Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology
-
J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Jan 1999
Fiberoptic intubation in 327 neurosurgical patients with lesions of the cervical spine.
In patients with lesions of the cervical spine, direct laryngoscopy for endotracheal intubation entails the risk of injuring the spinal cord. In an attempt to avoid this complication, the authors used flexible fiberoptic nasal intubation in a series of 327 patients with cervical lesions undergoing elective neurosurgical procedures. The nasal route was preferred for laryngeal intubation because it is easier than the oral route and a restraining collar or halo device does not impair the intubating maneuver. ⋯ Cervical stabilizers did not have to be removed for intubation in any patient. None of the patients had postoperative neurologic deficits attributable to the intubation procedure. The authors consider fiberoptic transnasal intubation to be a useful alternative to direct laryngoscopic tracheal intubation in patients undergoing elective surgical procedures on the cervical spine to avoid potential injury to the cervical spinal cord.
-
J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Jan 1999
Comparative StudyCerebral glucose metabolism in acute and persistent vegetative state.
Regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMRglc) was investigated with 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) and positron emission tomography (PET) in 24 patients with acute (AVS, duration <1 month, n=11) or persistent (PVS, duration >1 month, n=13) vegetative state (VS) following prolonged anoxia due to cardiorespiratory arrest. After a follow-up period of twelve months, 8 patients had died, 13 remained in a permanent vegetative state and three showed moderate improvement of consciousness, without however regaining independence for activities of daily life. As expected, overall glucose utilization (CMRglc) was significantly reduced in VS in comparison to age matched controls. ⋯ A statistically significant correlation between the degree of evoked potential or EEG alterations in VS and the reduction of global or regional cortical metabolic rates for glucose could not be established. Cortical metabolic rates in patients with PVS were significantly reduced when compared to patients studied in AVS (p<0.05 for all cortical regions of interest except the frontal lobe). This phenomenon reflects the progressive loss of residual cortical function following anoxic brain injury that corresponds to the neuropathological findings of progressive Wallerian and transsynaptic degeneration as sequelae of anoxic brain injury in PVS.
-
J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Jan 1999
Case ReportsSudden asystole during craniotomy: unrecognized phenytoin toxicity.
The authors report a case of intraoperative sinus arrest in an otherwise healthy patient undergoing craniotomy for aneurysm clipping after mild subarachnoid hemorrhage. The sinus arrest was precipitated by a rapid infusion of 1500 mg phenytoin and was successfully treated with standard resuscitative measures. The differential diagnosis of intraoperative cardiac arrest and the mechanisms of action of phenytoin are discussed. The authors emphasize the role of phenytoin in cerebral protection.
-
J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Jan 1999
Case ReportsSpinal anesthesia for nonpulmonary surgery in a lung transplant recipient.
The anesthetic implications for patients requiring anesthesia for surgery after lung transplantation have not been thoroughly studied. The use of spinal anesthesia in patients undergoing lumbar laminectomy has been well described. This case demonstrates the use of spinal anesthesia for lumbar laminectomy in a patient who had previously undergone a bilateral lung transplantation. Spinal anesthesia was used to minimize the risk of respiratory complications such as aspiration, atelectasis, and pneumonia that may be associated with administration of a general anesthetic.
-
J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Jan 1999
Is there paradoxical arousal reaction in the EEG subdelta range in patients during anesthesia?
Different anesthetic drugs can produce different electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns. Nondrug induced influences, such as surgical stimulation, may also alter the EEG in anesthetized patients. Increases of delta activity are interpreted as signs of deepening of anesthesia. ⋯ On the other hand, in the subdelta range (the 0.05-1 Hz and 1-2 Hz frequency bands), there was an opposite reaction. This significant (p<0.001, according to ANOVA and Dunn's method) reduction of EEG power as a result of the surgical stimuli was found in 25 patients (mean age, 49.1+/-16.3 years) scheduled for elective neurosurgical intervention in the lumbosacral region. This report shows some of the problems arising from the common practice of arbitrarily subdividing a power spectrum in frequency bands.