Articles: anesthetics.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2024
A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Palonosetron Versus Ondansetron for Nausea, Vomiting, and Pruritus in Cesarean Delivery with Intrathecal Morphine.
Spinal anesthesia is the preferred anesthetic technique for cesarean deliveries. Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and pruritus occur in up to 80% and 83% of patients, respectively, after cesarean delivery with intrathecal opioids. Ondansetron is the recommended medication for PONV prophylaxis, but palonosetron, a second-generation 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, has a higher receptor affinity and a longer half-life. However, studies on palonosetron use in cesarean deliveries are limited. This study aimed to determine whether palonosetron was more effective than ondansetron in preventing intrathecal morphine-induced PONV and pruritus in cesarean deliveries. ⋯ Palonosetron effectively prevents intrathecal morphine-induced PONV and pruritus during cesarean delivery. However, the efficacy of palonosetron is not significantly different from that of ondansetron.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2024
The Utility of Electroencephalograhy in Guiding General Anesthesia in Children.
Traditional pediatric anesthetic dosing using pharmacokinetic estimates based on age and weight is often imprecise, frequently leading to oversedation. Intraoperative electroencephalography (EEG) allows visualization of the brain's response to anesthetic agents in real time, facilitating precise titration of anesthetic drug doses optimized for the individual child. The goal of EEG-guided anesthesia management is to maintain an optimal state of hypnosis during various stages of the procedure while minimizing hemodynamic instability and other adverse effects of anesthesia. ⋯ We describe the use of nonproprietary EEG parameters in guiding anesthesia in children for various clinical end points including laryngoscopy, surgical incision, and maintenance of anesthesia, as well as sedation. We illustrate these principles with various case examples commonly encountered during pediatric anesthesia. Lastly, we discuss strategies to expand intraoperative EEG monitoring in children through education and training programs, as well as advocate for further research to assess clinical outcomes associated with EEG guidance to support its routine use in clinical care.
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A 39 year-old female with a history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass underwent emergent partial colectomy. Her postoperative analgesic management of a transversus abdominus plane block administered with a combination of bupivacaine and liposomal bupivacaine was ineffective. A bupivacaine thoracic epidural was then placed, which provided significant pain relief. This use of a bupivacaine thoracic epidural infusion following liposomal bupivacaine regional anesthesia demonstrated a case of effective analgesia without the development of local anesthetic systemic toxicity symptoms in a remote hospital setting, where certain laboratory analyses were not readily available.
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This short communication presents an audit of anesthetic gas usage at National Taiwan University Hospital from 2018 to 2023. Using descriptive statistics and trend analysis, the data reveals trends in the consumption of sevoflurane and desflurane, associated costs, and their corresponding carbon emissions. A significant decrease in desflurane usage contributed to a 42.4% reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions per general anesthesia case from 2018 to 2023. The findings underscore the importance of sustainable practices in anesthesia to align with global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2024
A Comparison of Remimazolam versus Propofol on Blood Pressure Changes During Therapeutic Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Intraoperative hypotension is the most common adverse event in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and is usually attributed to the vasodilatory effect of the anesthetic. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the impact of remimazolam versus propofol on blood pressure changes during the therapeutic ERCP procedure. ⋯ Remimazolam may be considered as an alternative to propofol for general anesthesia during therapeutic ERCP procedures, with the potential advantage of stable hemodynamics.