Comparative Study of Clevidipine to Nicardipine for Perioperative Hypertension in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of clevidipine to nicardipine in the treatment of perioperative acute hypertension in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study which included patients who received either clevidipine or nicardipine. Patients were followed for the duration of study drug infusion or for a maximum of 48 hours. Outcomes assessed included the percent of time spent within patient specific goal blood pressure, incidence of hypertensive events per patient, safety outcomes, and cost of medication treatment. Results: There were 201 cardiac surgeries performed between August 2018-January 2019 and July 2019-February 2020. Sixty-seven patients met our inclusion criteria of receiving either clevidipine (n = 29) or nicardipine (n = 38). The median percent of time spent within goal blood pressure range for clevidipine was 55.2% compared to 36.4% for nicardipine treatment (P = .036). The median number of hypertensive episodes per patient was 3 for clevidipine and 2 for nicardipine (P = .211). There were no identified differences in safety outcomes such as hypotension, vasopressor use, serum creatinine elevation, tachycardia, and atrial fibrillation. The median cost of treatment required for the observed 48-hour period with clevidipine was $128.58 compared to $55.74 for nicardipine (P < .001). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that patients undergoing cardiac surgery on clevidipine had better perioperative blood pressure control compared to nicardipine, with a negligible increase in cost, and no observed difference in safety.

A single dose of pre-operative pregabalin reduces post-operative opioid use after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Multimodal pain management strategies including pregabalin (PGB) have been shown to reduce pain and opioid use after many types of surgeries. This was a single-center, retrospective study aimed to determine whether a single pre-operative dose of PGB reduces opioid requirements and post-operative pain after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Outcomes included the mean morphine milligram equivalents used; the proportion of patients with no pain documented; and the maximum level of pain documented within the first 24h and in the 24-72h following OLT. A total of 44 patients received PGB vs 57 who received standard of care. Baseline demographics were comparable between groups. Patients who received PGB required 70% and 54% less opioids within the first 24h and subsequent 24-72h post-OLT, respectively (p-values < .001). In the first 24h post-OLT, there were more patients with no documented pain, and fewer with severe pain in the PGB group, but these were not significant. A greater proportion in the PGB group reported a maximum of mild pain (p = .039). This study demonstrated that a single dose of pre-operative PGB significantly reduced opioid use in the first 72 h after OLT. Larger studies will help determine the safety and efficacy of PGB in this setting.

Pharmacologic management of angioedema induced by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

PURPOSE: The published evidence on pharmacologic approaches to the management of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)-induced angioedema is reviewed. SUMMARY: Angioedema is a serious, potentially life-threatening adverse effect of ACEI use. Although the underlying mechanism is not fully understood, excess bradykinin produced through a complex interplay between the kallikrein-kinin and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems is thought to play a major role. The nonallergic nature of the reaction renders traditional therapies (corticosteroids and antihistamines) ineffective because those agents do not modify the proposed pathophysiology. Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) provides kinase II, a protein that breaks down bradykinin. Case reports support FFP as a treatment for ACEI-induced angioedema, but no formal evaluations have been completed to date. Both ecallantide and complement 1 esterase (C1) inhibitor concentrate reduce bradykinin production through upstream inhibition of kallikrein. C1 inhibitor concentrate has been used successfully to manage ACEI-induced angioedema in a few reported cases, but robust supportive studies are lacking. Conversely, ecallantide has been evaluated in multiple randomized trials but has not been shown to offer advantages over traditional therapies. The use of icatibant, a direct antagonist of bradykinin B2 receptors, was reported to be beneficial in several case reports and in a small Phase II study, safely and rapidly reducing symptoms of ACEI-induced angioedema. An ongoing Phase III trial (NCT01919801) will better define the role of icatibant in the management of ACEI-induced angioedema. CONCLUSION: FFP, C1 inhibitor, and icatibant appear to be safe and effective therapeutic options for the management of ACEI-induced angioedema, whereas it appears ecallantide should be avoided.