oral dose of clonidine was associated with a reduction in the incidence of perioperative myocardial ischemic episodes from 39% to 24%. Of particular interest, nonfatal myocardial infarction occurred in 4 control (untreated) patients while in none of the clonidine-treatment group. If the results of this study withstand test of larger numbers of patients and practitioners, a simple, benign treatment of this kind may pay substantial benefits in the quality of care and its associated costs.
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