Postintubation Sedation After a Formulary Change From Succinylcholine to Rocuronium in a Critical Care Transport Organization.

OBJECTIVE: Rocuronium is increasingly used as a first-line neuromuscular blocker (NMB) in rapid sequence intubation by transport teams. Prior work has shown that rocuronium is associated with a delay in postintubation sedation compared with intubation with succinylcholine. METHODS: Boston MedFlight is a consortium-based transport organization. In 2017, the intubation protocol and formulary for Boston MedFlight was changed to replace succinylcholine with rocuronium. We performed a retrospective review of patients intubated by the critical care transport teams from January 2017 through December 2019. RESULTS: We analyzed data for 264 intubations, 92 with succinylcholine and 172 with rocuronium. Ketamine and etomidate were the most common induction agents. The mean time from NMB administration to the first dose of sedation was 9.2 minutes (95% confidence interval, 5.4-23.7) for the succinylcholine cohort and 14.8 minutes (95% confidence interval, 8.4-38.0; P < .001) for the rocuronium cohort. After neuromuscular blockade, the total hourly weight-adjusted fentanyl dose was significantly lower for patients intubated with rocuronium compared with succinylcholine. CONCLUSIONS: Intubation with rocuronium was associated with a longer time until the administration of sedation and decreased postneuromuscular blockade fentanyl administration compared with intubation with succinylcholine. These findings suggest opportunities for improvement in sedation and analgesia practices after rocuronium rapid sequence intubation.

The role of resistin on metabolic syndrome-induced erectile dysfunction and the possible therapeutic effect of Boldine.

BACKGROUND: Resistin is known as a potential mediator of obesity-associated insulin resistance. The high resistin level disrupts nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxation which is also important in erectile function. An antioxidant alkaloid, Boldine, is known as anti-diabetic and protects endothelial functions. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate resistin expression in penile tissue in the presence of insulin resistance (IR) and the effect of Boldine treatment on erectile functions in the metabolic syndrome (MetS) rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: Control, MetS, and boldine treated MetS group. MetS parameters were assessed by serum triglycerides (TG), uric acid (UA), glucose, insulin levels, HOMA index, and waist circumference (WC)/tibia length (TL) ratio. To evaluate erectile functions, intracavernous pressure (ICP)/mean arterial pressure (MAP) ratio was performed during cavernous nerve stimulation. Protein expressions of resistin, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), p(S1177) eNOS, and insulin receptor-ß were evaluated by Western blotting. RESULTS: TG, glucose, insulin levels, weight, WC/TL ratio, HOMA index and resistin expression in penile tissue were significantly increased and ICP/MAP values, and p (S1177) eNOS expression in penile tissue were decreased in MetS group. Boldine treatment enhanced ICP/MAP values, insulin receptor-ß and p(S1177) eNOS expressions compared with the MetS group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: MetS caused a deterioration in erectile function accompanied by an increase in resistin expression and a reduction in eNOS enzyme activation in the rat penile tissues. Boldine treatment resulted in an improvement in erectile function, independent of resistin expression.

Anaesthetic management for hiatal hernia repair in a child with Bartter's syndrome: A case report.

Bartter syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by reduced sodium chloride transport in the distal nephrons of the kidney. Its clinical features are renal salt wasting, hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, elevated renin and aldosterone levels with normal or low blood pressure, polyuria, hypercalciuria and malnutrition. The pathophysiologic and biochemical changes in these patients should be kept in mind when considering anaesthetic management. This case report describes our management in a nineteen months old, 3.6 kg weight male child with Bartter's syndrome who underwent elective repair of hiatal hernia and gastrostomy.

Factors associated with post-intubation sedation after emergency department intubation: A Report from The National Emergency Airway Registry.

BACKGROUND: Previous work has suggested low rates of post-intubation sedation in patients undergoing endotracheal intubation (ETI) in the emergency department (ED) with limited data examining factors associated with sedation use. Utilizing a national database; we sought to determine the frequency of post-intubation sedation and associated factors. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database (National Emergency Airway Registry (NEAR) from 25 EDs from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017). Patients were considered to have received post-intubation sedation if they received any of the following medications within 15 min of ETI completion; propofol, midazolam, diazepam, ketamine, etomidate, fentanyl, and morphine. We calculated odds ratios for post-intubation sedation. RESULTS: Of the 11,748 eligible intubations, 9099 received post-intubation sedation (77.5%) while 2649 did not (22.5%). Pre-intubation hypotension (odds ratio; 95% confidence Interval) (0.27; 0.24-0.31) and post-intubation hypotension (0.27; 0.24-0.31) were associated with lower odds of post-intubation sedation. Patients with a medical indication compared to a traumatic indication for ETI had higher odds of receiving post-intubation sedation (1.16; 1.05-1.28) as did those that underwent rapid sequence intubation (15.15; 13.56-16.93). Use of succinylcholine was associated with a higher odd of post-intubation sedation compared to a long-acting neuromuscular blocking agent (i.e. rocuronium or vecuronium) (1.89; 1.68-2.12). CONCLUSION: Post-intubation sedation rates in NEAR are higher than previously reported and multiple factors including the indication for intubation and succinylcholine use, are associated with higher odds of receiving post-intubation sedation.

[Pharmacological Treatment of Malignant Hyperthermia: Update 2019]. / Maligne Hyperthermie: pharmakologische Therapie ­ Update 2019.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a pharmacogenetic disorder of skeletal muscle presenting as a hypermetabolic response to potent volatile anesthetics such as sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane and the depolarizing muscle relaxant succinylcholine. Following introduction of the hydantoin derivative dantrolene, the previously high mortality of fulminant MH episodes could be reduced from > 80% to less than 10%. For treatment of MH an initial intravenous bolus of 2.5 mg/kg dantrolene based on the actual body weight should be applied. If symptoms are not improving after the initial dose, up to 10 mg/kg dantrolene can be necessary within the first 24 h. In facilities where MH triggering anesthetics and depolarizing muscle relaxants are administered, at least 36 - 48 vials of dantrolene 20 mg should be stocked according to the recent German S1 guideline on MH. If none of these agents are ever used in the facility, the stockage of dantrolene is dispensable. Since dantrolene is not easily dissoluble, preparation requires time and manpower. Due to its pharmacological characteristics, ryanodex, a modern nanocrystalline dantrolene sodium suspension, might be a promising alternative in the treatment of MH.

Comparing the insertion and ventilation of laryngeal mask airway according to the patient's head position and muscle relaxation use. A prospective clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the insertion and ventilation of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) classic while using different head positions with or without muscle relaxant. METHODS: This is a double-blind randomized clinical trial. Patients scheduled for ureteral calculus surgery at Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai, China were recruited between November 2017 and November 2018. A total of 132 adults were consecutively selected. Patients were randomly divided into 4 groups according to head positioning and muscle relaxant use. An 8-cm-high pillow was used to achieve the sniffing position. The insertion time, initial peak pressure (Ppeak), mean pressure (Pmean) of the airway during intermittent positive pressure ventilation (primary endpoint) and fiberoptic score of the LMA position (secondary endpoint) were evaluated via electronic bronchoscopy through the mask bar. All adverse events were recorded. Results: Data were analyzed by ANOVA, 2-way ANOVA, Chi-squared, Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The insertion time required for the first attempt, fiberoptic score, Ppeak and Pmean did not differ among the groups. However, the incidence of adverse events in groups not using muscle relaxant was higher than in those using muscle relaxant. Conclusion: Use of a sniffing position and muscle relaxant slightly eased the insertion of the LMA but did not affect the fiberoptic score or ventilation parameters. Using a muscle relaxant, but not the sniffing position, reduced the incidence of adverse effects.

The influence of mode of anaesthesia for caesarean delivery on neonatal Apgar scores in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: secondary analysis of the results of an international survey in 2015.

AIMS: The purpose of this international survey was to describe the impact of current practices and techniques of caesarean section on the neonatal Apgar score in the Czech Republic (CZE) and Slovakia (SVK). METHODS: All Czech and Slovak departments that provide obstetric anaesthesia were invited to participate in a one-month (November 2015) prospective study that monitored in details all peripartum anaesthetic practices, delivered by anaesthesiologists. Participating centers recorded all data on-line in the CLADE-IS database (Masaryk University, CZE). RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: We collected data of 10119 women who delivered 10226 newborns. A caesarean section was recorded in 25.1% of deliveries (CZE 23.2%; SVK 30%). General anaesthesia was used for caesarean section in 37.5% of the cases (CZE 40%, SVK 33%). There was no statistically significant difference in the Apgar score lower than 7 in the 1, 5 or 10 min in groups of general and regional anaesthesia for caesarean section, when only elective sections of in-term babies with birth weight over 2500 g were analyzed. We found no statistically significant differences in the Apgar score in newborns of women intubated for caesarean section in rocuronium (n=21; 2.2%) and suxamethonium (n=889; 93%). CONCLUSION: We found no difference in neonatal outcomes in groups of general and regional anaesthesia for caesarean section when only out-of-risk newborns were analyzed. The risk factors were identified as follows: an acute caesarean section, preterm babies, birth weight less than 2 500 g, born in perinatological center and multiple pregnancy - second baby. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT02380586) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02380586.

Consensus Statement of the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States on Unresolved Clinical Questions Concerning the Management of Patients With Malignant Hyperthermia.

At a recent consensus conference, the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States addressed 6 important and unresolved clinical questions concerning the optimal management of patients with malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptibility or acute MH. They include: (1) How much dantrolene should be available in facilities where volatile agents are not available or administered, and succinylcholine is only stocked on site for emergency purposes? (2) What defines masseter muscle rigidity? What is its relationship to MH, and how should it be managed when it occurs? (3) What is the relationship between MH susceptibility and heat- or exercise-related rhabdomyolysis? (4) What evidence-based interventions should be recommended to alleviate hyperthermia associated with MH? (5) After treatment of acute MH, how much dantrolene should be administered and for how long? What criteria should be used to determine stopping treatment with dantrolene? (6) Can patients with a suspected personal or family history of MH be safely anesthetized before diagnostic testing? This report describes the consensus process and the outcomes for each of the foregoing unanswered clinical questions.

Lasting s-ketamine block of spreading depolarizations in subarachnoid hemorrhage: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Spreading depolarizations (SD) are characterized by breakdown of transmembrane ion gradients and excitotoxicity. Experimentally, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists block a majority of SDs. In many hospitals, the NMDAR antagonist s-ketamine and the GABAA agonist midazolam represent the current second-line combination treatment to sedate patients with devastating cerebral injuries. A pressing clinical question is whether this option should become first-line in sedation-requiring individuals in whom SDs are detected, yet the s-ketamine dose necessary to adequately inhibit SDs is unknown. Moreover, use-dependent tolerance could be a problem for SD inhibition in the clinic. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 66 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) from a prospectively collected database. Thirty-three of 66 patients received s-ketamine during electrocorticographic neuromonitoring of SDs in neurointensive care. The decision to give s-ketamine was dependent on the need for stronger sedation, so it was expected that patients receiving s-ketamine would have a worse clinical outcome. RESULTS: S-ketamine application started 4.2 ± 3.5 days after aSAH. The mean dose was 2.8 ± 1.4 mg/kg body weight (BW)/h and thus higher than the dose recommended for sedation. First, patients were divided according to whether they received s-ketamine at any time or not. No significant difference in SD counts was found between groups (negative binomial model using the SD count per patient as outcome variable, p = 0.288). This most likely resulted from the fact that 368 SDs had already occurred in the s-ketamine group before s-ketamine was given. However, in patients receiving s-ketamine, we found a significant decrease in SD incidence when s-ketamine was started (Poisson model with a random intercept for patient, coefficient - 1.83 (95% confidence intervals - 2.17; - 1.50), p < 0.001; logistic regression model, odds ratio (OR) 0.13 (0.08; 0.19), p < 0.001). Thereafter, data was further divided into low-dose (0.1-2.0 mg/kg BW/h) and high-dose (2.1-7.0 mg/kg/h) segments. High-dose s-ketamine resulted in further significant decrease in SD incidence (Poisson model, - 1.10 (- 1.71; - 0.49), p < 0.001; logistic regression model, OR 0.33 (0.17; 0.63), p < 0.001). There was little evidence of SD tolerance to long-term s-ketamine sedation through 5 days. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide a foundation for a multicenter, neuromonitoring-guided, proof-of-concept trial of ketamine and midazolam as a first-line sedative regime.

Systematic review of the pharmacological agents that have been tested against spreading depolarizations.

Spreading depolarization (SD) occurs alongside brain injuries and it can lead to neuronal damage. Therefore, pharmacological modulation of SD can constitute a therapeutic approach to reduce its detrimental effects and to improve the clinical outcome of patients. The major objective of this article was to produce a systematic review of all the drugs that have been tested against SD. Of the substances that have been examined, most have been shown to modulate certain SD characteristics. Only a few have succeeded in significantly inhibiting SD. We present a variety of strategies that have been proposed to overcome the notorious harmfulness and pharmacoresistance of SD. Information on clinically used anesthetic, sedative, hypnotic agents, anti-migraine drugs, anticonvulsants and various other substances have been compiled and reviewed with respect to the efficacy against SD, in order to answer the question of whether a drug at safe doses could be of therapeutic use against SD in humans.

[Certain and controversial components of "rapid sequence induction"]. / Sichere und kontroverse Komponenten der "rapid sequence induction".

Rapid sequence induction (RSI) is a specific technique for anesthesia induction, which is performed in patients with an increased risk for pulmonary aspiration (e.g. intestinal obstruction, severe injuries and cesarean section). The incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is very low but 10-30% of anesthesia-related deaths are caused by the consequences of ARDS. The classical RSI with its main components (i.e. head-up position, avoidance of positive pressure ventilation and administration of succinylcholine) was published nearly 50 years ago and has remained almost unchanged. The modified RSI consists of mask ventilation before endotracheal intubation is performed or the use of non-depolarizing muscle relaxants. Succinylcholine 1.0 mg/kg or rocuronium 1.0-1.2 mg/kg should be administered to achieve excellent intubation conditions. The use of cricoid pressure was a cornerstone of RSI after its introduction in 1961; however, after controversial discussions in recent years, cricoid pressure has lost its importance. Before surgery gastric emptying with a nasogastric tube is mandatory in patients with ileus and passage or defecation disorders.

[Abortive course of malignant hyperthermia following preclinical induction of general anesthesia using succinylcholine]. / Abortiver Verlauf einer malignen Hyperthermie nach präklinischer Narkoseinduktion mit Succinylcholin.

In a 59-year-old woman with a perforating eyeball injury to the right eye, the emergency physician induced a preclinical general anesthesia with propofol, fentanyl and the depolarizing muscle relaxant succinylcholine. Anesthesia was maintained using propofol and remifentanil infusion throughout the preoperative period and the subsequent surgical procedure. Postoperatively, isolated rhabdomyolysis with an increase in serum creatine kinase to >20,000 U/l was observed. The diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptibility could be confirmed in the patient 4 months after the acute event by the in vitro contracture test and detection of the MH causative mutation p.Val4849Ile in exon 101 of the ryanodine receptor gene. Due to the variable expression, for a long time MH often remained unrecognized. Warning symptoms, such as unspecific tachycardia or masseter spasm following succinylcholine injection, should alert emergency physicians to include MH susceptibility in the differential diagnostics. With an estimated genetic MH prevalence of 1:2000-3000, individuals with known or so far unrecognized MH disposition are likely to be among patients treated in the preclinical setting. If a person develops MH symptoms after exposure to triggering agents, immediate hospital admission is essential in order to initiate guideline-conform treatment without further delay because preclinically the life-saving causal measures are not possible due to the lack of supply of dantrolene.

Early afterdepolarizations in cardiac action potentials as mixed mode oscillations due to a folded node singularity.

Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are pathological voltage oscillations during the repolarization phase of cardiac action potentials. They are considered as potential precursors to cardiac arrhythmias and have recently gained much attention in the context of preclinical drug safety testing under the Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) paradigm. From the viewpoint of multiple time scales theory, the onset of EADs has previously been studied by means of mathematical action potential models with one slow ion channel gating variable. In this article, we for the first time associate EADs with mixed mode oscillations in dynamical systems with two slow gating variables and present a folded node singularity of the slow flow as a novel mechanism for EADs genesis. We derive regions of the pharmacology parameter space in which EADs occur using both the folded node analysis and a full system bifurcation analysis, and we suggest the normal distance to the boundary of the EADs region as a mechanism-based risk metric to computationally estimate a drug's proarrhythmic liability.

Depolarization and electrical stimulation enhance in vitro and in vivo sensory axon growth after spinal cord injury.

Activity dependent plasticity is a key mechanism for the central nervous system (CNS) to adapt to its environment. Whether neuronal activity also influences axonal regeneration in the injured CNS, and whether electrical stimulation (ES) can activate regenerative programs in the injured CNS remains incompletely understood. Using KCl-induced depolarization, in vivo ES followed by ex-vivo neurite growth assays and ES after spinal cord lesions and cell grafting, we aimed to identify parameters important for ES-enhanced neurite growth and axonal regeneration. Using cultures of sensory neurons, neurite growth was analyzed after KCl-induced depolarization for 1-72h. Increased neurite growth was detected after short-term stimulation and after longer stimulation if a sufficient delay between stimulation and growth measurements was provided. After in vivo ES (20Hz, 2× motor threshold, 0.2ms, 1h) of the intact sciatic nerve in adult Fischer344 rats, sensory neurons showed a 2-fold increase in in vitro neurite length one week later compared to sham animals, an effect not observed one day after ES. Longer ES (7h) and repeated ES (7days, 1h each) also increased growth by 56-67% one week later, but provided no additional benefit. In vivo growth of dorsal column sensory axons into a graft of bone marrow stromal cells 4weeks after a cervical spinal cord lesion was also enhanced with a single post-injury 1h ES of the intact sciatic nerve and was also observed after repeated ES without inducing pain-like behavior. While ES did not result in sensory functional recovery, our data indicate that ES has time-dependent influences on the regenerative capacity of sensory neurons and might further enhance axonal regeneration in combinatorial approaches after SCI.

Peri-intubation factors affecting emergency physician choice of paralytic agent for rapid sequence intubation of trauma patients.

INTRODUCTION: No study has assessed predictors of physician choice between the succinylcholine (Succ) and rocuronium (Roc) for rapid sequence intubation (RSI) during the initial resuscitation of trauma patients in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated of the use of Succ and Roc for adult trauma patients undergoing RSI at a Level 1 trauma center. The primary outcome was to identify factors affecting physician choice of paralytic agent for RSI analyzed by cluster analysis using pre-intubation vital signs and early mortality. The secondary outcome was to identify factors influencing physician choice of paralytic agent using a logistic regression model reported as adjusted odds ratios (aOR). RESULTS: The analysis included 215 patients, including 148 receiving Succ and 67 receiving Roc. The two groups were similar in regard to age, provider level of training, mean GCS (10 vs. 10) and median ISS (27 vs. 27). Cluster analysis using peri-intubation patient vital signs and early mortality indicates that patients with predominantly abnormal vital signs and early mortality were more likely to receive Roc (74%) than those without abnormal vital signs prior to intubation or early mortality (24%). Hypoxemia prior to RSI (aOR 12.3 [2.5-60.9]) and the use of video laryngoscopy (VL) (aOR 5.5 [1.2-24.6]) were associated with the choice to use Roc. CONCLUSIONS: Roc was more frequently chosen for paralysis in the patient cluster with predominantly abnormal peri-intubation vital signs and higher rate of early ED mortality. The use of Roc was associated with hypoxemia prior to RSI and VL.

Complicación respiratoria en el postoperatorio tardío en un paciente con distrofia miotónica tipo I. Reporte de un caso / Respiratory complication in the late postoperative period in a patient with type I myotonic dystrophy. Case report

Myotonic dystrophy is an uncommon disease, characterised by disorders of the muscle membrane. Its clinical manifestations are muscle weakness, difficulty at initiating movements and delayed muscle relaxation. Carriers of this disease are very sensitive to anaesthetic drugs. Residual neuromuscular blockade is common among these patients, leaving them at risk of various postoperative complications. Proper neuromuscular blockade reversal is therefore crucial. We report the case of an 18-year-old male with myotonic dystrophy type I (Steinert's disease), who was admitted for a complicated hydatid cyst. He required a laparotomy, which was done under general anesthesia with no intraoperative incidents. He was extubated at the end of the procedure, with 94% response at the train-of-four (TOF) and adequate spontaneous ventilation. No reversal for neuromuscular blockade was given. The patient evolved favourably during the postoperative phase. However, in the later postoperatory period the patient presented severe respiratory complications. Proper anaesthetic management of these patients, as described in the literature, includes the use of non-depolarising muscle relaxants, monitoring of muscle relaxation and reversal of neuromuscular blockade. The combination of rocuronium and sugammadex appears to convey the optimum reversal required for these cases.

Las distrofias miotónicas son enfermedades poco comunes, caracterizadas por trastornos a nivel de la membrana muscular. Clínicamente se manifiestan por debilidad muscular progresiva, dificultad al iniciar movimientos y retardo en la relajación muscular. Los portadores de este grupo de enfermedades tienen una marcada sensibilidad a los fármacos anestésicos. Es habitual que presenten bloqueo neuromuscular residual, arriesgándose a sufrir diversas complicaciones postoperatorias. Por ello, es importante realizar una reversión adecuada de la relajación muscular en estos pacientes. Presentamos el caso de un paciente masculino de 18 años, con distrofia miotónica de Steinert tipo I, que ingresa para laparotomía por quiste hidatídico hepático complicado. Recibió anestesia general sin incidentes. Es extubado con una respuesta al tren-de-cuatro (TOF) de 94% y ventilación espontánea adecuada. No se realiza reversión del bloqueo neuromuscular y evoluciona favorablemente en el postoperatorio inmediato. Sin embargo, en el período postoperatorio tardío, presenta complicaciones respiratorias severas. El adecuado manejo de estos pacientes, según lo recomendado en la literatura, requiere el uso de relajantes no-depolarizantes, monitorización y reversión del bloqueo neuromuscular, siendo probablemente la combinación de rocuronio y sugammadex, la más adecuada para estos fines.

Perioperative Gabapentin Improves Patient-Centered Outcomes After Inguinal Hernia Repair.

INTRODUCTION: Over 5,300 inguinal hernia repairs (IHR) were performed in the Military Health System in 2015. Chronic pain can be a debilitating complication, occurring in up to 34% of patients after IHR and impacts mission readiness. Gabapentin has been shown to be effective for postoperative analgesia in a variety of operations. We evaluated the effect of a short course of perioperative gabapentin on chronic pain after IHR. METHODS: This was a double-blinded, randomized study involving male patients ≥18 years old with an initial inguinal hernia and no history of chronic pain or psychiatric disorder. Patients chose laparoscopic or open surgery and were then randomized to receive gabapentin 300 mg before surgery, then three times daily for 6 doses or placebo. There were 50 patients randomized to both the gabapentin and placebo groups for a total of 100 patients. Main outcomes were pain and health status, assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Short Form-12v2 (SF-12v2). Assessments were performed preoperatively and 1, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Analysis of variance was used to compare groups. RESULTS: From the initial 100 patients, 19 withdrew or were excluded. Thus, 81 patients remained, 40 receiving gabapentin and 41 placebo. Throughout the 24-month follow-up, there was no difference in VAS pain scores between the gabapentin and placebo groups (p = 0.867). Beyond 1 month of follow-up, SF-12v2 physical component score (PCS) scores were improved in the gabapentin group (p = 0.039). When comparing open to laparoscopic groups, SF-12v2 PCS scores were improved in the laparoscopic group (p = 0.046) and SF-12v2 mental component summary scores were improved in the open group (p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative gabapentin was not effective in decreasing chronic pain after IHR; however, patient perception of physical health, as measured by SF-12v2, did improve.

The Effect of Remifentanil on Succinylcholine Induced Changes in Serum Potassium and Creatine Kinase: A Prospective Randomized Double blind Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK: Succinylcholine is still included as drugs favored by anesthetists because of its rapid onset and short duration of action. However, it can bring about complications such as hyperkalemia and increased serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK). This study aims at evaluating the effects of remifentanil on succinylcholine-induced postoperative changes in serum potassium and CPK. METHODS: In this study, 59 patients with short term lower abdominal surgery were randomly divided into two groups. In the first group (control group), 2 ml normal saline was used before injecting anesthetic drugs while in the second group (study group), 1 mcg/kg of remifentanil was injected. The patients were anesthetized with a combination of fentanyl (1 mg/kg) and propofol (2 mg/kg). Besides, succinylcholine (1.5 mg/kg) was used for muscle relaxation and tracheal intubation. Serum potassium (before and  5 min after tracheal intubation), CPK (before anesthetic injection and  24 h after surgery) and hemodynamic parameters (including systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate) were recorded. RESULTS: Serum levels of potassium and CPK before and after induction of anesthesia showed no significant difference in both groups. Systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate in both groups after induction significantly changed. Compared to saline, remifentanil significantly stabilized hemodynamic changes after intubation. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that remifentanil has no prophylactic effect on succinylcholine-induced CPK and potassium levels. However, it improves stability of hemodynamic variables.

Inhibition of glial hemichannels by boldine treatment reduces neuronal suffering in a murine model of Alzheimer's disease.

The contribution of reactive gliosis to the pathological phenotype of Alzheimer's disease (AD) opened the way for therapeutic strategies targeting glial cells instead of neurons. In such context, connexin hemichannels were proposed recently as potential targets since neuronal suffering is alleviated when connexin expression is genetically suppressed in astrocytes of a murine model of AD. Here, we show that boldine, an alkaloid from the boldo tree, inhibited hemichannel activity in astrocytes and microglia without affecting gap junctional communication in culture and acute hippocampal slices. Long-term oral administration of boldine in AD mice prevented the increase in glial hemichannel activity, astrocytic Ca2+ signal, ATP and glutamate release and alleviated hippocampal neuronal suffering. These findings highlight the important pathological role of hemichannels in AD mice. The neuroprotective effect of boldine treatment might provide the basis for future pharmacological strategies that target glial hemichannels to reduce neuronal damage in neurodegenerative diseases.