Factors influencing length of stay in neurosurgical intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: The demand of occupancy in neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) has extremely risen up in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital but the intensive care personnel have not proportionally increased with the demand identifying especially for intensivists. The possible management that may be help to solve this problem is identifying the factors which may be involved in prolonging length of stay (LOS) in ICU and modifying of those risk factors. OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors which influenced the LOS in NICU. SETTING: Neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital which is the tertiary care hospital. RESEARCH DESIGN: A retrospective observational study MATERIAL AND METHOD: All data of NICU had been gathered over the period of October 1st, 2004 to December 31st, 2004. The patient characteristics; age, gender diagnosis, underlying diseases, and length of NICU stay were recorded. Postoperative events were stratified into 4 groups involving pulmonary complications, cardiovascular complications, neurological conditions and others. RESULTS: A total of 178 admissions utilized 605 ICU days. Short-stay patients (LOS < or = 3 days) accounted for 76.4% of total admissions which consumed only 32.1% of ICU days. The patients who were admitted between 3 to 14 days had 20.8% but mostly utilized 49.4% of ICU day. Cerebral aneurysm had the highest proportion (41.03%) in LOS more than 3 days group. The major causes of prolonged LOS are triple-H therapy (28%) and mechanical ventilation assisting (28%). CONCLUSION: The major causes of prolonged LOS are triple-H therapy and mechanical ventilation assisting in neurosurgical ICU. Early tracheotomy and using the proper weaning protocol might help reducing LOS in ICU with limited specific care procedure.

Combined spinal-epidural analgesia and epidural analgesia in labor: effect of intrathecal fentanyl vs. epidural bupivacaine as a bolus.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effects of intrathecal fentanyl with conventional epidural bupivacaine bolus before the same continuous epidural infusion for labor analgesia. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Fifty parturients in active labor were randomized to receive subarachnoid fentanyl 25 mcg as part of a combined spinal epidural analgesia (CSE) or bupivacaine 0.25% 10 ml incrementally into the epidural space in the epidural group. After that, 0.0625% bupivacaine with fentanyl 2 mcg/ml was infused via epidural catheter in all women at a rate of 12 ml/h. Verbal numeric pain scores (VNPS), onset time to pain relief times of additional analgesia and other side effects were recorded. RESULTS: Mean (SD) onset time to the first pain free contraction was not significantly different (7.8 +/- 4.3 min in the CSE group, 10.2 +/- 5.1 min in epidural group, p = 0.085). Most of the patients in the CSE group required additional epidural bolus dose (80% compared to 48% in the Epidural group, p = 0.038). There was no difference in motor blockage at time of delivery or mode of delivery. Significantly more women in the CSE group had pruritus (68% VS none in the epidural group, p < 0.001), all had mild degree and did not require any treatment. There was no difference in other side effects. CONCLUSION: Intrathecalfentanyl as part of CSE did not produce statistically a significant faster onset compared to epidural bupivacaine bolus. Most of the patients in the CSE group required epidural bolus after intrathecal fentanyl with a higher incidence of pruritus.

Parecoxib versus tramadol for post-appendectomy pain.

Open uncomplicated appendectomy is known for low to medium degree of postoperative pain and a short hospital stay. Based on multimodal pain therapy, non-opioid analgesics have widely been a part in pain control. Parecoxib and tramadol have advantages over traditional opioids that are causing less nausea or vomiting, respiratory depression and sedation. As a result, the authors aimed to compare parecoxib and tramadol regarding quality of pain control after open appendectomy. Fifty patients, underwent open appendectomy with spinal anesthesia, were randomized to receive either parecoxib or tramadol (n = 25 each). Parecoxib 40 mg and tramadol 50 mg IV were administered twice, when closing the peritoneum and at 12 h later Doses of rescued meperidine for 24 h were recorded. Pain score, sedation, nausea or vomiting and satisfaction scores were assessed at 6, 12 and 24 h after operation. The mean rescued doses of meperidine were 4.6 +/- 10.9 and 18.6 +/- 21.0 mg in parecoxib and tramadol groups respectively (p = 0.005). There was a significantly higher pain score at 24 h (p = 0.01) and sedation score at 6 h (p = 0.003) in the tramadol group. Parecoxib provided a lower pain and sedation scores and lesser meperidine consumption than tramadol for post-appendectomy pain. IMPLICATION: Parecoxib, as a primary analgesic, is better in analgesia and has less sedation than tramadolfor post-appendectomy pain.