Effectiveness of eutectic mixture of local anesthetic cream and occlusive dressing with low dosage of fentanyl for pain control during shockwave lithotripsy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To investigate the effect and usefulness of Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetic (EMLA) applied with an occlusive dressing and used simultaneously with a low dose of fentanyl during shockwave lithotripsy (SWL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred sixty patients with kidney stones, aged between 19 and 68 years, were randomly divided into seven groups that were treated as follows: group 1: fentanyl 1 microg/kg by intravenous infusion (IV); group 2: IV fentanyl 0.25 microg/kg; group 3: occlusive dressing and IV fentanyl 0.25 microg/kg; group 4: placebo cream and IV fentanyl 0.25 microg/kg; group 5: EMLA cream and IV fentanyl 0.25 microg/kg; group 6: placebo cream and IV fentanyl 0.25 microg/kg with an occlusive dressing; and group 7: EMLA cream and IV fentanyl 0.25 microg/kg with an occlusive dressing. The mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, ventilatory rate, and oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) were recorded on all patients. A visual analog scale 0-100 mm (VAS) was used for the evaluation of pain. The skin integrity was inspected to detect any lesions after SWL. RESULTS: The SpO(2) in group 1 was lower statistically than in the other groups. The VAS score in group 7 was clearly lower than in the others in the first, tenth, and twentieth minutes and at the end of SWL. In groups 6 and 7, additional fentanyl doses were lower than in the other groups, but only in group 7 was the total fentanyl dosage low. Skin lesions were not seen only in groups 3, 6, and 7. CONCLUSION: Use of EMLA and an occlusive dressing with low doses of fentanyl during SWL provides appropriate analgesia with minimal morbidity.

Four analgesic techniques for shockwave lithotripsy: eutectic mixture local anesthetic is a good alternative.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Various sedative and analgesic medication has been used for shockwave lithotripsy (SWL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of different anesthesia modalities in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred patients were randomly divided into four groups. The first (Group F) received fentanyl 1 microg/kg intravenously (IV), the second (Group D) received diclofenac sodium 1 mg/kg intramuscularly (IM), the third (Group T) received tramadol 1.5 mg/kg IM, and the fourth (Group E) was given 15 g of eutectic mixture local anesthetic (EMLA) cream containing lidocaine and prilocaine. After routine preoperative evaluation, all patients received midazolam 2 mg IV 5 minutes before lithotripsy for sedative premedication. In all groups, a supplemental 25-microg bolus of fentanyl was administered IV when patients complained of pain, moved, or grimaced in response to the shockwaves. Pain intensity was evaluated on a 0- to 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS). The level of sedation was determined using the Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAS/S). Side effects such as bradypnea, oxygen desaturation, bradycardia, pruritus, and nausea and vomiting were recorded. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences among the four groups with regard to VAS, OAS/S scores, or side effects. In Group F, the mean arterial pressure was decreased significantly at 10 and 20 minutes. The patients in this group also manifested a decrease of oxygen saturation at the first, tenth, and twentieth minutes and the end of SWL. CONCLUSION: Application of EMLA cream was as safe and effective as fentanyl, diclofenac, and tramadol, and reduction of the fentanyl dose during SWL was possible.

Preincisional infiltration of tonsils with ropivacaine in post-tonsillectomy pain relief: double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled intraindividual study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether pre-emptive ropivacaine has an influence on postoperative pain in adult patients undergoing tonsillectomy. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: The study included 20 adult patients undergoing elective tonsillectomy. Anesthetic induction and maintenance, dissection tonsillectomy, hemostasis techniques, and postoperative analgesic treatment were standardized for all patients. Before the onset of incision, one tonsillar fossa was administered 5 mL of 2% ropivacaine hydrochloride with epinephrine, whereas the other side received 5 mL of 0.9% saline with epinephrine and was designated as the control side. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: For each side, postoperative pain, otalgia, operating time, amount of intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative hemorrhage were assessed. The intensity of postoperative pain was measured at rest and when the patient was drinking and was scored on a visual analogue scale. The patients were followed up for 10 days after surgery. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the amount of intraoperative hemorrhage and operation time between sides (p > .05). The constant postoperative pain in the ropivacaine side at rest was significantly less than in the placebo side on days 1, 2, 5, and 6 (p < .05). The post-tonsillectomy pain experienced in the ropivacaine side when swallowing was significantly less than that in the placebo side throughout the study period except on day 10 (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Based on the present findings, preincisional infiltration of ropivacaine 2% appears to be effective against both early and late postoperative pain, especially on swallowing, following tonsillectomy in adults.

Local anesthesia in transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy: EMLA cream as a new alternative technique.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the present study were to evaluate the efficacy of eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) cream in transrectal-guided prostate biopsy and to compare its effect with that of other injectable anesthetic procedures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty male patients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels > 4 ng/ml or who had prostate nodules on digital rectal examination were randomly divided into four groups. In Group 1 (controls), prostate biopsy was performed after application of a placebo cream. In Group 2, local surface anesthesia with EMLA cream was performed 15 min before biopsy. Periprosthetic nerve blockade was performed with 1% prilocaine and 1% lidocaine in Groups 3 and 4, respectively. Pain was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) after each core biopsy. In addition, blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturations were recorded after each biopsy and then at 5-min intervals for 15 min. RESULTS: Average VAS scores in Groups 1-4 were 5.5, 2.9, 2.4 and 2.2, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in VAS scores between the treatment groups and the placebo group (p = 0.000). There were no statistically significant differences in VAS scores between the three treatment groups (p2-3 = 0.126, p2-4 = 0.303, p3-4 = 0.537). We detected no statistically significant differences between the groups based on the hemodynamic data (pMAP = 0.899). Moreover, these measurements did not show statistically significant changes with time in any of the groups (p > 0. 05). CONCLUSION: Intrarectal application of EMLA cream provides equal anesthesia to periprostatic nerve blockade with prilocaine and lidocaine.

Does hearing loss after spinal anesthesia differ between young and elderly patients?

UNLABELLED: Fifty male patients scheduled for inguinal hernia repair with spinal anesthesia were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups: 25 patients aged 30 yr or younger (Group Y) and 25 patients aged 60 yr or older (Group E). We performed subarachnoidal injection at the L3-4 interspace by using a 25-gauge Quincke needle with the patient in the sitting position, and 3 mL of 0.5% isobaric bupivacaine was administered. Patients were evaluated by pure tone audiometry (LdB [low frequencies], 125-500 Hz; SdB [speech frequencies], 500-2000 Hz; HdB [high frequencies], 2000-6000 Hz) on the day before and 2 days after spinal anesthesia. Low-frequency hearing loss observed in Group Y was significantly more common than in Group E (P < 0.01). There was no difference between the groups in speech and high frequencies. Mild hearing loss, defined as a hearing loss of 10-20 dB at two or more frequencies, was observed three times more frequently in Group Y than Group E (52% vs 16%; P = 0.014). We conclude that transient hearing loss was more common in young patients after spinal anesthesia, perhaps because the cerebrospinal fluid leakage after dural puncture is less in the elderly than in the young, a finding also associated with the infrequent incidence of postdural puncture headache in the elderly. IMPLICATIONS: Spinal anesthesia is one of the most frequently used regional anesthesia techniques in surgical interventions; however, rarely it may cause some transient or permanent neurological problems. One of these problems is headache, which is more frequent and severe in the young, and hearing loss, especially at low frequencies. Both the pain and the hearing loss are caused by leak of cerebrospinal fluid caused by the puncture in the membrane of the spinal cord during the procedure. We hypothesized that hearing loss might also be more frequent and severe in the young, and to test this hypothesis, we compared the hearing loss developing after spinal anesthesia between the young and the elderly. The implications of this study are as follows: First, spinal anesthesia must be performed carefully, especially in the young. Second, measures must be taken to avoid the leak of cerebrospinal fluid. This study reveals possible problems caused by spinal anesthesia in the young which can be easily overlooked.

Music decreases anxiety and provides sedation in extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of music on sedation in extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) treatment to compare its anxiolytic effects with those of midazolam. METHODS: Ninety-eight urolithiasis patients were randomly divided into two groups. Hemodynamic parameters, including mean arterial pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and oxygen saturation, were recorded in all patients. In 50 patients (group 1), 2 mg of midazolam was administered intravenously 5 minutes before ESWL. In group 2 (n = 48), music chosen by the patients was listened to with a headset and continued during the treatment. The visual analog scale (0 to 100 mm), Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Anxiety test, and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Anxiety test were administered for the evaluation of pain, sedation level, and patient anxiety. RESULTS: For the hemodynamic parameters, a statistically significant decrease in mean arterial pressure was noted at the end of the ESWL procedure in group 2 and in oxygen saturation from the 10th minute to the end of the treatment in group 1. Although the visual analog scale, Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale, and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Anxiety test did not show statistically significant differences, the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Anxiety score was found to be lower in the music group (group 2) than in the midazolam group (group 1). CONCLUSIONS: With the anxiolytic effects of music, ESWL can be performed more effectively with the patient in a comfortable state. Listening to music by patients during the ESWL session is a feasible and convenient alternative to sedatives and anxiolytics.