Perioperative care in acute liver failure: An anaesthesiologist perspective in the operating theatre.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a life-threatening condition characterized by rapid liver function deterioration, necessitating a multidisciplinary approach for optimal perioperative care. This comprehensive review focuses on the critical role of the anaesthesiologist throughout the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases, addressing the unique challenges posed by ALF. The article begins with an exploration of ALF, underlining the urgency of timely referral to specialized hepatology centres. Liver transplantation emerges as a life-saving intervention, and the complex decision-making process is discussed, emphasizing the need for a multidisciplinary team to assess transplantation candidacy based on established prognostic criteria. In the preoperative phase, the review stresses the importance of early engagement with tertiary liver centres for timely referrals and identifies patients suitable for transplantation. Safe transport protocols are detailed, highlighting the meticulous planning required for the secure transfer of ALF patients between healthcare facilities. The intraoperative management section delves into the anaesthesiologist's key concerns, including neurological status, sepsis, acute kidney injury, body mass index, and preoperative fasting. Hemodynamic stability, fluid management, and coagulation balance during surgery are emphasized, with insights into anaesthesia techniques, vascular access, monitoring, and hemodynamic management tailored to the challenges posed by ALF patients. The postoperative care is thoroughly examined covering neurological, hemodynamic, metabolic, renal, and nutritional aspects. Management of ALF involves multidisciplinary team, including nephrology for continuous renal replacement therapy, transfusion medicine for plasma exchange, critical care for overall patient care, nutritionists for ensuring adequate nutrition, and hepatologists as the primary guides. In conclusion, the review recognizes the anaesthesiologist as a linchpin in the perioperative care of ALF patients. The integration of safe transport protocols and multidisciplinary approach is deemed crucial for navigating complexities of ALF, contributing to improved patient outcomes. This article serves as an invaluable resource for gastroenterologist and intensivists, enhancing their understanding of the anaesthesiologist's indispensable role in the holistic care of ALF patients in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape.

An overview of unresolved issues in the perioperative management of liver transplant patients.

Over the past decade, the field of solid organ transplantation has undergone significant changes, with some of the most notable advancements occurring in liver transplantation. Recent years have seen substantial progress in preoperative patient optimization protocols, anesthesia monitoring, coagulation management, and fluid management, among other areas. These improvements have led to excellent perioperative outcomes for all surgical patients, including those undergoing liver transplantation. In the last few decades, there have been numerous publications in the field of liver transplantation, but controversies related to perioperative management of liver transplant recipients persist. In this review article, we address the unresolved issues surrounding the anesthetic management of patients scheduled for liver transplantation.

Perioperative management of a severely thrombocytopenic kidney transplant recipient using thromboelastography.

Perioperative transfusion of blood and blood products can be avoided or reduced with bedside real time monitoring of coagulation in patients at risk. Thromboelastography (TEG), is a point of care coagulation monitor to assess dynamic progress of clot formation. We report a case of 26 years old female patient with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) who underwent living donor kidney transplantation at our institute. On preoperative work-up, her complete blood count revealed severe thrombocytopenia. Etiology of thrombocytopenia could not be established except past history of hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets syndrome in her last pregnancy. Perioperative transfusion of blood and blood products was guided with TEG and transplant was conducted successfully without any transfusion. In conclusion, severe thrombocytopenia in patients with ESKD enhances the risk of perioperative bleeding and related complications in already compromised coagulation system. Kidney transplant without pre-emptive transfusion could be possible with perioperative use of TEG.

Role of Intrathecal Morphine for Acute Postoperative Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Kidney Transplant: A Randomized Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVES: Postoperative pain after a major surgery continues to be a challenge. Regional anesthetic techniques make up a substantial part of interventions to decrease postoperative pain and the use of opioids. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of intrathecal morphine in patients undergoing kidney transplant, in terms of both duration and quality of postoperative analgesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective randomized double-blind study and analyzed 60 patients divided into 2 groups of 30 each who were scheduled for elective living-related (first-degree donor) kidney transplant. One group received intrathecal morphine, and the other group received intrathecal normal saline. We used the numeric rating scale to assess the postoperative pain score. We also recorded the postoperative consumption of fentanyl, time of first analgesia requirement, total rescue analgesia, catheter-related bladder discomfort, and related complications for 48 hours postoperatively. RESULTS: Patients in the intrathecal morphine group had significantly lower pain scores both at rest and while coughing and less consumption of total fentanyl (P < .05). When we compared patient groups, patients in the intrathecal morphine group had significantly lower total rescue analgesia (P < .05) and significantly lower catheter-related bladder discomfort but significantly higher pruritus (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Intrathecal morphine significantly reduces postoperative opioid consumption and can result in fewer incidences of catheter-related bladder discomfort.

Frequency of Positive Cuff Leak Test Before Extubation in Robotic Surgeries Done in Steep Trendelenburg Position.

Anaesthesia for robotic surgeries done in steep trendelenburg position are associated with risks such as facial oedema, conjunctival chemosis, raised intraocular pressure, laryngeal oedema, and delayed awakening. We proposed the use of the cuff leak test in them to record the frequency of laryngeal oedema at the end of surgery and attempted to find its correlation with probable risk factors. We conducted a prospective observational study of 100 patients aiming primarily to assess the frequency of positive cuff leak test in robotic abdominal surgeries performed in trendelenburg position. The secondary outcomes were to check its correlation with intravenous fluid administration, duration of pneumoperitoneum, and angle of trendelenburg position. We also recorded the frequency of chemosis, the frequency of post-extubation stridor in 24 h post-operatively, and the frequency of reintubation. Out of 100 participants undergoing elective abdominal robotic surgery in trendelenburg position, ninety were analysed. Total 31.6% (n = 30) participants showed positive cuff leak test. Chemosis was observed in 31 (32.6%) participants. No patient experienced post-extubation stridor or required reintubation during post-operative follow up. There was a no correlation between cuff leak test and intravenous fluid, duration of pneumo-peritoneum, or with angle of trendelenburg. The frequency of positive cuff leak test was high in patients at the end of robotic surgery but none of these patients had post-extubation stridor or required reintubations. There was no correlation with the fluid, angle, or duration of surgery. Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2017/04/008289), ctri.nic.in.

Referral Pattern to a Tertiary Care Cancer Pain Clinic in India.

The study aimed to identify patterns of patient referral from oncology services, including pain severity, prior analgesics, impact of patient's literacy on referral, and adequacy of pain relief offered by the pain clinic. A retrospective analysis of pain clinic data from August 2014 to February 2015 at the Tata Memorial Hospital was carried out, wherein adult cancer patients referred for the first time to the pain clinic were included. Two thousand patients were included: 38.1% of the referred were at pretreatment stage, 28.8% advanced. Most referrals were from head and neck (27.3%), gastrointestinal (26.2%), and thoracic (18.3%) disease management groups (DMGs); The earliest referrals were from gastrointestinal and thoracic DMGs; 75%-80% had advanced disease. There were few referrals from hemato-oncology and medical oncology. Among the patients, 88% had moderate to severe pain, a third were on analgesics, and less than a fifth were on opioids. Pain scores were lower in the literate group, and this group were referred significantly earlier than the illiterate. Literacy could therefore hold the key to better awareness and compliance with pain management. Our findings demonstrate that pain as yet does not receive a much needed priority even at a tertiary care cancer centre.