Clinical protocols for oral anticoagulant reversal during high risk of bleeding for emergency surgical and nonsurgical settings: a narrative review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Oral anticoagulants prevent thromboembolic events but expose patients to a significant risk of bleeding due to the treatment itself, after trauma, or during surgery. Any physician working in the emergency department or involved in the perioperative care of a patient should be aware of the best reversal approach according to the type of drug and the patient's clinical condition. This paper presents a concise review and proposes clinical protocols for the reversal of oral anticoagulants in emergency settings, such as bleeding or surgery. CONTENTS: The authors searched for relevant studies in PubMed, LILACS, and the Cochrane Library database and identified 82 articles published up to September 2020 to generate a review and algorithms as clinical protocols for practical use. Hemodynamic status and the implementation of general supportive measures should be the first approach under emergency conditions. The drug type, dose, time of last intake, and laboratory evaluations of anticoagulant activity and renal function provide an estimation of drug clearance and should be taken into consideration. The reversal agents for vitamin K antagonists are 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate and vitamin K, followed by fresh frozen plasma as a second-line treatment. Direct oral anticoagulants have specific reversal agents, such as andexanet alfa and idarucizumab, but are not widely available. Another possibility in this situation, but with less evidence, is prothrombin complex concentrates. CONCLUSION: The present algorithms propose a tool to help healthcare providers in the best decision making for patients under emergency conditions.

[Comparison between erector spinal plane block and epidural block techniques for postoperative analgesia in open cholecystectomies: a randomized clinical trial]. / Comparação entre as técnicas de bloqueio do plano do músculo eretor da espinha e bloqueio epidural para analgesia pós­operatória em colecistectomias abertas: um ensaio clínico randomizado.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Blockade of the Erector Spinal Muscle (ESP block) is a relatively new block, initially described for chronic thoracic pain analgesia, but it has already been described for anesthesia and analgesia in thoracic surgical procedures and, more recently, for high abdominal surgeries. The aim of the study was to compare two techniques, ESP Block and Epidural block with morphine and local anesthetic for postoperative analgesia of open cholecystectomy surgeries. METHODS: Controlled single-blind randomized clinical trial with 31 patients (ESP block, n = 15; Epidural, n = 16), of both genders, ages between 27 and 77 years. The ESP block was performed at the T8 level with injection of 20 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine bilaterally. The epidural block was performed at the T8-T9 space with 20 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine and 1 mg of morphine. RESULTS: The ESP block group presented higher mean Numeric Pain Scale (NPS) values for pain in the up to 2 hour (p = 0.001) and in the 24 hour (p = 0.001) assessments. The ESP block group had a three-fold increased risk (43.7% vs. 13.3%) of rescue opioid use in the 24 postoperative hours when compared to the epidural group (RR = 3.72, 95% CI: 0.91 to 15.31, p = 0.046). CONCLUSION: ESP block did not prove to be an effective technique for postoperative analgesia of open cholecystectomy, at the doses performed in this study, having required more use of rescue opioid, and without differences in NPS. More comprehensive studies are required to assess the efficacy of ESP block for the visceral and abdominal somatic component, considering the specific blockade level.

Comparison between erector spinal plane block and epidural block techniques for postoperative analgesia in open cholecystectomies: a randomized clinical trial / Comparação entre as técnicas de bloqueio do plano do músculo eretor da espinha e bloqueio epidural para analgesia pós-operatória em colecistectomias abertas: um ensaio clínico randomizado

Abstract Introduction and objectives: Blockade of the Erector Spinal Muscle (ESP Block) is a relatively new block, initially described for chronic thoracic pain analgesia, but it has already been described for anesthesia and analgesia in thoracic surgical procedures and, more recently, for high abdominal surgeries. The aim of the study was to compare two techniques, ESP Block and Epidural Block, with morphine and local anesthetic for postoperative analgesia of open cholecystectomy surgeries. Methods: Controlled single-blind randomized clinical trial with 31 patients (ESP Block, n = 15; Epidural, n = 16), of both genders, ages between 27 and 77 years. The ESP block was performed at the T8 level with injection of 20 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine bilaterally. The epidural block was performed at the T8-T9 space with 20 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine and 1 mg of morphine. Results: The ESP Block group presented higher mean ​​Numeric Pain Scale (NPS) values for pain in the up to 2 hour (p = 0.001) and in the 24 hour (p = 0.001) assessments. The ESP Block group had a three-fold increased risk (43.7% vs. 13.3%) of rescue opioid use in the 24 postoperative hours when compared to the epidural group (RR = 3.72, 95% CI: 0.91 to 15.31, p = 0.046). Conclusion: ESP Block did not prove to be an effective technique for postoperative analgesia of open cholecystectomy, at the doses performed in this study, having required more use of rescue opioid, and without differences in NPS. More comprehensive studies are required to assess the efficacy of ESP block for the visceral and abdominal somatic component, considering the specific blockade level.

Resumo Justificativa e objetivo: O Bloqueio do Plano do Músculo Eretor da Espinha (ESP block) é um bloqueio relativamente novo, inicialmente descrito para analgesia de dor torácica crônica, porém já descrito para anestesia e analgesia em procedimentos cirúrgicos torácicos e, mais recentemente, para cirurgias abdominais altas. O estudo objetivou comparar as técnicas de bloqueio ESP e bloqueio Epidural com morfina e anestésico local para analgesia pós-operatória de cirurgias de colecistectomia aberta. Método: Estudo clínico randomizado controlado, unicego com 31 pacientes (ESP block, n = 15; Epidural, n = 16), de ambos os sexos, idades entre 27 e 77 anos. O ESP block foi realizado no nível de T8 com injeção de 20 mL de ropivacaína 0,5% bilateral. O bloqueio Epidural foi realizado no espaço T8-T9 com 20 mL de ropivacaína 0,5% e 1 mg de morfina. Resultados: O grupo ESP block apresentou valores médios de dor pela Escala Visual Numérica (EVN) maiores nas avaliações até 2 horas (p= 0,001) e em 24 horas (p= 0,001). O grupo ESP block apresentou um risco três vezes maior - 43,7%vs.13,3% - de uso de opioide de resgate em 24 horas pós-operatórias do que o grupo epidural (RR = 3,72; 95% IC 0,91 a 15,31; p= 0,046). Conclusão: Nas doses realizadas nesse estudo, o ESP block não se mostrou uma técnica efetiva para analgesia pós-operatória de colecistectomia aberta, com mais uso de opioide de resgate e sem diferenças na escala visual numérica de dor. Necessita-se de estudos mais abrangentes avaliando a eficácia do ESP block para o componente visceral e somático abdominal, considerando o nível do bloqueio específico.