Anesthesiology
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Epidural corticosteroid injections are a common treatment for radicular pain caused by intervertebral disc herniations, spinal stenosis, and other disorders. Although rare, catastrophic neurologic injuries, including stroke and spinal cord injury, have occurred with these injections. ⋯ Adherence to specific recommended practices when performing epidural corticosteroid injections should lead to a reduction in the incidence of neurologic injuries.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Prediction of Movement to Surgical Stimulation by the Pupillary Dilatation Reflex Amplitude Evoked by a Standardized Noxious Test.
Individual assessment of the amplitude of a physiologic reflex evoked by a standardized noxious test (SNT) before surgical stimulation has been suggested to predict movement upon the forthcoming surgical stimulation. This study aimed to compare the ability of pupillary dilatation reflex amplitude (PDRA) evoked by an SNT and estimated remifentanil effect-site concentration (Ce) to predict movement upon surgical stimulation. ⋯ PDRA evoked by an SNT is as accurate as the estimated remifentanil Ce to predict movement upon cervix dilatation. PDRA could be valuable when estimated opioid Ce is not available or reliable.
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Observational Study
Pharmacokinetics of ε-Aminocaproic Acid in Neonates Undergoing Cardiac Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass.
Antifibrinolytic medications such as ε-aminocaproic acid (EACA) are used in pediatric heart surgery to decrease surgical bleeding and transfusion. Dosing schemes for neonates are often based on adult regimens, or are simply empiric, in part due to the lack of neonatal pharmacokinetic information. The authors sought to determine the pharmacokinetics of EACA in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery and to devise a dosing regimen for this population. ⋯ EACA clearance, expressed using allometry, is reduced in neonates compared with older children and adults. Loading dose and infusion dose are approximately half those required in children and adults.
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Radical prostatectomy (RP) is most commonly performed laparoscopically with a robot (robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, R/PROST). Hysterectomy, which may be open hysterectomy (O/HYST) or laparoscopic hysterectomy (L/HYST), has been increasingly frequently done via robot (R/HYST). Small case series suggest increased corneal abrasions (CAs) with less invasive techniques. ⋯ L/HYST increased CA nearly four-fold, and R/HYST approximately 6.5-fold versus O/HYST. Identifiable preoperative factors are associated with either increased risk (age, chronic conditions) or decreased risk (race).