Epidural Dexamethasone Decreased Inflammatory Hyperalgesia and Spinal cPLA2 Expression in a Rat Formalin Test

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of epidural dexamethasone on analgesia and cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) expression in the spinal cord in a rat formalin test. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Epidural dexamethasone injection was performed to Sprague-Dawley rats with a 25 gauge needle under fluoroscopy. Following the epidural injection, a formalin induced pain behavior test was performed. Next, the spinal cords corresponding to L4 dorsal root ganglion was extracted to observe the cPLA2 expression. RESULTS: There were no differences in pain response during phase I among the groups. The phase II pain response in 300 microg of epidural dexamethasone group decreased as compared to control, 30 microg of epidural dexamethasone, 100 microg of epidural dexamethasone, and 300 microg of systemic dexamethasone groups. The expression of cPLA2 decreased in Rexed laminae I-II in 300 microg of the epidural dexamethasone group compared with the ones in the control group. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that 300 microg of epidural dexamethasone has an attenuating effect on the peripheral inflammatory tissue injury induced hyperalgesia and this effect is mediated through the inhibition of intraspinal cPLA2 expression and the primary site of action is the laminae I-II of the spinal cord.

Beneficial Effects of Adding Ketamine to Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesia with Fentanyl after the Nuss Procedure in Pediatric Patients

PURPOSE: The aim of this prospective, double-blind, randomized study was to investigate the analgesic effects of low-dose ketamine on intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) with fentanyl for pain control in pediatric patients following the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty pediatric patients undergoing the Nuss procedure were randomly assigned to receive fentanyl (Group F, n=30) or fentanyl plus ketamine (Group FK, n=30). Ten minutes before the end of surgery, following the loading dose of each solution, 0.5 microg/kg/hr of fentanyl or 0.5 microg/kg/hr of fentanyl plus 0.15 mg/kg/hr of ketamine was infused via an IV-PCA pump (basal rate, 1 mL/hr; bolus, 0.5 mL; lock out interval, 30 min). Fentanyl consumption, pain score, ketorolac use, nausea/vomiting, ondansetron use, pruritus, respiratory depression, hallucination, dreaming, and parent satisfaction with pain control were measured throughout the 48 hours following surgery. RESULTS: The pain scores, ketorolac use, and fentanyl consumption of Group FK were significantly lower than in Group F (p<0.05). The incidence of nausea/vomiting and ondansetron use in Group FK was significantly lower than in Group F (p<0.05). There were no reports of respiratory depression, hallucination or dreaming. Parent satisfaction with pain control was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: We concluded that low-dose ketamine added to IV-PCA with fentanyl after the Nuss procedure in pediatric patients can reduce pain scores, consumption of fentanyl, and incidence of nausea/vomiting without increasing side effects.

Pleural effusion after microtia reconstructive surgery: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Microtia reconstructive surgery is usually a multi-stage repair procedure that involves the use of cartilage and skin grafts. Complications can arise at both ear reconstruction sites and cartilage donor sites. In particular, pneumothorax, atelectasis, chest scars, and chest deformities are known to be associated with the harvesting of costal cartilage. However, delayed pleural effusion can also develop. Our patient complained of a cough and chest pain at 5 days postoperatively, and pleural effusion was detected by chest radiography. However, thoracentesis was not performed and the effusion resolved spontaneously and completely.

Posterior auricular pain caused by the trigger points in the sternocleidomastoid muscle aggravated by psychological factors: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Psychological factors play a significant role in the pain mechanism, and psychological approaches may be useful complements to traditional medical and surgical treatments in pain management. The authors report a case of recurrent severe posterior auricular pain caused by trigger points in the right sternocleidomastoid muscle and influenced by stressful psychological situations (e.g., family affairs, job loss) in a 50-year-old man.

Anesthetic Experience in Thorocoscopic Cryosurgery for Metastatic Lung Cancer: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Cryosurgery has been used to treat various nonresectable tumors, and although it is known to have great safety, and minimal morbidity, and mortality, we experienced unexpected hypothermia during thoracoscopic cryosurgery for metastatic lung cancer. Even though arrythmia and coagulopathy were absent in our case, it is possible to experience such complications in cases of long duration cryosurgery. We report out experience and include a brief discussion of the issues involved.

The Effect of Fresh Gas Flow on Sevoflurane Concentrations during Emergence from Anesthesia / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Fresh gas flow (FGF) influences the speeds of induction and emergence. In general, emergence protocol involves a stepwise decrease in the vaporizer setting at fixed FGF, which causes anesthetic overuse and contaminates operating rooms. This study was designed to compare the decreasing patterns of sevoflurane concentration among groups with a similar course but with different FGFs. METHODS: One hundred patients scheduled for elective operation were randomly allocated to 3 groups (FGF 1 L/min, FGF 2 L/min, FGF 4 L/min). After induction with thiopental sodium 5 mg/kg and rocuronium 0.9 mg/kg or vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg for tracheal intubation, anesthesia was maintained at 1.5% of end-tidal sevoflurane concentration at an inflow of 4 L/min (N2O 2 L/min and O2 2 L/min). Ten minutes prior to the estimated operation end point, we changed FGF and vaporizer settings to the following 3 different emergence protocols: changing inflow in the FGF 1 L/min group (N2O 0.5 L/min and O2 0.5 L/min) with turning vaporizer off, changing inflow in the FGF 2 L/min group (N2O 1 L/min and O2 1 L/min) with a two-step decrease in the vaporizer setting (1.0 vol% for first 5 minutes then with the vaporizer off), and maintaining the inflow in the FGF 4 L/min group with a three-step decrease in the vaporizer setting (1.0 vol% for first 5 minutes and 0.6 vol% for next 5 minutes then with the vaporizer off). In each group, inspiratory and end-tidal sevoflurane concentrations were recorded every minute for 16 minutes, while end-tidal CO2, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and inspired oxygen fraction were recorded every two minutes for 16 minutes. RESULTS: End-tidal concentrations of sevoflurane were similar in the 3 groups at the 6th, and 7th minutes and continuously increasing differences in sevoflurane concentrations from the 11th to 16th minute were observed in the FGF 1 L/min and FGF 2 L/min groups versus the FGF 4 L/min group. The concentration curves for the FGF 1 L/min group showed a smoother decreasing pattern than those of the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of low FGF without vaporizer during emergence reduces sevoflurane washout within anesthetic machines and the exhausting of anesthetics into operating rooms, and also offers an easier means of controlling anesthetic depth.

Anesthetic Management in Pediatric Patient with Prader-Willi Syndrome: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Prader-Willi syndrome is brought by chromosomal abnormality and is characterized by mental retardation, morbid obesity, infantile hypotonia, hypogenitalism. While feeding problems arise during infancy due to hypotonia, it is followed by hyperphasia that is prone to morbid obesity leading to cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and infectious diseases. And sleep apnea, scoliosis make anesthetic management difficult. We report a case of general anesthetic management during strabismus surgery in a child with Prader-Willi syndrome and its possible considerations.