Effects of intravenous tranexamic acid on ovarian reserve and intra-operative blood loss during laparoscopic cystectomy of endometriotic cyst: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Strategies to preserve ovarian function after ovarian endometriotic cyst removal have been reported in many studies; however, no study has evaluated tranexamic acid administration during surgery. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate feasibility of conducting a definitive trial and assessing the potential efficacy of tranexamic acid on ovarian reserve and intra-operative blood loss by comparing mean differences in anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels following laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy between tranexamic acid and control groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A parallel two-arm pilot trial was conducted with 40 participants with endometriotic cysts who underwent laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy. They were randomized 1:1 to either 1 g tranexamic acid (TXA) or no TXA (n = 20 per group). TXA was administered to the participants immediately after induction of general anesthesia and intubation. The primary outcome was the feasibility of conducting a definitive trial in terms of design and procedures (such as recruitment rate, retention, safety of intravenous 1 gm of TXA, sample size verification) and assess the efficacy of TXA on the ovarian reserve and intra-operative blood loss by comparing mean difference of AMH levels between TXA and control groups at pre- and 3 months post-surgery. RESULTS: The recruitment and successful completion rates were 95% and 100%. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups. The mean difference of serum AMH levels (pre- and 3 months post-surgery) between the TXA and control groups was not significantly different. When performing a subgroup analysis, the mean difference of AMH levels (pre- and 3 months post-surgery) seemed to be higher in the bilateral than in the unilateral ovarian cyst group but not significantly different. Operating time was significantly longer in bilateral than in unilateral cysts. No post-operative complications or adverse effects were found. CONCLUSION: The full randomized controlled trial for evaluating effects of TXA administration during laparoscopic cystectomy for endometrioma on ovarian reserve was shown to be feasible. Several modifications should be added for improving feasibility, for example, increasing the TXA dose, modifying TXA administration, focusing on either patients with unilateral or bilateral ovarian cysts, and exploring other outcome measures, e.g., surgeons' satisfaction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Thai Clinical Trials Registry, TCTR20190424002 , Registered 24 April 2019.

Perioperative Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesic Efficacy of Morphine with Combined Nefopam and Parecoxib versus Parecoxib in Gynecologic Surgery: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study.

BACKGROUND: Nefopam is a non-NSAIDs and opioid sparing centrally acting drug which is effective for a multimodal postoperative analgesia. The present study aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of nefopam combined with parecoxib for gynecologic surgery. METHODS: This randomized double-blinded control trial recruited participants (n = 72) who underwent gynecologic surgeries and divided them into either a nefopam or control group. The study group received parecoxib 40 mg plus nefopam 20 mg, while the control group received parecoxib 40 mg plus normal saline solution intravenously during open abdominal gynecological surgery. Both groups then received either nefopam or normal saline every 6 hours postoperatively for 24 hours. Intravenous patient-controlled analgesia with morphine was given for breakthrough pain within 24 h. The participants were evaluated for morphine consumption within 24 hours and postoperative pain using a verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS) at a postanesthetic care unit, at 6-, 12-, and 24-hour postoperative periods. Adverse effects were recorded. RESULTS: Morphine consumption within 24 hours and adverse effects were not significantly different between both groups. Mean difference and 95% confident interval of morphine consumption between both groups was 1.00 (-4.56, 4.76), P=0.97. The VNRS on movement at 6 hours after surgery of the nefopam group was significantly different from that of the control group [mean (SD), 4.14 (2.11) vs. 5.14 (1.80), P=0.04]. The VNRS of the nefopam group at 12 hours after operation during resting and on movement was significantly different from that of the control group ([mean (SD), 1.47 (1.80) vs. 2.54 (2.15), P=0.03], [mean (SD), 3.22 (1.84) vs 4.17 (1.74), P=0.03]), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The combined administration of nefopam and parecoxib during gynecologic surgery slightly reduced the VNRS at 6 and 12 hours postoperatively more than treatment with parecoxib.

Relationship between Abdominal Circumference and Incidence of Hypotension during Cesarean Section under Spinal Anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Enlarged uterus can compress the inferior vena cava and cause hypotension when lying supine. Previous studies have shown a positive association between the abdominal circumference and size of the uterus. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between abdominal circumference and incidence of hypotension during cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. METHODS: The study cohort comprised women undergoing cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Patients were divided into two groups according to the median abdominal circumference (<101 cm and ≥101 cm). Hypotension was defined as a systolic blood pressure of <90 mmHg or mean arterial pressure of <65 mmHg. The primary outcome of this study was the relationship between the incidence of hypotension and the abdominal circumference after spinal anesthesia in term pregnant women. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 100 women. The incidence of hypotension did not differ between the groups (71.42% in the smaller vs. 78.43% in the larger abdominal circumference group, p=0.419). However, the decrease in mean arterial pressure and its percentage decrease from baseline were greater in the larger than in the smaller abdominal circumference group (change in mean arterial pressure: 28.33 mmHg (18.66-33.67) in the smaller vs. 36.67 mmHg (23.34-43.34) in the larger abdominal circumference group, p=0.004; percentage decrease: 31.41% (22.74-39.22) in the smaller vs. 38.47% (28.00-44.81) in the larger abdominal circumference group, p=0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Large abdominal circumference in pregnancy is associated with greater decreases in mean arterial pressure from baseline. However, the incidence of hypotension defined by standard criteria did not differ between larger and smaller abdominal circumference groups.

Effects of Desflurane and Sevoflurane anesthesia on regulatory T cells in patients undergoing living donor kidney transplantation: a randomized intervention trial.

BACKGROUND: Volatile anesthetic agents used during surgery have immunomodulatory effects which could affect postoperative outcomes. Recognizing that regulatory T cells (Tregs) plays crucial roles in transplant tolerance and high peripheral blood Tregs associated with stable kidney graft function, knowing which volatile anesthetic agents can induce peripheral blood Tregs increment would have clinical implications. This study aimed to compare effects of desflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia on peripheral blood Tregs induction in patients undergoing living donor kidney transplantation. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial in living donor kidney transplant recipients was conducted at a single center, tertiary-care, academic university hospital in Thailand during August 2015 - June 2017. Sixty-six patients were assessed for eligibility and 40 patients who fulfilled the study requirement were equally randomized and allocated to desflurane versus sevoflurane anesthesia during transplant surgery. The primary outcome included absolute changes of peripheral blood CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Tregs which measured by flow cytometry and expressed as the percentage of the total population of CD4+ T lymphocytes at pre-exposure (0-h) and post-exposure (2-h and 24-h) to anesthetic gas. P-value < 0.05 denoted statistical significance. RESULTS: Demographic data were comparable between groups. No statistical difference of peripheral blood Tregs between desflurane and sevoflurane groups observed at the baseline pre-exposure (3.6 ± 0.4% vs. 3.1 ± 0.4%; p = 0.371) and 2-h post-exposure (3.0 ± 0.3% vs. 3.5 ± 0.4%; p = 0.319). At 24-h post-exposure, peripheral blood Tregs was significantly higher in desflurane group (5.8 ± 0.5% vs. 4.1 ± 0.3%; p = 0.008). Within group analysis showed patients receiving desflurane, but not sevoflurane, had 2.7% increase in peripheral blood Treg over 24-h period (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study provides the clinical trial-based evidence that desflurane induced peripheral blood Tregs increment after 24-h exposure, which could be beneficial in the context of kidney transplantation. Mechanisms of action and clinical advantages of desflurane anesthesia based on Treg immunomodulation should be investigated in the future. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02559297 . Registered 22 September 2015 - retrospectively registered.

The Effect of a Single Dose Dexamethasone on Postoperative Pain in Patients Undergoing Gynecological Laparotomy Surgery.

Background: Acute postoperative pain is associated with many undesirable outcomes. Opioids are the mainstay for pain relief but their common side effects are still problematic. Many adjunctive agents such as NSAIDs and gabapentin have already been proved to be effective as multimodal analgesia. Dexamethasone has been reported to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting but the analgesic effect is not well defined especially in open abdominal surgery. Objective: To evaluate efficacy of a single perioperative dose of dexamethasone on postoperative pain in gynecological laparotomy surgery. Material and Method: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded study was approved by the Institutional Review Board and registered with the Thai Clinical Trials Registry as TCTR20151116001. Fifty-two patients scheduled for elective gynecological laparotomy surgery were enrolled in the present study. Patients were randomized into two groups based on computer generated random number list. After induction, group D received intravenous dexamethasone 8 mg and group P received saline. Both groups were anesthetized in a standardized manner. Postoperative pain was managed with intravenous morphine using patient controlled analgesia. The primary outcome was total morphine consumption evaluated at 6- and 24-hour postoperatively. Pain score, nausea, and vomiting, shivering, sore throat, and adverse effects of dexamethasone were also recorded. Results: The total dose of morphine (0 to 24 hour after surgery) was less in D group (15.88±9.59 mg) compared with P group (24.25±15.26 mg) (p = 0.027). The doses during hour 0 to 6 were smaller in D group (11.28±6.66 mg) than the placebo (15.79±12.50) (p = 0.435). The numerical rating scale for pain at rest did not differ in both study groups, but pain in motion was less in D group than P group at 6-hour (p = 0.03) and 24-hour (p = 0.039) after surgery. No adverse effect was observed in both groups. Conclusion: A single perioperative dose 8 mg of dexamethasone is safe and significantly reduces pain at movement and morphine consumption in 24 hours after gynecological laparotomy surgery.

A comparison of the combination of atropine and glycopyrrolate with atropine alone for the reversal of muscle relaxant.

BACKGROUND: Muscle relaxant is commonly used in general anesthesia to facilitate surgery. When finishing the operation, anesthesiologists reverse the muscle relaxant with anticholinesterase, neostigmine, combined with anticholinergic for prevention of unwanted side effects from neostigmine. The only existed anticholinergic in Thailand is atropine, which has a more rapid onset than neostigmine resulting in initial tachycardia. Lately, we have glycopyrrolate that cause less increase in initial heart rate. Therefore, we would like to study the effect of heart rate of the combination between atropine and glycopyrrolate to counteract the effect of neostigmine. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the different increase in heart rate after the reversal of muscle relaxant with neostigmine combined with atropine or glycopyrrolate plus atropine. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study was a randomized controlled trial study. Fifty-one, ASA I or II patients undergoing elective gynecological surgery under general anesthesia technique were enrolled in the present study. They were randomly assigned by computer-generated random sequence into two groups, control group and intervention group. Control group received neostigmine 2.5 mg and atropine 1.2 mg, intervention group received neostigmine 2.5 mg, glycopyrrolate 0.2 mg and atropine 0.6 mg for reversal of neuromuscular block after finishing the operation. Both groups received the same anesthetic agents including muscle relaxant. Heart rate was recorded before drugs administration and at 1, 3, 5, and 7 minutes after injection. We also recorded heart rate in the PA CU at 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes. Secondary outcome was incidence of arrhythmia during the observation in PACU. RESULTS: There was no difference in age and baseline heart rate between the two groups. There was no different increase in heart rate after administration of reversal agent between control group and intervention group at any time (p-value = 0.496). No incidence of significant arrhythmia in both groups. CONCLUSION: There is no significant different increase in heart rate in 0.2 mg glycopyrrolate plus 0.6 mg atropine group compared to 1.2 mg atropine alone for antagonizing muscarinic effects of 2.5 mg neostigmine. Therefore, atropine 0.6 mg and glycopyrrolate 0.2 mg is an alternative to antagonize muscarinic effects of neostigmine.

A comparison of dexmedetomidine and propofol in Patients undergoing electrophysiology study.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine provides profound levels of sedation without affecting cardiovascular and respiratory stability based on its pharmacological profile. It may be a valuable sedative for procedures with minimal to mild pain. Electrophysiology study (EP study) is a mildly painful procedure that requires conscious sedation. The authors hypothesized that dexmedetomidine would cause lower respiratory and cardiovascular depression than propofol during equal sedation level in an electrophysiology study. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The present study protocol was approved by the clinical research ethics committee at Ramathibodi Hospital. Thirty-four patients were randomly allocated into two groups to receive either dexmedetomidine or propofol for an electrophysiology study. Patients in the dexmedetomidine group received a loading dose of dexmedetomidine (0.5 mcg/kg) infused over 10 minutes followed by 0.4 mcg/kg/h. Each patient in the propofol group received propofol 1 mg/kg over 10 minutes followed by 3 mg/kg/h. All patients received pethidine (0.5 mg/kg) before the initiation of EP study. Sedation was determined using the Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (MOAA/S). The Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation scores, hemodynamic and respiratory variables were recorded regularly during the EP study. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were enrolled in the present study. The Modified Observer's Assessment Alertness/Sedation values were similar in both groups. Respiratory rate values with dexmedetomidine were significantly higher than those in the propofol group (p = 0.048) and the oxygen supplement in the dexmedetomidine group were significantly lower than those in the propofol group (p < 0.001). Moreover mean arterial blood pressure values of dexmedetomidine at the five and 15-minute were significantly higher than those of the propofol group (p = 0.024). No incidence of severe bradycardia or hypotension was found in both groups. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that comparable sedation could be achieved by a combination of pethidine with either dexmedetomidine or propofol during EP study. Dexmedetomidine group provided more hemodynamic and respiratory stability than propofol group.

The post-operative analgesic efficacy of celecoxib compared with placebo and parecoxib after total hip or knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in combination with opioids is a model of multimodal analgesia. NSAIDs have the oral and parenteral forms. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of celecoxib compared with placebo and parecoxib after total hip or knee arthroplasty. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A total of 120, ASA 1-2, aged 18-75 years, patients were randomly assigned to receive one of the three groups: Group I (control) received placebo (n=40), group II received 400 mg celecoxib orally (n=40) and group III received 40 mg parecoxib intravenously (n=40). The present study medication was administered I hour before surgery. All patients had access to patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with intravenous morphine. Patients were studied at 0, 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours postoperatively for verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS), morphine consumption, satisfaction score and side effects. RESULTS: The intraoperatively fentayl requirement were similar among the three groups (p < 0.00). Celecoxib and parecoxib significantly decreased the amount of morphine requirement after total hip or knee arthroplasty compared to placebo at 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours (p < 0.00). The celecoxib group required more morphine than the parecoxib group at 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours (p < 0.00). The VNRS score in parecoxib group was significantly lower than the celecoxib and control groups at 1, 6, 12 but not at 24 hours. The VNRS score was lower in the celecoxib group compared to the control group at I and 6 hours postoperatively (p = 0.01, p < 0. 01 respectively). The placebo group had a higher sedation score (p = 0.008) but not for nausea vomiting (p = 0.36) and pruritus (p = 0.12) compared to the treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Within 12 hours after total hip and knee arthroplasty, pre-operative administration of parenteral parecoxib 40 mg was more effective than oral celecoxib 400 mg and placebo in terms of morphine consumption and VNRS score.

Modified Mallampati test and thyromental distance as a predictor of difficult laryngoscopy in Thai patients.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative evaluation of anatomical landmarks and clinical factors are important in the detection of patients at risk for difficult laryngoscopy. The modified Mallampati test (MMT) and thyromental distance (TMD) are commonly used for this purpose but there are controversies regarding their accuracy. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of MMT and TMD in the prediction of difficult laryngoscopy in Thai patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 1888 consecutive patients undergoing general anesthesia requiring endotracheal intubation were evaluated preoperatively using the MMT and TMD. The cut-off points for the difficult airway predictors were: Mallampati 3, 4 and TMD less than 6 cm. During direct laryngoscopy, the laryngeal view was graded using the Cormack and Lehane (CL) classification. CL grades III and IV were considered difficult laryngoscopy. Sensitivity and specificity for each airway predictor in isolation and in combination were determined. RESULTS: The present study found Mallampati grade I 1050 patients (55.6%), grade II 730 patients (38.7%), grade III 104 patients (5.5%), grade IV 4 pateints (0.2%) and TMD less than 6 cm 85 patients (4.5%), TMD more than 6 cm 1803 patients (95.5%). Difficult laryngoscopy occurred in 60 patients (3.2%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for the two airway predictors were: MMT 41.7%, 95.5%, 23.1% and 98.0% and TMD 23.3%, 96.1%, 16.5% and 97.4% respectively. The combination of two predictors with a sensitivity, specificity PPV and NPV were 55.0%, 92.3%, 19.1% and 98.4%. CONCLUSION: MMT TMD and their combination are good predictors of difficult laryngoscopy in a Thai population.

Effects of pregabalin on post operative morphine consumption and pain after abdominal hysterectomy with/without salphingo-oophorectomy: a randomized, double-blind trial.

BACKGROUND: Achieving post operative pain management is difficult with the use of only opioids analgesia. Multimodal pain management is a method to improve post operative analgesia with minimal side effects. Pregabalin has an analgesic and opioids sparing effects in post operative analgesia. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of premedication with pregabalin 300 mg compared with lorazepam 0.5 mg on post operative morphine consumption in women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy with/without salphingo-oophorectomy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eighty ASA I-III, aged 18-65 year patients undergoing elective abdominal hysterectomy with/without salphingo-oophorectomy were randomized to receive either lorazepam 0.5 mg or pregabalin 300 mg 1 hr before surgery. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental (3-5 mg/kg) and atracurium (0.6 mg/kg) and maintained with sevoflurane with a fresh gas flow of 2 L/min (50% N2O in O2) and morphine 0.1-0.2 mg/kg. All patients received patient-controlled analgesia with morphine with a 1 mg incremental dose, 5-min lockout interval, and 4-hr limit of 40 mg post operative. Patients were studied at 0, 1, 4, 12 and 24 hours post operatively for verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS), morphine consumption, satisfaction score and side effects. RESULTS: The VNRS scores of the pregabalin group were significantly lower than the control group at 1, 4, 12 and 24 hours after surgery. The total morphine consumption at 24 hours post operatively of pregabalin group (7.11 +/- 5.57) was significantly lower than the control group (21.18 +/- 7.12) (p < 0.01). There were no differences between groups in somnolence and dizziness (p = 0.93) and nausea-vomiting (p = 0.11). The satisfaction score was higher in the pregabalin group. CONCLUSION: A 300 mg pregabalin administered 1 hr preoperatively before abdominal hysterectomy with/without salphingo-oophorectomy significantly reduced morphine consumption, VNRS pain score and improved satisfaction score at 24 hr post operatively without any significant differences in side effects. Pregabalin is an alternative combination to opioids as multimodal analgesia.

The Thai anesthesia incident monitoring study of perioperative allergic reactions: an analysis of 1996 incidents reports.

OBJECTIVES: Analyze the clinical course, management, outcome, and contributing factors of perioperative allergic reactions in the Thai Anesthesia Incident Monitoring Study (Thai AIMS). MATERIAL AND METHOD: A prospective descriptive multicenter study was conducted in 51 hospitals across Thailand Voluntary, anonymous reports of any adverse or undesirable events during the first 24 hours of anesthesia were sent to the Thai AIMS data management unit. Possible perioperative allergic reactions were extracted and examined independently by three peer reviewers. RESULTS: Forty-three reports of possible perioperative allergic reactions from the 2,537 incidents reported to the Thai AIMS (1.6%) were reviewed. There was a female predominance (1.9:1). The most common features were cutaneous manifestations (93%), arterial hypotension (20.1%), and bronchospasm (11.6%) respectively. The severity grades were 69.8% in grade I, 4.7% in grade II, and 25.6% in grade III. The three most suspected causative agents were neuromuscular blocking agents (39.5%, 30.2%-succinylcholine), antibiotics (27.9%), and opioids (18.6%) respectively. All but one responded well to treatment with complete recovery. One patient suffered acute myocardial infarction and had to stay at the hospital for longer than one week. None had further allergic reaction. CONCLUSION: Perioperative allergic reactions accounted for 1.6% of anesthetic adverse events. The most common features were cutaneous manifestations. A quarter of these were life-threatening but responded well to treatment. The most common suspected causative agent was succinylcholine.

Bispectral index in assessment of 3% and 4.5% desflurane in 50% N2O for caesarean section.

BACKGROUND: To prevent awareness and uterine atony among parturients during general anesthesia for caesarean section, volatile anesthetic agents have been limited to 0.5 MAC in 50% N2O. This technique appeared to be inadequate to produce BIS values less than 60 in isoflurane and sevoflurane. OBJECTIVE: To assess BIS value during general anesthesia with 3% and 4.5% desflurane in 50% N2O before delivery. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The parturients were blinded and randomized in opaque envelopes to one of the two study groups. Seventy-two elective caesarean section ASA I - II parturients were induced and intubated with thiopental 4 mg/kg, succinylcholine 1.5 mg/kg and were received either 3% or 4.5% desflurane in 50% N2O to maintain general anesthesia. Both groups received rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg for muscle relaxation. Morphine 0.1 mg/kg and midazolam 0.06 mg/kg were administered after delivery. RESULTS: There were no differences in demographic data in both groups. The incidences of patients with a satisfactory BIS score (< 60) in the 4.5% desflurane group was 81% that was significantly more than 42% in the 3% desflurane group (p < 0.000). Mean BIS values at neonatal delivery were 62 +/- 8 in the 3% desflurane group, versus 49 +/- 12 in the 4.5% desflurane group. Indices of maternal and neonatal outcome were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: General anesthesia for caesarean section with 4.5% desflurane in 50% N2O maintained BIS < 60 more significantly than 3% of desflurane in 50% N2O without maternal and neonatal adverse effects in healthy paturients.

The Thai Anesthesia Incidents (THAI Study) of anesthetic risk factors related to perioperative death and perioperative cardiovascular complications in intracranial surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlations between anesthetic risk factors and perioperative cardiovascular complications as well as perioperative death within 72 hours. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This case controlled took the data from the Thai Anesthesia Incidents Study (THAI Study), a prospective multi-centered registry of anesthesia in Thailand. The authors included all the patients who received intracranial surgery from 20 hospitals throughout Thailand. The present study was divided into two groups and focused on anesthetic factors that possibly related to perioperative cardiovascular complications or perioperative death. The statistical analysis were Chi Square test and logistic regression model with the statistical significance if p-value < 0.05 demonstrated in Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: From the 7,430 patients, there were 63 patients (0.85%) with perioperative cardiovascular complication. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status 3-5 (OR 5.77, 95% CI 2.33-14.27) and the absence of anesthesiologists (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.06-4.54) had statistical correlation with the cardiovascular complication. Eighty-four patients (1.13%) who died within 72 hours post operatively were found. The ASA physical status 3-5 (OR 10.14, 95% CI 3.42-30.02), the emergency circumstance (OR 3.55, 95% CI 1.31-9.60), and the absence of endtidal carbondioxide monitor (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.26-4.09) had statistical correlation with the perioperative death. CONCLUSION: Predictors of perioperative cardiovascular complications in intracranial surgical patients were ASA physical status 3-5 and absence of certified board anesthesiologists. Risk factors of perioperative death were ASA physical status 3-5, emergency condition, and absence or no monitoring of capnometer.

The effect of ephedrine on the onset time of rocuronium in Thai patients.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ephedrine on the onset time of rocuronium. The study population was 60 ASA physical status 1 and 2 patients, aged 15-60 years scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia at Ramathibodi Hospital. The patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups. Group I (ephedrine group), ephedrine 70 microg/kg was given 1 minute before induction and group II (control group), saline was given instead of ephedrine and midazolam 7.5 mg was given orally 30-60 minutes before the induction. Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl 1 microg/kg and sodium thiopentone 3-5 mg/kg. The patient was intubated with 0.9 mg/kg of rocuronium. The intubation time (from rocuronium administration to the time of intubation) was predetermined by the Dixon's up and down method (with 5 seconds as a step size) for each patient and started at 60 seconds for the first patient in each group. The intubation time in the ephedrine group (39.41 +/- 4.64 seconds) was significantly different from the control group (59.17 +/- 9.00 seconds); p-value < 0.01. The hemodynamics were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Intravenous ephedrine shortened the onset time of rocuronium with no significant adverse hemodynamic effects. As an alternative to suxamethonium for rapid intubation, the authors recommend the use of ephedrine 70 microg/kg at one minute before induction followed by 0.9 mg/kg of rocuronium intravenously in healthy patients. The intubation could be achieved at 40 seconds after the administration.