Remimazolam anaphylaxis during anesthesia induction.

Anaphylactic shock is a potentially lethal complication during anesthesia and requires appropriate management to save the patient's life. We report a 32-year-old man who developed anaphylaxis during induction of general anesthesia with remimazolam for hand surgery. He received general anesthesia with midazolam 4 weeks before. This time facial flushing followed by a decrease of peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and blood pressure occurred 2 min after starting continuous remimazolam infusion at 6 mg/kg/h. Hypotension and SpO2 were recovered by repeated administration of adrenaline. Despite no increase of serum tryptase levels, intradermal allergy tests 4 weeks postoperatively revealed that remimazolam and midazolam were positive, suggesting remimazolam as a causative agent for anaphylaxis. In the previous surgery, midazolam, which has a similar structure to remimazolam, may have caused sensitization. This is probably the first case report of anaphylaxis caused by remimazolam.

Case report of two pregnancies and deliveries by a woman with Buerger disease.

Buerger disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that involves blood clot formation in the medium and small arteries, resulting in thrombophlebitis. It is usually observed in middle-aged men who smoke and is very rare in young women. Previous reports have indicated that Buerger disease worsens during pregnancy due to hypercoagulability associated with pregnancy, and newborns' birth weights were often lower than normal. This report describes a young woman with Buerger disease who experienced two pregnancies and deliveries. During the 1st pregnancy, d-dimer and soluble fibrin levels slightly increased, but no treatment was needed. However, during the 2nd pregnancy, d-dimer and soluble fibrin levels abruptly increased at 20 weeks of pregnancy, and heparin was administered subcutaneously. Four days after heparin administration, d-dimer and soluble fibrin levels decreased to normal pregnancy levels. d-dimer and soluble fibrin measurements were useful for evaluating the coagulation tendencies of this pregnant woman with Buerger disease.

High-dose remifentanil suppresses stress response associated with pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic colectomy.

PURPOSE: Although laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive, it produces stress responses to an extent similar to that of conventional laparotomy. Both epidural anesthesia and remifentanil intravenously (i.v.), combined with general anesthesia, provide stable hemodynamics during laparoscopic surgery. However, it has not been elucidated whether epidural anesthesia and remifentanil are associated with suppression of autonomic and neuroendocrine stress responses. This study aimed to clarify whether thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) or remifentanil suppresses stress responses during laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: We assigned 60 patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy to three groups anesthetized with 40 % oxygen-air-sevoflurane plus either TEA (TEA group), continuous infusion of remifentanil 0.25 µg/kg/min [low-dose (LD) group], or 1.0 µg/kg/min [high-dose (HD) group] (n = 20 each group). Plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, antidiuretic hormone (ADH), and catecholamines were measured immediately before anesthesia induction, and 30 and 90 min after the start of pneumoperitoneum. RESULTS: All groups showed no significant changes in hemodynamics during the course of anesthesia. Compared with TEA, both high-dose and low-dose remifentanil significantly suppressed increases in ACTH, ADH, and cortisol during pneumoperitoneum. Plasma adrenaline showed no significant changes during pneumoperitoneum in any group. Compared with TEA, low-dose remifentanil produced significantly higher plasma concentrations of noradrenaline and dopamine during pneumoperitoneum. CONCLUSION: Notwithstanding similar hemodynamic responses in all groups, only high-dose remifentanil suppressed both sympathetic responses and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. This result indicates that of these three anesthesia regimens, high-dose remifentanil seems most suited for laparoscopic surgery.

Protection from avian influenza H5N1 virus infection with antibody-impregnated filters.

There is worldwide concern over the possibility of a new influenza pandemic originating from the highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza viruses. We herein demonstrate that functional air filters impregnated with ostrich antibodies against the hemagglutinin of the H5N1 virus protect chickens from death by H5N1 transmission. These results suggest that the use of ostrich antibody-impregnated filters might be a powerful way to prevent the transmission of H5N1.

[Anesthetic management for electroconvulsive therapy using rocuronium bromide and sugammadex sodium in a patient with suspected malignant syndrome].

A 62-year-old woman was treated for schizophrenia for 40 years. When the symptoms had deteriorated and new medications had to be added, CPK rose and she malignant syndrome was suspected. The electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was proposed because of no improvement of the symptoms. We employed rocuronium bromide instead of suxamethonium considering malignant syndrome. The maintenance of anesthesia was necessary, because the duration of rocuronium bromide is longer than that of suxamethonium chloride. Anesthesia was induced and maintained using target controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol. After ECT was performed, sugammadex sodium 4 mg . kg-1 was administered at 2 post-tetanic counts (PTC) and the patient could come out the operating room safely and speedy. ECT using rocuronium bromide and sugammadex sodium can be performed safely and speedily, when suxamethonium chloride cannot be used.

Verification of a specific reaction between an airborne antigen and an immobilized antibody at a gas-solid interface.

With a specific and strong molecular-recognition capability cultivated in humoral acquired immunity, an antibody has been extensively utilized in various applications, such as diagnostics and therapy. However, so far most of its uses have been limited to be in the liquid phase. In view of its potential uses, such as a gas-phase biosensor or a high-performance air filter, we have tried to verify a previously undescribed binding reaction between protein antigens and corresponding antibodies immobilized on a solid surface by using fluorescence resonance energy transfer between the two. Our data showed that the antibody on a solid surface specifically reacted with a protein antigen supplied from the gas phase under the normal ambient condition. Also discovered was that the reaction occurred even faster than that in the liquid phase under several assay conditions.

Two cases of spinal epidural abscess with granulation tissue associated with epidural catheterization.

Two cases of spinal epidural abscess are reported whose abscesses became granulated after epidural catheterization. Although emergency surgical intervention was performed almost within 24 h after the diagnosis of epidural abscess in case 1, the patient revealed a poor outcome. After laminoplasty, case 2 received lumbar epidural catheterization, and he had a complete recovery. The abscesses were recognized to spread around the catheter insertion site of the operative procedure in both cases, and MRI in case 2 showed the connection between the epidural abscess and the interspinous space where the catheter had been inserted. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) was identified at the operative field in both cases. Also, MSSA was identified at the subcutaneous abscess around the catheter in case 1 and at the catheter tip in case 2. Those findings suggest the midpoint of the abscess is the puncture site and that MSSA is found in or around the catheter. Infection at epidural catheterization seems to be caused by catheter insertion or skin contamination after catheterization. As those catheterizations were completed in the outpatient theater, we conclude that epidural catheterization should be performed in the operating room or with a restricted aseptic technique.

[The accuracy of transcutaneous carbon dioxide monitoring during laparoscopic surgery].

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic procedures are considered relatively low-invasive. However, there exists a small but important risk of developing complications related to carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation. End-tidal CO2 (PetCO2) monitoring may not be a sufficient guide to adjust pulmonary ventilation during laparoscopic surgery, and arterial CO2 (PaCO2) monitoring is not always indicated. We evaluated the accuracy and feasibility of transcutaneous CO2 (PtcCO2) monitoring during laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: Thirty adult patients undergoing abdominal or gynecological laparoscopic surgery were studied. PtcCO2, PaCO2 and PetCO2 were measured before laparoscopy, and 30 and 60 minutes after beginning of CO2 insufflation. PtcCO2 and PaCO2 were also measured in the recovery room under spontaneous respiration. RESULTS: During operation, the PtcCO2 values demonstrated a high degree of correlation with PaCO2 (r = 0.92), and PetCO2 values also demonstrated generally a good correlation with PaCO2 (r = 0.85). The PtcCO2 PaCO2 gradient was -0.6 +/- 2.2 mmHg, while the PetCO2-PaCO2 gradient was -3.9 +/- 2.7 mmHg. In the recovery room, PtcCO2 values still demonstrated a high correlation with PaCO2 (r = 0.91). CONCLUSIONS: The transcutaneous devices provide an effective method for non-invasive monitoring of PCO2 in situations where continuous monitoring of CO2 levels is desired such as peri-operative period of laparoscopic surgery.

[Transcutaneous carbon dioxide and oxygen measurement in patients undergoing microlaryngosurgery with high frequency jet ventilation].

BACKGROUND: High frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) via thin tracheal tube is a convenient method of ventilation in microlaryngosurgery, but the problem of the assessment of oxygen and carbon dioxide status during HFJV is yet to be studied. METHODS: Fifteen patients undergoing microlaryngosurgery under total intravenous anesthesia with HFJV were studied. The combined transcutaneous carbon dioxide (PtcCO2) and oxygen (PtcO2) levels were compared with arterial blood gas values (PaCO2, PaO2). RESULTS: The PtcCO2 values demonstrated a high degree of correlation with PaCO2 before intubation (r = 0.97), during HFJV (r = 0.96), and after anesthesia (r = 0.93). The PaO2 values demonstrated a generally good correlation with PaO2 before intubation (r = 0.78) and during HFJV (r = 0.83), but not after anesthesia (r = 0.54). CONCLUSION: Capnography values are invalid during HFJV, and an arterial catheter is not always indicated and feasible in microlaryngoscopy. The transcutaneous devices provide an effective method for non-invasive monitoring of PaCO2 in situations where continuous and precise control of CO2 levels is desired such as in perioperative period of microlaryngosurgery with HFJV.