A Retrospective Study in 12-Year cohort of 216 Parturients with Invasive Placentation in a Tertiary Care Centre in Oman: Clinical Outcomes Indicate Severe Maternal Morbidity.

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) comprising placenta accreta, increta, and percreta, is 1 of the leading causes of peripartum hemorrhage and accounts for up to 50% of all cesarean hysterectomies (CH). We analyzed the data of 216 parturients with PAS who underwent cesarean delivery (CD) and/or CH. Intraoperative surgical complications were noted in 215 (99.5%). The mean estimated blood loss was 2743 (1790) mL, and 105 parturients (48.6%) lost ≥2500 mL. The patients experienced high rates of severe acute maternal morbidity [162 (75%)], hysterectomy [82 (38%)], large volume blood loss, blood transfusion, peripartum anemia, and prolonged hospital stay.

Survey of Surgeons Attitude to Local Anesthetics for Postoperative Pain Relief.

BACKGROUND: There is no ideal postoperative pain management. Simple surgeon-delivered local anesthetic (LA) techniques such as wound infiltration and regional nerve blocks can play a significant role in the improvement of postoperative pain relief. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Administered paper questionnaires to delegates attending surgical society conferences. METHODS: A 15-point questionnaire was administered to surgical delegates attending general surgey, orthopedic and gynecological conferences at different locations. RESULTS: Response rate was 65.26%. 33% of surgeons used LA regularly, 31% occasionally, and 36% never used LA for postoperative analgesia. 50% of all surgeons used lignocaine for local anesthesia (P < 0.0001) and infiltration (65% of all surgeons) was the most common method (P < 0.0001). Only 30% surgeons knew the correct duration of action of bupivacaine infiltration (P < 0.0001) and only 4% surgeons knew that LAs are antimicrobial (P < 0.0001). 53% of orthopedic surgeons used combination of lignocaine and bupivacaine, while 46% of general and 73% gynecologists surgeons used lignocaine more commonly. Only <5% of all surgeons had used long-acting liposomal bupivacaine and almost 40% more were willing to use the liposomal LA drug only if more evidence is available. CONCLUSIONS: Although majority of surgeons were aware of the benefits of LA use for postoperative pain relief, reluctance, lack of knowledge of LA drugs and methods of LA use and fear of infection and wound healing are barriers for effective use of LA drugs for postoperative pain relief. Attending anesthesiologists must develop methods in the operating room to create awareness about the effectiveness of LA use for postoperative pain relief. Single-use vials or ampules of LA must be encouraged to LA use for postoperative analgesia, especially in the third-world countries.

Referrral Systems Development and Survey of Perioperative and Critical Care Referral to Anesthetists.

INTRODUCTION: Anesthetists come in contact with more than two-third of hospital patients. Timely referral to anesthetists is vital in perioperative and remote site settings. Delayed referrals, improper referrals, and referrals at inappropriate levels can result in inadequate preparation, perioperative complications, and poor outcome. METHODS: The self administered paper survey to delegates attending anesthesia conferences. Questions were asked on how high-risk, emergency surgical cases remote site and critical care patients were referred to anesthetists and presence of rapid response teams. RESULTS: The response rate was 43.8%. Sixty percent (55.3-64.8, P - 0.001) reported high-risk elective cases were referred after admission. Sixty-eight percent (63.42-72.45, P - 0.001) opined preoperative resting echocardiographs were useful. Six percent (4.16-8.98, P - 0.001) reported emergency room referral before arrival of the patient. Twenty-five percent (20.92-29.42, P - 0.001) indicated high-risk obstetric cases were referred immediately after admission. Consultants practiced preoperative stabilization more commonly than residents (32% vs. 22%) (P - 0.004). For emergency surgery, resident referrals occurred after surgery time was fixed (40% vs. 28%) (P - 0.012). Residents dealt with more cases without full investigations in obstetrics (28% vs. 15) (P = 0.002). Remote site patients were commonly referred to residents after sedation attempts (32% vs. 20%) (P = 0.036). Only 34.8 said hosptals where tbey practiced had dedicated cardiac arrest team in place. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthetic departments must periodically assess whether subgroups of patients are being referred in line with current guidelines. Cancellations, critical incidents and complications arising out of referral delays, and improper referrals must be recorded as referral incidents and a separate referral incident registry must be maintained in each department. Regular referral audits must be encouraged.

Betel quid, chewing habits and difficult intubation: A case report and critical appraisal of evidence for practice.

Betel quid is used by 10-20% of world of population. Oral submucus fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic premalignant disease common in South Asian countries where betel quid is chewed. It is characterized by juxtaepithelial fibrosis of oral cavity and limited mouth opening, which can cause difficult intubation. A recent study in Taiwan has revealed long-term betel nut chewing is not predictor of difficult intubation. We describe two cases of OSF and critically analyze this study and its implications for clinical practice. OSF is now seen in Saudi Arabia and western countries with use of commercial betel quid substitutes. Although betel quid without tobacco is used in Taiwan, available evidence suggests rapid and early development of OSF where commercial chewing products like Pan Masala are used in India. Effects of betel quid may vary depending on the composition of quid and chewing habits. Studies where personal habits are involved must be analyzed carefully for external validity. Even though, Taiwan study is controlled, its validity outside Taiwan is highly questionable. Since OSF can cause unanticipated difficult intubation, thus during preanesthetic assessment, history of betel quid chewing, more importantly use of commercial chewing products is more likely to give clues to severity of OSF and possible difficult intubation. Further controlled trails in populations where commercial chewing products are used is necessary to detect association of chewing habits and difficult intubation.

Efficacy of orally disintegrating film of ondansetron versus intravenous ondansetron in prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing elective gynaecological laparoscopic procedures: A prospective randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ondansetron is one of the most widely used drugs for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) prophylaxis. Orally disintegrating film (ODF) formulations are relatively recent innovations. We evaluated the efficacy of ODF of ondansetron for the prophylaxis of PONV. METHODS: One hundred and eighty American Society of Anaesthesiologists-I or II women, in the age group 18-65 years, scheduled for elective gynaecological laparoscopic procedures were studied in a prospective randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The patients were randomised into four groups: Placebo, intravenous (IV) ondansetron 4 mg, ODF of ondansetron 4 mg (ODF4) and 8 mg (ODF8) groups. PONV was assessed in two epochs of 0-6 and 7-24 h. Primary outcome measure was the incidence of PONV and secondary outcome measures were severity of nausea, need for rescue anti-emetic, analgesic consumption, time to oral intake, overall patient satisfaction and side effects such as headache and dizziness. PONV was compared using analysis of variance or Mann-Whitney U-test as applicable. RESULTS: Data of 173 patients were analysed. The incidence of postoperative nausea was significantly lower (P = 0.04) only during the 0-6 h in the ODF8 group when compared with the placebo group. During the 0-6 h interval postoperatively, the ODF8 group had a significantly lower incidence of vomiting when compared with the placebo (P = 0.002) and the IV group (P = 0.044). During the 0-24 h interval postoperatively, ODF4 (P = 0.01) and ODF8 (P = 0.002) groups had a significantly lower incidence of vomiting compared to the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Orally disintegrating film of ondansetron is an efficacious, novel, convenient and may be a cost-effective option for the prophylaxis of PONV.

Perioperative only versus extended antimicrobial usage in tympanomastoid surgery: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Antimicrobial prophylaxis is still a matter of debate in ear surgeries. Previous studies have focused on prophylaxis in middle ear surgery alone without inclusion of mastoidectomy. We therefore investigated efficacy of two regimes of antimicrobial prophylaxis in tympanoplasty with cortical mastoidectomy done for mild middle ear disease in chronic otitis media. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind study. METHODS: Patients undergoing tympanoplasty with cortical mastoidectomy were included and randomized into two study groups. The group I patients received parenteral perioperative antimicrobials; only group II patients received additional extended oral antimicrobials for 8 days more postoperatively. Primary outcomes evaluated were postaural wound infection and graft success, assessed weekly until 1 month. Adverse events and length of hospital stay were evaluated as secondary outcome. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients were randomized into group I (n = 39) and group II (n = 39). The two groups showed no difference in wound infection rate. The graft success rate in both the group was comparable (94.87% in group I and 97.44% in group II, respectively; P = 1.00). The length of hospital stay was significantly longer (P = 0.00001) in group II (3.05 [0.72], mean [SD]) as compared to group I (2.36 [0.49]). During the first postoperative week, a significantly higher incidence of gastrointestinal disturbances were observed in group II (19 [48.72%] as compared to 1 [2.56%] in group I, P = 0.00001). CONCLUSION: The present study shows that there is no need of extended antimicrobial prophylaxis for tympanoplasty with cortical mastoidectomy done for mild middle ear disease. An indiscriminate use of antimicrobials may lead to increase incidence of adverse events and prolonged hospital stay. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1b.

Orbital exenteration under trigeminal block: An innovative method of regional anesthesia.

Orbital exenteration is a disfiguring operation involving the removal of the entire contents of the orbit, with or without the eyelids. It is widely felt that such extensive surgery can only be performed under general anesthesia. We report our experience with a patient who underwent orbitalexenteration under trigeminal block with intravenous sedation. A 68-year-old male patient was diagnosed to have orbital cellulitis (mucormycosis), uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy with severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction with severe pulmonary artery hypertension, and nephropathy. We decided to avoid general anesthesia for such a high-risk patient with many co-morbid illnesses. We gave trigeminal block using a 22-G spinal needle with local anesthetic solution of bupivacaine 0.5% by classic approach. A standard exenteration was performed and the patient tolerated the procedure well with no complications.

Prune belly syndrome with congenital pouch colon.

We report a rare case of prune belly syndrome associated with congenital pouch colon, which was managed successfully.

Bilateral brachial plexus blocks in a patient of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy with hypertensive crisis.

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a challenge to anesthesiologists due to the complex pathophysiology involved and various perioperative complications associated with it. We present a 50-year-old man, a known case of HOCM, who successfully underwent emergency haemostasis, and debridement of the traumatically amputated right upper limb and the contused lacerated wound on the left forearm under bilateral brachial plexus blocks. His co-morbidities included hypertension (in hypertensive crisis) and diabetes mellitus. He was full stomach and also had an anticipated difficult airway. The management included invasive pressure monitoring and labetalol infusion for emergent control of blood pressure. The regional anaesthesia technique required careful consideration to the dosage of local anaesthetics and staggered performance of brachial plexus blocks on each of the upper limbs to avoid local anaesthetic toxicity. Even though bilateral brachial plexus blocks are rarely indicated, it seemed to be the most appropriate anaesthetic technique in our patient. With careful consideration of the local anaesthetic toxicity and meticulous technique, bilateral brachial plexus blocks can be successfully performed in those patients where general anaesthesia is deemed to be associated with higher risk.

Congenital giant megaureter with duplex kidney presenting as abdominal lump in a neonate.

A neonate with unilateral complete duplex system with congenital giant megaureter of the upper moiety presenting as abdominal lump is reported. A left upper moiety nephroureterectomy was performed. Such an anomaly with this presentation has not been reported in neonates.

Unmasking of tracheomalacia following short-term mechanical ventilation in a patient of adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are susceptible to airway malacia, which may be unmasked following mechanical ventilation or tracheostomy decannulation. Dynamic imaging of central airways, a non-invasive test as effective as bronchoscopy to diagnose airway malacia, has increased the recognition of this disorder. We describe a 70-year-old woman admitted with adult respiratory distress syndrome. She had cardiorespiratory arrest on admission, from which she was successfully resuscitated. She had obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, recurrent ventricular tachycardia, sarcoidosis with interstitial lung disease and COPD. She received short-term (18 days) mechanical ventilation with tracheostomy and developed respiratory distress following tracheostomy decannulation.

Airway difficulty in Mallampati 'class zero' patients: a prospective double-blind observational study.

CONTEXT: Assessment of Mallampati class is an integral part of preoperative airway evaluation. Increasing Mallampati class is known to be associated with greater difficulty with intubation, but some cases of airway difficulty in Mallampati 'class zero' patients have been reported. OBJECTIVE(S): We undertook this study to evaluate intubation difficulty and to correlate this with indirect laryngoscopy findings in Mallampati class zero patients. The incidence of Mallampati class zero airway in Indian patients and the difficulty in mask ventilation were also evaluated. DESIGN: Prospective double-blind observational study. SETTING: A tertiary care medical college hospital in Karnataka, India. STUDY PERIOD: September 2010 to April 2011. PATIENTS: Patients of either sex, 18 years and older, presenting for preanaesthetic examination for elective surgery were evaluated. All patients with Mallampati class zero airway undergoing general anaesthesia with tracheal intubation were included. Exclusion criteria were upper airway disorder, unstable cervical spine, increased risk for aspiration, ischaemic heart disease, increased intracranial pressure, respiratory distress, those unable to sit upright, or infected with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV or pulmonary tuberculosis, or requiring emergency surgery. All underwent indirect laryngoscopy performed by the otorhinolaryngologist and subsequently, direct laryngoscopy performed by the anaesthesiologist. Intubation difficulty was assessed by the Cormack & Lehane grades. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Evaluation of intubation difficulty and correlation with indirect laryngoscopy findings in Mallampati class zero patients. Estimation of the incidence of Mallampati class zero airway in Indian patients and the difficulty in mask ventilation. RESULTS: Twenty women and thirteen men, aged 18-65 years, of Mallampati class zero were identified out of 1937 (incidence, 1.7%). The data of 27 patients were analysed. Two patients had 'difficult' mask ventilation. All had a 'predicted easy' airway on indirect laryngoscopy and 'easy' (Cormack & Lehane grade 1 or 2) tracheal intubation. Upon direct laryngoscopy, the epiglottis was described as 'large' in 10 (37%) patients. CONCLUSION: A Mallampati class zero per se is not associated with difficult airway unless other airway characteristics contribute to the difficulty. Even though the epiglottis may be large and overhanging, it rarely causes airway difficulty in Mallampati class zero airway.