ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine (Dex) provides sedation and analgesia by acting on central alpha-2 receptors and is suitable for use after extubation because it has little respiratory depression. Considering the sympathoinhibitory and anxiolytic action of Dex, there is the possibility that Dex might reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF), which is recognized as a common complication after cardiovascular surgery. We investigated whether the postoperative incidence of AF decreased in patients who received Dex only during the nighttime in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed ICU charts to determine the incidence of AF and associated factors during the 2-day period after tracheal extubation in patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery from November 2009 to November 2010. The patients were divided into a Dex group (n = 16) and a non-Dex group (n = 29). RESULTS: There were no differences in AF risk factors except for diabetes between the two groups. The average rate of Dex administration was 0.3 ± 0.2 µg/kg/h. There were also no differences between the groups in heart rate during the daytime, central venous pressure, body temperature, white blood cell count, serum level of C-reactive protein, catecholamine use, beta-blocker use, and amount of fentanyl. AF developed in one patient in the Dex group (6.3 %) and ten patients in the non-Dex group (34.5 %) during the observation period, and the difference was significant (p = 0.035). None of the risk factors for AF was significantly associated with AF in univariate analysis; however, multivariate logistic regression analysis using age, Dex use, and beta-blocker use, extracted because their p values in univariate analysis were not exceeding 0.15, showed that Dex use was the only factor associated with the development of AF (p = 0.045, odds ratio 9.75 [1.05-90.8]). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that adequate sedation with Dex during the nighttime can reduce the incidence of AF in cardiovascular surgery patients after extubation.
ABSTRACT
We report a case of cranial subdural hematoma with intracranial hypotension. A 34-year-old woman had laparoscopic ovarial cysterectomy under general anesthesia combined with epidural anesthesia. Two days later, she developed a severe headache and nausea. She underwent cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning, and was diagnosed with cranial subdural hematoma with intracranial hypotension. The patient had had no anticoagulant therapy before the surgery. She was managed conservatively with bed rest and additional intravenous infusion. Her symptoms gradually improved except a slight headache, and she was discharged on the 38th postoperative day. Intracranial hypotension is a syndrome characterized by orthostatic headaches and hypovolemia of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). There were typical findings on MRI, which include linear enhancement of the pachymeninges, pituitary hyperemia and subdural hemorrhage. We thought that these were due to epidural anesthesia first, but there was no evidence of dural puncture. It was also considered that it is influenced by change in CSF pressure, and intracranial venous engorgement may be due to Trendelenburg position for several hours. Because cranial subdural hematoma is a life-threatening complication, it is necessary to reconsider application of epidural anesthesia for laparoscopic surgery with Trendelenburg position.
