Use of Sugammadex in "Cannot Intubate, Cannot Ventilate" Scenarios: A Systematic Review of Case Reports.

After an induction dose of rocuronium, sugammadex in a dose of 16 mg.kg-1 has been shown to provide early reversal of the neuromuscular blockade. However, the use of sugammadex to rescue a "cannot intubate, cannot ventilate" (CICV) scenario remains controversial. The aim of this systematic review was to discuss case reports describing the use of sugammadex as a rescue reversal in CICV scenarios and analyze the influencing factors potentially shaping the outcome of such reversal. The study has been registered on International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42024514255). We conducted a systematic review of the literature using PubMed, Medline, and Embase. Records were included if they were case reports or case series published in peer-reviewed journals, describing the administration of sugammadex as a rescue reversal in CICV scenarios, and including clinical outcomes and details of the management. Sources were last searched on November 30, 2023. The articles selected were initially screened based on their titles and abstracts, and then complete articles were examined to determine their eligibility and compliance with the inclusion criteria. Two independent authors evaluated the quality of the individual studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports. Eight articles were included in our review. In all patients, CICV scenarios were declared minutes following induction. In 6/8 cases (75%), adequate spontaneous ventilation was restored after the administration of sugammadex. In the remaining 2 cases, sugammadex administration resulted in an obstructed pattern of breathing, and surgical airway was the successful rescue technique. There was wide variability in the sugammadex dose with a median (range) of 14 (5-16) mg.kg-1 and median timing (range) from rocuronium administration of 6 (2-10) minutes. This case-report-based review is susceptible to reporting bias and may not encompass all pertinent data and adverse events. Also, cases with both favorable and unfavorable outcomes may have not been published, and the heterogeneity of cases limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions. In summary, although these case reports suggest that sugammadex might be helpful in CICV scenarios, further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness. However, due to the rare occurrence of CICV events, gathering sufficient data for conclusive evidence may be challenging.

Insights into obstetric anesthesia practices: a quantitative survey among physicians across Arab countries.

BACKGROUND: Obstetric anesthesia guidelines are essential for standardizing obstetric anesthesia practices globally and ensuring high-quality patient care. However, practices may vary across different settings, and there are limited data from Arab countries. This study aims to gain insights into obstetric anesthesia practices in several major hospitals across Arab countries. METHODS: A questionnaire was emailed to 85 obstetric anesthesiologists/anesthesia chairpersons in major hospitals, including academic medical institutions and central hospitals, across 11/22 Arab countries. This survey gathered data on key structural and process-related obstetric anesthesia indicators. RESULTS: Out of 85 contacted, we had 56 responses (65.8%), with 41 being fully completed, providing insights into obstetric anesthesia indicators. Regarding structure: 31 (76%) hospitals had an operating room adjacent to the delivery room, all had intensive care units, and 22 (54%) had a lead obstetric anesthesiologist. For equipment, 19 (46%) had a video laryngoscope in the delivery suite, and 20 (49%) occasionally used ultrasound for epidurals. Regarding process: 33 (81%) held regular meetings, and 21 (51%) conducted research. Before epidural and spinal procedures, 26 (63%) and 28 (68%) required coagulation studies for patients without a history of hemorrhagic complications, while 38 (93%) and 36 (88%) mandated a platelet count, respectively. For labor analgesia, 34 (83%) primarily used epidurals, and 15 (37%) placed preemptive catheters in high-risk pregnancies. For cesarean delivery, 40 (98%) used spinals, with 16 (39%) using intrathecal morphine and 22 (54%) administering aspiration prophylaxis before general anesthesia. Regarding spinal-induced hypotension, 6 (15%) used prophylactic phenylephrine infusion. CONCLUSION: This survey highlights variations in obstetric anesthesia practices among various major hospitals in several Arab countries, compared to international recommendations. It emphasizes the need for obstetric anesthesia registries in the Arab world for future research. Further studies are required to outline country-specific practices, improve resource allocation, and enhance obstetric population safety and satisfaction.

Microendoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Tracheostomy (MUGPT): A Case Series Describing a Novel Technique for Performing Percutaneous Tracheostomy.

A percutaneous tracheostomy is a common surgical procedure done in intensive care. Several different techniques have been described. Recently, the addition of bronchoscopy or ultrasound has been advocated to decrease the risks and complications associated with the procedure; however, both aids used alone, bronchoscopy or ultrasound, have some drawbacks and pitfalls. In this manuscript, we describe a new technique implementing a new technology, Microendoscopy coupled with ultrasound to perform percutaneous dilation tracheostomy MUGPT. MUGPT relies on dual real-time feedback microendoscopy and ultrasound to perform percutaneous dilation tracheostomy. This technique helps reduce the risk of bleeding, airway loss, tracheal wall injury, tracheal ring fracture, damage to adjacent structures, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, false placement, hypoxia, carbon dioxide retention bronchospasm, cardiac dysrhythmias, and cost reduction. Methods. This is a case series of 6 patients who underwent single-step percutaneous dilation tracheostomy using the MUGPT technique. All the patients were in ICU and were candidates for tracheostomy. Intraoperative data collection, vital signs, oxygen saturation, and end-tidal CO2 were measured. No postoperative or intraoperative complications were documented. Conclusion. Microendoscopic ultrasound-guided percutaneous tracheostomy (MUGPT) is a promising technique with minimal complications. It is a procedure that can be performed and taught easily to Junior physicians and is a lifesaver in difficult cases.

Harlequin syndrome during peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass in a patient with an obstructing tracheal schwannoma: A case report.

Surgical resection of obstructive tracheal tumors can be challenging to cardiothoracic surgeons and anesthesiologists. It is often difficult in these cases to maintain oxygenation by face mask ventilation during induction of general anesthesia. Also, the extent and location of these tracheal tumors can preclude conventional induction of general anesthesia and subsequent successful endotracheal intubation. Peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) under local anesthesia and mild intravenous sedation may be safe to support the patient until securing a definitive airway. We describe a case of a 19-year-old female with a tracheal schwannoma, who developed differential hypoxemia (Harlequin, or North-South, syndrome) after institution of awake peripheral femorofemoral venoarterial (VA) partial CBP.

Respiratory Adverse Events After LMA® Mask Removal in Children: A Randomized Trial Comparing Propofol to Sevoflurane.

BACKGROUND: The removal of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA®) in children may be associated with respiratory adverse events. The rate of occurrence of these adverse events may be influenced by the type of anesthesia. Studies comparing total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and sevoflurane are limited with conflicting data whether propofol is associated with a lower incidence of respiratory events upon removal of LMA as compared to induction and maintenance with sevoflurane. We hypothesized that TIVA with propofol is superior to sevoflurane in providing optimal conditions and improved patient's safety during emergence. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial, children aged 6 months to 7 years old were enrolled in 1 of 2 groups: the TIVA group and the sevoflurane group. In both groups, patients were mechanically ventilated. At the end of the procedure, LMAs were removed when patients were physiologically and neurologically recovered to a degree to permit a safe, natural airway. The primary aim of this study was to compare the occurrence of at least 1 respiratory adverse event, the prevalence of individual respiratory adverse events, and the airway hyperreactivity score following emergence from anesthesia between the 2 groups. Secondary outcomes included ease of LMA insertion, quality of anesthesia during the maintenance phase, hemodynamic stability, time to LMA removal, and incidence of emergence agitation. RESULTS: Children receiving TIVA with propofol had a significantly lower incidence (10.8.% vs 36.2%; relative risk, 0.29; 95% CI [0.14-0.64]; P = .001) and lower severity ( P = .01) of respiratory adverse outcomes compared to the patients receiving inhalational anesthesia with sevoflurane. There were no statistically significant differences in secondary outcomes between the 2 groups, except for emergence agitation that occurred more frequently in patients receiving sevoflurane ( P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Propofol induction and maintenance exerted a protective effect on healthy children with minimal risk factors for developing perioperative respiratory complications, as compared to sevoflurane.

Automated versus conventional perioperative glycemic control in adult diabetic patients undergoing open heart surgery.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative glycemic variability is associated with increased risks of mortality and morbidity and an increased incidence of hyperglycemia after cardiac surgery. Accordingly, clinicians tend to use a tight glucose control to maintain perioperative blood glucose levels and therefore the need to develop a less laborious automated glucose control system is important especially in diabetic patients at a higher risk of developing complications. METHODS: Patients, aged between 40 and 75 years old, undergoing open heart surgery were randomized to either an automated protocol (experimental) or to the conventional technique at our institution (control). RESULTS: We showed that the percentage of patients maintained between 7.8-10 mmol.l-1 was not statistically different between the two groups, however, through an additional analysis, we showed that the proportion of patients whose glucose levels maintained between a safety level of 6.7-10 mmol.l-1 was significantly higher in the experimental group compared to control group, 14 (26.7%) vs 5 (17.2%) P = 0.025. In addition, the percentage of patients who had at least one intraoperative hyperglycemic event was significantly higher in the control group compared to the experimental group, 17 (58.6%) vs 5 (16.7%), P < 0.001 with no hypoglycemic events in the experimental group compared to two events in the control group. We also showed that longer surgeries can benefit more from using the automated glucose control system, particularly surgeries lasting more than 210 min. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the automated glucose control pump in diabetic patients undergoing open heart surgeries maintained most of the patients within a predefined glucose range with a very low incidence of hyperglycemic events and no incidence of hypoglycemic events. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT # NCT03314272 , Principal investigator Roland Kaddoum, date of registration: 19/10/2017).