Diagnostic utility of perfusion index in identifying radial artery embolism during hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy procedure: a case report.

Invasive arterial cannulation is a widely used method in intensive care units and operating rooms. However it has potential complications such as thrombosis, peripheral embolism, hematoma formation, and infection. The Masimo Root Radical-7 Pulse CO-Oximeter® (Masimo Corporation, Irvine, CA, USA) is a non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring device that measures perfusion index and pleth variability index, provides guidance to anaesthesiologists in the cases where hemodynamic fluctuations are expected. In this particular case, the perfusion index played a crucial role in the immediate diagnosis of radial artery embolism in a patient undergoing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy procedure.

Comparison of ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block and erector spinae plane block in terms of their effects on postoperative pain in open nephrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block (QLB 2) and erector spinae plane block (ESPB) were suggested to prevent somatic and visceral pain in a small number of abdominal surgeries. In this study, we aimed to compare these fascial plane blocks in terms of efficacy and safety in patients undergoing open nephrectomy. METHODS: This double-blind randomized controlled trial included a total of 40 patients (aged 18-70 years, with an ASA Score of I-III) and underwent partial or radical nephrectomy with subcostal incision. Unilateral ESPB and QLB 2 were performed at the end of the operation. The patients were then assessed for total morphine consumption, pain scores, and side effects at the postoperative 24th hour. RESULTS: The ESPB and QLB 2 groups showed similar total morphine consumption (20.95+12.40 mg and 25.05+13.60 mg, P=0.870) and morphine demands (37.85+29.43 and 41.15+31.75, P=1.000), respectively. Despite the lower VAS scores at rest and movement in the ESPB group, there were no statistically significant differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided QLB 2 and ESP block were found to achieve similar results on at rest and at movement pain scores and morphine consumption of the patients undergoing open nephrectomy. Both blocks may be preferred, depending on the clinician's experience.

Effects of different epidural initiation volumes on postoperative analgesia in cesarean section

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of different epidural initiation volumes on postoperative pain scores, analgesic requirements, and side effects in pregnant women administered patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) for postoperative pain after cesarean sections. Materials and methods: Eighty-one pregnant women, aged 18­45 years, were included in this randomized, double-blind study. Combined spinal epidural anesthesia was administered for each cesarean section. The patients were divided into 3 groups and different volumes (20 mL, 10 mL, and 5 mL) of the study drug (0.0625% bupivacaine plus 2 µg/mL of fentanyl) were administered 90 min after the spinal block via epidural catheter. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at rest and during movement, first PCEA dose time, number of PCEA doses required per hour, total analgesic consumed, and side effects were recorded postoperatively. Results: There were no statistically significant differences among the groups in terms of the VAS rest and VAS movement scores. The times to the first analgesic dose requirement were longer in Group 10 and Group 20 than in Group 5. The analgesic requirement during the first 2 h was lower in Group 20 than in the other groups. Conclusions: The PCEA initiations with different volumes provided similar pain scores. However, the 20 mL volume resulted in a lower analgesic dose requirement during the early postoperative period, and it also delayed the requirement for analgesia.

Uncuffed Endotracheal Tube Experience in Pediatric Patients with Laparotomy and Laparoscopic Surgeries.

AIM: The aim of this study is to compare endotracheal tube leak, tube selection, mechanical ventilation, and side effects in the use of uncuffed tubes in both laparoscopic and laparotomy surgeries in pediatric patients. Material and Method. Patients who underwent laparotomy (LT group) or laparoscopic (LS group) surgery between 1 and 60 months. In the selection of uncuffed tubes, it was also planned to start endotracheal intubation with the largest uncuffed tube and to start intubation with a small uncuffed tube if the tube encounters resistance and does not pass. Mechanical parameters, endotracheal tube size, tube changes, and side effects are recorded. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients, 38 females and 64 males, with a mean age of 10.9 ± 8.1 months, body weight 7.1 ± 3.7 kg, and height 67 ± 15 cm, were included. 54 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery, and 48 patients underwent laparotomy. Tube exchange was performed in a total of 18 patients. In patients who underwent tube exchange, 11 patients were intubated with a smaller ETT number and others endotracheal intubation; when the MV parameters were TVe < 8 ml/kg and ETT leak > 20%, a larger uncuffed tube was used due to PIP 30 cmH2O pressure. Patients with aspiration were not found in the LT and LS groups. There was no difference in the intergroup evaluation for postoperative side effects such as cough, laryngospasm, stridor, and aspiration. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of tube changes and side effects. So that we can start with the largest possible uncuffed tube to decrease ETT leak, both laparotomy and laparoscopic operations in children can be achieved with safe mechanical ventilation and target tidal volume.

Cerebral oxygen saturation monitoring in preeclamptic pregnant women undergoing cesarean section with spinal anesthesia: a prospective, observational study.

It has been suggested that cerebral oximetry can detect acute and chronic changes in cerebral oxygen saturation due to pregnancy related complications. Furthermore, regional cerebral oxygenation saturation (rcSO2) decreases were obtained during spinal anesthesia for cesarean section. The aim of this prospective observational study is to compare the effects of spinal anesthesia on rcSO2 in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women. Preeclamptic (Group P, n = 24) and normotensive (Group N, n = 25) women with gestational week 32 and above, and scheduled for cesarean section under spinal anesthesia were included in this study. In addition to routine monitoring, rcSO2 values obtained with right and left frontal cerebral sensors (rcSO2right and rcSO2left) were recorded before (baseline) spinal injection and during the surgery. The baseline rcSO2 values were similar in both groups. In Group P, rcSO2left values were higher than Group N only 3 and 5 min after spinal injection. In Group N, rcSO2 values decreased from baseline 1, 3, 5, and 10 min after spinal injection. In Group P, rcSO2 values decreased from baseline 1, 3, 5, 10, 30 and 35 min after spinal injection and at the end of the operation. There was no difference between the number of declines and the patients with rScO2 below the cerebral hypoxic threshold. There was a positive correlation between rcSO2 and blood pressure only 5 min after spinal injection, but no correlation with peripheral oxygen saturation was detected during the operation. There is decrease in rcSO2 values after spinal anesthesia correlating with hypotension in preeclamptic women. However, the decrease is less than that of normotensive pregnant women, especially the first 5 min after spinal injection when the blood pressure is lowest. The clinical impact of these results and the relationship between cerebral desaturation and neurological complications remain to be determined.

Comparison of intravenous ibuprofen and acetaminophen for postoperative multimodal pain management in bariatric surgery: A randomized controlled trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Multimodal analgesic strategies are recommended to decrease opioid requirements and opioid-induced respiratory complications in patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Recent studies have demonstrated that intravenous ibuprofen decreases opioid consumption compared with placebo. The primary aim of this study was to compare the effect of intravenous ibuprofen and intravenous acetaminophen on opioid consumption. We also aimed to compare postoperative pain levels and side effects of the drugs. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blinded study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: Eighty patients, aged 18-65 years, (ASA physical status II-III) undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery were included in this study. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive 800 mg ibuprofen or 1 g acetaminophen intravenously every 6 h for the first 24 h following surgery; in addition, patient-controlled analgesia with morphine was administered. MEASUREMENTS: Postoperative morphine consumption in the first 24 h, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at rest and with movement, and opioid related side effects were assessed. In addition, time to passage of flatus, surgical complications, lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stay, and laboratory parameters were recorded. MAIN RESULTS: The mean morphine consumption was 23.94 ±â€¯13.89 mg in iv ibuprofen group and 30.23 ±â€¯13.76 mg in the acetaminophen group [mean difference: -6.28 (95% CI, -12.70, 0.12); P = 0.055]. The use of intravenous ibuprofen was associated with reduction in pain at rest (AUC, 1- to 24-h, P < 0.001 and 12- to 24-h, P = 0.021) and pain with movement (AUC, 1-24, 6-24, and 12-24 h, P < 0.001). Intravenous ibuprofen was well tolerated with no serious side effects except dizziness. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous ibuprofen did not significantly reduce opioid consumption compared to intravenous acetaminophen; however, it reduced the severity of pain. Intravenous ibuprofen may be a good alternative to intravenous acetaminophen as part of a multimodal postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Accuracy of non-invasive hemoglobin monitoring by pulse CO-oximeter during liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin level monitoring is essential during liver transplantation (LT) due to substantial blood loss. We evaluated the accuracy of non-invasive and continuous hemoglobin monitoring (SpHb) obtained by a transcutaneous spectrophotometry-based technology (Masimo Corporation, Irvine, CA) compared with conventional laboratory Hb measurement (HbL) during LT. Additionally, we made subgroup analyses for distinct surgical phases that have special features and hemodynamic problems and thus may affect the accuracy of SpHb. METHODS: During LT, blood samples were obtained twice for each of the three phases of LT (pre-anhepatic, anhepatic, and neohepatic) and were analyzed by the central laboratory. The HbL measurements were compared with SpHb obtained at the time of the blood draws. RESULTS: A total of 282 data pairs obtained from 53 patients were analyzed. The SpHb values ranged from 6.9 to 17.7 g/dL, and the HbL values ranged from 5.4 to 17.1 g/dL. The correlation coefficient between SpHb and HbL was 0.73 (P<0.001), and change in SpHb versus change in HbL was 0.76 (P<0.001). The sensitivity value determined using a 4-quadrant plot was 79%. The bias and precision of SpHb to HbL were 0.86±1.58 g/dL; the limits of agreement were -2.25 to 3.96 g/dL. The overall correlation between SpHb and HbL remained stable in different phases of surgical procedure. CONCLUSIONS: SpHb was demonstrated to have a clinically acceptable accuracy of hemoglobin measurement in comparison with a standard laboratory device when used during LT. This technology can be useful as a trend monitor during all surgical phases of LT and can supplement HbL to optimize transfusion decisions or to detect occult bleeding.

The effect of addition of ketamine to lidocaine on postoperative pain in rhinoplasties.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of addition of subanesthetic doses of ketamine to an epinephrine-lidocaine solution on postoperative pain, analgesic use, and patient comfort during rhinoplasties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety patients were randomly divided into three groups: Group L, lidocaine with epinephrine; Group K, lidocaine with epinephrine plus ketamine; and Group S (control group), physiological saline solution with epinephrine. The local anesthetic solution was injected as preincisionally with intranasal submucosal infiltration following induction of general anesthesia. We evaluated visual pain score, analgesic demand, Wilson sedation score, and antiemetic demand at 5, 15, and 30 min and 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, and 24 h after the operation. The patient satisfaction score was checked 24 h after the operation. RESULTS: Visual pain score was significantly reduced in Group K in comparison with the other groups and this group did not need any rescue analgesics (P < 0.05). The postoperative patient satisfaction scores were highest in Group K compared with the other groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Addition of ketamine solution to lidocaine for infiltration block during rhinoplasty was successful in decreasing pain during postoperative periods and reducing analgesic consumption during the first 24 h after the operation.

Evaluation of pleth variability index as a predictor of fluid responsiveness during orthotopic liver transplantation.

Fluid management is challenging and still remains controversial in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The pleth variability index (PVI) has been shown to be a reliable predictor of fluid responsiveness of perioperative and critically ill patients; however, it has not been evaluated in OLT. This study was designed to examine whether the PVI can reliably predict fluid responsiveness in OLT and to compare PVI with other hemodynamic indexes that are measured using the PiCCO2 monitoring system. Twenty-five patients were enrolled in this study. Each patient was monitored using the noninvasive Masimo and PiCCO2 monitoring system. PVI was obtained with a Masimo pulse oximeter. Cardiac index was obtained using a transpulmonary thermodilution technique (CITPTD). Stroke volume variation (SVV), pulse pressure variation, and systemic vascular resistance index were measured using the PiCCO2 system. Fluid loading (10 mL/kg colloid) was performed at two different phases during the operation, and fluid responsiveness was defined as an increase in CITPTD ≥ 15%. During the dissection phase and the anhepatic phase, respectively, 14 patients (56%) and 18 patients (75%) were classified as responders. There were no differences between the baseline values of the PVI of responders and nonresponders. Area under the curve for PVI was 0.56 (sensitivity 35%, specificity 90%, p = 0.58) at dissection phase, and was 0.55 (sensitivity 55%, specificity 66%, p = 0.58) at anhepatic phase. Of the parameters, a higher area under the curve value was found for SVV. We conclude that PVI was unable to predict fluid responsiveness with sufficient accuracy in patients undergoing OLT, but the SVV parameter was reliable.

Effects of peroperative intravenous paracetamol and lornoxicam for lumbar disc surgery on postoperative pain and opioid consumption: A randomized, prospective, placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present randomized, placebo-controlled study was to compare postoperative analgesic effects of peroperative paracetamol and lornoxicam administration. METHODS: Sixty adult patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) risk classification I-II, who would undergo single-level lumbar discectomy under general anesthesia, were enrolled. Patients were administered either 1000 mg paracetamol (Group P), 8 mg lornoxicam (Group L), or saline (Group C) prior to induction of anesthesia (n=20 for all groups). All patients were administered the same anesthesia induction and maintainance. Postoperative analgesia was maintained with the same analgesic drug in each group. Rescue analgesia was supplied with intravenous meperidine delivered by a patient-controlled analgesia device. Numeric rating score (NRS) results, first analgesic demand time, and cumulative meperidine consumption were recorded postoperatively. Primary outcome was NRS at first postoperative hour. Secondary outcome was measure of opioid consumption during first 24 postoperative hours. RESULTS: At first postoperative hour, NRS of Group L [4 (0-8)] was lower than NRSs of Groups P and C [6(0-7); 6(0-9), respectively; p<0.016]. Time to first analgesic demand of Group L was longer, compared with those of the other groups (p<0.016). Cumulative postoperative meperidine consumption in Group L was less than those of Groups P and C at 2-, 12-, and 24-hour time intervals (p<0.016), while Groups P and C had similar findings for the same time intervals. CONCLUSION: Preoperative lornoxicam administration decreased early postoperative pain scores more effectively than paracetamol.

Comparison of the proseal, supreme, and i-gel SAD in gynecological laparoscopic surgeries.

We compared proseal, supreme, and i-gel supraglottic airway devices in terms of oropharyngeal leak pressures and airway morbidities in gynecological laparoscopic surgeries. One hundred and five patients undergoing elective surgery were subjected to general anesthesia after which they were randomly distributed into three groups. Although the oropharyngeal leak pressure was lower in the i-gel group initially (mean ± standard deviation; 23.9 ± 2.4, 24.9 ± 2.9, and 20.9 ± 3.5, resp.), it was higher than the proseal group and supreme group at 30 min of surgery after the trendelenburg position (25.0 ± 2.3, 25.0 ± 1.9, and 28.3 ± 2.3, resp.) and at the 60 min of surgery (24.2 ± 2.1, 24.8 ± 2.2, and 29.5 ± 1.1, resp.). The time to apply the supraglottic airway devices was shorter in the i-gel group (12.2 (1.2), 12.9 (1.0), and 6.7 (1.2), resp., P = 0.001). There was no difference between the groups in terms of their fiber optic imaging levels. pH was measured at the anterior and posterior surfaces of the pharyngeal region after the supraglottic airway devices were removed; the lowest pH values were 5 in all groups. We concluded that initial oropharyngeal leak pressures obtained by i-gel were lower than proseal and supreme, but increased oropharyngeal leak pressures over time, ease of placement, and lower airway morbidity are favorable for i-gel.

Dexmedetomidine ameliorates TNBS-induced colitis by inducing immunomodulator effect.

BACKGROUND: Since sedatives are often administered to immune-compromised and critically ill patients, our understanding of immunomodulation by sedation will be critical. Dexmedetomidine, a selective α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, is often used for sedation and analgesia especially in intensive care units. There are conflicting and little data concerning both the effect and the mechanism of dexmedetomidine on immune response. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine on immune system at two different doses (5 µg.kg(-1) and 30 µg.kg(-1)) during inflammatory bowel disease by using an experimental model, which resembles both systemic and local inflammation. METHODS: The effect of dexmedetomidine on the course of inflammatory bowel disease was investigated by measuring macroscopic and microscopic parameters. We investigated pro-inflammatory Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokine levels in serum samples to analyze systemic immune response. Following this, local immune response was investigated by measuring cytokine levels in the presence of dexmedetomidine in spleen cell culture. RESULTS: Dexmedetomidine administration led to amelioration of all disease associated pathological manifestations. According to our in vitro and in vivo results, dexmedetomidine shows anti-inflammatory effect by increasing IL-4 and IL-10 levels responsible from anti-inflammatory response via Th2 pathway. Moreover, we showed for the first time in the study that dexmedetomidine administration reduces IL-23, which is responsible from initiation of inflammatory response via Th17 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Dexmedetomidine can have beneficial effect on preoperative or postoperative inflammatory bowel disease patients in intensive care units by down-regulating inflammatory immune response not only in systemic circulation but also in tissue-specific manner.