Comparison of pupillometer, critical care pain observation scale, and vital findings in the evaluation of pain in intensive care patients without oral communication.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of portable infrared Pupillometer, Critical Care Pain Observation Scale (CPOT), and vital sign changes during painful procedures on patients with mechanical ventilators in the intensive care unit (ICU), and comparing the efficacy of these methods to detect the presence of pain. METHODS: In 50 patients who could not verbally state pain, admitted to Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine ICU, aged 18-75 years, and connected to a mechanical ventilator, vital sign changes, CPOT scale assessments, and pain evaluation with a portable infrared pupillometer were performed during endotracheal aspiration and position changes, which are defined as painful stimuli. RESULTS: Data were collected from 50 patients with a mean age of 57.4±17.9 years and 48% of males. The systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure and heart rate values, CPOT scores, and pupillometric measurements of the patients increased significantly at the time of aspiration and change of position (p<0.05). Neurological pupil index scores showed a significant decrease at the time of painful stimulation (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: It was found that pupil diameter changes evaluated using a portable infrared pupillometric measuring device can be used effectively and reliably in pain assessment in patients who are treated in the ICU, supported by mechanical ventilation and who cannot communicate verbally.

Evaluation of pupil diameter for pain assessment in interventional headache management.

OBJECTIVES: Pain is a subjective experience. Besides, sensory, affective and behavioral responses, and autonomic response are part of pain response to noxious stimuli. Evaluation of pupil diameter by pupillometry has been used as an alternative method for pain assessment. In algologic procedures like interventional headache management have not been addressed in the literature. Herein, we investigated changes in pupil diameter during interventional headache management as an objective method for pain assessment. METHODS: Demographic data of the patients were collected before the bilateral major occipital nerve blockage (MONB) procedure. Numeric rating score (NRS) and pupil diameter measurements by pupillometer were recorded before MONB. Standard MONB procedure was applied to all patients. Pain assessment and pupillary diameter measurements were obtained after nerve blockage. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients were included in this study. Mean age was 41.03+-12.63 years. There is no difference between the hemodynamic parameters before and after the procedure. Post-procedure NRS and pupil diameter values were significantly lower than pre-procedure values. There was a positive correlation between changes in NRS scores and changes in the right and left pupil diameters. CONCLUSION: There was a significant correlation between NRS score and pupil diameter in patients who underwent MONB. Monitoring of pupil diameter can be used for pain assessment during headache treatment. Evaluation of pupil diameter is a new approach in pain palliation. Future research is needed to study the effect of other parameters, that is, gender, age, origin of pain, acute, and chronic pain on pupil diameter and to evaluate its application in different algological procedures.

The use of STOP-BANG questionnaire and other difficult airway determinants in difficult airway prediction and correlation.

BACKGROUND: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the use of STOP-BANG questionnaire in prediction of difficult airway. The secondary aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation of the questionnaire and other difficult airway determinant tests in predicting difficult airway. METHODS: Two hundred American Society of Anesthesiologists' Status I, II, and III patients under general anesthesia were enrolled in this prospective randomized study. Patients' age, height, body weight, body mass index, neck circumference, inter-incisor distance when the mouth is fully open, sternomental and thyromental distance, mandibular length, neck length, biting the upper lip, STOP-BANG score, and Mallampati and Cormack-Lehane (C-L) grades were recorded. The first thing we want to find is to determine the usability of the STOP-BANG questionnaire as an indicator of the difficult airway. Comparing difficult airway with the other parameters was secondary objectives. The patients were divided into two groups as difficult and easy intubation with difficult and easy facial mask ventilation. The data were analyzed using an SPSS statistics 16.0 program. Statistical analysis was performed using, Chi-square and Spearman correlation analysis test. RESULTS: Forty-five out of 200 patients had difficulty in intubation and 73 out of them had difficulty in mask ventilation. Between difficult airway and high STOP-BANG score was a moderate positive correlation (p<0.05). Furthermore, unnatural dental status, greater head circumference, greater neck circumference, Mallampati, and C-L classification were significantly positive correlated with a difficult airway (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In our study, the STOP-BANG questionnaire was found to be important in predicting the difficult airway and this test was found to be usable like other difficult airway parameters.

Research for the factors effecting the headache experienced by the health-care personnel in COVID-19 pandemic: A monocentric survey study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the factors that may be related to the headache experienced by health-care professionals in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: The target population of the study consisted of the health-care professionals working in the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire form consisted of 40 questions. The demographic information of the participants, the presence of contact with the COVID-19 patient, they used which personal protective equipment (PPE) and how often, the effect of the pandemic process on the lifestyle, the presence of visual defects, the effect of the pandemic process on water consumption, the presence of old or de novo headaches, the factors that may affect this headache, and the factors that reduce the pain were questioned in the survey. RESULTS: A total of 177 health-care professionals participated in the study. About 93.8% of the participants use masks daily for more than 4 h. About 62.7% of the participants stated that their water consumption increased on the days when they used PPE. About 72.3% of the participants reported disruption in sleep patterns, 83.1% of them reported increase in their stress and anxiety. About 65.5% of the participants experienced headaches during the pandemic process. They reported that the most likely causes of headache were excessive sweating and difficulty in breathing due to the use of PPE. CONCLUSION: During the pandemic, a substantial portion of health-care professionals experiences headaches. Besides the physical difficulties caused by the use of PPE, the stress caused by the pandemic process should not be ignored.

The effects of sevoflurane anesthesia on hemodynamics and cerebral artery diameters in endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysm: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral autoregulation is a steady-state of cerebral blood flow despite major changes in arterial blood pressure. Inhalation anesthetics are cerebral vasodilators. In <1 MAC values, the net effect is a moderate decrease in cerebral blood flow and maintenance of responsiveness to carbon dioxide. This study aims to investigate the effects of steady-state sevoflurane anesthesia on hemodynamic and cerebral artery diameter measurements in patients undergoing flow diverter device placement under general anesthesia. METHODS: Forty-six patients aged 18-70 years who underwent flow diverter devices under general anesthesia were included in this study. Routine monitoring was performed on the patients. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) values were recorded. Internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery and anterior cerebral artery diameter measurements were made from digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images of patients with anterior aneurysms. Baseline artery, right posterior cerebral artery and left posterior cerebral artery diameter measurements were made from DSA images of patients with posterior aneurysms. These measurements were recorded as preoperative measurements. The same measurements were made from the DSA images performed before the Flow diverter device placement procedure performed under steady-state sevoflurane anesthesia for the same patients. These measurements were recorded as peroperative measurements. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 56.6±15.1. The MAP of the patients before induction was 76.28±5.13 mmHg, MAP after induction was 64.36±3.23 mmHg, and MAP during sevoflurane anesthesia was 68.26±4.30 mmHg, there was a statistically significant difference. There was a statistically significant difference between the preoperative and perioperative values of anterior cerebral artery diameters. There was a strong relationship between the MAP change percentage and the ICA diameter change percentage (p<0.001, p=-0.785) and a moderate relationship between the MCA diameter change percentage (p=0.033, p=-0.338). CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing flow diverter devices, <1 MAC sevoflurane has a hemodynamic effect and creates significant vasodilation in the cerebral artery diameters.

A probable case of pregabalin - related reversible hearing loss.

Pregabalin and gabapentin are similar compounds with analgesic, anticonvulsant, and anxiolytic characteristics. Due to these pharmacological features, they are commonly used throughout the world in neuropathic pain treatment and anxiety disorders. Mild to moderate side effects of the central nervous system, such as dizziness and somnolence, are important factors in deciding to terminate the use of pregabalin. Studies have also reported that the use of dose-dependent pregabalin resulted in peripheral edema and weight gain. Described in this case report is hearing loss occurring after an increase in the drug dose of a patient using pregabalin.In this case, we wanted to present the occuring hearing-loss after an increase in the drug dose of the patient already using pregabalin.

Fluoroscopy-guided genicular nerves pulsed radiofrequency for chronic knee pain treatment.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Pulsed RF application in the genicular nerve on pain and function in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and its side effects. METHODS: This study was conducted between February 2018 and June 2018. Patients who were previously administered diagnostic blocks were evaluated a day later; a drop of at least 50% in numeric pain scores was considered a positive response, and these patients were included in the Pulsed RF neurotomy procedures. Radiofrequency (RF) cannula was advanced towards targeted nerves under the guidance of fluoroscopy. RF lesions were created by applying Pulsed RF treatment to the three genicular nerves three times with five minutes intervals at 42 °C using NT1000 RF Generator. Following the Pulsed RF application, 2 mL 0.5% bupivacaine was injected into each genicular nerve as an anesthetic agent. VAS, pain DETECT scores, WOMAC scores were evaluated preoperative baseline and postprocedure weeks 1, 4, and 12. Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) score was evaluated postprocedure weeks 12. RESULTS: This study included 20 patients who were administered genicular nerve Pulsed RF. The mean age was 55.2±3.24 years, and F/M ratio was 12/8. Compared to the pre-procedure period, patients' pain and function evaluation, WOMAC and VAS values decreased by approximately 50% at the end of the 12th week. No side effect was observed in any patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that Pulsed RF neurotomy of the genicular nerves is an efficient and safe treatment method for patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis.

Evaluation of the efficacy of erector spinae plane block and intercostal nerve block in the postherpetic neuralgia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of an intercostal nerve block, which has been used for many years in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia, and the more recent alternative of an erector spinae plane (ESP) block. METHODS: The records of 39 patients who were treated in the algology department for postherpetic neuralgia between May 1, 2015 and May 1, 2018 were evaluated retrospectively. Patients who received an intercostal nerve block constituted Group 1 and those who received an ESP block were categorized as Group 2. The change in numeric rating scale (NRS) and Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) scores in the short term and in the long term were the primary results of the study. RESULTS: The NRS, LANSS, and sleep interference scale (SIS) scores of the patients in Group 1 and Group 2 were found to be significantly lower at the 24th hour, week 4, and week 12 compared with the values obtained before block application. In Group 1, the scores recorded at week 4 and week 12 were significantly higher than the 24th hour values, whereas no difference was observed between these results in Group 2. There was no significant difference between the groups in the week 4 and week 12 scores. Similarly, no significant difference was observed in the NRS, LANSS, or SIS scores before the block application or at the 24th hour. However, the scores at week 4 and week 12 were significantly lower in Group 2 compared with Group 1. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that an ESP block significantly decreased neuropathic pain symptoms and the need for additional treatment in postherpetic neuralgia treatment in the long term.

The role of right ventricular volumes and inferior vena cava diameters in the evaluation of volume status before colonoscopy

Background/aim: Ultrasonographic measurements of inferior vena cava (IVC) diameters and right ventricle (RV) volumes are important tools for the evaluation of intravascular volume. The current study investigates the association of IVC diameters and RV volumes before colonoscopy in prediction of postanesthesia hypotension. Materials and methods: Seventy patients scheduled for colonoscopy were included in the study. Preoperatively, expirium (dIVC max) and inspirium (dIVC min) IVC diameters were measured using M-mode ultrasonography and the collapsibility index (IVC-CI) was calculated. Ventricular volumes and areas were also measured using transthoracic echocardiography. Postanesthesia hypotension was defined as mean arterial blood pressure of <60 mmHg or a decrease of >30% in the mean arterial pressure after sedation. Results: Minimum and maximum IVC diameters were significantly lower (P = 0.005 and P < 0.001, respectively) and IVC-CI was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in patients who developed hypotension. Similarly, right ventricular end-diastolic area (RV-EDA), right ventricular end-systolic area (RV-ESA), right ventricular end-diastolic volume (RV-EDV), right ventricular end-systolic volume (RVESV), and left ventricular end-systolic volume (LV-ESV) values were significantly lower in patients with hypotension (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that dIVC min and RV-ESA were independent predictors of hypotension. Conclusion: IVC diameters and RV-ESA, RV-EDA, RV-ESV, and RV-EDV are good indicators of preoperative volume status and can be used to predict the patients at risk of developing hypotension.

Research on the efficacy of the rectus sheath block method.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to retrospectively investigate the efficacy of ultrasound guided rectus sheath block (RSB) method in our study. METHODS: We scanned 235 patient files operated for abdominal pathology. Patients meeting the criteria were evaluated for intra-operative rectus sheath block and two different groups were formed. In these two groups of patients visual analogue scale (VAS) values recorded from the postoperative pain follow-up form and analgesic delivery (DEL) and analgesic demand (DEM) values recorded from patient controlled analgesia (PCA) device were compared. In addition, complaints of nausea, vomiting and constipation were evaluated. RESULTS: Postoperative VAS values (Postoperative 1, 12 and 24 hours p<0.001), DEM values (Postoperative 1, 12 and 24 hours p<0.001) and total amount of morphine consumed (Postoperative 1, 12 and 24 hours p<0.001) were lower in patients with RSB. Also, in patients with RSB nausea (p=0.014) and vomiting was less seen postoperatively (p=0.007). In the first 24 hours after surgery, constipation was seen in 8 patients with RSB and constipation was seen in 30 patients without RSB (p=0.00). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound guided rectus sheath block is an effective method for postoperative pain control.

A probable case of movement disorder (Tardive dyskinesia) due to duloxetine treatment.

Tardive dyskinesia and tardive dystonia are caused by dopamine receptor blocking agents, mostly antipsychotics and sometimes antidepressants or calcium channel blockers. Duloxetine is a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor used in the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia, as well as major depression. In this case, we aimed to discuss the tardive dyskinesia-like appearance of a patient using duloxetine due to fibromyalgia.