A retrospective comparison for prediction of optimal length of right subclavian vein catheterization in infants: landmark-based estimation vs. linear regression model.

BACKGROUND: The optimal insertion length for right subclavian vein catheterization in infants has not been determined. This study retrospectively compared landmark-based and linear regression model-based estimation of optimal insertion length for right subclavian vein catheterization in pediatric patients of corrected age < 1 year. METHODS: Fifty catheterizations of the right subclavian vein were analyzed. The landmark related distances were: from the needle insertion point (I) to the tip of the sternal head of the right clavicle (A) and from A to the midpoint (B) of the perpendicular line drawn from the sternal head of the right clavicle to the line connecting the nipples. The optimal length of insertion was retrospectively determined by reviewing post-procedural chest radiographs. Estimates using a landmark-based equation (IA + AB - intercept) and a linear regression model were compared with the optimal length of insertion. RESULTS: A landmark-based equation was determined as IA + AB - 5. The mean difference between the landmark-based estimate and the optimal insertion length was 1.0 mm (95% limits of agreement -18.2 to 20.3 mm). The mean difference between the linear regression model (26.681 - 4.014 × weight + 0.576 × IA + 0.537 × AB - 0.482 × postmenstrual age) and the optimal insertion length was 0 mm (95% limits of agreement -16.7 to 16.7 mm). The difference between the estimates using these two methods was not significant. CONCLUSION: A simple landmark-based equation may be useful for estimating optimal insertion length in pediatric patients of corrected age < 1 year undergoing right subclavian vein catheterization.

The Analgesic Efficacy of Nefopam in Patient-Controlled Analgesia after Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgery: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Non-Inferiority Study.

Opioid-sparing effects of nefopam during patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) are well demonstrated. We hypothesized that postoperative pain control with an opioid-equivalent dose of nefopam as a single analgesic agent for PCA would not be inferior to fentanyl in laparoscopic gynecologic surgery. In total, 135 patients were randomly assigned to the N (nefopam 200 mg), NF (fentanyl 500 mcg + nefopam 100 mg), and F (fentanyl 1000 mcg) groups (n = 45 patients per group). The primary outcome was the numerical rating scale (NRS) score at rest at 6 h postoperatively, and the non-inferiority limit was set to 1. Secondary outcomes were pain severity and incidence of nausea and vomiting for 48 h postoperatively. Mean differences (MD) in primary outcome between the N and F groups were 0.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.5 to 1.3). The upper limit of 95% CI exceeded the non-inferiority limit. The N group showed higher pain scores than the NF group (MD, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.3-1.9) in pairwise comparisons. No significant intergroup differences were observed in the cumulative dose of PCA usage and incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). In laparoscopic gynecological surgery, nefopam alone showed limited efficacy for postoperative pain control.