PENG block associated with dexmedetomidine sedation for intramedullary femoral fixation in high-risk elderly patients: a case series and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture is a major cause of hospitalization among the elderly population. The standard surgical treatment involves early repair to reduce mortality and morbidity. One type of treatment in the case of intertrochanteric and subtrochanteric fractures is intramedullary nailing, as it decreases soft tissue damage and permits early weight bearing. The most common anesthesia technique combines spinal anesthesia with a peripheral block. In cases where spinal anesthesia is contraindicated, general anesthesia is preferred. However, both techniques can lead to significant complications, especially in patients with multiple comorbidities. Pain management after hip surgery, particularly in elderly and frail individuals, poses a challenge. The pericapsular nerve group block (PENG) targets the innervation of the anterior portion of the hip joint and is increasingly used for pain management related to hip surgery. CASE SERIES: This paper presents a case series of three elderly patients who underwent pericapsular nerve group block (PENG) block combined with dexmedetomidine sedation for intramedullary femoral fixation. CONCLUSIONS: The PENG block can be effectively used as the sole anesthetic technique for managing elderly patients undergoing intramedullary femoral fixation while on antiplatelet drugs. This procedure effectively controlled pain during both the surgical and postoperative periods. The addition of dexmedetomidine for sedation enables comfortable and safe procedures, minimizing the risk of perioperative neurocognitive dysfunctions and without adverse effects on cardiorespiratory function.

Comparative Evaluation of Two Different Post-Operative Analgesia after Hallux Valgus Correction in Day Surgery Patients.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was the evaluation of two different techniques on post-operative analgesia and motor recovery after hallux valgus correction in one-day surgery patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We enrolled 26 patients scheduled for hallux valgus surgery and treated with the same surgical technique (SCARF osteotomy). After subgluteal sciatic nerve block with a short acting local anaesthetic (Mepivacaine 1.5%, 15ml), each patient received an ultrasound-guided Posterior Tibialis Nerve Block (PTNB) with Levobupivacaine 0.5% (7-8ml). We measured the postoperative intensity of pain using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the consumption of oxycodone after operative treatment and the motor recovery. VAS was detected at baseline (time 0, before the surgery) and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours after the operative procedure (T1, T2, T3, T4 respectively). Control group of 26 patients were treated with another post-operative analgesia technique: local infiltration (Local Infiltration Anaesthesia, LIA) with Levobupivacaine 0.5% (15ml) performed by the surgeon. RESULTS: PTNB group showed a significant reduction of VAS score from the sixth hour after surgery compared to LIA group (p<0.028 at T2, p<0.05 at T3 and p<0.002 at T4, respectively). Instead, no significant differences were found in terms of post-operative oxycodone consumption and motor recovery after surgery.Conclusions: PTNB resulted in a valid alternative to LIA approach for post-operative pain control due to its better control of post-operative pain along the first 24 hours. In a multimodal pain management according to ERAS protocol, both PTNB and LIA should be considered as clinically effective analgesic techniques.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in hip and knee replacement surgery: description of a multidisciplinary program to improve management of the patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery.

PURPOSE: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols aim to develop peri-operative multidisciplinary programs to shorten length of hospital stay (LOS) and reduce complications, readmissions and costs for patients undergoing major surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of an ERAS pathway for total hip (THR) and knee (TKR) replacement surgery in terms of length of stay, incidence of complications and patient satisfaction. METHODS: Patients scheduled for hip and knee replacement were included in the study. The main aspects of this program were preoperative education/physical therapy, rational choice of the anesthetic technique, optimization of multimodal analgesia, reduction of incidence of urinary retention and catheterization, active management of risk for blood loss and deep vein thrombosis, and early mobilization of the patients. All patients had 6 months predicted and planned follow-up appointments. Primary outcomes of the study were the mean LOS, readmission and complication rates. Secondary Outcomes were percentage of Knee Injury & Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) increase and patient's satisfaction. RESULTS: We consecutively enrolled 207 patients who underwent total joint arthroplasty, 78 hip and 129 knee joint replacements. The mean length of stay (LOS) for patients of the two groups was 4.3 days for ASA 3-4 patients subjected to TKR and THR, in ASA 1-2 patients 3.6 days for TKR and 3.9 days for THR respectively. Postoperative satisfaction level was higher than 7 (very satisfied) in 94.4% of the cases. All patients were discharged home: 61.8% continued physical therapy in complete autonomy, 23.7% supported by a home-physiotherapist and only 14.5% needed the attendance to a physiotherapy center on a daily basis. The overall incidence of major complications was 3.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of an ERAS program for hip and knee replacement surgery allows early patient's discharge and a quick return to independency in the daily activities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Role of old antibiotics in multidrug resistant bacterial infections.

Multidrug resistant bacteria infections are associated with an increase in attributable mortality and morbidity in ICU patients. Unfortunately, an emerging resistance to novel antibiotics used in the therapy of gram negative and gram positive bacteria infections is often reported in literature. Old antibiotics have been reintroduced in clinical practice. In this review we report the efficacy and safety use of older antimicrobial agents in critically ill patients. Polymyxins are used for nosocomial infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii resistant strains. Patients with polymyxin-only susceptible gram-negative nosocomial pneumonia are reported to be successfully treated with inhaled colistin. Isepamicin can probably be used in intensive care units that harbor Gram-negative bacteria resistant to other aminoglycosides. Fosfomycin may be a useful alternative to linezolid and quinupristin-dalfopristin in the treatment of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) infections in certain clinical situations, e.g. uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Chloramphenicol has a wide antimicrobial spectrum and excellent tissue penetration; though it is sometimes used empirically in the hospital setting for the treatment of patients with unknown source of fever, its role is still a matter of controversy. The colistin/rifampicin combination might have a synergistic effect in Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Fusidic acid is active against staphylococcal strains.