A Novel Makeshift Method to Collect Leaking Epidural Fluid: A Case Report.

A healthy 34-year-old full-term parturient was admitted to the labor suite where a combined spinal-epidural (CSE) was easily placed on the first attempt for labor analgesia. After an uneventful delivery, the epidural catheter was removed. Two days later, the patient experienced a fluid leak from the puncture site. The fluid was analyzed to determine whether it was an interstitial or a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We describe a novel technique to collect the leaking fluid without admixing fluid from the surrounding area. No previous reports describe a similar technique to diagnose the source of this questionable fluid leak.

Labor Epidural in a Patient Who is Allergic to Lidocaine: A Case Series.

Continuous epidural anesthesia is considered the best modality for pain relief during labor, local anesthetic allergy is an uncommon occurrence but if a patient has an allergy to bupivacaine or lidocaine owing to its cross-reactivity with bupivacaine then it becomes very challenging to manage labor analgesia. A direct challenge test to rule out actual hypersensitivity was not considered a viable option given the risks involved if a severe allergic reaction occurred with the test dose. Using IV opioid-based analgesia has harmful effects for both mother and the baby in addition to decreasing participation of mothers in the birthing process owing to its sedative properties. We report two cases where the mother had a history of lidocaine allergy, so labor analgesia was managed using chloroprocaine patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA).

Perioperative Automated Noninvasive Blood Pressure- (NIBP-) Related Peripheral Nerve Injuries: An Anesthetist's Dilemma-A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Peripheral nerve injury following regional or general anesthesia is a relatively uncommon entity but, potentially, a serious complication of anesthesia. Most nerve injuries are related to either regional anesthesia or position-related complications, and they are rarely seen in association with the use of automated blood pressure monitoring. We describe a patient who developed neurological dysfunction of all the three major nerves, median, ulnar, and radial, after general anesthesia. The distribution of sensory motor deficit along with the nerve conduction study demonstrated the location of the anatomical nerve lesions coinciding with the automatic noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) cuff. No other cause of nerve injury was identified except for the use of the NIBP cuff. In the absence of another identifiable cause, we strongly suspected the NIBP cuff compression as a possible cause for the nerve injuries. In this article, we will discuss the possible risk factors, mechanisms, diagnosis, and prevention of perioperative nerve injury.

Anesthetic Management of Laparoscopic Pyloromyotomy for Pyloric Stenosis in a Neonate with Hereditary Spherocytosis.

We describe a case of hereditary spherocytosis in a neonate with pyloric stenosis requiring laparoscopic pyloromyotomy. Hereditary spherocytosis is the most commonly inherited hemolytic anemia causing hyperbilirubinemia and mild anemia. Anesthetic management for laparoscopic pyloromyotomy is challenging. Multiple factors involved, such as anemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and the effect of drugs, play an important role in anesthetic management.

Successful Regional Anesthetic for a Parturient with Moyamoya Syndrome.

Anesthesia for Cesarean section could be challenging due to the physiological changes during pregnancy, but it can be more complicated if associated with sickle cell disease and moyamoya disease. The moyamoya syndrome is nothing but sickle cell disease complicated by cerebral vasculopathy. Incidence of moyamoya disease in the USA is 0.086/100,000 people. We report a case of a pregnant woman with sickle cell disease and moyamoya syndrome, who underwent a successful spinal epidural for primary cesarean section, with careful monitoring of blood pressure.

Left Lower Lung Collapse in a Patient Undergoing Endoscopic Procedure.

ASA closed claims from 2000 to 2009 have shown that adverse respiratory events are more common in nonoperating room locations like endoscopy suite than in the operating room (44% v/s 20%). Here, we report a case of lung atelectasis which resulted in hypoxemia in a malnourished patient undergoing endoscopic procedure. It is crucial to identify the high-risk patients and monitor them appropriately in the postoperative phase. Continuous capnometry may offer additional benefit by identifying hypercapnia, hypoventilation at the earliest in the recovery area, thus preventing serious complications.

A controlled release bupivacaine-alginate construct: Effect on chondrocyte hypertrophy conversion.

Objective: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the joint, affecting over 30 million people in the US1. A key characteristic of OA is chondrocyte hypertrophy, characterized by chondrocyte changes to a more rounded and osteoblastic phenotype, characterized by increased IL-6 and IL-8 secretion2. While there are no cures for OA, treatments focus on mitigating pain and inflammation, the two main symptoms of OA. However, the analgesics, NSAIDS and corticosteroids commonly used, do not target regeneration and have negative side effects. Local anesthetics (LA) can be used as a pain management alternative but are usually short lasting and therefore, not suited for chronic conditions such as OA. Our engineered sustained release local anesthetic construct successfully delivers bupivacaine for an extended period of time3-5. This study is designed to evaluate the effect of the LA system on chondrocytes in an inflammatory OA-like environment. Design: Chondrocytes were cultured with bolus, liposomal, or construct LA and either untreated or treated with TNF-α and IL-1α for 24 hrs, 48 hrs, or 96 hrs. Chondrocyte viability, interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-6 (IL-6), collagenase activity and proteoglycan deposition were assessed. Results: In the presence of the engineered construct, the chondrocytes retained viability and regenerative function. Moreover, the construct allowed for higher initial doses to be used, which promoted more regeneration and decreased inflammation without compromising cellular viability. Conclusions: The construct promotes a less hypertrophic chondrocyte environment while promoting a more anti-inflammatory environment. These two factors are consistent with a less OA progressive environment when using the engineered construct, compared to bolus LA.

Anesthesia Practice: Review of Perioperative Management of H-Type Tracheoesophageal Fistula.

Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a rare congenital developmental anomaly, affecting 1 in 2500-3000 live births. The H-type TEF, consisting of a fistula between the trachea and a patent esophagus, is one of the rare anatomic subtypes, accounting for 4% of all TEFs. The presentation and perioperative management of neonates with H-type TEFs and all other TEFs are very similar to each other. Patients present with congenital heart disease and other defects and are prone to recurrent aspirations. A barium esophagogram or computed tomography of the chest is a common means to the diagnosis, and surgical repair is carried out through either a cervical approach or a right thoracotomy. During operation, anesthetic management is focused on preventing positive pressure ventilation through the fistula in an attempt to minimize gastric distension. For patients with H-type TEFs, because of the patent esophagus, symptoms are often less severe and nonspecific, resulting in subtle yet important differences in their diagnostic workup and management. This review will cover the finer details in the diagnosis and perioperative anesthetic management of TEF patients and clarify how H-type TEF distinguishes itself from the other anatomic subtypes.

Bilateral Brachial Plexus Block Using Chloroprocaine For Surgery Of Bilateral Radial Fractures.

We report a case of a 41-year-old male with anticipated difficult airway undergoing a repair of a bilateral radial fracture under bilateral sequential brachial plexus block. Anesthesiologists are reluctant to perform bilateral blocks because of the fear of complications like diaphragmatic paralysis, local anesthetic (LA) toxicity, and pneumothorax. We advise that with the correct application of LA pharmacokinetics, careful patient selection and usage of ultrasound, bilateral blocks can be done safely. We used chloroprocaine as an LA in one of the blocks to reduce the dose required for the more toxic LAs. chloroprocaine's fast metabolism also helped us to prevent the overlapping of peak plasma concentration of different LAs. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in the literature where chloroprocaine was used for bilateral brachial plexus block.

Difficult Internal Jugular Central Venous Cannulation Using J-Tip Guidewire with Indwelling Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheters.

Central venous cannulation is a commonly performed procedure while managing critically ill patients; increasingly we encounter patients with indwelling wires or devices, like pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillator devices, and peripherally inserted central venous catheters which complicate insertion of central venous catheters further. We present two cases where use of standard J-tip guidewire may have exacerbated the difficulty associated with internal jugular cannulation in presence of peripherally inserted central venous catheters. Recognition and avoidance of possible complications are crucial, and we discuss complexity posed by indwelling peripherally inserted central venous catheters and possible solutions.

Normal Saline and Dextrose 5% in Water Do Not Support Bacterial Growth 24 Hours After Being Spiked in the Perioperative Environment.

BACKGROUND: The Joint Commission requirement is that the US Pharmacopeia Chapter <797> is followed, which recommends that administration of compounded sterile preparations should begin no later than 1 hour after their preparation. We hypothesized that simply spiking the IV fluid in a nonsterile environment does not pose an increased risk of infection to the patient. METHODS: Two 1000-mL bags of IV fluid (normal saline and dextrose 5% in water) were spiked and hung in 5 busy perioperative locations, once a week for a 13-week period. A 10-mL sample was drawn from each bag of IV fluid at time zero and 24 hours resulting in 260 samples in total. All samples were inoculated in 2 separate growth media (sheep's blood agar and thioglycollate broth). The primary outcome was growth versus no growth in any of the specimens. If any growth was noted, the sample was marked as positive and further testing to identify the organism was undertaken. RESULTS: A total of 257 samples (normal saline = 127, dextrose 5% in water = 129) were collected over a period of 13 weeks, yielding 514 specimens. Three samples were excluded from the study secondary to the IV bags being discarded accidentally. No growth was identified in any of the specimens. The 97.5% CIs were as follows: normal saline = 127 (0-0.034) and dextrose 5% in water = 129 (0-0.033), correcting for multiple tests. CONCLUSIONS: No bacterial growth was noted in any of the 257 samples collected. Normal saline and dextrose 5% in water do not support bacterial growth 24 hours after their preparation using standard sterile techniques in the perioperative space.

Asystole in Orthognathic Surgery: A Case Report.

A previously healthy 26-year-old man presented for elective Le Fort I osteotomy, bilateral mandibular osteotomy, and genioplasty. During the intraoperative course, the patient developed sudden bradycardia and asystole on placement of a bite block. Asystole is an extremely rare consequence of the trigeminocardiac reflex, and awareness of this potentially life-threatening complication is pivotal in its management.

Myotonic Dystrophy and Anesthetic Challenges: A Case Report and Review.

Providing anesthesia to patients with myotonic dystrophy (DM) can be very challenging due to the multisystemic effects of the disease and extreme sensitivity of these patients to sedatives, opioids, and anesthetic agents. Other factors such as hypothermia, shivering, or mechanical or electric stimulation during surgery can precipitate myotonia which is difficult to abolish and can lead to further complications. Generally, local or regional anesthesia is preferred to avoid the complications associated with general anesthesia in this group. However there are several case reports of successful use of general anesthesia (with or without volatile agents and with or without opioids). These general anesthetic cases led to postoperative admission to the regular floor or ICU. We present a case of a woman with a history of DM who underwent robotic assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy under general anesthesia and was discharged home on the same day.

Alginate encapsulation for bupivacaine delivery and mesenchymal stromal cell immunomodulatory cotherapy.

PURPOSE: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are used to treat various inflammatory conditions. In parallel, to mitigate pain associated with inflammation, analgesics or opioids are prescribed, often with significant side effects. Local anesthetics (LAs) offer a promising alternative to these medications. However, their short duration and negative effects on anti-inflammatory MSCs have limited their therapeutic effectiveness. To mitigate these negative effects and to move toward developing a cotherapy, we engineered a sustained release bupivacaine alginate-liposomal construct that enables up to 4 days of LA release. By encapsulating MSC in alginate (eMSC), we demonstrate that we can further increase drug concentration to clinically relevant levels, without compromising eMSC viability or anti-inflammatory function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MSCs were freely cultured or encapsulated in alginate microspheres ± TNFα/IFN-γ and were left untreated or dosed with bolus, liposomal, or construct bupivacaine. After 24, 48, and 96 hours, the profiles were assessed to quantify secretory function associated with LA-MSC interactions. To approximate LA exposure over time, a MATLAB model was generated. RESULTS: eMSCs secrete similar levels of IL-6 and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) regardless of LA modality, whereas free MSCs secrete larger amounts of IL-6 and lower amounts of anti-inflammatory PGE2. Modeling the system indicated that higher doses of LA can be used in conjunction with eMSC while retaining eMSC viability and function. In general, eMSC treated with higher doses of LA secreted similar or higher levels of immunomodulatory cytokines. CONCLUSION: eMSCs, but not free MSC, are protected from LA, regardless of LA modality. Increasing the LA concentration may promote longer and stronger pain mitigation while the protected eMSCs secrete similar, if not higher, immunomodulatory cytokine levels. Therefore, we have developed an approach, using eMSC and the LA construct that can potentially be used to reduce pain as well as improve MSC anti-inflammatory function.