Comparing Preoperative Anxiety Effects of Brachial Plexus Block and General Anesthesia for Orthopedic Upper-Extremity Surgery: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Background and objectives: Preoperative anxiety is an enormous feeling of fear that is seen in all patients undergoing surgery. The severity of anxiety may vary depending on the type of surgery and anesthesia to be performed. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of brachial plexus blocks and general anesthesia methods on preoperative anxiety levels in patients who will undergo orthopedic upper-extremity surgery and to determine the factors affecting anxiety. Materials and Methods: After randomization, the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Knowledge Scale (APAIS) questionnaire was applied to the patients to determine the preoperative anxiety level, and then anesthesia was applied according to the anesthesia type determined. Pain scores (1, 8, 16, and 24 h) and total opioid consumption of the patients were recorded postoperatively. Results: The APAIS score of the patients in the general anesthesia (GA) group was significantly higher (p = 0.021). VAS score medians at 1, 4, and 8 h postoperatively were found to be significantly higher in the GA group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.044, respectively). Conclusions: USG-guided BPB may cause less anxiety than GA in patients who will undergo elective upper-extremity surgery. However, these patients have moderate anxiety, although it is more associated with advanced age, female gender, and education level.

The Effect of Host miRNAs on Prognosis in COVID-19: miRNA-155 May Promote Severity via Targeting Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 (SOCS1) Gene.

The epigenetic features contribute to variations in host susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity of symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the relative expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and the severity of the disease in COVID-19 patients. The miRNA profiles were monitored during the different stages of the disease course using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The expression levels of the selected 11 miRNAs were measured in the blood samples collected from 73 patients (moderate, n = 37; severe, n = 25; critically ill, n = 11, a total of 219 longitudinal samples) on hospitalization day and days 7 and 21. Expression changes were expressed as "fold change" compared to healthy controls (n = 10). Our study found that several miRNAs differed according to disease severity, with the miR-155-5p the most strongly upregulated (p = 0.0001). A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between the expression of miR-155-5p and its target gene, the suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1). The relative expression of miR-155-5p was significantly increased and SOCS1 was significantly decreased with the disease progression (r = -0.805 p = 0.0001, r = -0.940 p = 0.0001, r = -0.933 p = 0.0001 for admission, day 7, and day 21, respectively). The overexpression of miR-155-5p has significantly increased inflammatory cytokine production and promoted COVID-19 progression. We speculated that microRNA-155 facilitates immune inflammation via targeting SOCS1, thus establishing its association with disease prognosis.

Incidence and risk factors for pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of pneumomediastinum (PNMD), its causes of development and its effect on prognosis in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are not clear. METHODS: Between March 2020 and December 2020, 427 patients with real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit were analysed retrospectively. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) for initial invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) variables such as initial peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), PaO2/FiO2 (P/F ratio), tidal volume, compliance and positive end-expiratory pressure was evaluated regarding PNMD development. RESULTS: The incidence of PNMD was 5.6% (n = 24). PNMD development rate was 2.7% in non-invasive MV and 6.2% in MV [odds ratio (OR) 2.352, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.541-10.232; P = 0.400]. In the multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors affecting the development of PNMD were PIP (OR 1.238, 95% CI 1.091-1.378; P < 0.001) and P/F ratio (OR 0.982, 95% CI 0.971-0.994; P = 0.004). P/F ratio (AUC 0.815, 95% CI 0.771-0.854), PIP (AUC 0.780, 95% CI 0.734-0.822), compliance (AUC 0.735, 95% CI 0.677-0.774) and positive end-expiratory pressure (AUC 0.718, 95% CI 0.668-0.764) were the best predictors for PNMD development. Regarding the multivariate analysis, independent risk factors affecting mortality were detected as age (OR 1.015, 95% CI 0.999-1.031; P = 0.04), comorbidity (OR 1.940, 95% CI 1.100-3.419; P = 0.02), mode of breathing (OR 48.345, 95% CI 14.666-159.360; P < 0.001), PNMD (OR 5.234, 95% CI 1.379-19.857; P = 0.01), positive end-expiratory pressure (OR 1.305, 95% CI 1.062-1.603; P = 0.01) and tidal volume (OR 0.995, 95% CI 0.992-0.998; P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: PNMD development was associated with the initial P/F ratio and PIP. Therefore, it was considered to be related to both the patient and barotrauma. PNMD is a poor prognostic factor for COVID-19.

The effect of body mass index on the development of acute kidney injury and mortality in intensive care unit: is obesity paradox valid?

BACKGROUND: The conflicting results of studies on intensive care unit (ICU) mortality of obese patients and obese patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) reveal a paradox within a paradox. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of body mass index and obesity on AKI development and ICU mortality. METHODS: The 4,459 patients treated between January 2015 and December 2019 in the ICU at a Tertiary Care Center in Turkey were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: AKI developed more in obese patients with 69.8% (620). AKI development rates were similar in normal-weight (65.1%; 1172) and overweight patients (64.9%; 1149). The development of AKI in patients who presented with cerebrovascular diseases was higher in obese patients (81; 76.4%) than in normal-weight (158; 62.7%) and overweight (174; 60.8%) patients (p < 0.05). The risk of developing AKI was approximately 1.4 times (CI 95% = 1.177-1.662) higher in obese patients than in normal-weight patients. Dialysis was used more frequently in obese patients (24.3%, p < 0.001), who stayed longer in the ICU (p < 0.05). It was determined that the development of AKI in normal-weight and overweight patients increased mortality (p < 0.001) and that there was not a difference in mortality rates between obese patients with and without AKI. CONCLUSION: The risk of AKI development was higher in obese patients but not in those who were in serious conditions. Another paradox was that the development of AKI was associated with a higher mortality rate in normal-weight and overweight patients, but not in obese patients. Cerebrovascular diseases as a cause of admission pose additional risks for AKI.

Relationship of mortality with neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and mean platelet volume in patients undergoing acute abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Acute abdominal surgery has a high rate of mortality and morbidity, and intensive care is often needed in the postoperative period. In intensive care units, various scoring systems are used to determine prognosis and mortality but are not sufficient to predict mortality and prognosis. For this purpose, easily applicable, effective methods are being investigated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between mortality and blood parameters, such as neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and mean platelet volume (MPV), in patients undergoing acute abdominal surgery. METHODS: This study included a total of 249 patients who underwent acute abdominal surgery. The patients were divided into two groups as survivors (n=126) and non-survivors (n=123). The patient data were retrospectively analysed. The NLR, PLR, and MPV values were compared between the groups. Data including age, sex, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II-IV scores (APACHEII-IV), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores (SOFA), Glasgow Coma Scale were assessed. RESULTS: The mortality rate was 49.4% in our study. There was no statistically significant difference in the NLR and PLR values between the groups. However, MPV was significantly higher in the non-survivors group (p<0.004). CONCLUSION: Our study results showed that MPV values were significantly higher in the non-survivors following acute abdominal surgery, and NLR and PLR were not associated with mortality.

Comparison of epidural and intravenous route for acute and chronic postoperative pain control in patients with gynecological malignancy.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the effects of patient-controlled epidural and intravenous analgesia on acute and chronic postoperative pain in patients who were operated on for gynecological malignancy. METHODS: Postoperatively, patient-controlled analgesia was administered via epidural route to Group 1 and the intravenous route to Group 2. Pain was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) in the acute phase at postoperative 24 hours and at 6 months in the chronic phase. RESULTS: The VAS scores at 24 hours were lower in Group 1 than in Group 2 (3.29 vs 3.93; p<0.05). The VAS scores at 6 months were 2.03 in Group 1 and 2.53 in Group 2, indicating no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). There was no significant difference in the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs pain scale scores at 6 months (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The results showed that epidural and intravenous analgesia had a similar effect regarding the chronicity of pain but better outcomes were achieved with epidural analgesia in the acute stage.

Correction to: Assessment of vascular leakage and its development with FFA among patients treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF due to aggressive posterior ROP.

In the original publication, the authors' affiliations were published incorrectly.

Can we use magnesium for sedation in the intensive care unit for critically ill patients: Is it as effective as other sedatives?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this prospective, randomized study was to investigate the effect of magnesium added to midazolam on the hemodynamics, transition time to a T-piece, mechanical ventilation duration, additional sedative-analgesic requirement using bispectral index (BIS) monitorization and sedation scales. METHODS: Fifty critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation support in the intensive care unit were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Group I received a 0.03-0.3 mg/kg bolus loading dose+0.03-02 mg/kg/hour midazolam infusion; Group II received a 2 g bolus at 30 minutes, 16 mg/24-hour magnesium infusion+0.03-02 mg/kg/hour midazolam infusion. BIS levels and sedation levels were continuously monitored. RESULTS: The duration of mechanical ventilation in Group I was longer than that of Group II (31+-12 hours, 19+-11 hours, respectively; p<0.01). The length of time to start spontaneous breathing trials with a T-piece was greater in Group I than in Group II (27+-11 hours, 16+-11 hours, respectively; p<0.01). The 48-hour insulin requirement of Group I was greater than that of Group II (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Adding intravenous magnesium to the traditional sedation protocols in the intensive care unit decreased midazolam use as well as the additional analgesic requirement and mechanical ventilatory support duration without any side effects.

Assessment of vascular leakage and its development with FFA among patients treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF due to aggressive posterior ROP.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of vascular leakage and retinal vascular development with fundus fluorescein angiography for infants diagnosed with aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity who underwent intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment. METHOD: Medical recordings of 30 patients who received RetCam fluorescein angiography during follow-up and had been treated with anti-VEGF on diagnosis of aggressive posterior ROP in the zone I or zone II between the dates of April 2014-January 2017 were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Fifty-nine eyes of 30 patients were included in the study. Mean birth weight was 1145 g; gestation week was 28.4. Recurrence occurred in 30.5% of the patients, and 10.1% of them were given a second dose of injection of anti-VEGF. Leakage was detected in 15.3% of the eyes during angiography, and all of these eyes were treated with laser photocoagulation. Evaluation of vascular development revealed that in the temporal, complete retinal vascular development was achieved in only 8% of the eyes. It was detected that complete retinal vascularization was not observed in any of the cases which were given second dose of injection due to recurrence. The patients were distributed into groups according to postmenstrual week taken to angiography as 32 eyes of 16 patients in group 1, 17 eyes of 9 patients in group 2 and 10 eyes of 5 patients in group 3. The vascular leakage rate of group 3 patients was statistically significantly higher (p < 0.05) and vascular development between groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: With the initiation of FFA usage in pediatric cases, especially treated with anti-VEGF due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), more findings (vascular arrest, leakage, and abnormalities, etc.) are obtained than those achieved via ophthalmoscopic examination. In the light of these findings, early intervention with laser photocoagulation in early stages becomes possible enabling prevention of possible blindness.

Comparison of fluorescein angiographic findings in type 1 and type 2 retinopathy of prematurity with intravitreal bevacizumab monotherapy and spontaneous regression.

PURPOSE: To investigate the extent of vascularization of the peripheral retina and vascular development patterns in patients with type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treated with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB) and compare fluorescein angiography (FA) findings of them to those seen in patients with type 2 ROP who have recovered spontaneously. METHODS: Between May 2014 and September 2016, patients with type 1 ROP who had a single 0.025 ml (0.625 mg) IVB were evaluated as study group. On the other hand, type 2 ROP patients with stage 2 or stage 3 ROP in zone II without plus disease on indirect ophthalmoscopy were not treated and included as a control group. The progression of ROP and vascularization of retina were evaluated by FA under sedation analgesia in all patients. RESULTS: Sixty-two eyes of 31 premature infants were included in the study: 36 eyes/18 patients were treated for type 1 ROP and 26 eyes/13 patients were followed conservatively with the diagnoses of type 2 ROP. In the last FA examination among the study group, vascular terminal was in zone II in 8 eyes/4 patients (22.22%) and in zone III in 28 eyes/14 patients (77.78%). Vascular terminal was in zone III in all eyes of the control group (100%). We noted circumferential vessels in 12 eyes/8 patients (33.3%) and 7 eyes/5 patients (26.92%) in the study and control groups, respectively. Abnormal branching was noticed in 13 eyes/7 patients (46.42%) in the control group, whereas it was not detected in the study group. Arteriovenous shunts were noted in 1 eye of a patient in the study group and in 5 eyes/4 patients in the control group. In 6 eyes/3 patients among the study group, we performed laser photocoagulation to the avascular retina because of profound vascular leakage. CONCLUSION: Peripheral vascular abnormalities probably occur as a result of ROP itself because similar FA findings were detected both in type 1 and type 2 ROP patients with or without treatment, although significantly less in IVB-treated group. Retinal vascularization usually reaches the farthermost limits with time even though it slows down in eyes treated with IVB, indicating the importance of a longer follow-up.

Efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept monotherapy in retinopathy of prematurity evaluated by periodic fluorescence angiography and optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) in vascular and macular maturation in neonates with type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity (APROP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six eyes of 18 patients with type 1 ROP or APROP in zone I or posterior zone II were enrolled in our study. At baseline, only fluorescein angiography (FA) was performed. After IVA injection, both FA and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed after 6.8 ± 0.8 (range 6-8) and 19 ± 0.9 (range 18-20) weeks to follow vascular and macular changes. RESULTS: Both diffuse flat neovascularization with leakage and abnormal vascular branching at the small arteriolar level were detected in all eyes (100%) at baseline FA. Regression of the disease was observed in 34 eyes (94.4%) in the first week with binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy. Early unresponsiveness in remaining two eyes of an infant required an IVA re-treatment. Late reactivation was detected only in 19.4% of eyes, none of which required treatment during 12 months of follow-up. The most common feature after IVA injection was abnormal branching at capillary level, which was noted in 100% in the first post-injection FA and 50.0% of all eyes in the second FA. Meanwhile, the end limit of vascularization was observed in zone III in 83.3% of eyes. No vascular abnormality was also detected in 27.3% of eyes. The OCT examination at a mean postmenstrual age of 43.4 weeks revealed cystoid macular changes in four eyes of two infants (11.1%), normal foveal contour in 30 eyes of 15 infants (83.3%) and matured ellipsoid zone at the foveal center in 28 eyes of 14 infants (77.8%). Macular maturation was complete in all eyes in the last OCT analyses. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal aflibercept monotherapy has been an effective treatment in type I ROP and APROP with much lower early and late re-treatment rates because of early unresponsiveness and late reactivation, respectively. In most of the eyes, rapid vascular outgrowth beyond zone III together with normal macular maturation was observed more precisely by periodic FA and OCT.