Implementación de un programa de alternativas a la transfusión sanguínea en cirugía de escoliosis en pediatría / Implementation of a patient blood management program in pediatric scoliosis surgery

Objetivos. Determinar si la puesta en marcha de un programa de ahorro de sangre y la adopción y asociación progresiva de diferentes métodos reducen las necesidades transfusionales en pacientes pediátricos intervenidos de escoliosis de múltiples etiologías. Material y método. Estudio cuasiexperimental, no aleatorizado y descriptivo, aprobado por el Comité de Ética para la Investigación de nuestra institución. Se incluyeron 50 pacientes pediátricos (ASA I-III) de edades comprendidas entre los 5 y los 18 años, intervenidos de cirugía de escoliosis de cualquier etiología mediante un único tiempo posterior o doble abordaje, anterior y posterior. Se compararon un grupo histórico (recogida retrospectiva de datos), sin alternativas a la transfusión (Grupo No ahorro = 15 pacientes), y otros 3 grupos prospectivamente: Grupo HNA (hemodilución normovolémica aguda) = 9 pacientes, Grupo HNA + Rec (recuperación intraoperatoria) = 14 pacientes, Grupo EPO (HNA + Rec + eritropoyetina ± donación preoperatoria) = 12 pacientes, conforme se implementaron las diferentes alternativas a la transfusión en nuestra institución. Resultados. La tasa de transfusión en los diferentes grupos (No ahorro, HNA, HNA + Rec, EPO) fue del 100, 66, 57 y 0% de los pacientes, con una media ± DE de 3,40 ± 1,59; 1,33 ± 1,41; 1,43 ± 1,50; 0 ± 0 unidades de CH transfundidas por paciente, respectivamente, con diferencias estadísticamente significativas (p < 0,001) tanto en la tasa de transfusión como en el número de unidades. Conclusiones. La aplicación de un programa multimodal de alternativas a la transfusión sanguínea en cirugía de escoliosis pediátrica, individualizado para cada paciente, puede evitar la transfusión en la práctica totalidad de los casos (AU)

Objectives. To determine whether the implementation of a blood conservation program, and the adoption and progressive association of different methods, reduces transfusion requirements in pediatric patients undergoing scoliosis surgery of different origins. Material and method. Quasi-experimental, nonrandomized, descriptive study, approved by the Ethics Committee for Research of our institution. 50 pediatric patients (ASA I-III) aged 5 to 18 years, undergoing scoliosis surgery of any etiology by a single posterior or double approach (anterior and posterior) were included. A historical group with no alternatives to transfusion: Group No ahorro = 15 patients (retrospective data collection) was compared with another 3 prospective study groups: Group HNA (acute normovolemic hemodilution) = 9 patients; Group HNA + Rec (intraoperative blood salvage) = 14 patients, and Group EPO (HNA + Rec + erythropoietin ± preoperative donation) = 12 patients; according with the implementation schedule of the transfusion alternatives in our institution. Results. The rate of transfusion in different groups (No ahorro, HNA, HNA + Rec, EPO) was 100, 66, 57, and 0% of the patients, respectively, with a mean ± SD of 3.40 ± 1.59; 1.33 ± 1.41; 1.43 ± 1.50; 0 ± 0 RBC units transfused per patient, respectively. Statistically significant differences (P < .001) were found in both the transfusion rate and number of RBC units. Conclusions. The application of a multimodal blood transfusion alternatives program, individualized for each pediatric patient undergoing scoliosis surgery can avoid transfusion in all cases (AU)

Herbal medicine: a survey of use in Nigerian presurgical patients booked for ambulatory anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Utilization of herbal medicines in the preoperative period by Nigerian patients booked for day case surgery has not been explored. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of 60 patients presenting for day-case surgery at a tertiary healthcare institution over a 3-week period in August 2011 was conducted. Using a structured questionnaire, inquiries were made concerning use of herbal medicines in the immediate preoperative period. Socio-demographic characteristics, information on use of concurrent medical prescriptions, types of herbs used, reasons for use, perceived side effects and perceived efficacy were obtained. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics and Chi-square. RESULTS: Fifty-two (86.7%) were American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 1 while 8 (13%) were ASA 2. Most patients (86.7%) had their procedures done under local infiltration with monitored anaesthesia care (MAC), while 5.0% and 8.3% had their procedures done under regional and general anaesthesia, respectively. About 48.3% of respondents were on concurrent medical prescriptions while 51.7% were not. Forty percent (40%) of patients admitted to use of herbal medicine, all by the oral route, in the immediate perioperative period; 87.5% did not inform their doctor of their herbal use. Types of herbs used included 'dogonyaro', 'agbo', 'nchanwu', and Tahitian noni. Treatment of malaria was commonest reason for use in 29.2% of patients, while cough and concurrent surgical condition were reasons given by 12.5% of patients, respectively. Seventy-nine percent (79.2%) of patients considered their herbal medications effective. Perceived side effects of herbal medication (16.6%) included fever, waist pain and intoxication. There were no variations in use between ASA 1 and ASA 2 patients and none between respondents on conventional medication against those that were not. Variables such as age less than 35 years, female gender, being married and being an urban dweller did not show any significant difference in use. CONCLUSION: This survey revealed many patients were on one or more herbal preparations in the immediate preoperative period. In consideration of possible untoward drug interactions between conventional medication, herbal preparations and anaesthesia, doctors (especially anaesthetists) should routinely assess all patients booked to be anaesthetized, especially those for day case surgery. The authors recommend surveys with larger respondent numbers to determine prevalence of use and possible interactions between indigenous Nigerian herbs and anaesthesia.

Midazolam-uso en nuestro medio / Midazolam, experience in our practice

La anestesiología moderna, trata de buscar métodos menos riesgosos, tratando de encontrara las bondades de algunas drogas que deben ser usadas ya sea para la sedación preoperatoria, la indución o la complementación a alguna técnica. En este sentido que surge el Midazolam y ya Kanto (19) estudia su comportamiento de acuerdo con la edad y la masa corporal y Zazzarini (35-36) considera el período de latencia, siendo Lauda (21) quién determinó las dósis necesarias para la inducción. En este sentido el epresente trabajo quiere demostrar las bondades de esta droga, siendo una de las benzodiazepinas actuales más usadas por las ventajas que presenta. El Midazolam, es un derivado imidazobenzodiacepinico, que tiene la característica de diferir de las otras de su grupo por su carácter básico, solución acuosa estable, solubilidad en lípidos, metabolismo rápido. Su empleo favorable en anestesiología es debido a la amnesia anterógrada que produce, assiolisis, baja incidencia de trastornos venosos y su amplio margen de seguridad