Effects of Intravenous and Epidural Patient-Controlled Analgesia on Postoperative Pain and Knee Rehabilitation after a Unilateral Total Knee Replacement / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pain is a major concern after a total knee replacement (TKR). It hinders early intense physical therapy, the most influential factor for good postoperative knee rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to compare intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) using morphine and continuous ketorolac IV infusion with patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) using morphine and continuous bupivacaine infusion in terms of analgesic efficacy and postoperative knee rehabilitation after a unilateral TKR. METHODS: Eighteen patients undergoing a unilateral total knee replacement were randomly allocated to one of the two groups. In group IV-PCA (n = 9), 30 min before the end of surgery, patients received ketorolac 30 mg IV bolus followed by continuous infusion with ketorolac (5 mg/h) and IV-PCA with morphine (20microgram/kg, lockout 10 min). In group PCEA (n = 9), 30 min before the end of surgery, patients received 2 mg morphine bolus followed by continuous infusion with 0.1% bupivacaine (2 ml/h) and PCEA with morphine (1 mg, lockout 15 min). RESULTS: There were significant differences in visual analogue scale scores at the first 2-hours after the unilateral TKR, cumulative morphine consumption and number of postoperative days required to obtain 90o knee flexion. CONCLUSIONS: PCEA using a morphine-bupivacaine combination provided better pain relief and faci litated the continuous passive motion more than IV-PCA using a morphine-ketorolac combination. This results in possible faster postoperative knee rehabilitation.

Unanticipated Difficult Intubation in a Patient with an Asymptomatic Epiglottic Cyst / 대한마취과학회지

Although an epiglottic cyst is often asymptomatic and harmless to the patient, discovery of a large epiglottic cyst after induction of anesthesia is a potentially life-threatening problem for the patient and provides a challenge for the anesthesiologist in airway management. We experienced a case of unanticipated difficult mask ventilation and intubation as a result of an asymptomatic epiglottic cyst. A 37-year-old woman presented for elective removal of a brain tumor. She had normal mouth opening and neck extension; no masses or distortions of the tongue or neck were observed. She was premedicated with 0.2 mg glycopyrrolate intramuscularly. Anesthesia and paralysis were induced with 250 mg thiopental, fentanyl 100ng and pipecuronium 6 mg. It was noted that ventilation of the lungs via mask was difficult. Despite insertion of an oropharyngeal airway, ventilation proved to be more difficult. Intubation was attempted. Direct laryngoscopy revealed a 2 cm cyst arising from the epiglottis. The cyst completely obscured the view of the epiglottis and larynx, preventing intubation despite multiple attempts by three anesthesiologists. We consulted an otolaryngologist and awakened the patient. During further questioning in the post anesthesia care unit she admitted to a several-years of dysphagia. Next day, she was admitted to the operation room for removal of an epiglottic cyst. She was intubated using fiberoptic bronchoscope guided awake intubation, and the remainder of anesthetia and the operation proceeded uneventfully. The pathology report confirmed the finding of a 2.5 X 1.5 X 1.5 cm epidermal cyst.