Comparison of Sufentanil- and Fentanyl-based Intravenous Patient-controlled Analgesia on Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting after Laparoscopic Nephrectomy: A Prospective, Double-blind, Randomized-controlled Trial.

Background: The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) remains high. The effects of sufentanil for PONV is not firmly confirmed. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of sufentanil- and fentanyl-based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) on the incidence of PONV after laparoscopic nephrectomy. Methods: Eighty-six patients were randomly allocated to receive either the sufentanil (n =43) or fentanyl (n =43). IV-PCA was prepared using either sufentanil 3 µg/kg or fentanyl 20 µg/kg, ramosetron 0.3 mg, and ketorolac 120 mg. The primary outcome of was the incidence of PONV during 24 h after post anesthesia care unit (PACU) discharge. The secondary outcomes were the modified Rhodes index and patient satisfaction scores at 24 h after PACU discharge, need for rescue antiemetics, pain score, need for additional analgesics, and cumulative consumption of IV-PCA Results: The incidence of PONV was comparable between the sufentanil and fentanyl groups (64.3% vs. 65%, p = 0.946; respectively). The number of patients who required antiemetics (p = 0.946) and the modified Rhodes index at 24 h after post-anesthesia care unit discharge (p = 0.668) were also comparable in both groups. No significant differences were found in the secondary outcomes, including the analgesic profiles and adverse events between the groups. Conclusions: In conclusion, sufentanil- and fentanyl-based IV-PCA showed similar incidence of PONV with comparable analgesic effects after laparoscopic nephrectomy. Based on these results, we suggest that sufentanil and fentanyl may provide comparable effects for IV-PCA after laparoscopic nephrectomy.

Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Radial and Ulnar Arterial Vasoreactivity after Radial Artery Cannulation: A Randomized Controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) may influence arterial vasoreactivity after arterial stimulus, such as cannulation, and cause changes in diameter and blood flow. Despite the frequent use of arterial cannulation during anesthesia and critical care, little information is available regarding vasoreactivity of the radial and ulnar arteries and its influence on underlying DM. METHODS: Forty non-DM and 40 DM patients, who required arterial cannulation during general anesthesia, were enrolled. Using duplex Doppler ultrasonography, we measured the patients' arterial diameter, peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, resistance index, and mean volume flow of both arteries at five different time points. RESULTS: After radial artery cannulation, ulnar arterial diameter and blood flow did not significantly increase in DM group, as they did in non-DM group. Ulnar arterial resistance index significantly increased in both groups, but the degree of decrease in DM group was significantly less than non-DM. CONCLUSION: Ulnar artery's ability to increase blood flow for compensating the sudden reduction of radial arterial flow in DM patients was significantly less than that in non-DM patients under general anesthesia. Such attenuated vasoreactivity of ulnar artery to compensate the reduced radial arterial flow may have to be considered in radial arterial cannulation for DM patients.

Reference Intervals of Thromboelastometric Evaluation of Coagulation in Pediatric Patients with Congenital Heart Diseases: A Retrospective Investigation.

BACKGROUND Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) is a point-of-care test for coagulation, enabling physicians to make a swift decision. The aim of this investigation was to establish reference intervals of thromboelastometric evaluation for coagulation in pediatric patients with congenital heart diseases (CHD). MATERIAL AND METHODS As baseline data, 3 assays of ROTEM® (INTEM, EXTEM, and FIBTEM) were measured after anesthesia induction. ROTEM® parameters were clotting time (CT), amplitude at 10 min (A10), clot formation time (CFT), a angle, maximal clot firmness (MCF), clot lysis index at 60 min (LI60), and maximal clot elasticity (MCE). As age is a well-known factor for maturation, age groups were determined as follows; 1) <1 month, 2) 1-3 months, 3) 4-12 months, 4) 1-3 years, 5) 4-6 years, 6) 7-12 years, and 7) 13-16 years. Reference limits representing 95% of distribution of ROTEM® parameters and 90% confidence intervals of upper and lower reference limits were calculated. RESULTS The data of 413 patients were analyzed. Although INTEM CT was prolonged, significantly shorter CT and CFT, steeper α, and greater A10, MCF, and MCE were shown in patients age <3 months compared to older children. CONCLUSIONS Reference intervals of thromboelastometric evaluation for coagulation from pediatric patients with CHD were shown to have similar pattern to those obtained from healthy pediatric patients. Pediatric patients with CHD, even with cyanosis, were demonstrated to have functionally intact coagulation profile before surgery.

An ultrasound evaluation of laryngeal mask airway position in pediatric patients: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: In children, the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is frequently displaced within the hypopharynx, resulting in repositioning of the device. When the tip of the LMA is placed in the esophageal inlet, the arytenoids are moved ventrally. When the LMA is rotated or deviated, the ventral movement of the arytenoids may result in asymmetric elevation of an arytenoid cartilage, which can be detected with ultrasound (US). In this study, we sought to estimate the incidence of LMA malposition detected with US in pediatric patients. The primary end point was to compare the incidence of LMA malposition between US and fiber optic bronchoscopy (FOB). The secondary end points were to find the interrelationship between US-detected and FOB-detected malposition of the LMA and to locate the diagnostic performance of US in detecting LMA malposition. METHODS: In this observational study, 100 consecutive children were included. After anesthetic induction, US evaluation was performed before and after LMA insertion to obtain the glottic image on the anterior neck. FOB was performed to assess LMA position (FOB LMA grade and LMA rotation grade). With a post-LMA US image, the symmetry of the arytenoid cartilages was evaluated. Asymmetrical elevation of an arytenoid cartilage in reference to the glottic midline and the opposite arytenoid cartilage was graded as 0 to 3 (US arytenoid grade). The interrelationships between US arytenoid grade and FOB LMA grade or LMA rotation grade were assessed. RESULTS: The incidence of asymmetrical elevation of an arytenoid was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI], 40%-60%). On FOB, the incidence of LMA malposition was 78% (95% CI, 69%-86%), and that of LMA rotation was 43% (95% CI, 33%-53%). The incidence of LMA malposition was higher with FOB (P < 0.0001), but the incidence of rotation was similar (P = 0.395). US arytenoid grade did not correlate with FOB LMA grade (P = 0.611) but showed a significant correlation with LMA rotation grade (P < 0.0001; 95% CI, 60%-83%). To detect a rotated LMA, US had a sensitivity of 93% (95% CI, 81%-98%) and a specificity of 82% (95% CI, 70%-91%). The positive and negative predictive values were 80% (95% CI, 66%-90%) and 94% (95% CI, 83%-99%), respectively. The accuracy was 87% (95% CI, 79%-93%). CONCLUSIONS: Although US could not detect the suboptimal depth of an LMA, US has promise of being an accurate tool in detecting a rotated LMA.

The Effect of 1 µg/kg Dexmedetomidine Combined with High-Volume/Low-Concentration Caudal Ropivacaine in Children Undergoing Ambulatory Orchiopexy.

When local anesthetics are used, the administration of dexmedetomidine (DEX) can prolong analgesic duration. However, the effect of caudal DEX on high volume/low concentration (HVLC) local anesthetics has not been studied. We investigated the analgesic effect of DEX added to a HVLC of ropivacaine for caudal block in children. Eighty children (the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status I; age, 1-6 years) undergoing ambulatory orchiopexy were enrolled in the study. Children were randomly assigned to undergo a caudal block with 1.5 mL/kg of 0.15% ropivacaine and either 1 µg/kg of DEX (DEX group, n=40) or the same amount of saline (Control group, n=40) under general anesthesia. The results showed that the time to first analgesic request was significantly longer in the DEX group than in the control group. The sevoflurane requirement for anesthesia and frequency of emergence agitation (EA) were also significantly lower in the DEX group. There was no difference in adverse events between the two groups. In conclusion, a dose of 1 µg/kg of caudal DEX prolonged the first analgesic request time, although the immediate postoperative pain scores were comparable in both groups. Furthermore, caudal DEX significantly reduced the sevoflurane requirement and the frequency of EA.

Adequate sedation with single-dose dexmedetomidine in patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate with spinal anaesthesia: a dose-response study by age group.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine (DMT), a highly selective α2-adrenoceptor agonist, has been used safely as a sedative in patients under regional anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to determine the 50% effective dose (ED50) of single-dose DMT to induce adequate light sedation in elderly patients in comparison with younger patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) with spinal anesthesia. METHODS: Forty-two male patients were recruited. The young age group (Group Y) included patients 45 to 64 years old and the old age group (Group O) included patients 65 to 78 years old. After the spinal anesthesia was performed, a pre-calculated dose of DMT was administered for 10 min. The Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAA/S) scale, bispectral index score (BIS) were assessed then at 2-min intervals for 20 min. A modified Dixon's up-and-down method was used to determine the ED50 of the drug for light sedation (OAA/S score 3/4). In the recovery room, regression times of the motor and sensory blocks were recorded. RESULTS: The ED50 of DMT was 0.25 (95% C.I. 0.15-0.35) µg/kg in Group O and 0.35 (95% C.I. 0.35-0.45) µg/kg in Group Y (p = 0.002). The ED95 was 33% lower in Group O compare with Group Y (0.38 (95% C.I. 0.29-0.39) µg/kg vs. 0.57 (95% C.I. 0.49-0.59) µg/kg). The regression time of sensory block was longer in Group O than in Group Y (109.0 ± 40.2 min vs. 80.0 ± 31.6 min) (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: The single-dose of DMT for light sedation was lower by 21% in Group O compare with Group Y underwent TURP with spinal anesthesia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01665586. Registered July 31, 2012.

Effects of intrathecal dexmedetomidine on low-dose bupivacaine spinal anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing transurethral prostatectomy.

Low-dose bupivacaine can limit the spinal block level with minimal hemodynamic effects and yield a rapid recovery, but sometimes it may not provide adequate anesthesia for surgery. Dexmedetomidine, a selective α2-adrenoreceptor agonist, was shown to be a potent antinociceptive agent when given intrathecally in animals and humans. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adjuvant effects of intrathecal dexmedetomidine in elderly patients undergoing transurethral prostate surgery with low-dose bupivacaine spinal anesthesia. Fifty-four patients undergoing transurethral prostate surgery were randomized into two groups receiving either dexmedetomidine 3 µg (n=27) or normal saline (n=27) intrathecally with 6 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine. The characteristics of the spinal block and postoperative analgesic effects were evaluated. The peak block level was similar for the two groups. However, the dexmedetomidine group demonstrated a faster onset time to the peak block and longer duration of spinal block than the saline group (p<0.01). The motor block scales at the time of peak sensory block and regression of 2-sensory dermatomes were higher in the dexmedetomidine group than in the saline group (p<0.001). There was less analgesic request and the time to the first analgesic request was longer in the dexmedetomidine group than in the saline group (each 487, 345 min, p<0.05). Dexmedetomidine 3 µg when added to intrathecal bupivacaine 6 mg produced fast onset and a prolonged duration of sensory block and postoperative analgesia in elderly patients for transurethral surgery. However, recovery of motor block could be delayed in dexmedetomidine-added patients.

Preoperative comorbidities and relationship of comorbidities with postoperative complications in patients undergoing transurethral prostate resection.

PURPOSE: We retrospectively identified preoperative comorbidities and analyzed the relationship of the comorbidities to postoperative complications in patients treated with transurethral prostate resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the surgical and clinical records of 1,878 patients who underwent transurethral prostate resection at a single university hospital between January 2006 and December 2009. Variables included preoperative comorbidities, intraoperative data and postoperative complications, including mortality. RESULTS: Only 32.6% of the patients had no observed preoperative comorbidity and the other 67.4% had at least 1. The incidence of comorbidities increased with age (p <0.001). The overall postoperative complication rate was 5.8%. There were 3 deaths for an overall 0.16% 30-day mortality rate. The postoperative complication rate was significantly higher in patients who had a comorbidity preoperatively and were 50 to 59 (p = 0.043), 60 to 69 (p = 0.028) and 70 to 79 years old (p = 0.017). The Charlson comorbidity index was significantly associated with postoperative complications (r(2) = 0.221, p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Almost two-thirds of the patients who underwent transurethral prostate resection had various preoperative comorbidities. The fact that the preoperative comorbidity was significantly related to postoperative complications after transurethral prostate resection should be considered in perioperative management in this population.

Fentanyl sparing effects of combined ketorolac and acetaminophen for outpatient inguinal hernia repair in children.

PURPOSE: In this prospective, randomized, double-blinded study we sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined use of intravenous ketorolac and acetaminophen in small children undergoing outpatient inguinal hernia repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 55 children 1 to 5 years old who were undergoing elective repair of unilateral inguinal hernia. After induction of general anesthesia children in the experimental group (28 patients) received 1 mg/kg ketorolac and 20 mg/kg acetaminophen intravenously. In the control group (27 patients) the same volume of saline was administered. All patients received 1 microg/kg fentanyl intravenously before incision. We also evaluated the number of patients requiring postoperative rescue fentanyl, total fentanyl consumption, pain scores and side effects. RESULTS: Significantly fewer patients receiving ketorolac-acetaminophen received postoperative rescue fentanyl compared to controls (28.6% vs 81.5%). A significantly lower total dose of fentanyl was administered to patients receiving ketorolac-acetaminophen compared to controls (0.54 vs 1.37 microg/kg). Pain scores were significantly higher in the control group immediately postoperatively but eventually decreased. The incidences of sedation use (55.6% vs 25.0%) and vomiting (33.3% vs 10.7%) were significantly higher in controls. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative intravenous coadministration of ketorolac and acetaminophen is a simple, safe and effective method for relieving postoperative pain, and demonstrates highly significant fentanyl sparing effects in small children after outpatient inguinal hernia repair.

Fentanyl-sparing effect of acetaminophen as a mixture of fentanyl in intravenous parent-/nurse-controlled analgesia after pediatric ureteroneocystostomy.

BACKGROUND: Although acetaminophen has been used widely and is well tolerated in children, its efficacy and safety have not been clarified when combined with an opioid in intravenous parent-/nurse-controlled postoperative analgesia. METHODS: Sixty-three children (aged 6-24 months) who had undergone elective ureteroneocystostomies were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. After the surgery, an analgesic pump was programmed to deliver fentanyl at a basal infusion rate of 0.25 microg.kg(-1).h(-1) and 0.25 microg/kg bolus after a loading dose of 0.5 microg/kg(-1). In the fentanyl-acetaminophen group, acetaminophen was coadministered as a solution mixture at a basal infusion rate of 1.5 mg.kg(-1).h(-1) and 1.5 mg/kg bolus after a loading dose of 15 mg/kg, whereas saline was administered to the fentanyl group. RESULTS: Postoperative pain scores were similar between the two groups. The total dose (micrograms per kilogram per day, mean+/-SD) of fentanyl at postoperative days 1 (8.3+/-3.7 vs. 18.1+/-4.6, P=0.021) and 2 (7.0+/-2.4 vs. 16.6, P=0.042) was significantly less in the fentanyl-acetaminophen group compared with that in the fentanyl group. The incidences of vomiting (16.1 vs. 56.3%, P=0.011) and sedation (9.7 vs. 46.9%, P=0.019) were significantly lower in the fentanyl-acetaminophen group than those in the fentanyl group. CONCLUSIONS: Acetaminophen has significant fentanyl-sparing effects and reduces side effects when combined with fentanyl in intravenous parent-/nurse-controlled analgesia for postoperative pediatric pain management.

Paracetamol reduces postoperative pain and rescue analgesic demand after robot-assisted endoscopic thyroidectomy by the transaxillary approach.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pain following endoscopic thyroidectomy, although less severe than after open methods, is still a source of marked discomfort and surgical stress. This clinical trial was conducted to determine if repeated intravenous paracetamol could decrease postoperative pain and rescue analgesic requirements after robot-assisted endoscopic thyroidectomy via the transaxillary approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled study enrolled 124 women 21-60 years of age who were scheduled for elective gasless robot-assisted endoscopic thyroidectomy via the transaxillary approach. The patients were given placebo or 1 g of paracetamol as a 100 ml solution infused over 15 min 1 h before the induction of anesthesia, and then at 6-h intervals for the following 24 h. RESULTS: Postoperative pain scores were significantly lower at 1, 3, 6, and 24 h after surgery in the paracetamol group than in the placebo group. Significantly fewer patients in the paracetamol group received rescue analgesics compared to the placebo group (9.5% vs. 65.6%, respectively). First analgesic time was similar in the two groups. Postoperative nausea (44.3% vs. 22.2%) and vomiting (21.3% vs. 6.3%) were more frequent in the placebo group than in the paracetamol group. Other postoperative side effects, including sedation, confusion, and pruritus, were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that repeated administration of 1 g of intravenous paracetamol over 24 h is easy, effective, safe, and well tolerated for pain management in patients with moderate to severe postoperative pain after gasless robot-assisted endoscopic thyroidectomy performed via the transaxillary approach.

Treatment of generalized hyperhidrosis with oxybutynin in post-menopausal patients.

Postmenopausal hyperhidrosis is a form of secondary hyperhidrosis, and hormone-replacement therapy is a commonly used therapeutic option. However, some women do not benefit from this treatment, and oral anticholinergics are a logical alternative for reducing generalized sweating in these patients. Twenty-one patients were medicated with 5 or 10 mg of oxybutynin per day. After a 3-month follow-up period, efficacy was assessed with the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was used to assess the improvement in patients' quality of life. The HDSS score was 3.2 +/- 0.4 (mean +/- SD) before medication and 1.9 +/- 0.4 after 3 months. The baseline DLQI score of 8.4 +/- 1.0 was reduced to 4.4 +/- 0.9. No serious side-effects or adverse events resulted from treatment. Oxybutynin was a well-tolerated, effective, and safe method for treating postmenopausal sweating. However, long-term medication and the limited effects of the treatment were disadvantages.

Effects of epidural fentanyl on speed and quality of block for emergency cesarean section in extending continuous epidural labor analgesia using ropivacaine and fentanyl.

We performed a prospective, randomized, and double-blind study comparing the top-up effects of 2% lidocaine/100 microg fentanyl/epinephrine (n=31) and 2% lidocaine/saline/epinephrine (n=30) when extending an epidural labor analgesia using low-dose ropivacaine and fentanyl. Survival analysis for the sensory blocks to the T4 level showed no statistically significant differences in onset time to T4 between the 2 groups. Onset times (min) to T4-sensory blocks for cold and pinprick were not different between the two groups. However, median maximum sensory level in the lidocaine-fentanyl group (T1 for cold and T2 for pinprick) was significantly higher than that in the lidocaine-saline group (T3 and T4, respectively). The lidocaine-fentanyl group exhibited less visceral pain (6.5% vs. 36.7%), less supplementation of lidocaine (6.5% vs. 43.3%), and less nausea (6.5% vs. 26.7%) compared with the lidocaine-saline group during the intraoperative period. It is concluded that adding fentanyl to 2% lidocaine does not speed up the onset of the block when the onset is tested with cold or sharp pinprick but improves the quality of analgesia with fewer side effects in emergency top-up for cesarean section.

Usefulness of non-invasive cardiac output monitoring in elderly patients undergoing monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of irrigating fluid on hemodynamic profiles using real-time non-invasive cardiac output monitoring (NICOM) in elderly patients undergoing monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). METHODS: Twenty patients between 65 and 80 years of age who were scheduled for monopolar TURP and received spinal anesthesia up to T10 were enrolled. Irrigating fluid (2.7% sorbitol with 0.5% mannitol solution) was used. Hemodynamic profiles including cardiac index, and stroke volume variation (SVV) using NICOM were obtained. Estimated irrigating fluid absorption was indirectly calculated. RESULTS: The median amount of irrigating fluid used was 6000 mL. The median SVV was 11%, which increased to 12% at 10 minutes after initiating surgery. No significant changes in the cardiac index were observed. The estimated absorption of irrigating fluid was almost zero. CONCLUSIONS: Although the estimated amount of irrigating fluid that was absorbed was negligible, the increase in SVV may indicate intravascular volume depletion with diuresis resulting from mannitol in the irrigating fluid early during irrigation. Therefore, even during short irrigating times, intensive hemodynamic monitoring should be performed to monitor the possibility of intravascular volume depletion as well as volume overload, especially immediately after large amounts of irrigating fluid are used.

Ultrasound evaluation of the sacral area and comparison of sacral interspinous and hiatal approach for caudal block in children.

BACKGROUND: Although caudal block via the sacral hiatus is a common regional technique in children, it is sometimes difficult to identify the hiatus. A needle approach via the S2-3 interspace can be used as an alternative to the conventional approach. The authors compared the feasibility and clinical characteristics between the S2-3 approach and hiatal approach, in addition to ultrasound study. METHODS: Sacral space depth, dural sac end level, and caudal space depth were evaluated using ultrasound with high-frequency linear probe in the lateral decubitus position in 317 anesthetized children (study 1). In another 162 children who underwent ambulatory urological surgeries, success rate, drug spread, and clinical characteristics were compared between the hiatal and S2-3 approaches (study 2). RESULTS: The dural sac end level was S2U (S3M-L5M). The median depth of the sacral space at the S2-3 level was 7.3 mm, whereas the caudal space depth at the hiatus was 2.9 mm. The overall success rate was 96.3% in both groups. The success rates at the first puncture attempt were 96.2% in the S2-3 group and 77.5% in the hiatus group. Drug spread level and clinical characteristics were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The S2-3 approach can be applied as a useful fallback method to the conventional landmark approach in children, especially in those older than 36 months who present with difficult identification of the sacral hiatus.

Botulinum toxin: a treatment for compensatory hyperhidrosis in the trunk.

BACKGROUND: Severe compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) in the trunk occurs after sympathectomy in some patients. Limited treatment options for these cases have been proposed, and the overall results have been disappointing, but injection of botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) is an emerging, reliable treatment method for focal hyperhidrosis. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the efficacy, longevity, and safety of BTX-A injection for severe truncal sweating in CH patients who were refractory to conventional treatment. METHODS: Seventeen patients were injected with 100 to 500 U of BTX-A in the truncal area. After the follow-up period, the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) for efficacy and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) were measured for improvement in patients' quality of life. RESULTS: The baseline mean HDSS score+/-standard deviation was 3.6+/-0.5, and the sweating resolved within 5 days. The effect was sustained for 2 to 8 months (4.1+/-1.5 months) and the baseline DLQI score of 9.4+/-2.0 fell to 2.8+/-1.0. No serious side effects or adverse events resulted from the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: BTX-A injection was a well-tolerated, effective, and safe method for treating severe truncal CH, although the considerable cost and limited duration of the treatment effects were major disadvantages.

Analgesic effect of trigger point injection and EMLA for shoulder pain in patients undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy: A randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUD: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of trigger point injection (TPI) and eutectic mixture local anesthetics (EMLA) cream on the postoperative shoulder pain in patients undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy. METHODS: In this randomized, single-blinded, and controlled study, total 75 patients were randomly allocated to TPI group (n = 25), EMLA group (n = 25), and control group (n = 25). TPI group received TPIs with 2 mL of 0.2% ropivacaine, and EMLA group received an occlusive dressing with EMLA cream 2 g on both shoulders. Overall, abdominal, and shoulder pains were evaluated at rest and in motion on postoperative day 3. RESULTS: The incidence of shoulder pain was significantly reduced in EMLA group (56%) compared to control (88%) or TPI (88%) groups (P = .025 in both); the severity of shoulder pain was mitigated in EMLA and TPI groups compared to control group (P < .001, each). Consequently, the overall pain decreased in EMLA group and TPI group (P = .023). The patients with exercise habit (n = 31) showed lower incidence of pain than patients without exercise habit (n = 26) (P = .002, P = .005, and P = .037 in overall, abdominal, and shoulder pain, respectively). TPI or EMLA treatments decreased shoulder pain irrespective of exercise habit (P = .001 and P < .001, respectively), but decreased overall pain only in patients without exercise habit (P = .019). Lastly, EMLA lowered overall pain score at the time of first analgesic request in ward compared to control group (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: TPI and EMLA with occlusive dressing effectively reduced the shoulder pain after total laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Chemical lumbar sympathetic block in the treatment of plantar hyperhidrosis: a study of 69 patients.

BACKGROUND: Plantar hyperhidrosis is a distressing problem that can affect a patient's quality of life. Although various conservative modalities have been suggested, severe plantar hyperhidrosis is often not sufficiently treated. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and the effectiveness of a chemical lumbar sympathetic block (CLSB) with alcohol in patients with severe plantar hyperhidrosis. METHOD: Sixty-nine patients were treated by a neurolytic lumbar block. A single-needle or two-needle technique was used with patients in the prone position. RESULTS: Of 138 procedures, the number of successful blocks was 68 (49.3%) for L3 to L4 and 28 (20.3%) for L4 to L5. The degree of anhydrosis was excellent in 6 patients (8.7%), good in 32 patients (46.4%), fair in 32 patients (34.8%), and poor in 7 patients (10.1%). Of 69 patients, 56 (81.1%) were partially or fully satisfied. Noted complications included temporary sexual dysfunction in 1 patient, compensatory hyperhidrosis in 1 patient, and transient genitofemoral neuritis in 3 patients. Although 62 patients (89.9%) recurred at 6 to 18 months, 3 patients (4.3%) remained stable until 18 to 24 months. CONCLUSION: The careful use of CLSB on an outpatient basis can be a safe, minimally invasive, and effective treatment for severe plantar hyperhidrosis.

Comparison of remifentanil and fentanyl for postoperative pain control after abdominal hysterectomy.

PURPOSE: In this randomized, double-blind study, we investigated the analgesic efficacy and side effects of continuous constant-dose infusions of remifentanil after total abdominal hysterectomy and compared it to fentanyl. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six adult female patients scheduled for elective total abdominal hysterectomy were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups according to fentanyl (group F, n=28) or remifentanil (group R, n=28) for postoperative analgesia. Patients in group F were given fentanyl intravenously with an infusion rate of fentanyl 0.5 microg/kg/hr; group R was given remifentanil with an infusion rate of remifentanil 0.05 microg/kg/min for 2 days. Pain intensity at rest, occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), dizziness, pruritus, and respiratory depression were assessed 1 hr after arrival at the post-anesthesia care unit, at 6; 12; 24; and 48 hr post-operation and 6 hr post-infusion of the study drug. Pain was evaluated by using visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-10). The time that patients first requested analgesics was recorded as well as additional analgesics and antiemetics. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in VAS, time to first postoperative analgesics, and additional analgesics between the 2 groups. The incidences and severities of PONV and opioid related side effects were not different between the groups; however, there were 3 episodes (10.7%) of serious respiratory depression in group R. CONCLUSION: Continuous infusion technique of remifentanil did not reveal any benefits compared to fentanyl. Furthermore, it is not safe for postoperative analgesia in the general ward.

Caudal and epidural blocks in infants and small children: historical perspective and ultrasound-guided approaches.

In infants and small children, ultrasound (US) guidance provides ample anatomical information to perform neuraxial blocks. We can measure the distance from the skin to the epidural space in the US image and can refer to it during needle insertion. We may also visualize the needle or a catheter during real-time US-guided epidural catheterization. In cases where direct needle or catheter visualization is difficult, US allows predicting successful puncture and catheterization using surrogate markers, such as dura mater displacement, epidural space widening due to drug injection, or mass movement of the drug within the caudal space. Although many experienced anesthesiologists still prefer to use conventional techniques, prospective randomized controlled trials using US guidance are providing increasing evidence of its advantages. The use of US-guided regional block will gradually become widespread in infants and children.