Quadrant and Dermatomal Analysis of Sensorial Block in Ultrasound- Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block.

OBJECTIVE: As a novel procedure now gaining popularity, erector spinae plane block has been the subject of many studies. However, dermatomal coverage of the sensory block caused by erector spinae plane block has been rarely studied. The goal of this study is to evaluate the sensory block resulting from erector spinae plane block applied at the T9 vertebral level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational, prospective, blinded study was conducted on 50 adult patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery. All patients underwent bilateral erector spinae plane block at the T9 level after completion of the surgery while under general anesthesia. In order to further evaluate the sensory blockade, we divided the hemiabdomen-hemithorax region into 4 quadrants: dorsal-medial, dorsal- laterel, ventral-lateral, and ventral-medial. The sensorial evaluation was performed using the pinprick test, 2 hours following the application of erector spinae plane block. RESULTS: A total of 28 female and 22 male patients were examined in this study. Complete failure of the block was recorded in 7 patients, with no thoracic/lumbar segmental or quadrant involvement. Successful sensory block was achieved in 67% of the dorsolateral quadrants, 58% of the dorsomedial quadrants, 69% of the ventrolateral quadrants, and 55% of the ventromedial quadrants. CONCLUSION: Cutaneous sensory block of erector spinae plane block at T9 vertebral level revealed variable results and low failure rates. Administration of erector spinae plane block for postoperative analgesia in thoracoab- dominal surgeries requires further randomized controlled trials to confirm its effectiveness and convenience.

Translation and Validation of the Turkish Version of the Quality of Postoperative Recovery Score QoR-15: A Multi-Centred Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: The Quality of Recovery-15 questionnaire is a self-rated questionnaire used to assess the quality of the postoperative recovery and health status of patients in the early period following surgery. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Turkish version of the Quality of Recovery-15. METHODS: After approval by the Maltepe University local ethics committee, this observational study was conducted among patients who received surgical interventions at Mersin University Hospital between July 2019 and January 2020. Reliability, feasibility, and validity were assessed to validate the Turkish version of the Quality of Recovery-15. RESULTS: The completion rate of the form was determined to be 92% and a total of 200 patients were enrolled in the study. The Cronbach's alpha of the global Turkish version of the Quality of Recovery-15 was 0.927. Test-retest reliability was 0.84 [CI 95%: 0.75-0.90] and Cohen's effect size was 0.319. The total standardized response mean was determined as 0.53. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study in which the Quality of Recovery-15 scale was translated into Turkish with our knowledge. The Turkish version of the Quality of Recovery-15 showed satisfactory reliability and validity in evaluating the quality of recovery after surgery in the Turkish population.

[Effectiveness of simplified predictive intubation difficulty score and thyromental height in head and neck surgeries: an observational study]. / Eficácia do escore simplificado preditivo de dificuldade de intubação e da altura tiromentoniana em cirurgias de cabeça e pescoço: estudo observacional.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to investigate the predictive value of different airway assessment tools, including parts of the Simplified Predictive Intubation Difficulty Score (SPIDS), the SPIDS itself and the Thyromental Height Test (TMHT), in intubations defined as difficult by the Intubation Difficulty Score (IDS) in a group of patients who have head and neck pathologies. METHODS: One hundred fifty-three patients who underwent head and neck surgeries were included in the study. The Modified Mallampati Test (MMT) result, Thyromental Distance (TMD), Ratio of the Height/Thyromental Distance (RHTMD), TMHT, maximum range of head and neck motion, and mouth opening were measured. The SPIDSs were calculated, and the IDSs were determined. RESULTS: A total of 25.4% of the patients had difficult intubations. SPIDS scores > 10 had 86.27% sensitivity, 71.57% specificity and 91.2% Negative Predictive Value (NPV). The results of the Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis for the airway screening tests and SPIDS revealed that the SPIDS had the highest area under the curve; however, it was statistically similar to other tests, except for the MMT. CONCLUSIONS: The current study demonstrates the practical use of the SPIDS in predicting intubation difficulty in patients with head and neck pathologies. The performance of the SPIDS in predicting airway difficulty was found to be as efficient as those of the other tests evaluated in this study. The SPIDS may be considered a comprehensive, detailed tool for predicting airway difficulty.

Is a Combination of the Serratus Intercostal Plane Block and Rectus Sheath Block Superior to the Bilateral Oblique Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy?

OBJECTIVE: The serratus intercostal plane block (SIPB) is a recently defined interfascial plane block. The oblique subcostal transversus abdominis plane block (OSTAP) is another type of interfascial plane block, and it is also used as a part of multimodal analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). In this retrospective study, we evaluated the effects of the bilateral OSTAP and a combination of the right SIPB and bilateral rectus sheath block (RSB) on the postoperative pain and analgesia requirement in patients undergoing LC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of the patients who underwent LC between May 2018 and November 2018 were evaluated retrospectively. Postoperative pain was evaluated using the numeric rating scale (NRS), and 24-hour tramadol consumption and rescue analgesia requirements were compared. RESULTS: Bilateral OSTAP was applied to 47 patients, and SIPB+RSB was applied to 25 patients. Postoperative pain scores were similar between the two groups. In the first 24 hours, tramadol requirement in the SIPB+RSB group was significantly lower than in the OSTAP block group (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the NRS averages at different time frames between the two block groups. CONCLUSION: We found that when SIPB is used as a part of multimodal analgesia in a combination with RSB in LS, it improves the quality of analgesia and decreases the analgesic requirement compared to patients undergoing a bilateral OSTAP block. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to compare the effects of SIPB alone and in a combination with other blocks in LC.

Evaluation of ultrasound-guided transversalis fascia plane block for postoperative analgesia in cesarean section: A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Cesarean Delivery (CD) is a commonly performed obstetric procedure. Adding a regional anesthesia technique to multimodal analgesia in CD, may improve the quality of postoperative analgesia. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of Transversalis Fascia Plane Block (TFPB) for postoperative analgesia management in CD. DESIGN: Blinded, prospective, randomized study. SETTING: Postoperative recovery room & ward, tertiary university hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, PATIENTS: Seventy-five patients (ASA II-III) scheduled to undergo Cesarean delivery were recruited. Following exclusion, 70 patients were randomized into two equal groups (block and control group). INTERVENTIONS: Standard multimodal analgesia (routine paracetamol and tramadol PCA in addition to diclophenac sodium as rescue analgesia) was performed in Group C while TFPB block was also performed in the intervention (TFPB) group. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was tramadol consumption within the first 24 h. The secondary outcome was Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores during rest and movement/coughing. MAIN RESULTS: Tramadol consumption in the first 24 h was 175 ±â€¯72.32 mg in the control and 101.42 ±â€¯51.45 mg in the TFPB group (p < 0.05). NRS was lower in Group TFPB during the first 3 h and at the 12th hour. There was no difference in NRS scores at other hours. CONCLUSION: Bilateral ultrasound guided TFPB leads to effective analgesia and a decrease in analgesia requirement in first 24 h in patients undergoing CD.

Use of the Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block in Segmental Mastectomy.

Erector spinae plane (ESP) block is a recently described regional anaesthesia/analgesia technique. Although there is stil no consensus on its mechanism, the published case series seem to promise a new block for both chronic and acute pain. In this case report, the use of ESP block in 47-year-old female patient scheduled for bilateral segmental mastectomy surgery is presented. ESP was formerly reported for rib fracture, bariatric surgery, open abdominal surgery and breast implant surgery. To the best of our knowledge, no article has been published for ESP block in breast cancer surgery including axillary dissection.

Quality of Erector Spinae Plane Block Educational Videos on a Popular Video-sharing Platform.

Introduction The Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block is a novel inter-fascial block developed in 2016, which has several clinical indications. YouTube (www.youtube.com; YT) is a popular American video-sharing platform. YT permits every user to view, share, and comment the videos uploaded by other users. The aim of the study was to evaluate the educational value and the technical video quality of didactic videos for the ESP block on a popular video-sharing platform, to evaluate the difference in quality between academic and nonacademic videos, and to evaluate the correlation between the views and quality of the videos, the length, and the time since upload. Methods We performed a search on YT trying to detect all relevant educational videos for the ESP block. Both the educational value and the technical video quality were assessed independently by three assessors. Assessors were asked to watch the videos and to fill in two questionnaires, the first one regarding the technical and educational aspects of ESP block, the second one regarding the video-editing quality. The video length, academic origin, views, and time from upload were also registered. Results We identified 62 videos and 21 videos entered the final analysis. The educational material for the ESP block had an overall low quality. Academic videos have a higher quality than non-academic ones. The video views are correlated with time since upload but not with the video quality. Conclusions The educational material for the ESP block on YT has a limited technical and video quality. For this reason, we recommend physicians to be very cautious in using video-sharing platforms as a unique source of medical knowledge.

[YouTube as an informational source for brachial plexus blocks: evaluation of content and educational value]. / YouTube como fonte informativa sobre bloqueios do plexo braquial: avaliação de conteúdo e valor educativo.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: YouTube, the most popular video-sharing website, contains a significant number of medical videos including brachial plexus nerve blocks. Despite the widespread use of this platform as a medical information source, there is no regulation for the quality or content of the videos. The goals of this study are to evaluate the content of material on YouTube relevant to performance of brachial plexus nerve blocks and its quality as a visual digital information source. METHODS: The YouTube search was performed using keywords associated with brachial plexus nerve blocks and the final 86 videos out of 374 were included in the watch list. The assessors scored the videos separately according to the Questionnaires. Questionnaire-1 (Q1) was prepared according to the ASRA guidelines/Miller's Anesthesia as a reference text book, and Questionnaire-2 (Q2) was formulated using a modification of the criteria in Evaluation of Video Media Guidelines. RESULTS: 72 ultrasound-guided and 14 nerve-stimulator guided block videos were evaluated. In Q1, for ultrasound-guided videos, the least scores were for Q1-5 (1.38) regarding the complications, and the greatest scores were for Q1-13 (3.30) regarding the sono-anatomic image. In videos with nerve stimulator, the lowest and the highest scores were given for Q1-7 (1.64) regarding the equipment and Q1-12 (3.60) regarding the explanation of muscle twitches respectively. In Q2, 65.3% of ultrasound-guided and 42.8% of blocks with nerve-stimulator had worse than satisfactory scores. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the videos examined for this study lack the comprehensive approach necessary to safely guide someone seeking information about brachial plexus nerve blocks.

Ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block: Indications, Complications, and Effects on Acute and Chronic Pain Based on a Single-center Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a novel regional anesthesia technique used in postoperative pain and chronic neuropathic pain of the thoracoabdominal region. There are no previously published large case series. This retrospective review aimed to report the indications, levels of block, success of block and complications, and also to evaluate the effect of ESPB on postoperative/chronic pain. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the charts and medical records of 182 patients who had ESPB in the last one year. All records were collected in the postoperative recovery room, ward, and pain unit. RESULTS: ESPB performed at several different levels and for several different indications led to effective postoperative analgesia when part of a multimodal analgesia plan. Few complications were noted. CONCLUSION: ESPB is an interfascial plane block with many indications. The possibility of complications must be considered.

Evaluation of Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block and Oblique Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Randomized, Controlled, Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Oblique subcostal transversus abdominis plane block (OSTAP) is a recently described regional anesthetic technique used in upper abdominal surgeries such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has also been reported for postoperative analgesia in LC. AIM: We aimed to compare the effectiveness of OSTAP and ESPB in providing postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing these surgeries. SETTING AND DESIGN: This study was designed as a double-blinded, prospective, randomized, efficiency study in a tertiary university hospital, postoperative recovery room, and ward. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 72 patients were recruited and 60 patients were randomized into three equal groups (ESPB, OSTAP, and control group). Pain intensity between groups was compared using Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores. In addition, consumption of paracetamol and tramadol and additional rescue analgesic requirement were measured. Standard multimodal analgesia was performed in all groups, while ESPB block was also performed in Group ESPB and OSTAP block was also performed in group OSTAP. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Descriptive statistics were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Shapiro-Wilk test, one-way ANOVA, and post hoc Tukey's analysis were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: NRS was lower in block groups during the first 3 h. There was no difference in NRS scores at other hours. Analgesic consumption and rescue analgesic requirement were lower in groups ESPB and OSTAP when compared to those of control group. Block groups were similar. CONCLUSION: Bilateral ultrasound-guided ESPB and OSTAP performed at the end of LC lead to akin analgesia requirement and improve the quality of multimodal analgesia.

Case Report Presentation of Ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block in Shoulder Surgery: Three Patients and Two Different Results.

Erector spinae block (ESPB) is an effective therapy for chronic shoulder pain. However, ESPB has not been used as a postoperative analgesia method in shoulder surgeries. In this case report, we report three patients undergoing shoulder surgeries that received ESPB preoperatively for postoperative analgesia. All patients had relief of preoperative pain and no associated motor block. Two of the patients manifested with low maximum pain scores (4/10, 3/10) on a numeric rating scale (NRS). The other patient reported a maximum pain score of 8/10 on NRS. While this patient's shoulder mobility immediately improved after ESPB application, the ESPB did not provide adequate analgesia for the postoperative period. The use of the ESPB for acute postoperative analgesia after shoulder surgery is novel and clinically interesting. However, postoperative analgesia was not completely opioid-sparing. Consequently, the efficiency of ESPB at the level of T2 for postoperative analgesia should be considered for surgeries that involve the shoulder cap given the possible inadequate migration of local anesthetic into the cervical plexus. Clinicians should carefully consider an ESPB as a postoperative analgesic option when considering shoulder operations and the possibility for the incomplete spread of local anesthetic in targeted neural structures.

Use of Femoral and Sciatic Nerve Block Combination in Severe Emphysematous Lung Disease for Femoral Popliteal Arterial Bypass Surgery.

Regional anesthesia is a widely used anesthesia technique for high-risk patients with severe vascular or pulmonary diseases in which general anesthesia is considered harmful and should be avoided. In this case, we present the use of femoral-sciatic nerve block combination for a 65-year-old, ASA IV, male patient who had severe emphysematous lung disease and was planned for a right femoral-popliteal arterial bypass surgery. He had severe pulmonary disease, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, and was on clopidogrel treatment. Due to his existing comorbidities, regional anesthesia was considered the right method. The combination of femoral and sciatic nerve block was successfully used for the operation, which lasted for one hour and fifty minutes under sedation, and was continuously supplied with a propofol infusion. The patient was safely discharged to the surgical ward with no pain. The femoral block and sciatic block combination is described as one of the most useful, and at the same time, the most ignored anesthetic method. This technique is considered a standard technique and is often taught early in training; however, its use seems to be underestimated as there are only a few cases documented in Turkey. The aim of this case is to serve as a reminder of its significant value in patients who are not appropriate for general anesthesia and neuraxial blocks.

Erector Spinae Plane Block for Different Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgeries: Case Series.

The ultrasound guided erector spinae plane (ESP) block is a recent block described for various surgeries for postoperative analgesia. ESP block has effect on both visceral and somatic pain; therefore, its use in laparoscopic cholecystectomy and other abdominal surgeries can be advantageous. We describe successful ESP block application in three different cases for postoperative pain. Two patient were operated on using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and laparoscopic cholecystectomy and one patient was operated on using laparoscopic cholecystectomy together with the inguinal hernia operation.

[The antimicrobial activity of ephedrine and admixture of ephedrine and propofol: an in vitro study]. / A atividade antimicrobiana de efedrina e da combinação de efedrina e propofol: um estudo in vitro.

INTRODUCTION: Propofol and Ephedrine are commonly used during anesthesia maintenance, the former as a hypnotic agent and the later as a vasopressor. The addition of propofol to ephedrine or administration of ephedrine before propofol injection is useful for decreasing or preventing propofol related hemodynamic changes and vascular pain. This in vitro study evaluated the antibacterial effect on common hospital-acquired infection pathogens of ephedrine alone or combined with propofol. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study was performed in two stages. In the first, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of propofol and ephedrine alone and combined was calculated for Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and a clinical isolate of Acinetobacter spp. at 0, 6, 12 and 24h, using the microdilution method. In the second stage, the same drugs and combination were used to determine their effect on bacterial growth. Bacterial solutions were prepared at 0.5MacFarland in sterile 0.9% physiological saline and diluted at 1/100 concentration. Colony numbers were measured as colony forming units.mL-1 at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12th hours. RESULTS: Ephedrine either alone or combined with propofol did not have an antimicrobial effect on Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium or Pseudomonas aeruginosa and this was similar to propofol. However, ephedrine alone and combined with propofol was found to have an antimicrobial effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter species at 512mcg.mL-1 concentration and significantly decreased bacterial growth rate. CONCLUSION: Ephedrine has an antimicrobial activity on Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter species which were frequently encountered pathogens as a cause of nosocomial infections.

Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Lumbar Erector Spinae Plane Block and Transmuscular Quadratus Lumborum Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Hip and Proximal Femur Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Feasibility Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Lumbar Erector spinae Plane block (L-ESPB) is a modification of a recently described block. Both L-ESPB and Transmuscular Quadratus Lumborum block (QLB-T) have been reported to provide effective postoperative analgesia in hip and proximal femur surgery. Herein, we compare the effectiveness of L-ESPB and QLB-T in providing postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing hip and femur operations. DESIGN: Double-blinded, prospective, randomized, feasibility study. SETTING: Tertiary university hospital, postoperative recovery room and ward. METHODOLOGY: A total of 72 patients (American Society of Anesthesiology physical status classification II-III) were recruited. After exclusion, 60 patients were allocated to three equal groups (control, L-ESB and QLB-t). INTERVENTIONS: Standard multimodal analgesia was performed in the control group while L-ESPB or QLB-T was performed in the block groups. MEASUREMENTS: Pain intensity between groups was compared using Numeric Rating Scores. Furthermore, tramadol consumption and additional rescue analgesic requirement was measured. RESULTS: There was no difference between demographic data or type of surgery. While there was no difference in Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score at any hour between the block groups; NRS scores at the 1st, 3rd and 6th h, tramadol consumption during the first 12 h and total tramadol consumption, the number of patient required rescue analgesic in 24 h were significantly higher in the control group compared to both block groups. CONCLUSION: While L-ESPB and QLB-T have similar effect, they improve analgesia quality in patients undergoing hip and proximal femoral surgery when compared to standard intravenous analgesia regimen.

Evaluation of ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block for postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is a commonly performed minimally invasive procedure that has led to a decrease in procedure-related mortality and morbidity. However, LC requires analgesia that blocks both visceral and somatic nerve fibers. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) for postoperative analgesia management in LC. DESIGN: Single-blinded, prospective, randomized, efficiency study. SETTING: Tertiary university hospital, postoperative recovery room & ward. PATIENTS: 36 patients (ASA I-II) were recruited in two equal groups (block and control group). Following exclusion, 30 patients were included in final analysis. INTERVENTIONS: Standard multimodal analgesia was performed in Group C (control) while ESPB block was also performed in Group B (block). MEASUREMENTS: Pain intensity between groups were compared using Numeric Rating Scores (NRS). Also, tramadol consumption and additional rescue analgesic requirement were measured. MAIN RESULTS: NRS was lower in Group B during the first 3 h. There was no difference in NRS scores at other hours. Tramadol consumption was lower in Group B during the first 12 h. Less rescue analgesia was required in Group. CONCLUSION: Bilateral ultrasound guided ESPB leads to effective analgesia and a decrease in analgesia requirement in first 12 h in patients undergoing LC.

[YouTube as an information source of spinal anesthesia, epidural anesthesia and combined spinal and epidural anesthesia]. / YouTube como fonte de informação de raquianestesia, anestesia peridural e anestesia combinada raquiperidural.

INTRODUCTION: Social media as YouTube have become a part of daily life and many studies evaluated health-related YouTube videos. Our aim was to evaluate videos available on YouTube for the conformity to textbook information and their sufficiency as a source for patient information. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A search of the YouTube website was performed using the keywords "spinal anesthesia, epidural anesthesia, combined spinal epidural anesthesia". Firstly, 180 videos were evaluated and the characteristics of the video were noted, and the features of the video too were noted if the video was regarding neuraxial anesthesia. Questionnaire 1 (Q1) evaluating the video quality relating to neuraxial anesthesia was designed using a textbook as reference and questionnaire 2 (Q2) was designed for evaluating patient information. RESULTS: After exclusions, 40 videos were included in the study. There was no difference in Q1 or Q2 scores when videos were grouped into 4 quarters according to their appearance order, time since upload or views to length rate (p>0.05). There was no statistical difference between Q1 or Q2 scores for spinal, epidural or combined videos (p>0.05). Videos prepared by a healthcare institute have a higher score in both Questionnaires 1 and 2 (10.87±4.28 vs. 5.84±2.90, p=0.044 and 3.89±5.43 vs. 1.19±3.35, p=0.01 respectively). CONCLUSION: Videos prepared by institutes, societies, etc. were of higher educational value, but were still very lacking. Videos should be prepared in adherence to available and up-to-date guidelines taking into consideration appropriate step by step explanation of each procedure, patient safety and frequently asked questions.

Evaluation of the reliability of preoperative descriptive airway assessment tests in prediction of the Cormack-Lehane score: A prospective randomized clinical study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: In this study we investigated and compared the predictive values of different airway assessments tests including thyromental height measurement test, which has been recently suggested, in difficult laryngoscopy (Cormack and Lehane [C-L] scores 3 and 4). In addition, we compared the effectiveness of methods and C-L scores, by IDS, in terms of predicting difficult intubation. DESIGN: Prospective, blinded study. SETTING: Maltepe University. PATIENTS: Four hundred fifty-one patients selected randomly who underwent general anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: In this study we compared predictive value of thyromental height measurement test (TMH), which has been recently suggested, modified Mallampati test (MMT), upper lip bite test (ULBT), and thyromental distance measurement test (TMD) in difficult laryngoscopy. Final C-L scores were compared with intubation difficulty scale (IDS) in terms of predicting difficult intubation. MEASUREMENTS: Patient's American Society of Anesthesiology score, age and weight were recorded. TMH, TMD, MMT, ULBT, IDS and C-L scores were measured and determined. MAIN RESULTS: The optimal cut-off point for TMH for predicting difficult laryngoscopy was 43.5 mm and for TMD was 82.06 mm. Use of TMH <43.5 with MMT has the highest sensitivity for predicting difficult intubation (78.38) with 75.36% specificity and 97.50% negative predictive value. TMH showed sensitivity of 91.89% and specificity 52.17% at 50 mm cut-off value. In the comparison of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values, none of the tests came forth individually or in combination with MMT test. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates the practicality of TMH as a digitalized test however the clinical benefits of TMH in daily medical practice are drawn into question. The additional variable of race may have had some bearing on this and further studies, larger in patient sample size, may need to use different methodology concerning age-, sex-, and race-dependent variables in evaluating these tests.

Evaluation of analgesic regimens in total knee arthroplasty, retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Analgesic therapies have an immense role in early rehabilitation period after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and multimodal approaches should be considered as the first choice of treatment. In this retrospective study, the aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of multimodal analgesic therapies for TKA, including femoral nerve block (FNB) and patient controlled analgesia (PCA). METHODS: The data of 79 patients who underwent TKA between January and December 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. In all, 63 patients met the inclusion criteria. Hemodynamic records and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scores for postoperative 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 hours were evaluated and patients were separated into 3 groups. Group 1: FNB with 0.25% bupivacaine, Group 2: FNB with 0.166% bupivacaine, and Group 3: No FNB. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 64.3±14.9 years and average body mass index (BMI) was 32.5±5.3 kg/m2. There was no statistical difference between groups in age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification of physical health scores, BMI, or anesthesia type (p<0.05). When VAS scores at postoperative time intervals were compared, there was a statistically significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 (p>0.05). When difference between Groups 1 and 3 and Groups 2 and 3 were compared, the difference was statistically significant for VAS 0 (p>0.05). Additional analgesic use was highest in Group 3. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that FNB significantly decreases postoperative pain intensity and additional analgesia requirement in patients undergoing TKA. A concentration of 0.166% bupivacaine is as effective as a concentration of 0.25% when used as part of a multimodal analgesia regimen in TKA.