Quadriplegia after parathyroidectomy in a hemodialysis patient.

We present a case of post-operative iatrogenic quadriplegia, which occurred after subtotal parathyroidectomy. This patient was on long-term hemodialysis for 7 years. The need of prolonged neck extension for this procedure was probably the main risk factor for the spinal cord injury. Systemic hypotension which contributed to the injury in this case, should be anticipated and promptly treated to prevent further damage. Spinal deformities associated with end-stage renal disease may make such patients more susceptible. Since appropriate precautions against potential neurologic damage can be undertaken, we suggest that evaluating carefully for the pre-existing spinal stenosis before a procedure requiring prominent and prolonged hyper-extension of the neck, especially in long-term hemodialysis patients is of paramount importance.

Comparison of three different concentrations of ropivacaine for postoperative patient-controlled thoracic epidural analgesia after upper abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported the comparable efficacy of ropivacaine/fentanyl for patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA). In our hospital, three different concentrations of ropivacaine solution (0.1%, 0.15%, 0.2%) in combination with 1 microg/mL fentanyl were available for PCEA. As some studies have reported a much higher incidence of motor block and opioid-related side effects with 0.2% ropivacaine in combination with 4 microg/mL fentanyl, it was our intent to analyze the data of our patients who had received PCEA after upper abdominal surgery. In addition to comparing the analgesic effects and the incidence of motor block and opioid-related side effects of these three different ropivacaine/fentanyl solutions, we also evaluated the workload of our pain staff. The main purpose of our study was to determine which of these three regimens of ropivacaine was most satisfactory with the least workload for the pain service staff. METHODS: In total, 33 patients who had received PCEA after upper abdominal surgery were included in the analysis. The number of patients in each ropivacaine/fentanyl group was 11 (group 1, 0.1% ropivacaine; group 2, 0.15%; group 3, 0.2%). The PCEA device was programmed to deliver a patient-controlled bolus of 2 mL with a lockout time of 20 minutes and background infusion of 5 mL/hr for 72 hours. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, adverse events and the extent of sensory or motor block were recorded 12, 36 and 60 hours after surgery. The total volume of analgesic solution consumed and the frequency of requisite attendance by pain service staff were also recorded. RESULTS: There were no differences among the three groups regarding total consumption. In group 1, VAS scores during ambulation and cough 12 hours postoperatively were significantly higher than in the other two groups (p < 0.05). There was no motor block. Four patients in group 3 suffered from loss of temperature sensation. The overall incidence of adverse events was less than 40%. CONCLUSION: Both thoracic epidural 0.15% and 0.2% ropivacaine provide effective postoperative pain control in combination with fentanyl without motor block. A 0.15% ropivacaine-1 microg/mL fentanyl solution is preferable considering the lower incidence of adverse events.

Botulinum toxin A relieved neuropathic pain in a case of post-herpetic neuralgia.

Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) has been widely used in many clinical disorders including migraine, cervical dystonia, etc. The use of BTX-A in neuropathic pain, however, is uncommon, and the application of the anti-nociceptive effect of botulinum toxin is emerging. Here we report a case of an 80-year-old man who suffered from severe pain of post-herpetic neuralgia which was refractory to the usual therapies. However, this neuropathic pain was dramatically relieved by multiple BTX-A injection and the pain relief lasted 52 days.

Intraoperative latrogenic superior vena cava syndrome complicated by ensuing insidious critical airway--a case report.

Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome mostly presents the typical and unmistakable symptoms and signs, such as edema and venous distension of the face, neck, arms, and upper chest wall. Dyspnea and symptoms of airway obstruction are often the complaints of conscious patients. However, SVC syndrome if develops intraoperatively may become indistinguishable in view of the lack of utterable complaints of the patient and variable degrees of clinical presentation. We present a male patient who sustained an iatrogenic subclinical SVC syndrome in the course pneumonectomy. Airway obstruction was initially noted during the replacement of the double lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) by an ordinary endotracheal tube at the end of operation, which threw the patient into an acute precarious condition. Although he was conservatively treated with thrombolytic agent and anticoagulant, the patient eventually expired due to pulmonary embolism. The possible reasons for delayed diagnosis, intraoperative management, and prognosis of this case are discussed.

Paraplegia after delayed detection of inadvertent spinal cord injury during thoracic epidural catheterization in an anesthetized elderly patient.

We report a case of permanent paraplegia in an 81-yr-old patient who had thoracic epidural catheterization performed under general anesthesia for abdominal surgery. The epidural needle was introduced at the T9-10 interspace, and 3 passes were made to locate the epidural space with the loss-of-resistance-to-air technique. During the postoperative epidural pump infusion, the patient was unaware of the progressive motor and sensory impairment. Sensory loss below T11 and paraplegia with no movement of either lower extremity were identified 8 h after surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an intramedullary split-like lesion extending from T4 to T12 and an intramedullary air bubble at T9. Spinal cord injury caused by an intracord catheterization with subsequent local anesthetic injection was diagnosed. Little improvement was noted after large-dose IV methylprednisolone for initial treatment and subsequent rehabilitation for 6 mo. The possible causes of the delayed detection of the neurologic deficits and the timing of performing epidural anesthesia are discussed.

Desflurane accelerates patient response during the wake-up test for scoliosis surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate if desflurane possesses a shorter wake-up onset time and less incidence of recall than fentanyl-based anesthesia. METHODS: Forty ASA class I-II adolescents, were enrolled into either a desflurane (DES) group, or a fentanyl (FEN) group for scoliosis surgery. Bispectral index (BIS) was monitored continuously in all patients throughout the procedure; the relationship between the wake-up time and BIS value was evaluated. RESULTS: Patients in the DES group had a significantly shorter wake-up onset than patients in the FEN group (4.1 +/- 0.6 vs 8.9 +/- 2.1 min, P < 0.01). No recall occurred during the wake-up test in the DES group, while five patients had recall in the FEN group, including two patients who recalled a given colour. Extubation time was significantly shorter in the DES group than in the FEN group (7.2 +/- 0.6 vs 16 +/- 11.9 min, P < 0.01). BIS values were significantly higher in the FEN group than in the DES group during anesthesia. (62 +/- 4.5 vs 42 +/- 5.3, P < 0.05) BIS after the wake-up test was similar in both groups (90 +/- 2.9 vs 93.8 +/- 2.5). There was a latency period (3.3 +/- 1.2 min) between the maximal BIS value and wake-up time in the FEN group but not in the DES group. CONCLUSIONS: DES provides a significantly shorter onset time during the wake-up test and a rapid emergence after scoliosis surgery. BIS monitoring during the wake-up test was more informative when anesthesia was maintained with DES compared to FEN infusion.

Efficacy and adverse effects of patient-controlled epidural or intravenous analgesia after major surgery.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether epidural fentanyl-bupivacaine patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) was more efficacious and had fewer adverse effects than epidural or intravenous morphine PCA. METHODS: We retrospectively retrieved data from 859 patients (mean age 64+/-7 years) who received continuous epidural medication, either morphine or fentanyl-bupivacaine PCA, or intravenous morphine PCA for postoperative pain control after major elective surgery from 1999 to 2000. Pain was assessed postoperatively using a verbal analogue pain scale (VAS, 0-10) during rest, mobilization, and coughing. Adverse effects including nausea, vomiting, pruritus, urinary retention, sedation, motor block, and respiratory depression (< 8 breaths per minute) were recorded. On the third postoperative day, the overall quality of pain control was evaluated using a pain relief scale (PRS, 1-4). RESULTS: There were 201 patients who had epidural morphine PCA, 427 patients who had fentanyl-bupivacaine PCA, and 231 patients who had intravenous morphine PCA. Most patients (> 86%) who received epidural or intravenous PCA, either morphine or fentanyl combined with bupivacaine, experienced good pain relief (VAS, 0-3) during rest, mobilization, and coughing. Nonetheless, patients who received epidural morphine or fentanyl-bupivacaine had greater satisfaction with overall pain relief (PRS = 4) than did those who received intravenous morphine (p<0.05). Nausea and vomiting were most common in the epidural morphine group (p<0.05). Pruritus occurred least often in patients who received epidural fentanyl-bupivacaine analgesia (p < 0.05). There were no differences in other adverse events such as urinary retention, sedation, and motor block among the three groups. No respiratory depression was found in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving epidural fentanyl-bupivacaine PCA experienced better overall pain relief, while morphine PCA, either epidurally or intravenously, caused more side effects. It is considered safe to use continuous epidural PCA with fentanyl-bupivacaine in patients receiving major elective surgery.

Myofascial pain syndrome induced by malpositioning during surgery--a case report.

It is a real challenge to the anesthesiologists to differentiate brachial plexus injury (BPI) from myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). The possibility of MPS should be suspected in a patient with complaints of pain and dysfunction of the upper arm immediately after surgery. Here we report a case of gallstone with cervical ankylosing spondylitis who sustained myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) immediately after open cholecystectomy. We utilized dry needle stimulation to deactivate the trigger point of the pectoris minor muscle and stretching the muscle to relieve the muscle pain after the diagnosis was made. The patient completely recovered 2 weeks later.