Initial Experience of Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 in Western India: A Case Series.

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2, was first described in December 2019 as a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China. It has since been declared a pandemic, with substantial mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our case series, we describe the clinical presentation, characteristics, and outcomes of our initial experience of managing 24 critically ill COVID-19 patients at a designated COVID-19 ICU in Western India. RESULTS: Median age of the patients was 54 years, and 58% were males. All patients presented with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); however, only 37.5% failed trials of awake proning and required mechanical ventilation. Patients who received mechanical ventilation typically matched the H-phenotype of COVID-19 pneumonia, and 55.5% of these patients were successfully extubated. CONCLUSION: The most common reason for ICU admission in our series of 24 patients with severe COVID-19 was hypoxemic respiratory failure, which responded well to conservative measures such as awake proning and oxygen supplementation. Mortality in our case series was 16.7%. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Shukla U, Chavali S, Mukta P, Mapari A, Vyas A. Initial Experience of Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 in Western India: A Case Series. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(7):509-513.

REctus Sheath block for postoperative analgesia in gynecological ONcology Surgery (RESONS): a randomized-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Opioid-sparing pain management is important for Enhanced Recovery After Surgery. Rectus sheath (RS) blocks are emerging as a promising modality for pain relief following midline laparotomy; however, there are limited prospective clinical trials testing their efficacy. The purpose of this randomized-controlled trial is to assess the morphine-sparing effect of local anesthetic (LA) boluses through RS catheters following elective gynecological oncology surgery. METHOD: After patients' informed consent, bilateral RS catheters were placed intraoperatively in 74 females (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-II) undergoing elective midline laparotomy under general anesthesia. The patients were randomized to receive 20-mL injections of either LA (0.25% bupivacaine) or normal saline (NS) postoperatively every six hours for 48 hr. Groups were compared for the co-primary outcomes of 24- and 48-hr morphine requirements. The secondary outcomes were numeric rating scale (NRS) scores for pain recorded at rest and with movement. RESULTS: The mean (SD) morphine consumption was significantly reduced in the LA group compared with the NS group at 24 hr [8.8 (8.3) mg vs 27.3 (10.0) mg, respectively; mean difference, 18.5 mg; 95% confidence interval (CI), 14.3 to 22.8; P < 0.001] and at 48 hr [14.8 (11.0) mg vs 42.4 (16.8) mg, respectively; mean difference, 27.7 mg; 95% CI, 20.9 to 34.3; P < 0.001]. At 48 hr postoperatively, there was also a significant decrease in the median [interquartile range] NRS scores for pain in the LA group compared with the NS group, both at rest (3 [2-3] vs 5 [5-6], respectively; P < 0.001) and with movement (4 [4-5] vs 7 [6-8], respectively; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The use of intermittent LA boluses through RS catheters is an effective morphine-sparing pain management strategy for females undergoing midline laparotomy for gynecological cancer surgery. This study was registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI/2013/10/004075).

Ultrasound-guided rectus sheath catheters: A feasible and effective, opioid-sparing, post-operative pain management technique: A case series.

Epidural analgesia, though the gold standard of post-operative pain management for laparotomies, is associated with limitations and is contraindicated in many patients. Opioid-based pain management, which is an alternative to epidural, has been implicated in post-operative nausea, vomiting, and ileus. We report successful management of post operative pain with ultrasound guided rectus sheath (RS) catheters. RS block is a promising alternative in scenarios were epidural is contraindicated, has failed or in case of unexpected change in the surgical plan.