Managing acute pancreatitis pain with bilateral erector spinae plane catheters in a patient allergic to opioids and NSAIDS: A case report.

Acute pancreatitis is one of the major causes of abdominal pain and is mainly related to either gallstone or heavy alcohol intake. We have managed a patient with acute pancreatitis with a bilateral erector spinae catheter because he was not suitable for other analgesics. A 72-year-old male with a known alcoholic patient was admitted with severe acute pancreatitis. He also had the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and oesophageal reflux disease. He was allergic to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and opioids. Therefore, his pain was managed successfully with bilateral erector spinae block with a continuous infusion with 0.125% levobupivacaine 1 ml/hr background infusion and 30 ml every 4 hours using a CADD Solis regional analgesia pump. Although erector spinae block is relatively new and to date, the optimal dose is not determined. We inserted the catheters at the T8 level; however, further study is needed to determine the ideal insertion site and drug volumes. We have mentioned key features, techniques, and management plans and reviewed the latest literature in this case report.

Comparative evaluation of Airtraq™ optical Laryngoscope and Miller's blade in paediatric patients undergoing elective surgery requiring tracheal intubation: A randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The Airtraq™ optical laryngoscope is the only marketed videolaryngoscope for paediatric patients besides the fibre-optic bronchoscope. We hypothesized that intubation would be easier with Airtraq™ compared to Miller blade. Hence, we compared Airtraq™ with the Miller laryngoscope as intubation devices in paediatric patients. METHODS: This prospective, randomized study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Sixty children belonging to American Society of Anesthesiologists' Grade I-II, aged 2-10 years, posted for routine surgery requiring tracheal intubation were randomly allocated to undergo intubation using a Miller (n = 30) or Airtraq™ (n = 30) laryngoscope. The primary outcome measure was time of intubation. We also measured ease of intubation, number of attempts, percentage of glottic opening score (POGO), haemodynamic changes and airway trauma. Student t test was used to analyse parametric data. RESULTS: Intubation time was comparable between Miller's laryngoscope (15.13 ± 1.33s) compared to Airtraq™ (11.53 ± 0.49 s) (P = 0.29) The number of first and second attempts at intubation were 25 and 5 for the Miller laryngoscope and 29 and 1 for the Airtraq™. Median visual analogue score (VAS) for ease of intubation was 5 in Miller group compared to 3 in Airtraq™ group. The median POGO score was 75 in the Miller group and 100 in the Airtraq™ group (P = 0.01). Haemodynamic changes were maximum and most significant immediately and 1 min after intubation. Airway trauma occurred in three patients (9.09%) in Miller group and one patient (3.33%) in Airtraq™ group. CONCLUSION: The Airtraq™ reduced the difficulty of tracheal intubation and degree of haemodynamic stimulation compared to the Miller laryngoscope in paediatric patients.

A randomised controlled trial comparing ProSeal laryngeal mask airway, i-gel and Laryngeal Tube Suction-D under general anaesthesia for elective surgical patients requiring controlled ventilation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The ProSeal™ laryngeal mask airway (PLMA), i-gel™ and Laryngeal Tube Suction-D (LTS-D™) have previously been evaluated alone or in pair-wise comparisons but differing study designs make it difficult to compare the results. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical performance of these three devices in terms of efficacy and safety in patients receiving mechanical ventilation during elective surgical procedures. METHODS: This prospective, randomised, double-blind study was conducted on 150 American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-II patients, randomly allocated into 3 groups, undergoing elective surgical procedures under general anaesthesia. PLMA, i-gel™ or LTS-D™ appropriate for weight or/and height was inserted. Primary outcome measured was airway sealing pressure. Insertion time, ease of insertion, number of attempts, overall success rate and the incidence of airway trauma and complications were also recorded. Intergroup differences were compared using one-way analysis of variance with post hoc correction for continuous data and Chi-square test for categorical variables. RESULTS: Overall success rate was comparable between the three devices (i-gel™ 100%, LTS-D™ 94%, PLMA 96%). Airway sealing pressure was lower with i-gel™ (23.38 ± 2.06 cm H2O) compared to LTS-D™ (26.06 ± 2.11 cm H2O) and PLMA (28.5 ± 2.8 cm H2O; P < 0.0005). The mean insertion time was significantly more in PLMA (38.77 ± 3.2 s) compared to i-gel™ (27.9 ± 2.53 s) and LTS-D™ (21.66 ± 2.31 s; P < 0.0005). CONCLUSION: Airway sealing pressure and insertion time were significantly higher in PLMA compared to i-gel™ and LTS-D™.

A comparative study of three methods of ProSeal laryngeal mask airway insertion in children with simulated difficult laryngoscopy using a rigid neck collar.

BACKGROUND: Combined introducer tool and stylet technique of ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA) insertion was compared with the conventional digital manipulation and introducer tool technique in children with a rigid neck collar. METHODS: This was a randomized, single blinded, prospective study. Ninety ASA Grade I-II children weighing 10-20 kg were randomly allocated for PLMA insertion using the digital, introducer tool (IT) or combined IT and stylet techniques. Each group contained 30 patients. Difficult laryngoscopy was simulated using a rigid neck collar. The laryngoscopic view was graded prior to PLMA insertion. The digital and IT techniques were performed according to the manufacturer's instructions. The combined technique involved attaching the IT to the PLMA and inserting a flexible stylet through the drain tube. RESULTS: The median Cormack and Lehane grade was 2 in all three groups. Insertion was more frequently successful with the combined technique at the first attempt (combined 100%, digital 65.38%, IT 66.67%; p < 0.05), but success after three attempts was similar (combined 100%, digital 86.67%, IT 90%; p > 0.05). The time taken for successful placement was similar among groups at the first attempt, but was shorter for the combined technique for overall attempts (combined 18.33 ± 1.27 seconds, digital 27.85 ± 9.05 seconds, IT 26.89 ± 7.17 seconds; p < 0.05). There was no difference in postoperative airway morbidity. CONCLUSION: PLMA insertion with combined IT and stylet technique was more frequently successful than the digital or IT technique in pediatric patients without cervical spine motion.

Role of tranexamic acid in reducing postoperative blood loss and transfusion requirement in patients undergoing hip and femoral surgeries.

CONTEXT: Pharmacological agents are used to reduce postoperative blood loss. AIMS: To assess the effects of tranexamic acid on prevention of bleeding and requirement of blood transfusion after major hip and femoral surgeries. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, double blinded study was conducted in the tertiary care teaching hospital. METHODS: Ninety ASA grade I-II patients undergoing hip fracture surgery were included in this prospective study. Forty-five patients received tranexamic acid (TA) given in a bolus dose of 500 mg 15 min before surgical incision followed by continuous infusion. The remaining, 45 patients were allocated as a control group. Postoperative bleeding (volume of blood in the drain), percentage fall of hemoglobin, transfusions and complications were recorded. RESULTS: Mean volume of blood in the drain was 39.33±10.09 ml (mean±SD) as compared to 91.11±17.61 ml in placebo group showing a P<0.001. Mean percentage fall in Hb at day 0 was 2.99±3.45 in the study group as compared to 7.70±6.05 in the placebo group (P<0.001), and fall at day 2 in the study group was 0.35±0.74, compared to 2.72±2.70 in the placebo group (P<0.001). The number of patients required blood transfusions were lower in the study group than in the placebo group (P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that tranexamic acid significantly reduces postoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements during major hip and femoral surgeries.

Refractory cardiac arrest due to inadvertent intravenous injection of 0.25% bupivacaine used for local infiltration anesthesia.

The cardiotoxic effect of bupivacaine is a well-known fact that can lead to asystole, and most of the time it is refractory to resuscitative measures. We describe the case of a three-year-old child operated for anorectal malformation (ARM) by abdominal approach. Apart from congenital anomalies, preoperative evaluation was unremarkable. General anesthesia and controlled ventilation were instituted through endotracheal tube (ET). She had an uneventful intraoperative period. Immediately after surgery when local infiltration block was given using 0.25% of bupivacaine (6 ml volume) around the abdominal incision for postoperative analgesia, the patient went into cardiac asystole. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was continued for 60 minutes but the patient could not be revived. At that time we had neither lipid emulsion nor the facility for cardiopulmonary bypass in our hospital setup.

Comparison of three supraglottic devices in anesthetised paralyzed children undergoing elective surgery.

CONTEXT: The newest variation of the i-gel supraglottic airway is a pediatric version. AIMS: This study was designed to investigate the usefulness of the size 2 i-gel compared with the ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA) and classic laryngeal mask airway (cLMA) of the same size in anesthetized, paralyzed children. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, single-blinded study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital. METHODS: Ninety ASA grade I-II patients undergoing lower abdominal, inguinal and orthopedic surgery were included in this prospective study. The patients were randomly assigned to the i-gel, PLMA and cLMA groups (30 patients in each group). Size 2 supraglottic airway was inserted according to the assigned group. We assessed ease of insertion, hemodynamic data, oropharyngeal sealing pressure and postoperative complications. RESULTS: There were no differences in the demographic and hemodynamic data among the three groups. The airway leak pressure of the i-gel group (27.1±2.6 cmH(2)O) was significantly higher than that of the PLMA group (22.73±1.2 cmH(2)O) and the cLMA group (23.63±2.3 cmH(2)O). The success rates for first attempt of insertion were similar among the three devices. There were no differences in the incidence of postoperative airway trauma, sore throat or hoarse cry in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamic parameters, ease of insertion and postoperative complications were comparable among the i-gel, PLMA and cLMA groups, but airway sealing pressure was significantly higher in the i-gel group.

Comparison of Size 2.5 i-gel™ with Proseal LMA™ in Anaesthetised, Paralyzed Children Undergoing Elective Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The newest variation of i-gel is its pediatric version. This novel supraglottic airway device has the added advantage of a drain tube. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of size 2.5 i-gel with size 2.5 ProSeal LMA. AIMS: This study was designed to investigate the usefulness of the size 2.5 i-gel compared with the ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA) of the same size in anesthetized, paralyzed children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty ASA grade I - II patients undergoing elective surgery were included in this prospective study and were randomly assigned to the i-gel and PLMA groups (30 patients in each group). A size 2.5 supraglottic airway was inserted according to the assigned group. We assessed the ease of insertion, hemodynamic data, oropharyngeal sealing pressure, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: There were no differences in the demographic and hemodynamic data, success rates for the first attempt of insertion, or postoperative airway morbidity among the two groups. The airway leak pressure of the i-gel group (27.12 ± 1.69 cm H(2)O) was significantly higher than that of the PLMA group (22.75 ± 1.46 cm H(2)O). CONCLUSION: Hemodynamic parameters, ease of insertion and postoperative complications were comparable between the i-gel and PLMA, but the nairway sealing pressure was significantly higher in the i-gel group.

A prospective, randomized, Single-blinded, comparative study of Classic Laryngeal Mask Airway and ProSeal Laryngeal Mask Airway in pediatric patients.

CONTEXT: ProSeal Laryngeal Mask Airway (PLMA) is extensively being used in pediatric anesthesia. AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy of PLMA as compared to Classic Laryngeal Mask Airway (CLMA) for airway maintenance in pediatric patients. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, Single-blinded study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty ASA I and II children were included. Patients were randomized to either size 2 PLMA or size 2 CLMA groups. Parameters noted were time for insertion, number of attempts, airway sealing pressure, blood pressures (systolic, diastolic, and mean), pulse rate, end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO(2)), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO(2)), and postoperative change in abdominal circumference, and airway trauma. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Parametric data were analyzed with the unpaired t-test and non-parametric data were analyzed with the chi-square (χ(2)) test. Unless otherwise stated, data are presented as mean (SD). Significance was taken as P < 0.05. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between the two groups for the success rates at the first attempt of insertion, airway sealing pressure, hemodynamic responses, SpO(2), EtCO(2) and postoperative changes in abdominal circumference. Patients in the PLMA group had longer time of insertion and higher incidence of airway trauma. CONCLUSIONS: The PLMA and the CLMA were comparable for hemodynamic and ventilatory parameters and change in abdominal circumference; however, the time taken for insertion and airway trauma was more with PLMA.

Comparison of i-gel™ supraglottic device with classic laryngeal mask airway in anesthetized paralyzed children undergoing elective surgery.

CONTEXT: The newest variation of the i-gel supraglottic airway is a pediatric version. AIMS: This study was designed to investigate the usefulness of the size 2 i-gel compared with the classic laryngeal mask airway (cLMA) of the same size in anesthetized, paralyzed children. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, single-blinded study was conducted in tertiary care teaching hospital. SUBJECT AND METHODS: Sixty ASA grade I-II patients undergoing lower abdominal, inguinal, and orthopedic surgery were included in this prospective study. The patients were randomly assigned to i-gel and cLMA groups (30 patients in each group). Size 2 supraglottic airway was inserted according to the assigned group. We assessed ease of insertion, hemodynamic data, oropharyngeal sealing pressure, and postoperative complications. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Parametric data were analyzed with the unpaired t-test and non-parametric data were analyzed with the Chi-square test. Unless otherwise stated, data are presented as mean (SD). Significance was taken as P < 0.05. RESULTS: There were no differences in the demographic and hemodynamic data among the two groups. The airway leak pressure of the i-gel group (26.1 ± 2.4 cm H2O) was significantly higher than that of the cLMA group (22.64 ± 2.2 cm H2O). The success rates for first attempt of insertion were similar among the two devices. There were no differences in the incidence of postoperative airway morbidity among the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamic parameters, ease of insertion, and postoperative complications were comparable between the i-gel and cLMA groups, but airway sealing pressure was significantly higher in i-gel group.