The Emerging Role of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation in Postoperative Analgesia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Though peripheral nerve stimulation has long been utilized in the field of chronic pain management, its use in acute pain management in the postoperative period is relatively novel and warrants further consideration. RECENT FINDINGS: In the postsurgical period, peripheral nerve stimulation may offer an additional low-risk, opioid-sparing analgesic option, which is particularly pertinent in the setting of the ongoing opioid epidemic, as inadequate postsurgical analgesia has been shown to increase the risk of developing persistent or chronic postsurgical pain. In this review, we discuss the current literature that illustrate the emerging role of peripheral nerve stimulation as an effective treatment modality in the postoperative period for the management of acute pain, as various studies have recently been conducted evaluating the feasibility of utilizing percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation as an adjunct in postsurgical analgesia. Nonetheless, future studies are necessary to continue to elucidate the short- and long-term impacts of peripheral nerve stimulation use in acute postsurgical analgesia.

Perioperative and Periprocedural anesthetic management of opioid tolerant patients and patients with active and medically treated opioid use disorder.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The increasing prevalence of opioid tolerant individuals, in combination with the expanding scope and utilization of nonoperating room anesthesia (NORA) necessitates ongoing investigation into best clinical practice for managing surgical/procedural pain in this population. The purpose of this article is to review recent guidelines, identify specific challenges, and offer considerations for managing pain in patients who are opioid tolerant secondary to opioid use disorder (OUD), with or without medications for the treatment of OUD. RECENT FINDINGS: A comprehensive preoperative evaluation in conjunction with a multidisciplinary, multimodal pain approach is optimal. NORA adds unique situational and environmental challenges for optimizing acute on chronic pain control in tolerant individuals while maintaining safety. Direct and partial/mixed mu-agonists should typically be continued throughout the perioperative period, while mu-antagonists (naltrexone) should be held 72 h. Postprocedural discharge instructions and follow-up must be carefully arranged and ensured. SUMMARY: Clinical recommendations continue to evolve as new consensus guidelines are published, although institution-specific guidelines are most often followed. This review focuses on most recent best practices, within NORA and operating room settings, for managing opioid tolerant patients, patients with OUD and those on medications for the treatment of OUD.

Patient characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in parturients admitted for labour and delivery in Massachusetts during the spring 2020 surge: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: While studies from large cities affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have reported on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the context of universal testing during admission for delivery, the patient demographic, social and clinical factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women are not fully understood. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the epidemiological factors associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in women admitted for labour and delivery, in the context of universal screening at four Boston-area hospitals. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we reviewed the health records of all women admitted for labour and delivery at four hospitals from the largest health system in Massachusetts between 19 April 2020 and 27 June 2020. We calculated the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including asymptomatic infection. We calculated associations between SARS-CoV-2 infection and demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 93 patients (3.2%, 95% confidence interval 2.5, 3.8) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection on admission for labour and delivery out of 2945 patients included in the analysis; 80 (86.0%) of the patients who tested positive were asymptomatic at the time of testing. Factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection included the following: younger age, obesity, African American or Hispanic race/ethnicity, residence in heavily affected communities (as measured in cases reported per capita), presence of a household member with known SARS-CoV-2 infection, non-health care essential worker occupation and MassHealth or Medicaid insurance compared to commercial insurance. 93.8% of patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 on admission had one or more identifiable factors associated with disease acquisition. CONCLUSIONS: In this large sample of deliveries during the height of the surge in infections during the spring of 2020, SARS-CoV-2 infection was largely concentrated in patients with distinct demographic characteristics, those largely from disadvantaged communities. Racial disparities seen in pregnancy persist with respect to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The Story of Nitric Oxide, Sepsis and Methylene Blue: A Comprehensive Pathophysiologic Review.

Methylene blue (MB) is considered to be the first synthetic medication ever used in humans. There are many indications for MB, including vasoplegic shock. Nitric oxide (NO), the central mediator of sepsis, promotes vasoplegia by enhancing the guanylate cyclase cyclic guanosine monophosphate second messenger system, the effect of which is attenuated by MB. Therefore, the use of MB represents a unique pharmacologic approach towards treating the underlying pathophysiology of vasoplegia in sepsis. There are numerous reports of the successful use of MB in refractory shock in the literature. This manuscript describes the historical aspects of the identification of NO as the endothelial derived relaxation factor and its role in the pathogenesis of vasoplegia in septic shock. An analysis of the existing evidence for the use of MB as an inhibitor of NO in vasodilatory shock is provided. The adverse effects associated with the use of MB and an approach to optimal dosing in septic shock are also addressed.

Rare case of parathyroid gland sarcoidosis presenting with hypercalcaemia.

Sarcoidosis of the parathyroid gland is a rare occurrence. Parathyroid sarcoidosis is usually associated with parathyroid adenomas, and, therefore, hypercalcaemia is a common presentation of this entity. We present a case of parathyroid sarcoidosis and review the world literature regarding this rare condition. A woman with a history of diffuse large B cell lymphoma underwent a surveillance positron emission tomography scan that showed increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in multiple thoracic and abdominal lymph nodes and in a left upper extremity soft tissue mass. Biopsy of the soft tissue mass showed non-caseating granulomas consistent with sarcoidosis. Blood work showed a serum calcium of 11.1 mg/dL with an intact serum parathyroid hormone of 92 pg/dL. Primary hyperparathyroidism was suspected. A neck ultrasound and sestamibi parathyroid scintigraphy demonstrated a parathyroid nodule. She underwent surgical resection, and the histopathology revealed a parathyroid adenoma and non-caseating granulomata consistent with a diagnosis of sarcoidosis.

Coexistent Takayasu arteritis and sarcoidosis: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Takayasu Arteritis (TAK) is a granulomatous large vessel vasculitis that predominantly affects the aorta, major aortic branches and pulmonary arteries resulting in pulselessness. Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology that can affect any organ. Numerous cases of coexistence of both these rare diseases have been described, suggesting that their association may be by more than chance alone. OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of coexistent TAK and sarcoidosis and review the world literature concerning this condition. METHODS: The clinical presentation and diagnostic approach is described of a woman with TAK who developed sarcoidosis. The world literature was reviewed by searching the PubMed and Google Scholar database for the terms 'Takayasu arteritis' and 'sarcoidosis'; 'Takayasu arteritis' and 'granuloma'; 'vasculitis' and 'sarcoidosis'; and 'vasculitis' and 'granuloma.' The identified individual articles were reviewed, and the bibliography of these articles were scrutinized to identify more cases. The pertinent clinical features of these cases were summarized. RESULT: A 36-year-old Caucasian woman, who was diagnosed with histologically confirmed TAK at 22 years of age, was referred for evaluation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis was established on histopathology of a mediastinal lymph node biopsy. A literature review identified 23 additional cases of coexisting sarcoidosis and TAK, and the clinical features of these cases is described. CONCLUSION: TAK and sarcoidosis may occur in the same patient. Given the prevalence of these diseases, concomitant development of these two diseases is unlikely to be by chance alone and probably reflects a unifying mechanism. Clinicians should be aware of this association in patients in order to make a timely diagnosis and optimize patient care.