Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2002
Case ReportsDiscitis associated with pregnancy and spinal anesthesia.
Discitis (inflammation of the intervertebral disk) most commonly develops as a rare complication of bacterial infection or chemical or mechanical irritation during spine surgery (1) with a postoperative incidence of 1%-2.8% (2). It is also a complication of discography-the intradiscal injection of saline or contrast material (3). The incidence of postdiscography discitis is 1%-4% (3); no cases have been reported when prophylactic antibiotics have been used, supporting the theory of bacterial contamination (3). Although it is controversial whether discitis can be caused by an aseptic or infectious process, recent data suggest that persistent discitis is almost always bacterial (4). Honan et al. (5) reported 16 cases of spontaneous discitis and reviewed another 52 patients from the literature. In their series, patients tended to have one or more comorbid conditions, such as diabetes, vertebral fracture, or a preexisting spine injury. Spontaneous discitis has also been associated with advanced age, IV drug abuse, IV access contamination, urinary tract infection, and immunocompromised states (5,6). No cases of infectious discitis associated with pregnancy and spinal anesthesia have been reported in the English literature. Discitis presents as spasmodic pain in the back that may be referred to the hips or groin (7). The pain may radiate to the lower extremities. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is usually increased. Radiological changes in discitis include narrowing of the intervertebral disk space, vertebral sclerosis, and erosion of the end plates. The best diagnostic measure may be magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or a combination of bone and gallium scanning (2). The mainstay for discitis treatment is pain control and antibiotics; surgical intervention is usually not required. Complications of discitis include intervertebral fusion, epidural abscess, and paralysis. ⋯ This is a case report of a disk infection (discitis) caused by the bacteria, Streptococcus bovis after spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery. S. bovis rarely causes discitis, and spinal anesthesia for labor and delivery has not been reported as a cause of discitis.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2002
Comparative StudyTransesophageal echocardiography interpretation: a comparative analysis between cardiac anesthesiologists and primary echocardiographers.
Diagnostic interpretation of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) examinations may vary, particularly when the echocardiographer is also the anesthesiologist. We therefore evaluated the concordance of TEE interpretation as part of a process of continuous quality improvement (CQI). Ten cardiac anesthesiologists participating in a CQI program conducted 154 comprehensive TEE examinations, each consisting of 16 major fields describing cardiac anatomy and function. These examinations were subsequently interpreted off-line by two primary echocardiographers (a radiologist and a cardiologist). Agreement was assessed using the kappa coefficient and percent agreement. Overall kappa and percent agreement were 0.58 and 83% for anesthesiologists versus radiologist, 0.57 and 80% for anesthesiologists versus cardiologist, and 0.60 and 82% for radiologist versus cardiologist. Anesthesiologists with longer than 5 yr of TEE experience had higher levels of agreement with the radiologist when assessing the aorta, right atrium, pulmonary vein flow, transmitral flow, and fractional area change. Cardiac anesthesiologists supported by a CQI program interpret TEE examinations at a level comparable with physicians whose primary practice is echocardiography. Thus, the anesthesiologist and the intraoperative echocardiographer need not be mutually exclusive. ⋯ Interpretation of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiograms can be reliably performed by cardiac anesthesiologists.
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The last decade has witnessed a proliferation of devices or methods that facilitate intubation in difficult circumstances, maintain ventilation, or which do both. These all require properly functioning and specially designed apparatus, the use of which requires variable degrees of expertise. This technical communication describes the author's experience with a simple technique that uses virtually universally available materials--a nasal trumpet (airway) and an endotracheal tube (ETT) connector--to rescue patients in the cannot-ventilate/cannot-intubate scenario. The methodology is straightforward, ventilation is usually immediate, stomach contents can be evacuated while ventilation proceeds, and it does not require mouth opening. Moreover, while ventilation and oxygenation is continuing, a fiber-optic intubation can proceed without interference. ⋯ A simple technique is proposed that can be used to rescue patients who are in a condition of cannot intubate/cannot ventilate. The described maneuver may save patients from requiring a surgical airway.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2002
Sodium nitroprusside decreases leukocyte adhesion and emigration after hemorrhagic shock.
The adhesion of polymorphonuclear leukocytes to the capillary endothelium is one of the key events in the pathophysiology of hemorrhagic shock. We studied sodium nitroprusside (SNP) for its ability to modulate leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions induced by hemorrhagic shock and reinfusion of blood by using intravital microscopy of the rat mesentery. Administration of SNP at a dose of 0.1 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) infusion neither significantly decreased mean arterial blood pressure nor significantly altered bleedout volumes in hemorrhagic rats, indicating that SNP at this dose did not modify the severity of the shock protocol. Resuscitation from 1 h of hemorrhagic shock (mean arterial blood pressure approximately 45 mm Hg) significantly increased the number of adherent and emigrated leukocytes in the rat mesenteric microcirculation. However, infusion of SNP, started 15 min before hemorrhage, and continued over the entire experimental period, markedly reduced the leukocyte adhesion after reinfusion and emigration during hemorrhagic shock and after reinfusion. We concluded that the nitric oxide donor SNP is effective at reducing the leukocyte-endothelial interaction after blood reinfusion after hemorrhagic shock in rats. ⋯ The i.v. infusion of 0.1 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) of sodium nitroprusside, a dose that does not exert a significant vasodilator effect, reduces leukocyte adhesion and emigration after hemorrhagic shock.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialParavertebral blockade for minor breast surgery.
Paravertebral blockade (PVB) has been advocated as a useful technique for breast surgery. We prospectively compared the efficacy of PVB via a catheter technique with the efficacy of general anesthesia (GA) for minor breast surgery. Thirty patients were randomized into two groups to receive either PVB or GA. Variables of efficacy were postoperative pain measured on a visual analog scale, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), recovery time, and patient satisfaction. Postoperative visual analog scale scores in the PVB group were significantly lower in the early postoperative period (maximum, 12 vs 45 mm; P < 0.01). In both groups, PONV was nearly absent. There was no difference in recovery time. Patient satisfaction was better in the PVB group (2.8 vs 2.3; scale, 0-3; P < 0.01). There was one inadvertent epidural block and one inadvertent pleural puncture in the PVB group. Although PVB resulted in better postoperative pain relief, the advantages over GA were marginal in this patient group because postoperative pain was relatively mild and the incidence of PONV was small. Considering that the technique has a certain complication rate, we conclude that at present the risk/benefit ratio of PVB does not favor routine use for minor breast surgery. ⋯ This study confirms the previously reported superior pain relief after paravertebral blockade (PVB) for breast surgery. However, considering the relatively mild postoperative pain and therefore the limited advantage of PVB for these patients, the risk/benefit ratio does not favor the routine use of PVB for minor breast surgery.