Neurological Complications of Local Anesthesia in Dentistry: A Review.

Local anesthesia is a technique that temporarily desensitizes a specific body area, typically for a surgical procedure, dental work, or pain management. It is described as a sensation loss in a specific area of the body due to depression of excitation in the nerve endings or due to the inhibition of the conduction process within the peripheral nerves. It allows for safer and more comfortable medical procedures, reducing the need for general anesthesia and facilitating faster recovery. Local anesthesia is generally safe, but like any medical intervention, it carries potential risks and side effects. The complications related to local anesthetics can be assessed in terms of neurological, vascular, local, systemic, and neurological. In this review article, we discussed the neurological complications of local anesthesia related to the ophthalmic nerve, maxillary nerve, mandibular nerve, branches of the trigeminal nerve, and facial nerve. These include diplopia, ptosis, paralysis of the eye, blindness, paresthesia, trismus, soft tissue lesions, edema, hematoma, facial blanching, infection, allergy, overdose, neuralgia, facial palsy, etc.

Is the SORT score reliable in predicting postoperative 30-day mortality after a nonemergency surgery in Saudi population?

CONTEXT: The process of stratifying patient risk preoperatively helps in the decision about the best-possible postoperative care for patients. There have been many scoring systems that are used in anesthesia practice. AIMS: To find out whether there is any difference between the mortality predicted from SORT scoring and the observed mortality among Saudi patients. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a prospective, observational study in which we included patients underoing nonemergency surgical procedures at the Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh. METHODS AND MATERIAL: We calculated the SORT scores for all the included patients. We then collected the 30-day mortality data of all the patients having nonemergency surgical procedures. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: We calculated the expected mortality ratio. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The mean SORT mortality risk score (%) for the whole sample was 0.30. The expected number of deaths was 1.638 while the observed deaths were 2, which yields an O/E ratio of 0.819 (p-value: 0.006). The O/E mortality ratios for patients in each individual ASA class were found to be statistically insignificant which means that SORT score can reliably predict mortality for each ASA class. CONCLUSIONS: SORT scores can be used to predict 30-day mortality after nonemergency surgeries in Saudi population.

Pre-medication with Gabapentin is associated with significant reductions in nausea and vomiting after shoulder arthroscopy: A meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is increasingly performed as a day case procedure. Nausea, vomiting and inadequate pain control are the most frequent reasons for reattendance or failed discharge. Gabapentin is advocated as an adjunct to mitigate these symptoms and its use in shoulder arthroscopy may provide improved post-operative symptom control. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of studies evaluating the role of gabapentin in the peri-operative management of shoulder arthroscopy. HYPOTHESIS: Gabapentin is associated with significant improvements in post-operative nausea, vomiting and pain control after shoulder arthroscopy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review using Medline was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Randomised controlled trials studies reporting on patients >15 years old receiving either preoperative gabapentin or placebo before any shoulder arthroscopic surgery were considered for eligibility. Studies were appraised against the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist. A meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: Four randomized controlled trials were identified for inclusion (n=227). Meta-analysis demonstrated a beneficial effect of gabapentin in preventing nausea and vomiting in the postoperative period (Odds Ratio 0.30, p=0.04). However, pooled data analysis did not show significant advantage in using gabapentin for postoperative pain control (p=0.11), although one study demonstrated a significant reduction in opioid consumption after gabapentin. No significant difference was reported in post-operative dizziness or sedation between the groups. DISCUSSION: Gabapentin did not show any significant benefit in postoperative pain control but is associated with significant reductions in post-operative nausea and vomiting after shoulder arthroscopy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I, meta-analysis.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: outcome and its predictors among hospitalized adult patients in Pakistan.

INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to study the outcomes and predictors of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among adult patients at a tertiary care centre in Pakistan. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all adult patients (age > or =14 years), who underwent CPR following cardiac arrest, in a tertiary care hospital during a 5-year study period (June 1998 to June 2003). We excluded patients aged 14 years or less, those who were declared dead on arrival and patients with a "do not resuscitate" order. The 1- and 6-month follow-ups of discharged patients were also recorded. RESULTS: We found 383 cases of adult in-hospital cardiac arrest that underwent CPR. Pulseless electrical activity was the most common initial rhythm (50%), followed by asystole (30%) and ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (19%). Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 72% of patients with 42% surviving more than 24 h, and 19% survived to discharge from hospital. On follow-up, 14% and 12% were found to be alive at 1 and 6 months, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression identified three independent predictors of better outcome (survival >24 h): non-intubated status [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6-6.0], location of cardiac arrest in emergency department (aOR: 18.9, 95% CI: 7.0-51.0) and shorter duration of CPR (aOR: 3.3, 95% CI: 1.9-5.5). CONCLUSION: Outcome of CPR following in-hospital cardiac arrest in our setting is better than described in other series. Non-intubated status before arrest, cardiac arrest in the emergency department and shorter duration of CPR were independent predictors of good outcome.

Emergency airway management of a patient with mediastinal mass.

Appropriate airway management is an essential part of anaesthesiologist's role. Extrinsic airway compression by rapidly growing mediastinal masses represents a therapeutic challenge to anaesthesiologists. We report a case of successful airway management in a patient with obstructed airway. The patient was a middle aged female who presented with severe respiratory distress secondary to a huge mediastinal mass. CT scan showed widened superior mediastinum with circumferential narrowing of trachea and left main bronchus. Her condition continued to deteriorate during her hospital admission, so emergency intubation and tracheostomy was planned. She was intubated with the help of a bougie using size 6 microlaryngoscopic tube after inhalational induction and mediastinal tracheostomy was done. Intraoperatively, there were few episodes of hypotension and desaturation, otherwise rest of intraoperative course remained uneventful.