Cardiac arrest caused by intramyometrial injection of vasopressin during a robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy.

Vasopressin is a locally-injected vasoconstrictor used to reduce bleeding during gynaecological surgery. However, even in these cases, vasopressin can induce adverse effects, including bradycardia, myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest. Elevated blood concentrations of vasopressin may induce the sympathoinhibitory reflex by increasing blood pressure and augment the sympathoinhibitory reflex by activating the area postrema. In addition, pneumoperitoneum formation needed for laparoscopy as well as physiological changes caused by steep Trendelenburg positions used during robotic surgeries may cause bradycardia. Shoulder braces used to prevent slipping from a steep Trendelenburg position may also be hazardous. This case report describes a 31-year-old female patient who underwent a scheduled robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy in a steep Trendelenburg position. The patient experienced a cardiac arrest 2 min after the vasopressin injection and was treated accordingly. There were no abnormal findings on the postoperative laboratory studies, chest X-ray and electrocardiogram. The patient also had clear consciousness with no other notable symptoms. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 2. The report discusses the potential adverse effects of local vasopressin injection during robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy.

Effect of behavioral intervention using smartphone application for preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Children and parents experience significant anxiety and distress during the preoperative period. This is important because preoperative anxiety in children is associated with adverse postoperative outcome. So we suggest behaviorally oriented preoperative anxiety intervention program based on the anesthesia and psychology with smartphone application, world-widely used. METHODS: A total 120 patients (aged 1-10 years old) who were scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia was included in this randomized controlled trial. We randomized the patients into three groups, with using intravenous (IV) midazolam sedation (M group), with using smartphone application program (S group), and with using low dose IV midazolam plus smartphone application program (SM group). And the child anxiety was assessed using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) at holding area, 5 min after intervention, entrance to operating room. RESULTS: In all three groups, mYPAS after intervention were lower than the preoperative holding area (M group 52.8 ± 11.8 vs 41.0 ± 7.0, S group 59.2 ± 17.6 vs 36.4 ± 7.3, SM group 58.3 ± 17.5 vs 26.0 ± 3.4). A comparison of mYPAS scores between each group showed that the S group reduced anxiety lower than M group (P < 0.01), and the SM group exhibited significantly lower anxiety than the two other groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative preparation program using smartphone application is simple and customized by individual development that effective in the reduction of preoperative anxiety.

Optimizing dose infusion of 0.125% bupivacaine for continuous femoral nerve block after total knee replacement.

BACKGROUND: The optimal dose infusion of 0.125% bupivacaine via a femoral catheter after total knee replacement (TKR) has not been defined. This study examined various dose infusions of bupivacaine to determine the analgesic quality in patients receiving a continuous femoral nerve block (CFNB). METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive a single-injection femoral nerve block (SFNB) or CFNB performed with 20 ml of 0.125% bupivacaine, followed by a continuous infusion of 0.125% bupivacaine in four groups (n = 20 per group): 1) 0 ml/h (SFNB), 2) 2 ml/h, 3) 4 ml/h, and 4) 6 ml/h. The pain intensity at rest and on knee movement was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) for the first 2 postoperative days. The cumulative bolus use of IV patientcontrolled analgesia (PCA) with a morphine-ketorolac combination was evaluated. RESULTS: A lower cumulative bolus of IV PCA was noted in all CFNB groups compared to SFNB on postoperative days (PODs) 1 and 2, respectively (P < 0.05). Lower VAS scores at rest were observed in the 4 ml/h and 6 ml/h groups than in the SFNB group on PODs 1 and 2, respectively, but only on POD 2 in the 2 ml/h group (P < 0.05). Lower VAS scores on movement were noted in the 4 ml/h than the SFNB group on PODs 1 and 2, but only on POD 1 in 6 ml/h (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The minimum effective infusion rate of 0.125% bupivacaine for CFNB after TKR appears to be 4 ml/h according to the VAS pain scores.