Effectiveness of the preventive administration of vasoactive amines in counterbalancing significant patient blood pressure drops following nimodipine administration during mechanical thrombectomy procedures.

BACKGROUND: Focal vasospasm (FV) of the occluded vessel can occur during the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Nimodipine is commonly used to treat vasospasm and can play a role in distinguishing it from artery narrowing due to iatrogenic dissection or residual clot. However, nimodipine administration can result in arterial hypotension and subsequent enlargement of the ischemic core. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of preventive and continuous vasoactive amine infusion to counterbalance nimodipine-induced hypotension. METHODS: We reviewed data from a prospective registry of patients treated for AIS between January 2019 and January 2022 who were administered nimodipine. All patients were equipped with an arterial cannula for invasive blood pressure measurement and given vasoactive amines preemptively before general anesthesia and throughout the procedure. Data obtained from invasive monitoring of mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) in a time-lapse of 25 min before and after nimodipine administration were analyzed. RESULTS: MABP significantly decreased after nimodipine administration but remained within the recommended range (81.79 ± 0.49 mmHg). Nimodipine was effective in reducing FV caused by stent retriever passage in 76.3% of cases. Furthermore, it proved valuable in diagnosing iatrogenic dissection (9.2%), residual clot (10.5%), or intracranial stenosis (4%). CONCLUSIONS: Infusion of vasoactive amines effectively counteracted the intraarterial nimodipine effect, thus avoiding frank arterial hypotension during endovascular treatment. Nimodipine has been useful in differentiating the diagnosis of FV resulting from mechanical thrombectomy and other potential causes, such as iatrogenic dissection or residual clot.

Hypnosis in High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Thyroid Nodule Ablation.

BACKGROUND Current medical technologies enable physicians to treat patients outside operating rooms using minimally invasive techniques. Non-operating room anesthesia (NORA) represents a growing field of medicine, with an increasing number of cases performed over the last decade. As a result, anesthesia providers will need to enhance their understanding of the resources, medical and paramedical staff, and environment outside the operating room. Patients undergoing such procedures under light conscious sedation still experience discomfort such as pain and anxiety, thus requiring the use of pain control medication or sedative drugs. At the same time, the use of hypnosis is spreading in medical practice, particularly with minimally invasive procedures. Many studies have investigated the use of hypnosis in cases of minimally invasive procedures, showing an effective reduction of patients' discomfort and consumption of pain control medication, thus improving patient safety. CASE REPORT We describe the case of a woman in her 70s who underwent a thyroid nodule thermal ablation through high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) performed under hypnosis in a NORA setting. The procedure was well endured; the patient experienced comfort and was satisfied with having avoided general anesthesia. Post-HIFU follow-up showed a 30% decrease of thyroid nodule volume. The patient was completely satisfied with the esthetic result. The operator did not encounter any difficulties with the awoken patient or movements during the procedure. CONCLUSIONS Our case confirms the effective role of hypnosis in relaxation and coping with painful procedures and highlights patient satisfaction without the use of sedative drugs in the context of NORA procedures.

Cardioprotection with glucose insulin potassium (GIK) during non cardiac surgery in a patient with stress induced myocardial ischemia: A case report.

The administration of glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) has demonstrated cardioprotective effects in cardiac surgery. A 58-year-old male with severe disabling back pain due to posterolateral lumbar pseudarthrosis was scheduled for spine surgery. He previously experienced two episodes of acute coronary syndrome that required percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). Coronary angiogram showed intrastent occlusions and multiple coronary lesions that were not suitable for percutaneous or surgical revascularization. During pharmacological stress imaging, myocardial ischemia developed in 19% of the ventricular mass and was reduced to 7% when GIK was administered. After anesthesia induction, the GIK solution was also infused and surgery was uneventful, with no signs of postoperative myocardial injury. Four days later, the patient was successfully discharged to a rehabilitation center. This is the first clinical report of GIK pretreatment during non-cardiac surgery in a patient with ischemic heart disease (IHD).