Efficacy of continuous versus intermittent subglottic secretion drainage in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients requiring mechanical ventilation: A single-center randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Aspiration of subglottic secretion is a widely used intervention to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). This study aimed to compare the efficacy of continuous and intermittent subglottic secretion drainage (SSD) in preventing VAP. METHODS: A single-center randomized controlled trial was conducted on adult postoperative patients who were expected to undergo mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours. Primary outcome measure was incidence of VAP and secondary outcome measures were length of mechanical ventilation and intensive-care unit (ICU) stay. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients received continuous SSD, while 60 patients received intermittent SSD. Of these 119 patients, 88 (74%) were excluded and 15 and 16 patients were allocated to receive continuous and intermittent SSD, respectively. VAP was detected in 4 (26.7%) and 7 (43.8%) patients in the continuous and intermittent groups, respectively, (p=0.320). The length of mechanical ventilation was significantly shorter (p=0.034) in the continuous group (99.5±47.1 h) than in the intermittent group (159.9±94.5 h). The length of ICU stay was also shorter (p=0.0097) in the continuous group (6.3±2.1 days) than the intermittent group (9.8±4.8 days). CONCLUSIONS: Although continuous SSD did not reduce the incidence of VAP, it reduced the length of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay when compared to intermittent SSD.

[Ultrafast-track Anesthesia (UFTA) in the Operating Room and the Anesthetic Management for Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass (OPCAB)].

Currently, the immediate extubation in the operating room is necessary for the patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB). To achieve UFTA, anesthesiologists should control general anesthesia. We report the case series of UFTA for the patients undergone OPCAB at our hospital. Forty patients receiving OPCAB between April 2012 and April 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. We divided the patients into those extubated in the operating room (Extubation group) and those not (Intubation group). The extubation criteria included adequate revascularization, adequate hemostasis, ratio between Pa(O2) and FI(O2) more than 250, body temperature above 36 degrees C, stable hemodynamics without noradrenaline, without IABP, and normal postoperative chest X-ray. Twenty-three patients (70% of the scheduled and 20% of the emergency patients) were included in our criteria and could be extubated in the operating room. One patient was re-intubated due to asthma attack following extubation in the operating room. The sucess rate of immediate extubation was 95.7% by our criteria. There were no significant differences in age, sex, BMI, duration of anesthesia, and amount of hemorrhage between the 2 groups. We believe that UFTA for OPCAB patients may be possible under carefull decision by extubation criteria.

[Successful management of a patient with myotonic dystrophy under total intravenous anesthesia with propofol, remifentnil and rocuronium bromide, combined with epidural anesthesia].

In general anesthesia for a patient with dystrophia myotonica (DM), respiratory depression and muscle weakness by opioid, as well as prolongation of the effect of muscle relaxant are seen postoperatively. Therefore it is desirable to choose agents with short duration of action and to dose these medicines to the minimum. We report a case of a 45-year-old woman with DM who underwent laparotomy for uterine cancer under general anesthesia combined with epidural anesthesia. Epidural catheter was placed from T 11-12, and anesthesia was inducted with propofol and remifentanil (RF). We administered rocuronium bromide (RB) 5 mg while watching TOF ratio with a muscle relaxation monitor (TOF-Watch). T1 became 0 after giving a dose of 10 mg, and intubation was performed. We maintained anesthesia by propofol and RF combined with epidural anesthesia. TOF ratio was restored to around 80% 90 minutes after RB administration, but we did not give supplemental doses because the operation went well smoothly. Recovery was smooth and fast. The respiratory depression and the muscle spasm were not noticed. RB and RE both with short duration of action, are useful in anesthesia management in DM cases.