Epidemiology and complications of anaesthesia in the French centres that participated to NECTARINE: A secondary analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Neonatal and infant anaesthesia are associated with a high risk of perioperative complications. The aim of the current study was to describe those risks in France using the French data from the NECTARINE study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data from the French centres that participated to the NECTARINE study were analysed. The primary goal of the study was the description of patients' characteristics, procedures and perioperative management and their comparison with the results of the European NECTARINE study. Secondary outcomes were the description of major perioperative complications and death. RESULTS: Overall, 926 procedures collected in 15 centres (all teaching hospitals) were analysed. Comparison between the French and European NECTARINE cohorts found few differences related to patients' characteristics and procedures. The rate of interventions for critical events (respiratory, haemodynamic, and metabolic) was similar between the two cohorts. Near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring was used in 12% of procedures. Nearly none of the thresholds for these interventions met the published standards. By day 30, complications (respiratory, haemodynamic, metabolic, renal, and liver failure) and death were observed in 14.4% [95% CI 11.6-16.4]% and 1.8% [95% CI 1.1-2.9] of cases, respectively. DISCUSSION: Although the health status of the patients in the French cohort was less severe, procedures, management and postoperative complications and mortality rates were similar to the European cohort. However, thresholds for interventions were often inadequate in both cohorts. Efforts should be undertaken to improve the knowledge and use of new monitoring devices in this population.

Anaphylaxis to dyes during the perioperative period: reports of 14 clinical cases.

BACKGROUND: Vital dyes are widely used for lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with malignant tumors, and reports of anaphylactic reactions are becoming more frequent. OBJECTIVE: Our aims were to describe specific clinical features of hypersensitivity reactions to Patent Blue (Guerbet, Roissy, France), results of the allergy workup, and their consequences for patient management. METHODS: We report a series of 14 clinical cases of dye-induced anaphylaxis recorded between 2004 and 2006 in 4 member centers of a network of French allergoanesthesia outpatient clinics. RESULTS: Reactions appeared to be relatively severe (6/14 grade III reactions). An average 30 +/- 6-minute delay was observed between dye injection and symptom onset. In 9 (65%) patients reactions were sustained for several hours, requiring prolonged continuous epinephrine infusion and transfer to an intensive care unit. Prick test results were positive in 8 patients. In 5 patients prick test results were negative, whereas intradermal test results were positive. CONCLUSION: Anesthesiologists and allergologists must be aware of this specific risk and of the clinical characteristics of these reactions, which are usually delayed and long lasting.

Continuous peripheral nerve blocks in hospital wards after orthopedic surgery: a multicenter prospective analysis of the quality of postoperative analgesia and complications in 1,416 patients.

BACKGROUND: Continuous peripheral nerve block (CPNB) is the technique of choice for postoperative analgesia after painful orthopedic surgery. However, the incidence of neurologic and infectious adverse events in the postoperative period are not well established. This issue was the aim of the study. METHODS: Patients scheduled to undergo orthopedic surgery performed with a CPNB were prospectively included during 1 yr in a multicenter study. Efficacy of postoperative analgesia, bacteriologic cultures of the catheter, and acute neurologic and infectious adverse events were evaluated after surgery in 1,416 patients at arrival in the postanesthesia care unit, at hour 1, and every 24 h up to day 5. Risk factors for adverse events were determined using logistic regression. RESULTS: The median duration of CPNB was 56 h. Both general anesthesia and CPNB were performed in 73.6% of the patients. Postoperative analgesia was effective in 96.3%, but an increase in pain scores was noted at hour 24 (P = 0.01). Hypoesthesia or numbness occurred in 3% and 2.2%, respectively, and paresthesia occurred in 1.5%. Three neural lesions (0.21%) were noted after continuous femoral nerve block. Two of these patients were anesthetized during block procedure. Nerve damage completely resolved 36 h to 10 weeks later. Cultures from 28.7% of the catheters were positive. Three percent of patients had local inflammatory signs. The bacterial species most frequently found were coagulase-negative staphylococcus (61%) and gram-negative bacillus (21.6%). A Staphylococcus aureus psoas abscess (0.07%) was reported in one diabetic woman. Independent risk factors for paresthesia/dysesthesia were postoperative monitoring in intensive care, age less than 40 yr, and use of bupivacaine. Risk factors for local inflammation/infection were postoperative monitoring in intensive care, catheter duration greater than 48 h, male sex, and absence of antibiotic prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: CPNB is an effective technique for postoperative analgesia. Minor incidents and bacterial colonization of catheters are frequent, with no adverse clinical consequences in the large majority of cases. Major neurologic and infectious adverse events are rare.

Perioperative continuous peripheral nerve blocks with disposable infusion pumps in children: a prospective descriptive study.

Continuous peripheral nerve blocks (CPNB) after pediatric major orthopedic surgery are not widely used. We conducted a prospective descriptive study to evaluate the effectiveness of disposable elastomeric pumps for CPNB in children. After inducing general anesthesia, 25 consecutive children scheduled for major orthopedic surgery received a 0.5-mL/kg bolus of a mixture of 1% lidocaine with epinephrine and 0.25% bupivacaine in axillary, femoral, or popliteal catheters. After surgery, disposable pumps with 0.2% ropivacaine were connected. Pump flows were adjusted to the patient's weight. Postoperative pain was evaluated using a visual analog scale or Children and Infants Postoperative Pain Scale scores at H1, H6, H12, H24, and H48, as well as amounts of rescue analgesia, adverse events, and motor and sensory block. An ambulation score for the children was also evaluated. Eleven popliteal, nine femoral, and five axillary continuous blocks were performed. All the blocks were effective for surgery. The mean total dose consumption of 0.2% ropivacaine was 10.1 mg/kg. Disposable pump flow varied from -9.61% to +8.6% compared with the theoretical one. Postoperative analgesia was excellent. The median of pain score was zero at each period studied. Sensory and motor block were noted at H1 and decreased from the sixth hour. No adverse events were noted. We concluded that the use of elastomeric disposable pumps for CPNB in children was an effective technique.