1999 Research and Publications

Dept. of Anaesthesia
University of Cape Town

Research in Progress

Despite assurances that staff reductions would not be a feature of this year, further staff losses have occurred. Despite this decline in the available staff, and increased pressure of clinical work, the department has managed to increase research output for this year and the level of laboratory research conducted has been raised. This is due entirely to the dedication and enthusiasm of staff members who have committed their personal time to research.
The gradual growth of a stable senior staffing echelon has contributed to this and the department is now developing a good cadre of research minded individuals.
The department has been fortunate in being able to attract several reasonably well-funded clinical trials, and this should expand our financial base with which to support further research.

The studies of haemodilution-associated increases in coagulation continue to play a major part in the research profile of the department, and a collaborative project with the University College Hospital, London; in this field has recently been established.
Further laboratory work in the field of local anaesthetic toxicity has been extremely successful and has led to the production of two MMed theses in anaesthesia this year.
A third MMed thesis has resulted from a highly successful collaboration with Harefield hospital in London.
The collaboration with Adelaide University has continued successfully and has resulted in one publication and three further studies in preparation for publication.
The unique clinical material available at the Red Cross Children's hospital has continued to attract contract clinical research, but has also provided a base for registrar research, and a further MMed thesis is in preparation arising from work conducted in this institution.
Studies in thoracic anaesthesia and anaesthesia for phaechromocytoma are continuing.

Research Fields

Bloch, M
Methods of pain management and their impact on duration of intensive care stay.

Dyer, RA
Total intravenous anaesthesia;
Aspects of anaesthesia in patients with severe pre-eclampsia.

James, MFM (Head of department)
The role of morphine in intravenous regional anaesthesia;
The role of magnesium in the treatment of malignant arrhythmias in association with anaesthesia;
Control of pulmonary shunting during one-lung anaesthesia;
Blood transfusion and anaesthesia.

Heijke, SAM
Transoesophageal echocardiography in cardiac anaesthesia.

Reed, A
Intravenous regional anaesthesia and the role of morphine;
Magnesium in the treatment of bupivacaine toxicity;
The role of magnesium in anaesthesia for patients undergoing cerebral aneurysm surgery.

Ruttmann, TG
Interaction of various intravenous solutions and anaesthetic techniques on coagulation.

Viljoen, JF
Management of pain, particularly in post-thoracotomy patients;
National collaborative study on low flow and closed circuit anaesthesia.

Whitehead, P
Cardiotoxicity of ropivacaine versus bupivacaine

Published Works

Articles:

BLOCH M :
Rational fluid resuscitation in the critically ill.
South African Journal of Critical Care 15 : 1, 1999

DYER RA, HARRISON GG, LLEWELLYN RL, JAMES MFM :
The effect of eltanolone on pulmonary vascular resistance in Landrace swine.
Pharmacological Research 40 : 411-413, 1999

GORDON PC, JAMES MFM :
The role of the Colleges of Medicine Diploma in Anaesthsia i Southern Africa.
South African Medical Journal 89 : 416-418, 1999

HARRISON GG, DYER RA, LLEWELLYN RL, JAMES MFM :
Eltanolone (5-ß-pregnanolone) does not trigger, and attenuates halthane triggering of malignant hyperthermia in malignant hyperthermia susceptible swine
Pharmacological Research 39 : 103-106, 1999

JAMES MFM :
Nitrous oxide: Still useful in the year 2000
Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology 12 : 461-466, 1999

JAMES MFM :
Magnesium - Quo vadis?
British Journal of Anaesthesa 83 : 202-203, 1999

LUDBROOK L, JAMES MFM, UPTON RN :
The effect of magnesium sulfate on cerebral blood flow velocity, cardiovascular variables, and arterial carbon dioxide tension in awake sheep
Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology 11 : 96-101, 1999

RUTTMANN TG, JAMES MFM, WELLS KF :
Effects of 20% in vitro haemodilution with warmed buffered salt solution and cerebrospinal fluid on coagulation
British Journal of Anaesthesia 82 : 110-111, 1999

RUTTMANN TG, JAMES MFM :
Procoagulant effects of in vitro haemodilution is not inhibited by aspirin
British Journal of Anaesthesia 83 : 330-332, 1999

University publications and publications of a popular nature:

Chapters in Books:

HARRISON GG, OPIE LH :
Calcium channel antagonists and other agents decreasing calcium fluxes.
In: Cardiovascular drugs in the perioperative period - Foëx P, Harrison GG & Opie LH, eds.
Lippincott-Rave, Philadelphia: 111-132, 1999

HARRISON GG, ATLEE JL :
Arrhythmias and their management in the perioperative period.
In: Cardiovascular drugs in the perioperative period - Foëx P, Harrison GG & Opie LH, eds.
Lippincott-Rave, Philadelphia: 161-207, 1999

HARRISON GG, OPIE LH :
Heart failure and its therapy in the perioperative period.
In: Cardiovascular drugs in the perioperative period - Foëx P, Harrison GG & Opie LH, eds.
Lippincott-Rave, Philadelphia: 278-305, 1999

JAMES MFM, OPIE LH :
Drugs and the management of hypertension.
In: Clinical pharmacology for anaesthetists - Bovill JG & Howie MB, eds.
WB Saunders, London: 215-228, 1999

Conference Abstracts:

South African Society of Anaesthesiologists - National Anaesthesia Congress
Sun City - 16-20 June, 1999

CHAMBERS N :
Remifentanil for the tunneling phase of ventriculo-peritoneal shunt.

BATTY DA :
A case report on phaechromocytoma.

BUTT AD :
Best anaesthesia for burns.

BUTT AD :
Practical implications of thoracic epidurals in children.

HENDRICKS N :
Anaesthetic implications of Down's syndrome.

JAMES MFM :
Thyrotoxicosis

Critical Care Conference
Cape Town - 18-21 May, 1999

JAMES MFM :
Acid-base balance - A systematic approach.

FARINA Z :
Sedation in ICU.

THOMAS J :
Sedation and analgesia - Is a child a small adult?

Paediatric Anaesthesia Congress
Cape Town - 25-27 November, 1999JAMES MFM :
Magnesium and the paediatric anaesthetist.Symposium on "Autologous Transfusion"
Notwill, Switzerland - 24-255 September, 1999RUTTMANN TG :

Theses and Dissertations passed for higher degrees:

MMed (Anaes)REED AR :
Magnesium sulphate reversal of established bupivacaine electrophysiological cardiotoxicity.

RIEDEL BJCJ :
Epidural analgesia for coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

WHITEHEAD PN :
Survival after local anaesthetic overdose: A comparison of the success of resuscitation after established cardiotoxicity by ropivacaine or bupivacaine.

MSc (Med)de REUS MP :
The rapid extraction and tracking of auditory and somatosensory evoked potentials for use in depth of anaesthesia monitoring.

This is a copy of the Annual Research Report for 1999 to the University and was compiled by Prof. M James (01/03/2000) and maintained by R Nieuwveld.

Return to - Top of Page / Research / Publications

Return to Current Research and Publications

Return to Anaesthesia Dept. Home Page

Disclaimer
Information is given in good faith and reasonable steps to ensure accuracy have been taken at the time of editing.
No liability will be accepted for any misinformation or any consequences therefrom.
Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Anaesthesia, the University of Cape Town, the hospitals in the Groote Schuur Hospitals Region; or their office bearers.

07/05/2002