Analgesic effects of ultrasound-guided preoperative posterior Quadratus Lumborum block in laparoscopic hepatectomy: A prospective double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine if single-injection bilateral posterior quadratus lumborum block (QLB) with ropivacaine would improve postoperative analgesia in the first 24 h after laparoscopic hepatectomy, compared with 0.9% saline. DESIGN: Prospective, double blinded, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: A single tertiary care center from November 2021 and January 2023. PATIENTS: A total of 94 patients scheduled to undergo laparoscopic hepatectomy due to hepatocellular carcinoma. INTERVENTIONS: Ninety-four patients were randomized into a QLB group (receiving 20 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine on each side, 150 mg in total) or a control group (receiving 20 mL of 0.9% saline on each side). MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was the cumulative opioid consumption during the initial 24-h post-surgery. Secondary outcomes included pain scores and intraoperative and recovery parameters. MAIN RESULTS: The mean cumulative opioid consumption during the initial 24-h post-surgery was 30.8 ± 22.4 mg in the QLB group (n = 46) and 34.0 ± 19.4 mg in the control group (n = 46, mean differences: -3.3 mg, 95% confidence interval, -11.9 to 5.4, p = 0.457). The mean resting pain score at 1 h post-surgery was significantly lower in the QLB group than in the control group (5 [4-6.25] vs. 7 [4.75-8], p = 0.035). No significant intergroup differences were observed in the resting or coughing pain scores at other time points or in other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative bilateral posterior QLB did not reduce cumulative opioid consumption during the first 24 h after laparoscopic hepatectomy.

Correlation between bispectral index and patient state index in children under sevoflurane anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Because the unanticipated arousal or hemodynamic instability during anesthesia may adversely affect the physical and emotional welfare of children, adequate management of the anesthesia depth is required. We aimed to compare Bispectral Index (BIS) and Patient State Index (PSI) in children during sevoflurane anesthesia and evaluate PSI as depth of anesthesia monitor in children aged 6 months-12 years. METHODS: In this prospective observational study, children aged 6 months-12 years old scheduled for elective surgery under sevoflurane anesthesia were enrolled from November 2018 to June 2019. We monitored BIS and PSI at different sevoflurane concentrations. The primary outcome was the correlation between BIS and PSI. The correlation between BIS and PSI at different sevoflurane concentrations (at 1, 1.5, and 2 MACs) and at different age groups (6 months-2 years, 2-7 years, and 8-12 years) was also investigated. RESULTS: Bispectral index and PSI showed a fair correlation (r = .430; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.297-0.546; p < .001). Two values were fairly correlated at 1, 1.5, and 2 MAC (r = .544; 95% CI, 0.314-0.716; p < .001, r = .509; 95% CI, 0.283-0.699; p < .001, and r = .315; 95% CI, 0.047-0.522; p = 0.007). BIS and PSI values showed a fair correlation in 6 months - 2 year and 8-12 year groups (r = .696; 95% CI, 0.519-0.813; p < .001 and r = .297; 95% CI, -0.017 to 0.543; p < .021), but there was not significant correlation in 2-7 years group (r = .190; 95% CI, -0.015 to 0.374; p = .052). CONCLUSIONS: There was a fair correlation between BIS and PSI in children under sevoflurane anesthesia. The use of BIS and PSI as an indicator for anesthesia depth by sevoflurane is not reliable in pediatric patients.

Effects of Increased Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter on Inadequate Emergence from Anesthesia in Patients Undergoing Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy: A Prospective Observational Study.

(1) Background: Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) is preferred over open prostatectomy because it offers superior surgical outcomes and better postoperative recovery. The steep Trendelenburg position and pneumoperitoneum required in Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, however, increase intracranial pressure (ICP). The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of elevated ICP on the quality of emergence from anesthesia. (2) Methods: Sixty-seven patients undergoing RALP were enrolled. We measured optic nerve sheath diameter at four timepoints during surgery. Primary outcome was inadequate emergence in the operating room (OR). Secondary outcomes were postoperative neurologic deficits of dizziness, headache, delirium, cognitive dysfunction, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). (3) Results: A total of 69 patients were screened for eligibility and 67 patients completed the study and were included in the final analysis. After establishing pneumoperitoneum with the Trendelenburg position, ONSD increased compared to baseline by 11.4%. Of the 67 patients, 36 patients showed an increase of 10% or more in optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD). Patients with ΔONSD ≥ 10% experienced more inadequate emergence in the OR than those with ΔONSD < 10% (47.2% vs. 12.9%, p = 0.003). However, other variables related to the quality of emergence from anesthesia did not different significantly between groups. Similarly, neurologic deficits, and PONV during postoperative day 3 showed no significant differences. (4) Conclusions: ICP elevation detected by ultrasonographic ONSD measurement was associated with a transient, inadequate emergence from anesthesia.

Comparison of Jaw Elevation Device vs. Conventional Airway Assist during Sedation in Chronic Kidney Diseases Undergoing Arteriovenous Fistula Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) are likely to have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) underdiagnosed, and maintaining airway patency is important during sedation. This study compared Jaw elevation device (JED) with conventional airway interventions (head lateral rotation, neck extension, oral or nasal airway insertion, and jaw thrust maneuver) during sedation and hypothesized that JED may be effective to open the airway. A total of 73 patients were allocated to a conventional group (n = 39) and a JED group (n = 34). The number of additional airway interventions was the primary outcome. Percentage of patients with no need of additional interventions and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) were secondary outcomes. The number of additional interventions was significantly less in the JED group compared to the conventional group (0 (0-0) vs. 1 (0-2); p = 0.002). The percentage of patients with no requirement for additional interventions was significantly higher in the JED group compared to the conventional group (76.5% vs. 43.6%; p = 0.004). AHI was significantly lower in the JED group compared to the conventional group (4.5 (1.5-11.9) vs. 9.3 (3.8-21.9), p = 0.015). In conclusion, JED seems to be effective in opening the airway patency during sedation in CRF patients.

The usefulness of endotracheal tube twisting in facilitating tube delivery to glottis opening during GlideScope intubation in infants: randomized trial.

Despite an excellent view of the glottis, technical difficulties with endotracheal tube delivery remains in GlideScope intubation. We evaluated whether a spiral-shape twisted tube can facilitate placement of the tracheal tube tip at the center of glottis opening compared to conventional tube for GlideScope intubation in infants. Eighty-six infants were randomly placed in either the conventional tube group (group C) or the twist tube group (group T). In group T, the shaft of the tube was manually twisted into a loose spiral shape. The primary outcome was the initial center location of the tube tip at the glottis opening, and the secondary outcome was total tube handling time. The initial center location rate of the tube tip at the glottis opening was significantly higher in group T than in group C (88% [38/43] vs. 47% [20/43], P < 0.001). In addition, total tube handling time (sec) was significantly shorter in group T than in group C (15.4 ± 4.7 vs. 18.2 ± 5.3, P = 0.012). In this study, the spiral shape twist tube successfully improved the rate of initial center location of the tube tip at glottis opening and facilitated tube delivery in GlideScope intubation in infants.

Incidence of tolerance in children undergoing repeated administration of propofol for proton radiation therapy: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Propofol is an excellent hypnotic drug for use in repeated radiation procedures in young children. To date, tolerance to propofol generally does not develop in pediatric patients undergoing radiation therapy. However, several studies have suggested that there may be potential for development of tolerance to propofol. The aim of this study was to evaluate the development of a tolerance to propofol used for repeated deep sedation in children undergoing proton radiation therapy (PRT). METHODS: All children undergoing PRT at our institution between December 2015 and January 2018 were eligible for inclusion in this study. Sedation was induced by a bolus dose of propofol (2.0 mg.kg- 1) followed by a continuous infusion of 250 µg.kg- 1.min- 1 via an infusion pump to achieve deep sedation. Sedation was maintained with the propofol infusion of 200 µg.kg- 1.min- 1, which was adjusted in 25 µg.kg- 1.min- 1 increments up or down as necessary to ensure deep sedation. The primary outcome was mean doses of propofol over time. RESULTS: Fifty-eight children were analyzed. The mean (SD) age was 4.5 (2.1) years. The mean (SD) number of treatment sessions was 19 (7). Fifteen patients (26%) developed tolerance to propofol. However, there were no significant differences between the children who developed tolerance and the children who did not develop tolerance in mean propofol dose and awakening time over time (p = 0.887 and P = 0.652, respectively). Age, the number of PRT, and attending anesthesiologists was not significantly associated with the incidence of tolerance to propofol. CONCLUSION: Repeated prolonged deep sedation for PRT elicited multiple times over several weeks in young children using propofol did not develop tolerance in 74% of patients. Although the incidence of 26% tolerance to propofol may still be present, the increase in propofol dose was minimal. Therefore, the use of repeated propofol for children was safe.

Impact of Backbone Pattern and Residue Substitution on Helicity in α/ß/γ-Peptides.

We have evaluated the impact of changes in the chemical structure of peptidic oligomers containing α-, ß-, and γ-amino acid residues (α/ß/γ-peptides) on the propensities of these oligomers to adopt helical conformations in aqueous and alcoholic solutions. These studies were inspired by our previous discovery that α/ß/γ-peptides containing a regular αγααßα hexad repeat adopt an α-helix-like conformation in which the ß and γ residues are aligned in a stripe along one side, and the remainder of the helix surface is defined by the α residues. This helix was found to be most stable when the ß and γ residues were rigidified with specific cyclic constraints. Relaxation of the ß residue constraints caused profound conformational destabilization, but relaxation of the γ residue constraints led to only a moderate drop in helicity. The new work more broadly characterizes the effect of γ residue substitution on helix stability, based on circular dichroism and two-dimensional NMR measurements. We find that even a fully unsubstituted γ residue (derived from γ-aminobutyric acid) supports a moderate helical propensity, which is surprising in light of the strong destabilizing effect of glycine residues on α-helix stability. Additional studies examine the effects of altering sequence in terms of amino acid type, by comparing a prototype with the αγααßα hexad pattern to isomers with irregular arrangements of the α, ß, and γ residues along the backbone. The data indicate that the strong helix-forming propensity previously discovered for α/ß/γ-peptide 12-mers is retained when sequence is varied, with small variations detected across diverse α-ß-γ placements. These structural findings suggest that α/ß/γ-peptide scaffolds represent versatile scaffolds for the design of peptidic foldamers that display specific functions.

Impact of surgical approach on postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing gastrectomy: laparoscopic versus open approaches.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative delirium is a frequent complication in elderly patients undergoing major abdominal surgery and is associated with a poor outcome. We compared postoperative delirium in elderly patients following laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) versus open gastrectomy (OG). METHODS: In total, 130 patients aged ≥ 65 years with gastric cancer undergoing LG and OG were enrolled prospectively. Postoperative delirium and cognitive status were assessed daily using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), respectively, for 3 days postoperatively. For CAM-positive patients, delirium severity was then assessed using the Delirium Index (DI). RESULTS: In total, 123 subjects (LG, n = 60; OG, n = 63) were included in the analysis. In both groups, the overall incidences of postoperative delirium were similar: 31.6% (19/60) in the LG group and 41.2% (26/63) in the OG group. When considering only those with delirium, the severity, expressed as the highest DI score, was similar between the groups. A decline in cognitive function (reduction in MMSE ≥ 2 points from baseline) during 3 days postoperatively was observed in 23 patients in the LG group (38.3%) and 27 patients in the OG group (42.9%) (P = 0.744). In both groups, postoperative cognitive decline was significantly associated with postoperative delirium (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that, compared with traditional open gastrectomy, laparoscopic gastrectomy did not reduce either postoperative delirium or cognitive decline in elderly patients with gastric cancer.

Association between the use of gel pads under patients' knees and the incidence of peroneal neuropathy following liver transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: There have been intermittent reports of peroneal neuropathy (PN) occurring after liver transplantation. Although PN may not be viewed as a serious complication by liver transplant (LT) recipients who require the transplant for survival, PN can significantly reduce quality of life. The incidence of PN appears to have increased after the use of gel pads was introduced. These gel pads, which are placed under patients' knees during surgery, are used to reduce lower back strain and prevent contact between the peroneal nerve at the fibular head and the hard surface of the operating table. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association, if any, between the use of gel pads and the incidence of PN. METHODS: The medical records of 261 adult LT recipients were retrospectively reviewed. The recipients were divided into gel pad (n = 167) and non-gel pad (n = 94) groups. The incidence and possible risk factors of PN were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The overall incidence of PN was 8.0% (21/261). The occurrence of PN was significantly higher in the gel pad group than in the non-gel pad group (10.8% vs. 3.2%; p < 0.05). Other possible risk factors were comparable between the two patient groups. CONCLUSION: As the use of gel pads may increase the incidence of PN, we recommend against the use of gel pads under the knees of LT recipients.

Effect of pre-warmed intravenous fluids on perioperative hypothermia and shivering after ambulatory surgery under monitored anesthesia care.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pre-warmed (approximately 41 °C) intravenous fluids (IV) on perioperative hypothermia and postoperative shivering in female patients undergoing short, ambulatory urological surgery under monitored anesthesia care (MAC). METHODS: Patients between the ages of 35 and 80 years were randomly assigned to either the pre-warmed (n = 27) or the room temperature (n = 26) group. According to group allocation, either pre-warmed IV fluids that had been stored in a warming cabinet for at least 8 h or room temperature IV fluids were administered intraoperatively up to approximately 600-700 ml, including a bolus infusion of 10 ml/kg within 20 min. Perioperative core temperatures at the tympanic membrane, postoperative shivering, subjective thermal comfort, and the use of forced-air warming interventions in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) were recorded. RESULTS: Mean core temperatures were significantly higher in the pre-warmed group than they were in the room temperature group after 10 ml/kg preload fluid was administered, at the end of the operation, and on admission to the PACU (p = 0.004, p = 0.02, and p = 0.008, respectively). The incidence of hypothermia (<36 °C) was significantly lower in the pre-warmed group (n = 4) than in the room temperature group (n = 11, p = 0.035) upon PACU admission. The postoperative shivering incidence was also significantly lower in the pre-warmed group (n = 2) than in the room temperature group (n = 8, p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Infusion of pre-warmed IV fluid improved the postoperative recovery profile by decreasing hypothermia and shivering in female patients undergoing short, ambulatory urological surgery under MAC.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel acetylalginate esterase gene in alg operon from Sphingomonas sp. MJ-3.

A novel acetylalginate esterase (AcAlgE) gene was cloned and characterized from the genomic DNA library of Sphingomonas sp. MJ-3. A putative gene encoding AcAlgE protein of 292-residue precursor protein with 20-amino acid signal peptide was identified in the alg operon. The deduced AcAlgE protein has GDSL-like consensus motif and shares a highest sequence identity (51%) with GDSL family lipolytic protein from Pseudoxanthomonas suwonensis. Enzymatic assays with bacterial acetylalginate as the substrate showed that the recombinant AcAlgE protein possesses deacetylation activity. The optimal temperature and pH for the AcAlgE were 22 °C and pH 6.5 (citrate buffer), respectively. The recombinant AcAlgE protein catalyzed deacetylation of acetylalginate with release of acetate. The resulting de-acetylated alginate was readily degraded by alginate lyases, indicating that the recombinant AcAlgE enhanced the subsequent degradation of acetylalginate by alginate lyases. The recombinant AcAlgE can play an important role in the degradation of acetylated alginate such as mucoidal acetylalginate in cystic fibrosis patient.

Differential impact of ß and γ residue preorganization on α/ß/γ-peptide helix stability in water.

Cyclic constraints have proven to be very effective for preorganizing ß-amino acid residues and thereby stabilizing ß- and α/ß-peptide helices, but little is known about possible preorganization effects among γ residues. Here we assess and compare the impact of cyclic preorganization of ß and γ residues in the context of a specific α/ß/γ-peptide helix. The results show that ß residue preorganization is critical for helix stability but that γ residue preorganization is less important.

Air embolism during off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery -A case report-.

There have been several reports of gas embolism occurring during off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery. However, all these cases of air embolism were associated with the repair of venous circulation, using a CO(2) blower. In this report, we describe a rare case of air embolism in the coronary arteries associated with the use of a CO(2) blower during OPCAB. There was no injury to the veins during OPCAB. The air embolism was treated successfully with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Evaluation of dose effects of magnesium sulfate on rocuronium injection pain and hemodynamic changes by laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation.

BACKGROUND: Rocuronium produces injection pain in 50-80% of treated patients. Therefore, a variety of pretreatments have been attempted to reduce this issue. We evaluated the efficacy of 3 different doses of magnesium on the rocuronium injection pain and following hemodynamic changes by laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation (LTI). METHODS: Two hundreds patients, ASA I and II, undergoing general anesthesia for elective surgery were randomly divided to 4 groups: group 1, 2, 3, 4 received saline 5 ml, magnesium 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg prior to 0.6 mg/kg of rocuronium, respectively. Then, group 1 only was treated with esmolol (20 mg) before LTI. Pain intensity with rocuronium injection was assessed using a four-point scale according to patient's movement. Cardiovascular responses at baseline, after induction, 1 minutes after LTI were determined. RESULTS: Compared to saline, 10 and 20 mg/kg of magnesium significantly reduced the incidence of overall movement after rocuronium injection (34% and 36% in group 3 and 4, respectively vs. 76% in the group 1) (P < 0.0001). Generalized movement was seen in 4% of patients in groups 3 and 4, respectively. Compared to baseline values, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) immediately after LTI significantly increased within groups 1 and 2 (P < 0.001), but not within groups 3 and 4. CONCLUSIONS: Magnesium (10 and 20 mg/kg) prior to rocuronium was effective in attenuating rocuronium associated injection pain and cardiovascular changes by LTI.

Physicochemical properties of 2'-benzoyloxycinnamaldehyde.

2'-Benzoyloxycinnamaldehyde (BCA), a derivative of 2-hydroxycinnamaldehyde demonstrated a potent antitumor effect against several human solid tumor cell lines. The physicochemical properties and degradation kinetics of BCA were investigated to support the drug-development effort. The aqueous solubility of BCA was low, and it was not considered to be hygroscopic. The degradation of BCA followed the first-order kinetics, and the pH-rate profile revealed that the degradation of BCA was governed by general acid- and specific base-catalysis as well as spontaneous hydrolysis. BCA was very unstable in basic conditions, in particular pH above 9, and found to be more stable in acidic conditions such as pH between 2 and 4. The degradation of BCA was accelerated in elevated temperature and high-ionic strength. Therefore, it was suggested that BCA should be stored in slightly acidic conditions with lowered temperature and ionic strength.