Articles: anesthetics.
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We outline the indications and contraindications of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and appraise four key areas still debated to this day; shunting versus non-shunting, patch angioplasty (PA) versus primary closure (PC) and local anaesthesia (LA) versus general anaesthesia (GA). Importantly, we compare CEA with Best Medical Therapy (BMT), which is an area that is still largely debated, principally because many of the studies conducted to date do not reflect the era of modern BMT practices, and these outcomes are eagerly awaited. Literature searches were conducted using Pubmed with the keywords 'carotid', and 'endarterectomy', which provided a wide variety of journals and articles. ⋯ In carotid stenosis >50% BMT offers limited benefits without accompanying surgical intervention and BMT alone tends to be advantageous primarily for patients with <50% carotid stenosis. Where CEA is appraised in terms of superiority of the procedural components; the literature does not support wildly contrasting outcomes to change majority practice. However, the area of considerable interest is superiority of BMT to surgical intervention in terms of both carotid artery stenting (CAS) and CEA and more studies need to be conducted in this area.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Sep 2024
Understanding the anatomy of pelvic fascia: implications for regional anesthesia.
The fascia, a continuous structure around the whole body across various anatomical locations, remains underexplored in regional anesthesia. The pelvic fascia is a particularly controversial and complicated anatomical structure. It holds significant relevance not only for surgeons but also in the realms of regional anesthesia and pain management. ⋯ A thorough understanding of pelvic fascia anatomy is crucial for understanding the potential pathways and barriers for spread of local anesthetics, enhancing analgesia, and minimizing side effects. Currently, a systematic discussion of pelvic fascia from the perspective of regional anesthesia and pain therapy is notably absent. This narrative review aims to consolidate knowledge on the anatomy of pelvic fascia pertinent to regional anesthesia and pain management, detailing relevant pelvic nerves, and associated peripheral nerve blocking techniques.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Dose-response of epidural ropivacaine with 0.4 μg mL-1 of dexmedetomidine for labor analgesia: A prospective double-blinded study.
Studies have shown that the ideal dose of epidural dexmedetomidine is 0.4 μg mL-1 for epidural labor analgesia. However, the appropriate dose of ropivacaine when combined with 0.4 μg mL-1 of dexmedetomidine for epidural labor analgesia is still unknown. Therefore, we aimed to determine the dose-response of ropivacaine when using 0.4 μg mL-1 of dexmedetomidine as epidural adjuvant for labor analgesia. ⋯ Under the condition of the study, a bolus of 12 mL ropivacaine 0.086% and dexmedetomidine 0.4 μg mL-1 could afford 95% of nulliparous singleton pregnant patients without suffering labor pain after a test dose of lidocaine 45 mg.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2024
Curriculum Development for the South African Essential Steps in Managing Obstetric Emergencies (ESMOE) Anesthesiology Training Module: A Delphi Study.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3) for 2030 aims at <70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. South Africa (SA) falls short of this goal and most deaths occur in district and regional hospitals. Due to low anesthesiologist (specialist anesthetist) numbers in the public sector, the anesthetic workforce in these hospitals consists mainly of nonspecialist (general practitioner) junior doctors with limited supervision. The Essential Steps in Managing Obstetric Emergencies (ESMOE) training program for interns was introduced in 2008 to reduce maternal deaths in SA. Training is not consistently offered at all intern-training institutions and it has not been recently revised. This study sought expert suggestions to guide a revision of the regulation, pedagogy, and content of the ESMOE anesthetic module. ⋯ Attendance of the ESMOE anesthesia module should be mandatory. Its pedagogy should be updated to a blended learning style to benefit the current digital native intern generation. The content should be updated to address the main causes of maternal mortality in SA in line with SDG3. A national obstetric anesthesia guideline should be considered, and lea-dership and collaboration are required to improve the alignment of undergraduate, internship, and junior doctor anesthesia training in SA. The content, process, and stakeholder engagement suggestions in this study can assist short-course-based anesthesia workforce training in similar global contexts.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of adductor canal block combined with infiltration between the popliteal artery and posterior capsular of the knee on chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is accompanied by severe postoperative pain, which is reported to be an important cause of chronic pain. Ultrasound-guided adductor canal block (ACB) combined with infiltration between the popliteal artery and posterior capsular of the knee (IPACK) has been proven to have a better effect on relieving acute pain after TKA. However, whether it has a significant effect on the incidence of chronic pain after TKA has not been reported. This trial was designed to investigate the effect of ultrasound-guided ACB combined with IPACK on the incidence and intensity of chronic pain after TKA. ⋯ In the context of multimodal analgesia protocols, ACB combined with IPACK before surgery decreases the incidence and intensity of chronic pain 3 months after TKA compared with placebo injection. In addition, it reduces the NRS scores, whether at rest or during mobilization, and improves knee function within 24 hours after TKA.