Levosimendan administration is not associated with increased risk of bleeding and blood transfusion requirement in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: a retrospective study from single center.

BACKGROUND: Levosimendan (LEVO) is a positive inotropic drug which could increase myocardial contractility and reduce the mortality rate in cardiac surgical patients. However, Whether LEVO is associated with postoperative bleeding and blood transfusion in cardiac surgical patients is controversial. Therefore, the current study was designed to investigate the impact of LEVO administration on bleeding and blood transfusion requirement in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) patients. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis, a total of 292 patients, aged 40-87 years, undergoing elective OPCAB between January 2019 and July 2019, were divided into LEVO group (n = 151) and Control group (n = 141). Patients in LEVO group continuously received LEVO at a rate of 0.1-0.2 µg kg-1 min-1 after anesthesia induction until 24 hours after OPCAB or patients in Control group received no LEVO. The primary outcome was postoperative chest drainage volume. The secondary outcomes were reoperation for postoperative bleeding, transfusion requirement of red blood cells (RBCs), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelet concentrate (PC), etc. Comparisons of two groups were performed with the Student's t-test or Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: There was no significant difference with respect to chest drainage volume ((956.29 ± 555.45) ml vs (1003.19 ± 572.25) ml, p = 0.478) and the incidence of reoperation for postoperative bleeding (1.32% vs 1.42%, p = 0.945) between LEVO group and Control group. The transfusion incidence and volume of allogeneic RBCs, FFP, and PC were comparable between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: LEVO administration was neither associated with more postoperative blood loss nor increased allogeneic blood transfusion requirement in OPCAB patients.

Propofol mitigates brain injury and oxidative stress, and enhances GABAA receptor α1 subunit expression in a rat model of lithium chloride-pilocarpine induced status epilepticus.

Background/aim: Propofol is a positive allosteric modulator of GABAA receptor (GABAAR) and has potent antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of propofol on damage to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in a lithium chloride (LiCl)-pilocarpine animal model of status epilepticus (SE). Materials and methods: Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were injected with LiCl-pilocarpine to induce SE. They were then randomized and injected 30 min later with vehicle saline (SE+saline), propofol (SE+PPF, 50 mg/kg), Diazepam (SE+DZP, 10 mg/kg), Scopolamine (SE+SCOP, 10 mg/kg), or MK-801 (SE+MK-801, 2 mg/kg). Another group of rats received saline only and served as the naïve control (BLK). The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum, cortex and hippocampus were analyzed 2 and 24 h posttreatment. The degree of tissue damage in the cortex and hippocampus of individual rats was assessed 24 h posttreatment, together with expression of the GABAAR α1 subunit. Results: The propofol group showed reduced levels of tissue damage in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, decreased levels of MDA, and increased levels of GSH compared to the SE+saline group. No changes in SOD level were observed in serum and tissue samples from the cortex and hippocampus of SE+saline rats. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot assays showed that propofol treatment significantly increased the expression of GABAAR α1 subunit in the cortical and hippocampal tissues of SE rats. Conclusion: Propofol treatment protected against SE-induced tissue injury in the cortex and hippocampus of rats. This was due at least in part to its antioxidant activity and to its induction of GABAAR α1 subunit expression in the brain.

Application of ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral block or intercostal nerve block for acute herpes zoster and prevention of post-herpetic neuralgia: A case-control retrospective trial.

OBJECTIVES: Ultrasound (US)-guided intercostal nerve block (ICNB) is an easier approach with a very low incidence of complications for different surgeries; nevertheless, only a few studies estimate the effect of ICNB for acute HZ. To explore the US-guided ICNB for management of herpes zoster (HZ)-related acute pain and possible prophylaxis for post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) taking the conventional thoracic paraverteral block (TPVB) as control. METHODS: A total of 128 patients with HZ were retrospectively stratified into antiviral treatment (AVT) plus US-guided TPVB (TPVB group), AVT plus US-guided ICNB (ICNB group) or AVT alone (control group) based on the treatment they received. HZ-related illness burden (HZ-BOI) over 30 days after inclusion as the primary endpoint was determined by a severity-by-duration composite pain assessment. Rescue analgesic requirement, health-related quality of life, PHN incidence, and adverse events were also recorded. RESULTS: Significantly lower HZ-BOI scores within post-procedural 30 days using the area under the curve were reported with TPVB and ICNB compared with the control group: mean difference of 57.5 (p < 0.001) and 40.3 (p = 0.003). No difference was reported between TPVB and ICNB (p = 1.01). Significant greater improvements in PHN incidence, EQ-5D-3L scores, and rescue analgesic requirements were observed during follow-up favoring two trial groups, while comparable between two trial groups. No serious adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: US-guided ICNBs were as effective as TPVBs for acute HZ. The ICNB technique was an easier and time-efficient approach as opposed to conventional TPVB, which might be encouraged as a more accessible preemptive mean for preventing PHN.

Effects of continuous endotracheal-laryngopharynx topical anesthesia on the general anesthetic requirements during surgery.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the general anesthetic requirements in patients with continuous endotracheal-laryngopharynx topical anesthesia using medicine injecting endotracheal tube during surgery. A total of 78 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II were randomly divided into test group and control group. After anesthesia, patients were injected by 1.5 mL of 1% Tetracaine for topical anesthesia, and later injected similarly at hourly intervals during surgery while patients in control group were non-injected. There was no statistical significance in values of SBP, DBP, MAP, HR and plasma concentrations of E, NE and Cor at same time point between the two groups during operation (P>0.05). There was no statistical significance in value of BIS at T0-T5 between the two groups (P>0.05). However, value of BIS at T6 in test group was significantly higher than that in control group (69.7±2.1 vs. 58.6±2.3, P<0.01). Doses of sevoflurane, propofol sufentanil and cisatracurium used up in test group decreased by 12.3% (P<0.01); 12.7% (P<0.01); 14.5% (P<0.01) and 4.9% (P>0.05) than those in control group, respectively. Continuous endotracheal-laryngopharynx topical anesthesia using 1% Tetracaine via medicine-injecting endotracheal tube can significantly decrease general anesthetic requirements of surgery.

Combined spinal and epidural anaesthesia with chloroprocaine for hysterectomy.

1. The aim of the present study was to determine the clinical efficacy and safety of chloroprocaine (CP) for gynaecological surgery. 2. One hundred and twenty gynaecological patients scheduled for hysterectomy were divided randomly into four groups: Group A (n = 30), 2.5% CP 1.0 mL; Group B (n = 30), 2.5% CP 1.2 mL; Group C (n = 30), 2.5% CP 1.4 mL; and Group D (n = 30), 2.5% CP 1.6 mL. The dose of CP used in each group was mixed with 1 mL vehicle containing 5% glucose and 1.5% ephedrine. Spinal anaesthesia was achieved by lumbar puncture in the L2-3 interspace and injection of the mixture. Wherever necessary, CP (2.5%) was used for epidural anaesthesia. 3. Although the times to onset and peak effect, as well as the grade of motor block of the lower limbs (Bromage scale), were similar among the four groups, the level of the highest sensory nerve block increased gradually, from T7 (+/- 1), T6 (+/- 1), T4 (+/- 1) to T3 (+/- 1) in Groups A, B, C and D, respectively. The rate of unsatisfactory spinal anaesthesia was 80 and 16.7% in Groups A and B, respectively, and consequently epidural anaesthesia was superimposed in those patients for surgery to start. Spinal anaesthesia was very satisfactory for surgery in Groups C and D. In contrast, the incidence of hypotension in Groups B, C and D was 6.7, 16.7 and 67.7%, respectively; however, respiratory depression only occurred in Group D in nine cases (30%). No other adverse events or neurologic deficits were found. 4. The present results suggest that 30-35 mg CP in a total volume of 2.2-2.4 mL used for spinal anaesthesia in hysterectomy is safe and efficient. The combination of spinal and epidural anaesthesia with 2.5% CP can achieve 100% satisfactory anaesthesia for this type of surgery.

Incidence of Inadvertent Intraoperative Hypothermia and Its Risk Factors in Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia in Beijing: A Prospective Regional Survey.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia (core temperature <360 C) is a recognized risk in surgery and has adverse consequences. However, no data about this complication in China are available. Our study aimed to determine the incidence of inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia and its associated risk factors in a sample of Chinese patients. METHODS: We conducted a regional cross-sectional survey in Beijing from August through December, 2013. Eight hundred thirty patients who underwent various operations under general anesthesia were randomly selected from 24 hospitals through a multistage probability sampling. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to explore the risk factors of developing hypothermia. RESULTS: The overall incidence of intraoperative hypothermia was high, 39.9%. All patients were warmed passively with surgical sheets or cotton blankets, whereas only 10.7% of patients received active warming with space heaters or electric blankets. Pre-warmed intravenous fluid were administered to 16.9% of patients, and 34.6% of patients had irrigation of wounds with pre-warmed fluid. Active warming (OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.26-0.81), overweight or obesity (OR = 0.39, 95% CI 0.28-0.56), high baseline core temperature before anesthesia (OR = 0.08, 95% CI 0.04-0.13), and high ambient temperature (OR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.79-0.98) were significant protective factors for hypothermia. In contrast, major-plus operations (OR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.32-3.04), duration of anesthesia (1-2 h) (OR = 3.23, 95% CI 2.19-4.78) and >2 h (OR = 3.44, 95% CI 1.90-6.22,), and intravenous un-warmed fluid (OR = 2.45, 95% CI 1.45-4.12) significantly increased the risk of hypothermia. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia in Beijing is high, and the rate of active warming of patients during operation is low. Concern for the development of intraoperative hypothermia should be especially high in patients undergoing major operations, requiring long periods of anesthesia, and receiving un-warmed intravenous fluids.