Perioperative Management and In-Hospital Outcomes After Minimally Invasive Repair of Pectus Excavatum: A Multicenter Registry Report From the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Improvement Network.

BACKGROUND: There are few comparative data on the analgesic options used to manage patients undergoing minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE). The Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Improvement Network was established to investigate outcomes for procedures where there is significant management variability. For our first study, we established a multicenter observational database to characterize the analgesic strategies used to manage pediatric patients undergoing MIRPE. Outcome data from the participating centers were used to assess the association between analgesic strategy and pain outcomes. METHODS: Fourteen institutions enrolled patients from June 2014 through August 2015. Network members agreed to an observational methodology where each institution managed patients based on their institutional standards and protocols. There was no requirement to standardize care. Patients were categorized based on analgesic strategy: epidural catheter (EC), paravertebral catheter (PVC), wound catheter (WC), no regional (NR) analgesia, and intrathecal morphine techniques. Primary outcomes, pain score and opioid consumption by postoperative day (POD), for each technique were compared while adjusting for confounders using multivariable modeling that included 5 covariates: age, sex, number of bars, Haller index, and use of preoperative pain medication. Pain scores were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction. Opioid consumption was analyzed using a multivariable quantile regression. RESULTS: Data were collected on 348 patients and categorized based on primary analgesic strategy: EC (122), PVC (57), WC (41), NR (120), and intrathecal morphine (8). Compared to EC, daily median pain scores were higher in patients managed with PVC (POD 0), WC (POD 0, 1, 2, 3), and NR (POD 0, 1, 2), respectively (P < .001-.024 depending on group). Daily opioid requirements were higher in patients managed with PVC (POD 0, 1), WC (POD 0, 1, 2), and NR (POD 0, 1, 2) when compared to patients managed with EC (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate variation in pain management strategies for patients undergoing MIRPE within our network. The results indicate that most patients have mild-to-moderate pain postoperatively regardless of analgesic management. Patients managed with EC had lower pain scores and opioid consumption in the early recovery period compared to other treatment strategies.

A Retrospective Study Evaluating the Effect of Low Doses of Perineural Dexamethasone on Ropivacaine Brachial Plexus Peripheral Nerve Block Analgesic Duration.

Objective: Examination of the effectiveness of perineural dexamethasone administered in very low and low doses on ropivacaine brachial plexus block duration. Design: Retrospective evaluation of brachial plexus block duration in a large cohort of patients receiving peripheral nerve blocks with and without perineural dexamethasone in a prospectively collected quality assurance database. Setting: A single academic medical center. Methods: A total of 1,942 brachial plexus blocks placed over a 16-month period were reviewed. Demographics, nerve block location, and perineural dexamethasone utilization and dose were examined in relation to block duration. Perineural dexamethasone was examined as none (0 mg), very low dose (2 mg or less), and low dose (greater than 2 mg to 4 mg). Continuous catheter techniques, local anesthetics other than ropivacaine, and block locations with fewer than 15 subjects were excluded. Associations between block duration and predictors of interest were examined using multivariable regression models. A subgroup analysis of the impact of receiving dexamethasone on block duration within each block type was also conducted using a univariate linear regression approach. Results: A total of 1,027 subjects were evaluated. More than 90% of brachial plexus blocks contained perineural dexamethasone (≤4 mg), with a median dose of 2 mg. Increased block duration was associated with receiving any dose of perineural dexamethasone (P < 0.0001), female gender (P = 0.022), increased age (P = 0.048), and increased local anesthetic dose (P = 0.01). In a multivariable model, block duration did not differ with very low- or low-dose perineural dexamethasone after controlling for other factors (P = 0.420). Conclusion: Perineural dexamethasone prolonged block duration compared with ropivacaine alone; however, duration was not greater with low-dose compared with very low-dose perineural dexamethasone.

Open prostatolithotomy for the management of giant prostatic calculi.

Giant prostatic calculi are very rare. We present the case of a 45-year-old man with multiple prostatic urethral calculi that replaced the entire gland. He underwent an open "prostatolithotomy," a novel method of stone removal akin to a simple retropubic prostatectomy. Eight stones weighing a total of 59 g were removed from the prostate. For certain patients, adjunctive vesical neck revision and deliberate drainage of the prostatic fossa may be beneficial in addition to stone extraction.

Recurrent spinal hydatidosis in North America. Case report and review of the literature.

Spinal hydatidosis is an uncommon manifestation of the parasite Echinococcus, affecting fewer than 1% of patients with hydatid disease. The authors report on a 34-year-old Turkish woman who presented with recurrent primary spinal hydatid disease. The patient originally presented with progressive numbness and paraparesis that was reversed after T5-6 laminectomy and cyst removal. Pathological findings indicated parasitic infection and she underwent treatment for cysticercosis. Nevertheless, she returned 4 years later with back pain, numbness, and monoparesis. Neuroimaging studies revealed spinal cord compression with multiple cysts that were again resected. Pathological findings were consistent with Echinococcus. Although this disease is uncommon, particularly in North America, the authors conclude that spinal hydatidosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any patient who has lived or traveled within endemic areas and who presents with spine lesions and cord compression. The authors review the literature pertaining to the epidemiological features, presentation, diagnosis, neuroimaging characteristics, recommended treatments, and overall prognosis of spinal hydatidosis.