Perioperative Changes of Blood Coagulation by a Thromboelastograph in Patients Undergoing Clipping of Cerebral Aneurysms / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing brain surgery have a high risk of developing a number of perioperative coagulation disorders. Anesthesia and surgical stress may affect blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate perioperative changes in hemostatic parameters of patients undergoing clipping of cerebral aneurysms with a thromboelastograph (TEG) in combination with simple laboratory tests. METHODS: Twenty adult patients who had cerebral aneurysms and no history of coagulation disorders were studied. Isoflurane and N2O were used for all anesthetic proceedings. Preanesthetic, intraoperative (after skin incision and after clipping of cerebral aneurysms) and postanesthetic measurements included a TEG and simple laboratory tests. The TEG variables included r time (reaction time for clot formation), k time (clot formation time), alpha angle (rate of clot growth), MA (maximal amplitude of clot strength) and LY30 (fibrinolytic index). RESULTS: In simple laboratory tests, prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) at intraoperation and postanesthesia were longer than those at preanesthesia (p < 0.05). In the TEG, r and k time at intraoperation and postanesthesia were shorter than those at preanesthesia (p < 0.05). However the alpha angle at intraoperation and postanesthesia was longer than that at preanesthesia (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in MA and LY30 except an increase in MA after the skin incision (p < 0.05) compared to the MA at preanesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate a general hypercoagulability during and after a cerebral aneurysms operation in terms of TEG, although, the level of the PT and PTT can be at the upper limits within normal. Therefore perioperative use of coagulants in cerebral aneurysms may increase the risk of a thromboembolism because of accelerating blood coagulability. By early intraoperative and postoperativeevaluation of the hemostatic abnormality with a TEG, appropriate measures might be initiated to prevent postoperative complications due to hypercoagulability.

The Effects of Intravenous Thiopental Injection on Jugular Venous Oxygen Saturation (SjVO2) during Cerebral Aneurysm Surgery / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Thiopental has a profound impact on the cardiovascular system. The effects of hemody namics after intravenous thiopental on the balance of cerebral metabolism with cerebral blood flow is unknown. The purpose of this study was to monitor hemodynamic change, cerebral arterial-jugular venous oxygen content difference (AVDO2) and jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjVO2) after a thiopental injection for brain protection during cerebral aneurysm surgery. METHODS: Twenty patients received a standard anesthetic consisting of isoflurane, vecuronium and fentanyl with a PaCO2 of 30 35 mmHg. Hemodynamics, arterial and jugular venous blood gases were measured at 3 time points:I; Just before thiopental injection; II; Electroencephalographic (EEG) burst suppression after a 4 5 mg/kg intravenous thiopental injection; and III; EEG recovery. RESULTS: Intravenous thiopental (4 5 mg/kg) induced an EEG burst suppression for 6.5 +/- 1.7 minutes. Hemodynamics and arterial blood gas analysis were not significantly different among the different time points, but mean arterial pressure (68.4 +/- 7.2 mmHg) and systemic vascular resistance (1027.0 +/- 300.9 dynes sec/cm5) in II were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased compared with I (84.3 +/- 9.6, 1169.1 +/- 304.5) and III (89.1 +/- 10.6, 1288.6 +/- 426.1). SjVO2 (71.6 +/- 11.8%) was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased within the normal value compared with I (75.1 +/- 5.6) and III (76.1 +/- 10.1), but AVDO2 was not significantly different among the 3 time points. There was no evidence of cerebral ischemia or infarction in computed tomographic (CT) findings of the 20 patients after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamics after 4 5 mg/kg intravenous thiopental do not modify the balance ofcerebral oxygen metabolism with cerebral blood flow in patients undergoing cerebral aneurysm surgery.

A Case of Anesthetic Management for a Pregnant Woman with Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysm Undergoing Simultaneous Cesarean Section and Aneurysm Clipping: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Intracranial aneurysm in pregnancy imposes special consideration for both mother and fetus. During newborn delivery, the risk of aneurysmal rupture should be avoided by careful management. We experienced a case of cesarean section and the clipping of aneurysm in 37 years old pregnant woman at the gestational age of 35 weeks. She had suffered from headache since 30 weeks of gestational age and the ptosis of left eye since 33 weeks of gestational age. Ten millimeter-sized aneurysm of posterior communicating artery was found on the cerebral angiogram. After radial artery cannulation, we anesthetized the woman with nitroprusside infusion, thiopental, succinylchoine and nitrous oxide-oxygen-isoflurane gas mixture. Soon after intubation, systolic blood pressure increased from 140 to 150 mmHg during the infusion of sodium nitroprusside. The delivery of a newborn was done 8 min after induction and clipping of aneurysm was done successfully after the end of cesarean section.