A randomised trial of bilateral erector spinae plane block vs. no block for thoracolumbar decompressive spinal surgery.

Major spinal surgery causes significant postoperative pain. We tested the efficacy and safety of bilateral erector spinae block on quality of recovery and pain after thoracolumbar decompression. We randomly allocated 60 adults to standard care or erector spinae block. Erector spinae block improved the mean (SD) quality of recovery-15 score at 24 postoperative hours, from 119 (20) to 132 (14), an increase (95%CI) of 13 (4-22), p = 0.0044. Median (IQR [range]) comprehensive complication index was 1 (0-3 [0-5]) in the control group vs. 1 (0-1 [0-4]) after block, p = 0.4. Erector spinae block reduced mean (SD) area under the curve pain during the first 24 postoperative hours: at rest, from 78 (49) to 50 (39), p = 0.018; and on sitting, from 125 (51) to 91 (50), p = 0.009. The cumulative mean (SD) oxycodone consumption to 24 h was 27 (18) mg in the control group and 19 (26) mg after block, p = 0.20. In conclusion, erector spinae block improved recovery and reduced pain for 24 h after thoracolumbar decompression surgery.

Guideline Promotion Increases Prescription of Bone Protection with Steroids in Hospitalised Patients.

Guidelines for the prevention of glucocorticoid (GC) induced osteoporosis (GIOP) were implemented in a level 5 Irish Hospital with cross sectional audit of inpatient prescribing undertaken before and after. Prior to guideline implementation, elemental calcium (Ca) with Vitamin D (VitD) was prescribed for 11/66 (17%) of patients on GCs with 2/66 (3%) also receiving bisphosphonate (BP) therapy. Subsequent to guideline implementation, Ca with VitD was prescribed for 19/55 (35%) of patients on GCs with 11/55 (20%) also receiving BP therapy, representing a 2 and 6 fold respective increase. Internal promotion of guidelines is an effective strategy for healthcare improvement but needs refinement with or without repetition to achieve better patient outcomes.

Lack of effect of rosiglitazone on the pharmacokinetics of oral contraceptives in healthy female volunteers.

The effect of rosiglitazone (Avandia [BRL 49653C]) on the pharmacokinetics of ethinylestradiol and norethindrone was evaluated after repeat dosing of rosiglitazone with an oral contraceptive (OC; Ortho-Novum 1/35 containing norethindrone 1 mg and ethinylestradiol 0.035 mg) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Thirty-four healthy female volunteers received oral rosiglitazone (RSG) 8 mg + OC or matched placebo (P) + OC daily on days 1 to 14 of a 28-day OC dosing cycle; the alternate regimen was administered during a second cycle. Ethinylestradiol and norethindrone pharmacokinetics were determined from plasma concentrations on day 14. Lack of pharmacokinetic effect was prospectively defined as 90% CI for the point estimate (PE) of the ratio (RSG + OC):(P + OC) contained within a 20% equivalence range for both ethinylestradiol and norethindrone (analyzed by ANOVA). For RSG + OC and P + OC, respectively, mean ethinylestradiol AUC(0-24) was 1126 and 1208 pg.h/mL (PE: 0.92; 90% CI: 0.88-0.97), and mean norethindrone AUC(0-24) was 178 and 171 ng.h/mL (PE: 1.04; 90% CI: 1.00-1.07). Thus, rosiglitazone had no significant effects on the pharmacokinetics of ethinylestradiol or norethindrone. Coadministration of rosiglitazone with OCs does not induce metabolism of these synthetic sex steroids and is not expected to impair the efficacy of OCs or hormone replacement therapy.

Rosiglitazone has no clinically significant effect on nifedipine pharmacokinetics.

To examine the effects of repeat oral dosing of rosiglitazone on the pharmacokinetics of nifedipine, a prototype CYP3A4 substrate, a randomized, open-label, crossover study was performed with two treatment phases separated by a washout period of at least 14 days. Twenty-eight healthy male volunteers received either a single 20 mg oral nifedipine dose or rosiglitazone 8 mg orally once daily for 14 days with a single 20 mg oral nifedipine dose administered on day 14. Plasma nifedipine concentrations were determined over the 24-hour period following administration of the nifedipine doses. Lack of effect was defined as the demonstration that the 90% CI was contained entirely within a symmetrical 30% range either side of unity on the loge-scale. Following rosiglitazone + nifedipine administration, the area under the nifedipine concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC(0-infinity)) was 13% lower than that after administration of nifedipine alone. This difference in nifedipine AUC(0-infinity) was not deemed to be clinically significant since the 90% CI was contained within the protocol-defined 30% range (point estimate for ratio of geometric means 0.87; 90% CI: 0.79, 0.96). Rosiglitazone had no marked effect on nifedipine peak plasma concentration (point estimate: 0.99; 90% CI: 0.73, 1.34) or time to peak concentration compared with nifedipine alone. Rosiglitazone coadministration produced a small decrease in the mean nifedipine half-life (point estimate: -0.77; 90% CI: mean difference -1.29 h, -0.25 h). Both treatment regimens were well tolerated and associated with a favorable safety profile. Rosiglitazone, at the highest dose used in clinical studies, produced a small, clinically insignificant decrease in nifedipine exposure. The very small effect on nifedipine pharmacokinetics suggests that rosiglitazone is an extremely weak inducer of CYP3A4, a characteristic that distinguishes rosiglitazone from troglitazone.

Workers Compensation cases with traumatic brain injury: an insurance carrier's analysis of care, costs, and outcomes.

The purpose of this survey was to review the medical care, medical costs, and outcomes of 86 Workers Compensation cases involving traumatic brain injury. An analysis of ICD-9 diagnoses, Rancho Los Amigos Cognitive Levels, age, sex, accident description, management techniques, costs, outcomes, and many other factors was conducted. The total indemnity (wage loss) and medical payments amounted to $27.1 million. For example, one case with temporal lobe hematoma, due to a fall in 1972, has had $1.1 million in medical payments since the injury occurred. The current average age is 40 years with 71% still residing at home. Only 10% are currently employed and 40% are known to be receiving other benefits. The increasing frequency and severity of these cases, as well as the extension of survival due to improved care and technology, highlight the need to address the question, "Who will be the caretakers, and what will be the associated costs?" Actuarial projections into the 21st century are given. It is concluded that, while further long-term studies are needed, Workers Compensation carrier representatives and health care providers must continue to work together on the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team.

Treatment of persistent penile erection and priapism using terbutaline.

The recent finding of terbutaline as the treatment of choice to manage intraoperative penile tumescence with the patient under anesthesia (general and regional) has prompted us to use this beta-2 agonist (5 mg. orally) for persistent penile erection and priapism resulting from injection of pharmacological agents, such as phentolamine, phenoxybenzamine and papavarine, into the penis for erectile impotence. The drug also has been used successfully (0.25 to 0.5 mg. intravenously or subcutaneously) to treat priapism developing despite a cavernosum-spongiosum shunt procedure. This and other pure beta 2 agonists will have an important role in the treatment of undesirable and painful penile erection, alone or in association with other invasive and noninvasive intervention.

Splenic gonadal fusion.

Splenogonadal fusion is a rare anomaly to be included in the differential diagnosis of testicular masses. It is often associated with congenital defects, including peromelia and micrognathia. A case is presented and the literature reviewed.

Periurethral abscess.

From 1963 to 1985, 63 periurethral abscesses were treated in 47 men. The records were reviewed to characterize the natural course of the disease. The most common predisposing factors were a history of gonorrhea, previous periurethral abscess and urethral stricture disease. Treatment consisted of abscess drainage, suprapubic urinary diversion and intravenous antibiotic therapy, consisting of an aminoglycoside and a cephalosporin. Mortality was 1 of 63 patient hospitalizations (1.6 per cent). Improved survival over historical cohorts is attributed to the availability of better antibiotics and medical support.

Endometrial carcinoma of the prostatic utricle: a tumor of prostatic origin.

Endometrial carcinoma of the prostatic utricle previously was believed to be of müllerian origin. We report 2 cases studied by ultrastructural and immunoperoxidase techniques. Our results, as well as those presented by others, demonstrate the prostatic origin of this tumor.

Urachal adenocarcinoma presenting as vesicoenteric fistula.

We report a case, which we believe to be the first, of urachal carcinoma presenting as vesicoenteric fistula.

Neonatal bladder rupture: case report and review of literature.

Neonatal bladder rupture is rare. A review of the literature revealed less than 16 cases. A case of posterior urethral valves and associated neonatal ascites due to bladder perforation is presented.

Transluminal balloon dilation of ureteral strictures.

Ureteral strictures are uncommon problems in urological practice. The nonvascular application of the Grüntzig balloon catheter is proposed as an alternative to surgery in some of these patients. We treated 6 ureteral strictures in 5 patients by balloon dilation with an 83 per cent success rate.

Prostatic melanosis with involvement of benign and malignant epithelium.

We report an unusual case of prostatic melanosis. Grossly, the majority of prostatic chips contained areas of black discoloration. Microscopically, pigment was identified within the prostatic stroma, in benign prostatic ducts and within the cells of a well differentiated prostatic adenocarcinoma. The pigment was identified as melanin by histochemical methods and electron microscopy. The histogenesis of prostatic melanosis is discussed and it is proposed that the melanin pigment is derived from (aberrant) stromal melanocytes.