No difference in emergence time and early cognitive function between sevoflurane-fentanyl and propofol-remifentanil in patients undergoing craniotomy for supratentorial intracranial surgery.

Balanced anesthesia with sevoflurane-fentanyl has been widely accepted as anesthetic management for neurosurgery. Propofol-remifentanil regimen has been successfully used in various surgical settings, but a comprehensive comparison of sevoflurane-fentanyl and propofol-remifentanil anesthesia in patients undergoing craniotomy for supratentorial intracranial surgery has not yet been done. The aim of this prospective, randomized, open-label clinical trial was to compare clinical properties of sevoflurane-fentanyl with propofol-remifentanil anesthesia in patients undergoing supratentorial intracranial surgery. The primary endpoint was to compare early postoperative recovery and cognitive functions within the two groups; we also evaluated hemodynamic events, vomiting, shivering, and pain. One hundred twenty patients (64 males; age 15-75 years) were randomized to either total intravenous anesthesia (group T) or sevoflurane anesthesia (group S). Emergence and extubation times and cognitive function (Short Orientation Memory Concentration Test [SOMCT]) were compared in the two groups. Brain swelling, incidence of hypotensive and hypertensive episodes, postoperative vomiting, shivering, and pain were also analyzed. The mean emergence time (12.2 +/- 4.9 minutes for group S versus 12.3 +/- 6.1 minutes for group T; P = 0.92) and extubation time (18.2 +/- 2.3 minutes for group S versus 18.3 +/- 2.1 minutes for group T; P = 0.80) were similar in the two groups. Average SOMCT scores, both 15 minutes after extubation (25.6 +/- 4.9 in group S versus 23.9 +/- 7.5 in group T; P = 0.14) and 45 minutes after extubation (27.3 +/- 2.2 in group S versus 26.0 +/- 5.1 in group T; P = 0.07) were also comparable. Brain swelling was present in seven and five patients in groups S and T, respectively (P = 0.76). Hypotension was present in 12% (group S) and 28% (group T) of patients (P = 0.02). Hypertension was present in 17% of patients in group S and 40% of patients in group T (P = 0.0046). Shivering was present in 18% and 25% of patients in groups T and S (P = 0.37). Our study demonstrates that there is no patient benefit of using total intravenous anesthesia with an ultra-short-acting opioid over the conventional balanced volatile technique in terms of recovery and cognitive functions.

Plasmids as epidemiologic markers in nosocomial gram-negative bacilli: experience in an intensive care unit.

The authors have compared the antimicrobial resistance patterns and plasmid profiles of Gram-negative isolates in an intensive care unit over a 7-month period in order to identify epidemiologically related isolates. Bacterial plasmids were found to be valuable markers for the comparison of strains of nosocomial Gram-negative bacilli. Thirty-nine mechanically ventilated patients in an ICU were included. From bronchoaspiratus, the authors isolated 58 strains of Gram-negative bacilli (24 Ps. aeruginosa and 34 Enterobacteria). Common plasmids were found in most Enterobacteria. The interspecies plasmid exchange suggests that interstate spread of these strains may have occurred. Twenty-six Enterobacteria carried plasmids, 11 of which proved transmissible. The R-factors were transferred to other genera that were isolated in the hospital, thereby adding to the pool of multiresistant nosocomial isolates. Larger plasmids transferred ampicillin and carbenicillin resistance, while gentamycin and cephalotin resistance was carried by smaller plasmids. Only 4 Ps. aeruginosa carried plasmids, one of which was transmissible. Pseudomonas plasmid DNA is extracted with difficulty by the simple lysis method, due to the roughness of the colonies. All Pseudomonas isolates belonged to the same biotype which can be regarded as an epidemiological marker. Therefore, plasmid profiling is a useful tool for epidemiological surveillance of Enterobacteria and is a good method for determining the relatedness of isolates in a nosocomial environment.

[Naloxone in ethanol overdose after alcoholization of hepatic metastasis]. / Il naloxone nell'overdose da etanolo successiva ad alcolizzazione di metastasi epatiche.

The authors report a case of ethanol-induced coma treated successfully with naloxone, in a subject undergoing liver metastasis alcoholization. A dose of ethanol 95 degrees (150 ml) was injected intraoperatively into the hepatic tumor with ultrasound monitoring, in a 55-year old woman which underwent mastectomy two years ago for breast cancer. At the end of operation that went on for 128 minutes, the patient maintained during surgery with standard NLA II anaesthesia did not awake. Toxicologic testing of blood showed an alcohol concentration of 1.9 g/l. Intra-venous naloxone 2 mg was given in boluses of 0.4 mg, through a time of 30 minutes. The patient became progressively responsive with complete recovery 20 minutes later. Since fentanyl doses administered during general anaesthesia were very low, the authors believe that the postoperative coma was due to ethanol overdose. They suggest naloxone as effective treatment to reverse the depressant effects of ethanol following ultrasonically guided alcohol injection therapy.

[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: evaluation of intraoperative complications with respect to 2 different kinds of anesthesia]. / Colecistectomia laparoscopica: stima di alcune complicanze perioperatorie in rapporto a due differenti metodiche di anestesia.

Two anaesthetic managements for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were compared in 64 patients in order to investigate some perioperative complications: 1) bowel distension during surgery. 2) recovery from anaesthesia. 3) post-surgery incidence of emesis and pain. In addition, the quality of postoperative peristalsis as well as the time of dimissal were recorded. Group I (n = 30) was treated with NLA in N2O-O2 and Group II (n = 34) received propofol plus fentanyl in air-O2. Bowel distension, evaluated by surgeon at 15 min intervals throughout the operation was similar in both the groups as well as postoperative peristalsis recuperation. During the first 12 hours after laparoscopy no differences were found at any times of observation in the incidence or severity of emesis and pain between the two different anaesthesia patients. In subjects which were given propofol the psychomotor recovery was more rapid than after NLA, particularly during the first 6 hours after surgery. The patients were discharged between 36-48 hours following the operation independently from anaesthetic management. It is concluded that both the anaesthetic techniques provide similar intra/postoperative conditions, except the early recovery that is more rapid for the propofol patients. The overall frequency of emesis and pain was rather high in both the groups, suggesting a routine medication with analgesics and antiemetics.