Comparative efficacy of ropivacaine and levobupivacaine in combined femoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerve block with adjuvant magnesium for post-operative analgesia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients with burns may require multiple surgeries, but poor general condition and underlying protein energy malnutrition make them unsuitable candidates for general or spinal anaesthesia. This study evaluated the role of magnesium sulphate as an adjuvant with levobupivacaine and ropivacaine used in combined femoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) blocks in burn patients with relative sparing of thigh portion. METHODS: This prospective, randomised, double-blind study included 54 adult patients of 18-65 years age, undergoing split-thickness skin graft harvest from the thigh, allotted to three equal groups of 18 each. Group L patients received femoral nerve (FN) block with 15 mL of 0.5% levobupivacaine and 8 mL for LFCN block; Group LM patients received 14 mL of 0.5% levobupivacaine along with 1.0 mL of 15% magnesium sulphate for FN block, 7.5 mL of 0.5% levobupivacaine with 0.5 mL of 15% of magnesium sulphate to LFCN block and Group R patients received 15 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine for FN block and 8 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine for LFCN block. Time to block onset and complete surgical block, duration of analgesia, total analgesic dose and the overall analgesia satisfaction score were measured in the first 24 h post-operatively. Quantitative data were analysed with ANOVA and qualitative data subjected to Chi-square tests. Intergroup comparison was performed with independent t-test. RESULTS: The duration of post-operative analgesia did not differ with the addition of magnesium (P = 0.610). Time to onset of the block was significantly decreased with the addition of magnesium (P = 0.0341), but time to complete surgical block onset was similar across the groups. CONCLUSION: Both ropivacaine and levobupivacaine have good perioperative analgesic efficacy. Magnesium as an analgesia adjuvant with levobupivacaine does not prolong the duration of post-operative analgesia.

Live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Since the advent of matrix array transducer, three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography has come to frequent clinical use. It has significantly enhanced the communication between the operators and cardiac imagers in the operating room as well as in the cardiac interventional labs. This article reviews the history, technological aspects, and the protocol for acquisition and processing of the data sets. It also discusses its advantages in various clinical scenarios, both in diagnostic and therapeutic situations. It highlights its limitations in the current form and prospects of future development.

The ability of live three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography to evaluate the attachment site of intracardiac tumors.

In this study, a case of a right ventricular myxoma and a case of a right ventricular hemangioma are used to demonstrate the ability of live three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) to assess the site of tumor attachment. Because 3DTEE has the ability to visualize desired structures in multiple planes, we defined the attached portion of the tumors and measured the en face view dimensions. In addition, the improved ability of 3DTEE to evaluate tissue characteristics allowed differentiation of the heterogeneous myxoma and highly vascular hemangioma. On the contrary, because two-dimensional (2D) TEE only allows structures to be viewed in a 2D plane, the attachment site can be located but complete delineation and measurement of area is not possible. As surgical options become less invasive, accurate attachment site location and size will become more important to ensure complete excision.

Incremental value of live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography over the two-dimensional technique in the assessment of sinus of valsalva aneurysm rupture.

We present an adult patient with rupture of the right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm in whom the two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiogram failed to show the rupture. On the other hand, live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography clearly delineated the site of rupture into the pericardium and mediastinum.

Incremental value of live/real time three-dimensional over two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in the evaluation of right coronary artery fistula.

We report an adult with a right coronary artery to right atrial fistula in whom live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography with its ability to trace the entire course and obtain en face views of the fistula connections, was able to provide significant incremental information over two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Economic burden of dengue infections in India.

Dengue infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and lead to adverse economic effects in many developing tropical countries. In this study, we estimated the economic burden faced by India during the 2006 dengue epidemic. Costs incurred in managing a cohort of serologically confirmed dengue patients at a tertiary-level private hospital in north India were calculated. The median cost of treatment per hospitalised dengue patient was US$432.2 (95% CI US$343.6-625). A sensitivity analysis was performed to estimate the costs to the health system in India using a regression model. Variables with potentially large variations, including the ratio of unreported to reported cases and of hospitalised to ambulatory cases, the proportion requiring transfusions, loss of economic activities due to loss of workdays and deaths, were used. The average total economic burden was estimated to be US$27.4 million (95% CI US$25.7-29.1 million). Costs in the private heath sector were estimated to be almost four times public sector expenditures. Considerable economic losses (at a macro level) are incurred by developing countries like India during each dengue epidemic. Accurate estimates of the proportions of reported to unreported and of hospitalised to ambulatory dengue cases in India are needed to refine further the estimates of financial burden due to dengue in India.