Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2016
Case Reports Comparative StudyCentral anticholinergic syndrome vs. idiosyncratic reaction triggered by a small IV dose of atropine.
A 58-year-old male was scheduled to undergo radical gastrectomy for cancer under general anesthesia. The patient developed agitation and irregular breathing after receiving a single dose of atropine (0.5 mg) to treat bradycardia immediately prior to induction of anesthesia. Within 5 min after the atropine injection, the patient became unresponsive with facial flushing and diaphoresis. ⋯ Physostigmine was not administered because of the relatively low dose of atropine and the fact that his symptoms were not totally consistent with central anticholinergic syndrome (CAS). The differential diagnosis at the time also included an acute cardiovascular event and an idiosyncratic reaction to atropine. The patient fully recovered within 80 min from this highly unusual reaction to a single 0.5 mg IV dose of atropine.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2016
Association between sensory dysfunction and pain 1 week after breast cancer surgery: a psychophysical study.
Breast cancer patients treated with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) have a higher risk of both acute and persistent pain than those treated with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). This could be attributed to a higher risk of nerve injury with ALND. We hypothesized that (1) pain patients have more pronounced sensory dysfunction than pain-free patients, (2) ALND have more sensory dysfunction and pain than SLNB patients and (3) patients with preserved intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN) preservation have less sensory dysfunction compared to a sectioned ICBN. ⋯ Pain was increased in patients having larger areas of hypoaesthesia and reduced in patients where ICBN-section was done. Sensory dysfunction was related to extent of axillary surgery, but not with ICBN handling. Our data suggest that acute pain after breast cancer surgery may be related to nerve injury.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2016
A validation of the pain interference index in adults with long-standing pain.
Chronic pain is a major health problem and more knowledge is needed regarding the interference of pain on behaviors in different life domains. Clinically useful and statistically sound pain interference measures are highly important. Studies on youths have shown that the Pain Interference Index (PII) is a reliable and valid instrument that is sensitive to change following behavioral treatment. This measure may also have utility for adults, but no study has so far evaluated the statistical properties of the PII for long-standing pain in adults. ⋯ The PII is a brief questionnaire with reliable and valid statistical properties to assess pain interference in adults. Other studies support the reliability and validity of PII for use with youths, and now the PII can be used to analyze the influence of pain on behaviors across age groups. Potentially, the PII can also be used as an outcome measure in clinical trials.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2016
Aminocaproic acid administration is associated with reduced perioperative blood loss and transfusion in pediatric craniofacial surgery.
Severe blood loss is a common complication of craniofacial reconstruction surgery. The antifibrinolytic ε-aminocaproic acid (EACA) reduces transfusion requirements in children undergoing cardiac surgery and in older children undergoing spine surgery. Tranexamic acid (TXA), another antifibrinolytic with a similar mechanism of action, has been shown to reduce blood loss and transfusion requirements in children undergoing craniofacial surgery. However, TXA has been associated with an increase in post-operative seizures and is more expensive than EACA. There is currently little published data evaluating the efficacy of EACA in children undergoing craniofacial surgery. ⋯ In this analysis of prospectively captured observational data, EACA administration was associated with less calculated blood loss, intraoperative blood donor exposures, and post-operative surgical drain output.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2016
Intraoperative factors associated with delayed recovery of liver function after hepatectomy: analysis of 1969 living donors.
The safety of healthy living donors who are undergoing hepatic resection is a primary concern. We aimed to identify intraoperative anaesthetic and surgical factors associated with delayed recovery of liver function after hepatectomy in living donors. ⋯ Anaesthesia with sevoflurane was an independent factor in predicting delayed recovery of hepatic function after donor hepatectomy. Although synthetic colloid may be associated with delayed recovery of hepatic function after donor hepatectomy, further study is required. These results can provide useful information on perioperative management of living liver donors.