Does dexmedetomidine affect intraoperative blood loss and clotting tests in pediatric adenotonsillectomy patients?

BACKGROUND: We hypothesize that dexmedetomidine (DEX), a selective α(2) adrenergic receptor agonist, may affect the intraoperative blood loss and clotting tests such as prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and international normalized ratio in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy (ADT). METHODS: Sixty patients scheduled for elective ADT under general anesthesia. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either DEX 0.5 µg/kg (group D) or placebo bolus (group C) with a total volume of 10 mL, 10 min before the induction of anesthesia. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, blood loss, preoperatively and immediately after awakening clotting tests, agitation, sedation, visual analog scale, and analgesic requirement, were assessed and recorded. RESULTS: The postoperative hemoglobin was significantly lower than the preoperative value in both groups (P < 0.05). The postoperative agitation scale and analgesic requirement and visual analog scale at the 15th min were significantly lower in group D than those in group C (P < 0.05). Total blood loss and postoperative sedation score in group D was significantly higher than that in group C (P < 0.05). The postoperative prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, international normalized ratio tests between the groups, additionally pre-postoperative MAP, heart rate, and clotting tests were similar in each group. CONCLUSIONS: The premedication with DEX 0.5 µg/kg decreased postoperative agitation, pain, and analgesic requirement without significant change in the clotting tests and MAP but increased bleeding slightly during ADT.

Oxidative stress in chronic otitis media.

Chronic otitis media usually presents with a benign tumor-like lesion of the temporal bone known as a cholesteatoma. The role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma has not yet been fully explored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the oxidative stress markers and antioxidant enzymes in patients with cholesteatomatous and noncholesteatomatous chronic otitis media and in healthy subjects. A prospective controlled trial was performed on cholesteatomatous and noncholesteatomatous chronic otitis media patients in a tertiary referral center in a university hospital. A total of 75 subjects, including 25 cholesteatomatous and 25 noncholesteatomatous chronic otitis media patients and 25 healthy subjects participated in this study. Serum total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels were significantly increased in the patient groups with or without cholesteatoma compared with the control group. Serum total antioxidant status (TAS) levels and Paraoxonase and arylesterase activity were significantly lower in the patient groups with or without cholesteatoma compared with the control group. Serum TOS and OSI levels were lower in the noncholesteatomatous group, whereas serum TAS levels were higher compared with the cholesteatomatous group. Serum arylesterase activity was significantly lower in the noncholesteatomatous group compared with the control group. The results of this study reveal that in cholesteatoma cases, the oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme imbalance were more significant than in cases of chronic otitis media without cholesteatoma.

Electrophysiologic assessment of the subclinical changes in facial functions after parotidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate whether there was a subclinical change in the functions of the facial nerve after parotidectomy. METHODS: Facial nerve functions of 21 patients who had parotidectomy between January 1999 and December 2003 were assessed using electromyography (EMG) at least 5 years after the surgery. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between both sides of the face in the EMG amplitudes (P > 0.05) except for the amplitudes obtained from the site of nasolabial sulcus (P < 0.05). In the patients who underwent total parotidectomy, the EMG amplitudes were significantly different for both sides of the face (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the comparison of other measurements performed by EMG. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor histopathologic type (benign or malignant) and type of parotidectomy (superficial or total) do not cause a subclinical dysfunction of the facial nerve after parotidectomy in the patients who also have clinically normal facial functions. The only exception to this contention is the subclinical dysfunction in nasal branches of the facial nerve in total parotidectomy cases.

Primary hydatid cyst of the infratemporal fossa.

Hydatid cyst disease is a rare parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus. This parasite in the larval stage can thrive in many parts of the body, most frequently in the liver. Head and neck involvement of the disease is rare. Herein, we present a case of primary hydatid cyst occurring in the infratemporal fossa, which is an extremely rare localization.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma of the tongue.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a rare type of sarcoma that usually affects young adult women. It occurs mostly in the lower extremities, and nearly one quarter of the cases are found in the head and neck region. The most common site of origin in the head and neck region is the tongue followed by the orbit. Herein, we present an unusual case of alveolar soft part sarcoma of the tongue in an 18-year-old woman. The clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic features of this quite rare entity were discussed.