Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Apr 2017
The Intraoperative Effect of Methadone on Somatosensory Evoked Potentials.
Evoked potentials (EP), both somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) and transcranial motor evoked potentials (TcMEP), are often used during complex spine surgery to monitor the integrity of spinal pathways during operations in or around the spine. Changes in these monitored EP signals (increased latency and decreased amplitude) may result from ischemia, direct surgical injury, changes in blood pressure, hypoxia, changes in CO2 tension, and anesthetic agents. Typically, a clinically significant change for SSEPs is defined as an increase in latency >10% or a decrease of amplitude >50%. A clinically significant change for TcMEPs is much more complex but is also described in terms of large signal loss or decrease. Opioids have been shown to both increase latency and decrease the amplitude of SSEPs, although this change is usually not clinically significant. There has been a renewed interest in methadone for use in spine and other complex surgeries. However, the effect of methadone on intraoperative monitoring of SSEPs and TcMEPs is unknown. We present the first study to directly look at the effects of methadone on SSEP and TcMEP monitoring during complex spine surgery. ⋯ The data demonstrate that a single intravenous dose of methadone has a statistically significant difference on the amplitude and latency of SSEPs. However, this statistical difference does not translate into a clinical significance.
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Apr 2017
The Impact of Prehospital Intubation With and Without Sedation on Outcome in Trauma Patients With a GCS of 8 or Less.
Although unconsciousness (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] 3 to 8) necessitates intubation according national guidelines, there is a notable lack of evidence to support this approach. This study evaluates the impact on outcome of prehospital intubation with and without sedation in trauma patients with a GCS of ≤8. ⋯ Observed outcome of prehospital intubated patients with a GCS of ≤8 seems less poor than predicted compared with nonintubated patients. Sedation before intubation might potentially decrease mortality and improve early neurological outcome. Further studies are required to clarify this issue.
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We reviewed manuscripts published in 2016 that are related to the care of neurosurgical patients or the perioperative care of patients with neurological diseases. We address the broad categories of general neurosurgery and neuroanesthesiology, anesthetic neurotoxicity and neuroprotection, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and nervous system monitoring.
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Apr 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialA Randomized Controlled Trial Studying the Role of Dexamethasone in Scalp Nerve Blocks for Supratentorial Craniotomy.
The aim of this double-blinded randomized control study was to examine the role of the steroid dexamethasone as an adjuvant to lignocaine and ropivacaine in scalp nerve blocks in adults undergoing supratentorial craniotomy under general anesthesia. We compared the intraoperative anesthetic and postoperative analgesic requirement with and without the addition of dexamethasone to the local anesthetics. ⋯ Addition of dexamethasone as an adjuvant to local anesthetics in scalp nerve blocks in the setting of perioperative steroid therapy does not appear to provide any additional benefit with respect to prolongation of the duration of the block.