Utilidad de la resonancia magnética en el diagnóstico de lesiones musculares de localización atípica / Usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of atypical location muscle lesions

En el presente los desgarros musculares son una causa muy frecuente de lesión en la práctica deportiva. Según los estudios actuales, un 30% de las lesiones en atletas afecta los músculos, siendo particularmente comunes a nivel de los isquiotibiales, el recto anterior de los cuádriceps, los gemelos y los aductores. El diagnóstico se realiza en forma sencilla mediante un estudio ecográfico. Sin embargo, existe un número importante de lesiones musculares de localización profunda e infrecuente, que pueden pasar inadvertidas en la ecografía y que causan largos períodos de inactividad para el deportista. La resonancia magnética (RM), por su resolución anatómica y capacidad multiplanar, es el método de elección para el estudio de este tipo de afecciones, ya que permite descartar otras patologías de similar presentación clínica y realizar un diagnóstico específico. En este artículo describimos los desgarros musculares de localización inusual, particularmente los de localización pelviana, evaluando también la pared torácica, abdominal y miembros superiores e inferiores. En todos los casos, se usaron equipos de alto campo 1.5 y 3 Tesla.

Muscle injuries are currently particularly frequent among people who participate in sports. Current studies show that 30% of injuries in athletes affect muscles, with hamstrings, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, and adductors being particularly prevalent. The diagnosis is easily made with an ultrasound study. However, there are a significant number of muscle injuries, considered uncommon, that may be not be detected by ultrasound, mainly because of their depth, and could be responsible for long periods of inactivity for the sportsman. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with a better anatomical resolution and multiplanar capability, is the method of choice for detecting the precise location and severity of the injury and can establish their severity. The aim of this article is to review muscle tears of unusual location, particularly in the pelvic area, but also evaluating the chest wall, abdomen, and upper and lower limbs. All patients were evaluated by 3 and 1.5 Tesla MRI units.

Postoperative pain treatment SIAARTI Recommendations 2010. Short version.

The aim of these recommendations is the revision of data published in 2002 in the "SIAARTI Recommendations for acute postoperative pain treatment". In this version, the SIAARTI Study Group for acute and chronic pain decided to grade evidence based on the "modified Delphi" method with 5 levels of recommendation strength. Analgesia is a fundamental right of the patient. The appropriate management of postoperative pain (POP) is known to significantly reduce perioperative morbidity, including the incidence of postoperative complications, hospital stay and costs, especially in high-risk patients (ASA III-V), those undergoing major surgery and those hospitalized in a critical unit (Level A). Therefore, the treatment of POP represents a high-priority institutional objective, as well as an integral part of the treatment plan for "perioperative disease", which includes analgesia, early mobilization, early enteral nutrition and active physiokinesitherapy (Level A). In order to improve an ACUTE PAIN SERVICE organization, we recommend: --a plan for pain management that includes adequate preoperative evaluation, pain measurement, organization of existing resources, identification and training of involved personnel in order to assure multimodal analgesia, early mobilization, early enteral nutrition and active physiokinesitherapy (Level A); --the implementation of an Acute Pain Service, a multidisciplinary structure which includes an anesthetist (team coordinator), surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists and eventually other specialists; --referring to high-quality indicators in establishing an APS and considering the following key points in its organization (Level C): --service adoption; --identifying a referring anesthetist who is on call 24 hours a day; --patient care during the night and weekend; --sharing, drafting and updating written therapeutic protocols; --continuous medical education; --systematic pain assessment; --data collection regarding the efficacy and safety of the implemented protocols; --at least one audit per year. --a preoperative evaluation, including all the necessary information for the management of postoperative analgesia (Level C); --to adequately inform the patient about the risks and benefits of drugs and procedures used to obtain the maximum efficacy from the administered treatments (Level D). We describe pharmacological and loco-regional techniques with special attention to day surgery and difficult populations. Risk management pathways must be the reference for early identification and treatment of adverse events and chronic pain development.

Fibrinolysis or hypercoagulation during radical prostatectomy? An evaluation of thrombelastographic parameters and standard laboratory tests.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Radical prostatectomy is at high risk for intraoperative and postoperative bleeding due to surgical trauma, release of urokinase and tissue type plasminogen activator. We conducted this prospective, observational multi-centre study to assess the degree of systemic fibrinolysis or hypercoagulation in the perioperative period. We studied serial changes in standard laboratory values and in thrombelastographic (TEG; Haemoscope Corporation, Skokie, IL, USA) parameters including lysis at 30 and 60 min (LY-30, LY-60), alpha-angle (alpha) and maximum amplitude. METHODS: In all, 49 patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy in five Italian University Hospitals were included. Blood samples were taken before surgery (T1), at the removal of the prostate (T2), 4 h after surgery (T3) and then 1 day after surgery (T4). Native blood samples were analysed using a thrombelastograph Haemoscope 5000 (Haemoscope Corporation). RESULTS: We did not see any relevant activation of fibrinolysis during any stage. Intraoperatively, we showed even more activated blood coagulation with consumption of fibrinogen and a reduced TEG percentage clot lysis. Only at the first postoperative sample point we saw a trend towards a more fibrinolytic state indicated by increasing partial thromboplastin time, LY-30 and LY-60 values, and a peak of the fibrin degradation product D-dimers. This is consistent with a normal reaction to the hypercoagulable state before and is unlikely to be due to an intraoperative tissue type plasminogen activator release. We found no evidence of an uncontrolled activation of fibrinolysis on the day after surgery. On the contrary, alpha-values which indicate the rate of clot formation and which increase during hypercoagulation showed the tendency to rise slightly compared with the preoperative value. CONCLUSION: Neither standard coagulation parameters nor TEG values showed any significant activation of fibrinolysis or of hypercoagulation in the preoperative period. Nevertheless, hypercoagulation seems to have a substantial clinical impact as it has been shown that cardiovascular complications and pulmonary embolism were the most common causes of death after retropubic prostatectomy.

Sciatic nerve block with lateral popliteal approach for hallux vagus correction. Comparison between 0.5% bupivacaine and 0.75% ropivacaine.

AIM: In this study the authors compared the clinical profile of 2 local anesthetic drugs in the sciatic nerve block used during hallux valgus correction, a surgical procedure known to be post-operatively extremely painful. Since hallux valgus correction is painful post-operatively, many attempts have been tried to ensure a long-lasting analgesia. Block of the sciatic nerve appears to be the right choice balancing ease to performance, satisfaction of the patient and duration of action. METHODS: The authors investigated the use of 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine or 0.75% ropivacaine regarding the speed of onset, quality and length of duration of sciatic nerve block performed with a lateral popliteal approach. Sixty ASA I-III patients (aged 19-73 years) were enrolled in this trial. Written informed consent was asked and obtained. A 20 G 50 mm Teflon coated Crawford needle, delivering 0.5 mA at 2 Hz, was used to locate and block the sciatic nerve in the popliteal fossa with a lateral approach. RESULTS: Patients in the ropivacaine group required about 13 minutes to achieve a complete block and about 16 minutes were needed in the bupivacaine group for the anesthesia to be complete. The length of analgesia was 16 h for the ropivacaine group and 13 h for the bupivacaine group. This kind of approach to block the sciatic nerve appeared to the authors to be very easy to perform, with the patient lying in a natural position. Surgical anesthesia required less than 30 min in both groups to be ready, while the ropivacaine group had a longer length of analgesia compared to the bupivacaine group. CONCLUSIONS: Patient satisfaction was high in both groups.

A prospective, observational evaluation of a new supraglottic airway: the PAXpress.

AIM: Little information is available on efficacy and safety of the new supraglottic device, PA(Xpress), in anesthetized patients. The aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the use of this new supraglottic device in clinical practice. METHODS: Ninety-one patients (mean age: 45+/-11 years) undergoing extremity or minor peri-phery procedures (mean duration 53+/-18 min), with a supraglottic airway were prospectively studied in 10 hospitals, using a simple questionnaire with data concerning anthropometric variables, surgical procedure, and occurrence of untoward events during PA(Xpress) placement, anesthesia maintenance, or postoperative period. RESULTS: First attempt placement was achieved in 74 patients (82.2%), while 9 patients (10%) required 2 attempts, and 7 patients (7.7%) required more than 2 attempts. In only 2 patients (2%) airway control was not achieved with the studied device. The mean time required to achieve successful placement was 49+/-18 s (range 4-300 s). Mechanical ventilation was effectively maintained in all studied patients, and no severe adverse events were reported during the procedure. Blood on the device was observed in 54% of cases, and this was associated with an incidence of sore throat of 26% in the recovery area and 13% after 6 hours from the end of surgery. CONCLUSION: Although further comparative, randomized studies should be advocated to better evaluate the use of this new supraglottic device, this prospective, observational study demonstrated that PA(Xpress) provides safe and effective airway control during mechanical ventilation in up to 98% of cases.

[Topical anesthesia for cataract surgery with phacoemulsification: lidocaine 2% vs ropivacaine 1%. Preliminary results]. / Anestesia topica nella chirurgia della cataratta con facoemulsione: lidocaina 2% vs ropivacaina 1%. Risultati preliminari.

BACKGROUND: The safety, tolerability and efficacy of ropivacaine 1% vs lidocaine 2% for phacoemulsification using topical anesthesia during cataract surgery, are compared. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, double-blind study comparing two agents for topical anesthesia is reported. ENVIRONMENT: Operative Unit of Ophthalmology, general Hospital. 1893 consecutively patients were studied (ASA 1-3, 738 males, 1155 females, age 71.8+/-9.7 years, range 35-90 years) undergoing routine phacoemulsification under topical 2% lidocaine (group I) and 1% ropivacaine (group II). The mains outcome measures of the study were: - the total dose of local anesthetic for obtaining a reduction of corneal sensation measured with the Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer (value>3); - the pain recorded with visual analogic scale and verbal scale at: T1 = the first injection of local anesthetic; T2 = corneal incision; T3 = the end of surgery; T4 = 1h after surgery; T5 = the first postoperative day; - any requirement for additional intraoperative injection anesthesia and systemic sedation when needed; - surgeon assessments of operative conditions and patient cooperation; - patients' subjective level of comfort; - complications. RESULTS: Topical anesthesia using lidocaine 2% was significantly more painful than the ropivacaine 1%. The onset of anesthesia adequate for surgery was similar in all two groups. There were differences between the groups with respect to perioperative analgesia because the VAS was significantly higher in lidocaine group than in ropivacaine group. There were no statistically differences between the two groups at the follow-up. Inadequate anesthesia was seen in 8.05% (74/919 patients) cases of group I vs 0.9% (22/974 patients) of group II. Sedation was needed only in 10 patients and 6 patients of group I and II respectively. The surgeon assessment showed more patient cooperation in the ropivacaine group (83%). Satisfactory comfort (level 1) was reported by 60.4% in the lidocaine group and 86.8% in the ropivacaine group. In both groups there were cases of postoperative epithelial edema (29 patients in group I vs 36 patients in group II) although it decreased after the first postoperative day. No other significant side-effects were observed with the use of either formulations. CONCLUSIONS: Lidocaine 2% and ropivacaine 1% were safe and effective agents in patients having phacoemulsification with IOL implantation. However, ropivacaine provides more good operative conditions than lidocaine for the surgeon and comfortable surgical circumstances for the patient.

BIS and Ramsay score in critically ill patient: what future?

BACKGROUND: The recent introduction of BIS has improved the concept of utilizing it as a method for the assessment of the sedation level, thus opening new frontiers in critically ill patients care. Its validity in measuring the hypnotic drug effects has been repeatedly proved, but it has rarely been used in ICU. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the correlation between BIS and Ramsay score and its fluctuations with the sedative dosage variations, as a possible utilization in ICU. METHODS: In this study, 20 patients with severe lung disease requiring ventilator support, were recruited. All patients were sedated with propofol and/or midazolam to maintain a Ramsay score of 4. Continuous infusion techniques were commonly used. At time 0 and every half an hour, the patients were evaluated by 2 investigators, using the Ramsay score and the BIS simultaneously. The BIS was calculated by a 1-min recording every time that the sedation score was recorded, for a total of 960 observations. In addition BIS was continuously recorded to establish a baseline value, when the patient was not stimulated. Ventilator settings, medications and vital signs were also recorded. RESULTS: With the increase of the Ramsay score there was a progressive decrease in the BIS score (Ramsay score=2, BIS=88 +/- 15.1; Ramsay score=6, BIS=52.2 +/- 10.7); between BIS and Propofol dosages and between Ramsay score and systolic pressure. CONCLUSIONS: The data obtained show a good correlation between Ramsay score and BIS.

A case of central nervous system vasculitis related to an episode of Guillain-Barrè syndrome.

The authors report their knowledge about an uncommon case of isolated vasculitis, restricted to the left sylvian artery during an auto-immune Guillain-Barrè syndrome (GBS), sustained by cytomegalovirus (CMV). An acute cardiopulmonary failure requiring a ventilator and vasopressor support manifested, notwithstanding plasma exchanging and immune-modulating therapy. An IgM-enriched formula administration coincided with a rapid amelioration of GBS and vasculitis to a complete recovery the next month after her discharge to a rehabilitation centre.