Intraoperative Methadone Use Is Associated With Reduced Postoperative Pain and More Rapid Opioid Weaning After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between intraoperative methadone use, postoperative pain, and opioid consumption after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Single academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients undergoing isolated CABG over a 5-year period. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Demographic data, comorbidities, and intraoperative anesthetic medications were recorded. Primary study outcomes were average and maximum pain scores and morphine milligram equivalent consumption on the first 2 postoperative days (PODs). Linear mixed-effects regression models were used to examine the effect of intraoperative methadone use on study outcomes. Among 1,338 patients, 78.6% received intraoperative methadone (0.2 mg/kg). Patients who did not receive methadone had higher average (estimated [Est], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22-0.73; p < 0.001) and maximum postoperative (Est, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.23-0.75; p < 0.001) pain scores over PODs 0 to 2. For postoperative opioid consumption, there was a significant intraoperative methadone use-time interaction effect on postoperative opioid use (odds ratio [OR], 2.21; 95% CI, 1.74-2.80; p < 0.001). Across PODs 0 to 2, patients who received intraoperative methadone had a faster decline in postoperative opioid use than those who did not receive intraoperative methadone. Patients who did not receive intraoperative methadone were extubated slightly faster (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.72-0.93; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the use of intraoperative methadone is safe, reduces postoperative pain, and expedites weaning from postoperative opioids after CABG surgery.

In vitro comparison of spatiotemporal fibrin clot formation dynamics in plasma treated with different protamine-heparin ratios.

INTRODUCTION: Our study aim was to explore how different protamine-heparin ratios impacted enzymatic coagulation and acellular fibrin clot growth in plasma using an in vitro model. We hypothesized that a low protamine-heparin ratio would be associated with superior fibrin clot growth dynamics. METHODS: We performed an in vitro study using 15 plasma samples from a commercial supplier. Different protamine-heparin ratios were added to each donor plasma sample: low ratio (0.7-1), traditional ratio (1-1), and high ratio (1.3-1) and clot formation dynamics were evaluated using a Thrombodynamics analyzer. Study outcomes were initial clot growth velocity and clot size at 30 min. RESULTS: Plasma samples treated with a one-to-one protamine-heparin ratio had significantly lower mean initial clot growth velocity compared to samples treated with a low protamine-heparin ratio; mean difference -2.3 µm/min (95% CI = -4.0 to -0.7, p = .004). Plasma samples treated with a one-to-one protamine-heparin ratio also had significantly smaller mean clot size at 30 min compared to samples treated with a low protamine-heparin ratio; mean difference -54.0 µm (95% CI = -107.6 to -0.4, p = .048). There were no significant differences in mean initial clot growth velocity or clot size at 30 min between plasma samples treated with a high protamine-heparin ratio and those treated with a one-to-one or low protamine-heparin ratio (all p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma samples treated with a low protamine-heparin ratio had superior clot growth velocity and larger clot size at 30 min compared to a one-to-one ratio, supporting the notion that a low protamine-heparin ratio may optimize enzymatic coagulation after cardiopulmonary bypass.

The Penn Classification Predicts Hospital Mortality in Acute Stanford Type A and Type B Aortic Dissections.

OBJECTIVES: Mortality in acute aortic dissection varies depending on anatomic location, extent, and associated complications. The Stanford classification guides surgical versus medical management. The Penn classification stratifies mortality risk in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissections undergoing surgery. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the Penn classification can predict hospital mortality in patients with acute Stanford type A and type B aortic dissections undergoing surgical or medical management. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational study. SETTING: Tertiary care, university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with acute aortic dissection between January 2008 and December 2017. INTERVENTIONS: Examination of hospital mortality after surgical or medical management. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-two patients had confirmed dissections (186 type A, 166 type B). The overall mortality was 18.8% for type A and 13.3% for type B. Penn class A patients with type A or type B dissections undergoing surgical repair had the lowest mortality (both 3.1%). Penn class B, C, or B+C patients with type A dissections and Penn class B+C patients with type B dissections undergoing medical management had the greatest incidence of mortality (50.0%-57.1%). All others had intermediate mortality (6.7%-39.3%). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that Penn class B, C, and B+C patients had a greater odds of mortality and predicted mortality than did Penn class A patients. CONCLUSIONS: The Penn classification predicts hospital mortality in patients with acute Stanford type A or type B aortic dissections undergoing surgical or medical management. Early endovascular repair may confer lower risk of mortality in patients with type B dissections presenting without ischemia.

A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Presenting as Massive Nasopharyngeal Bleeding: A Case Report.

Patients who present with a subarachnoid hemorrhage may have more than 1 intracranial aneurysm at risk, which may not be appreciated until a subsequent aneurysmal bleeding event occurs. We describe a patient who underwent successful aneurysmal clipping, but later presented urgently with large-volume epistaxis 48 hours after the procedure. After successful intubation of the patient, subsequent angiographic imaging determined that the massive intranasal/oral hemorrhage was due to bleeding through the former operative site, from rupture of a previously unrecognized aneurysm. This series of events demonstrates the importance of selecting the most at-risk aneurysm for surgical intervention.