Radial Nerve Paralysis due to Kent Retractor during Upper Abdominal Operation

After general anesthesia, peripheral nerve paralysis is a rare complication. The frequently damaged nerves including: branches of the brachial plexus, the ulnar, radial and common peroneal nerves, and sometimes the facial nerve. The radial nerve is the most infrequently damaged one, accounting for only 3% of nerve damage. We report a case of radial nerve paralysis due to self retractor during abdominal operation, its clinical findings, and review of the literature on peripheral nerve paralysis.

Radial Nerve Paralysis due to Kent Retractor during Upper Abdominal Operation

After general anesthesia, peripheral nerve paralysis is a rare complication. The frequently damaged nerves including: branches of the brachial plexus, the ulnar, radial and common peroneal nerves, and sometimes the facial nerve. The radial nerve is the most infrequently damaged one, accounting for only 3% of nerve damage. We report a case of radial nerve paralysis due to self retractor during abdominal operation, its clinical findings, and review of the literature on peripheral nerve paralysis.

How Much are Anesthesiologists Exposed to Electromagnetic Fields in Operating Rooms?

Numerous electronic devices have been introduced into the operating room. Although little is known about the relationship between exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health hazards, some authors reported its association with cancer or other diseases. We measured the amount of EMF exposure that an anesthesiologist gets in the operating room. The density of the magnetic field was checked by an extremely low frequency (ELF) field strength measurement system in the 19 operating rooms of our hospital. We measured the magnetic field intensity at a distance of 30 cm, 50 cm, and at the place where the anesthesiologist usually stands from the center of the main monitor. The average exposure quantities of magnetic fields in 19 operating rooms were 2.22 +/- 1.13 mG at 30 cm, 1.29 +/- 0.84 mG at 50 cm and 1.00 +/- 0.78 mG at the anesthesiologist's standing points respectively. Because quantities over 2 or 3 mG were accepted to be high radiation levels of EMF by many reports describing the hazards of EMF, we set 2 mG to be the cutoff value. In some of the 19 operating rooms, the measured EMF density exceeded our cutoff value. Although the health hazards related to EMF exposure are still equivocal, anesthesiologists should consider making an effort to improve their environment and reduce their exposure to EMF.

The Effect of Ketorolac on Propofol Injection Pain / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Many strategies to reduce pain during propofol injection have been investigated. Inhibitors of cyclooxygenase are frequently used to provide post operative pain relief in patients undergoing minor gynecologic surgery. Therefore, in this study, we have investigated whether ketorolac injected intravenously reduces pain during propofol injection. METHODS: Fifty healthy female patients scheduled for minor gynecological surgery were randomly allocated to one of four groups. All patients were inserted 20 G Angiocatheter into the veins on the dorsum of the hands. After applying an arm tourniquet at an inflation pressure of 40-45 mmHg, the control group received 2 ml of 0.9% saline, and those in groups I, II, and III received ketorolac 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 mg/kg mixed with 2 ml of 0.9% saline respectively. The tourniquet was released 2 minutes later. 2 mg/kg of 1% propofol bolus was then injected with an infusion pump intravenously. After 50 mg of propofol were injected, patients were assessed for visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and pain grades. RESULTS: VAS scores during propofol injection diminished significantly in group II (0.75 mg/kg ketorolac) and group III (1 mg/kg ketorolac) compared with the control (saline) group. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment with intravenous ketorolac more than 0.75 mg/kg during the 2 minutes tourniquet time can reduce pain elicited by profofol injection.

Hypobaric Spinal Anesthesia in a Patient with Transplanted Heart: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Heart transplantation is an accepted procedure for treatment of end-staged cardiac failure. A return to near-normal quality on life can be expected in many patients with a nonrejecting cardiac allograft, and many of these patients will return to the operating room for noncardiac surgical procedures. Anesthesiologists should be alert to recognizing problems caused by the presence of infection in immunosuppressed patients, modes of presentation of rejection phenomena and how transplanted organs, notably significantly denervated ones, may behave and respond under the pathophysiologic circumstance that arise during surgery, resuscitation and intensive care. The use of regional techniques require adequate preloading to avoid exaggerated hypotension and aseptic technique to avoid infection. Hypobaric spinal anesthesia has some benefit. It does not depress cardiovascular and respiratory system and keep adequate venous return by trendelenberg position. We report herein a case of successfully undergone total hip replacement in a patient who had previously undergone orthotopic heart transplantation under hypobaric spinal anesthesia.

Intra-articular Morphine for Pain Relief after Arthroscopic Knee Surgery / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Opioids can produce potent antinociceptive effects by interacting with local opioid receptors in inflamed peripheral tissue. However, reports on pain relief with intra-articular morphine after arthroscopic knee operations are conflicting. In this study we examined the analgesic effects of the intraarticular administration of morphine after knee surgery. METHODS: In a double-blind, randomized trial, we studied 26 patients who had received one of two injections at the end of surgery. The patients in group M(n=11) received 3 mg of morphine intraarticularly; those in group P(n=15), saline 20 ml intraarticularly as a placebo. RESULTS: Patients in the morphine group had significantly lower pain scores throughout the 24-h postoperative period compared with those in the placebo group(P<0.05). There was less requirement for supplementary analgesics in the morphine group. CONCLUSIONS: Low doses of intraarticular morphine can significantly reduce pain after knee surgery without any systemic side effect.

Dose Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy for Hyperhidrosis Increase Airway Pressure? / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Bilateral interruption of the upper thoracic sympathetic chain at T2 level represents a selective cure for essential hyperhidrosis. Following the surgical sympathectomy, significant changes in pulmonary function has been observed. Our hypothesis was that thoracic sympathectomy may increase airway resistance during mechanical ventilation and which may be attenuated by the anticholinergics. METHODS: 21 patients with essential hyperhidrosis in ASA physical status class 1 under going thoracoscopic sympathectomy, they were randomizely divided into two groups: glycopyrrolate premedication group (n=13) and non-premedication, control group (n=9). Glycopyrrolate 0.2 mg was administered 30 minutes before the induction of anesthesia. Blood pressure, heart rate, peak airway pressure, plateau pressure were measured at before and immediate after sympathectomy. Respiratory compliance and resistance were calculated. RESULTS: After thoracoscopic sympathectomy, there was significant increase in mean peak airway pressure (15 +/- 3 vs 18 +/- 3 cmH2O, P<0.05) and decrease in respiratory compliance (52 +/- 12 vs 45 +/- 10 ml/cmH2O, P<0.05) compared to baseline. However there was no significant difference between glycopyrolate premedication group and non-premedication group. Conclusion: Thoracoscopic upper dorsal sympathectomy in patients with essential hyperhidrosis causes increase peak airway pressure and decrease the compliance of respiratory system during mechanical ventilation.

Mechanical and Electrophysiological Effects of Mepivacaine on the Direct Myocardial Depression on the 1solated Ventricular Myocardium / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: The effects of various concentration (20, 50, 100? M) of mepivacaine were studied in isolated guinea pig and rat right ventricular papillary muscles by measuring the effects on myocardial contractility and electrophysiological parameters. METHODS: Isometric force of isolated guinea pig ventricular papillary muscle was studied in modified normal and 26 mM K+ Tyrode's solution. Rat papillary muscle was used to evaluate the effect on Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) at low stimulation rates. Normal and slow action potentials (APs) were evaluated by using conventional microelectrode technique. Rapid cooling contractures (RCCs), an index of SR Ca2+ content, which are known to be activated by Ca2+ released from the SR were performed. RESULTS: Mepivacaine caused dose-dependent depression of peak force from 0.5 to 3 Hz stimulation rates in guinea pig papillary muscles. Conduction block was frequently noted especially at higher stimulation rates (2 and 3 Hz) at all concentration ranges. In rat, ~20% depression of peak force was shown at rested state contraction. Shortening of AP duration and rate-dependent depression of dV/dt max could be observed at 100 M mepivacaine. In 26 mM K+ Tyrode's solution, 50 and 100 M mepivacaine caused dose-dependent depression of early and late force development. In slow APs, neither shortening of AP duration nor changes of dV/dtmax were not shown at 100 M mepivacaine. ~30% depression of RCC after 2 Hz stimulation rate was shown at 100 M mepivacaine. CONCLUSION: It may be concluded that the direct myocardial depressant effects of mepivacaine may partly be related to inhibition of Ca2+ release from the SR. Shortening of AP duration in normal APs seems to be partly related by blockade of TTX-sensitive ""window"" Na+ current.