Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Aug 2022
ReviewThe role of voltage-gated calcium channels in the mechanisms of anesthesia and perioperative analgesia.
A family of neuronal voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) have received only recently a significant consideration regarding the mechanisms of anesthesia because VGCC inhibition may be important in anesthetic action by decreasing neuronal excitability and presynaptic excitatory transmission. The T-type VGCCs channels (T-channels), although rarely involved in synaptic neurotransmitter release, play an important role in controlling neuronal excitability and in generating spontaneous oscillatory bursting of groups of neurons in the thalamus thought to be involved in regulating the state of arousal and sleep. Furthermore, these channels are important regulators of neuronal excitability in pain pathway. This review will provide an overview of historic perspective and the recent literature on the role of VGCCs and T-channel inhibition in particular in the mechanisms of action of anesthetics and analgesics. ⋯ The review summarizes current knowledge regarding the contribution of T-channels in hypnosis and analgesia. Further preclinical and clinical studies are needed to validate their potential for developing novel anesthetics and new perioperative pain therapies.
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Nonoperating room anesthesia for digestive tract endoscopy has its own specificities and requires practical training. Monitoring devices, anesthetic drugs, understanding of procedures and management of complications are critical aspects. ⋯ Digestive tract endoscopy is a common procedure that takes place outside the operating room most of the time and has become more and more complex due to advanced invasive procedures. Prior evaluation of the patient's comorbidities and a good understanding of the objectives and constraints of the endoscopic procedures are required. Assessing the risk of gastric content aspiration is critical for determining appropriate anesthetic protocols. The availability of adequate monitoring (capnographs adapted to spontaneous ventilation, bispectral index), devices for administration of anesthetic/sedative agents (target-controlled infusion) and oxygenation (high flow nasal oxygenation) guarantees the quality of sedation and patient' safety during endoscopic procedures. Knowledge of the specificities of each interventional endoscopic procedure (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, submucosal dissection) allows preventing complications during anesthesia.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Aug 2022
ReviewLong-term cognitive and behavioral outcomes following early exposure to general anesthetics.
Nearly 100 clinical studies have been published evaluating neurodevelopmental outcomes in children following surgery and anesthesia. These studies have reported mixed results, likely attributable at least in part to significant heterogeneity in their study designs, types and numbers of exposures, patient populations evaluated, and most importantly, the outcomes that were assessed. This review aims to summarize the results from clinical studies evaluating behavioral outcomes in children exposed to surgery and anesthesia. ⋯ Nearly all clinical studies of anesthetic neurotoxicity are observational in nature, so the associations between anesthetic exposure and behavioral deficits cannot yet be directly attributed to the anesthetic medication. However, the finding of deficits in some neurodevelopmental domains and not others will help guide the selection of appropriate outcomes in future studies of anesthetic neurotoxicity that can further evaluate whether anesthetic medications have an impact on neurodevelopment in children.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Aug 2022
ReviewAnesthesia care in the interventional neuroradiology suite: an update.
The scope of procedures conducted by neurointerventionalists is expanding quickly, with lacking consensus over the best anesthesia modality. Although the procedures involve all age groups, the interventions may be complex and lengthy and may be provided in hospitals currently not yet familiar with the field. Here we review current literature addressing elective outpatient neurointerventional procedures and aim to provide an update on the management of intervention-specific crises, address special patient populations, and provide key learning points for everyday use in the neurointerventional radiology suite. ⋯ Combining different anesthetic modalities is a valuable approach in the neurointerventional radiology suite. More interventional and patient population-specific studies are needed to improve evidence-based perioperative management.
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Nonoperating room anesthesia (NORA) care is an area of rapid growth over the last decade. However, literature describing safety systems in NORA is limited. This review evaluates historical safety models described by Donabedian and Reason, assesses the NORA environment and safety concerns that may contribute to adverse events, and provides potential solutions via a human-centered systems safety design. ⋯ The SEIPS 3.0 model may be applied to NORA care. Changes should focus on staffing ratios, staff/patient education, checklist utilization, burnout prevention, scheduling efficiency, anesthesia workstation standardization, communication improvements, room layout, medication and supply availability and storage, and the global managerial approach. Team members must demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to adapt to successfully implement change.