Regional Anaesthesia for Lower Extremity Amputation is Associated with Reduced Post-operative Complications Compared with General Anaesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: Primary and secondary lower extremity amputation, performed for patients with lower extremity arterial disease, is associated with increased post-operative morbidity. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of regional anaesthesia vs. general anaesthesia on post-operative pulmonary complications. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 45 492 patients undergoing lower extremity amputation between 2005 and 2018 was conducted using data from the American College of Surgeons National Safety Quality Improvement Program database. Multivariable logistic regression was carried out to assess differences in primary outcome of post-operative pulmonary complications (pneumonia or respiratory failure requiring re-intubation) within 48 hours and 30 days after surgery between patients receiving regional (RA) or general anaesthesia (GA). Secondary outcomes included post-operative blood transfusion, septic shock, re-operation, and post-operative death within 30 days. RESULTS: Of 45 492 patients, 40 026 (88.0%) received GA and 5 466 (12.0%) RA. Patients who received GA had higher odds of developing pulmonary complications at 48 hours (2.1% vs. 1.4%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09 - 1.78; p = .007) and within 30 days (6.3% vs. 5.9%; aOR 1.15, 95% CI 1.09 - 1.78; p = .039). The odds of blood transfusions (aOR 1.11, 95% CI 1.02 - 1.21; p = .017), septic shock (aOR 1.29, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.60; p = .025) and re-operation (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.53; p = .023) were also higher for patients who received GA vs. patients who received RA. No difference in mortality rate was observed between patients who received GA and those who received RA (5.7% vs. 7.1%; odds ratio 0.95, 95% CI 0.84 - 1.07). CONCLUSION: A statistically significant reduction in pulmonary complications was observed in patients who received RA for lower extremity amputation compared with GA.

Enhanced Post-Operative Recovery with Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block After Lower Extremity Amputation.

BACKGROUND: Despite progress in perioperative care standards, there has not been a significant risk reduction in morbidity and mortality rates of lower extremity amputations, an intermediate risk surgery performed on high risk patients. The single-shot peripheral nerve block has shown equivocal impact on postoperative course following lower extremity amputation. Hence, we assessed the potential of preemptive use of continuous catheter-based peripheral nerve block in lower extremity amputations for reduction in pulmonary complications, acute post-operative pain scores, and opioid use in post-operative period. METHODS: A retrospective review of a quality improvement project initiated in 2018 was conducted to compare outcomes amongst general anesthesia in combination with a catheter-based peripheral nerve block (catheter group) and general anesthesia alone in patients receiving lower extremity amputation. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications was identified as a primary endpoint. The secondary outcomes assessed were acute post-operative pain scores and opioid consumption up to 48 hours. Our analysis was adjusted for potential confounding variables inclusive of demographics, medical comorbidities, type of surgical procedure and smoking status. RESULTS: Ninety-six patients were included in the study (61 in the general anesthesia group, 35 in the catheter group). After adjusting for baseline demographics, comorbidities, surgical technique and smoking status, the odds of postoperative pulmonary complications were significantly lower with catheter-based peripheral nerve block in comparison to general anesthesia alone, OR 0.11 [95% CI, 0.01- 0.88] (P = 0.048). The decrease in acute pain scores was also observed in the catheter group when compared to general anesthesia alone, OR 0.72 [95% CI, 0.56 - 0.93] (P = 0.012). Similarly, the opioid consumption was also lower in the catheter group in comparison to general anesthesia alone, OR 0.97 [95% CI, 0.95 - 0.99] (P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Preemptive use of continuous peripheral nerve block in patients undergoing lower extremity amputation reduces the incidence of pulmonary complications, acute postoperative pain scores and narcotic use in post-operative period.

Workflow of Ultrasound-Guided Arterial Access.

Arterial line cannulations frequently are performed in various clinical settings to facilitate hemodynamic monitoring and metabolic assessments. Palpation-guided technique generally is performed due to the superficial nature of the peripheral arteries; however, this approach may be challenging in patients with obesity, edema, and hypotension. Difficult line placements are a significant contributor of reduced operating room efficiency due to time delays seen in procedural workflow. Real-time ultrasound guidance is shown to improve success rates of arterial cannulation and reduction in multiple attempts, leading to time efficiency and less likelihood of arterial spasms or hematoma formation. In this report, the authors demonstrate the workflow of ultrasound-guided arterial line cannulation, outline the features of their institutional multi-modal training project for quality improvement, and evaluate the possible effect of the initiative on surgical delays seen with difficult line placements.

Protocolized Based Management of Cerebrospinal Fluid Drains in Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair Procedures.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) resulting in paraplegia is a devastating complication associated with thoracic endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (TEVAR) whose incidence has significantly declined over time. In this review, we present our experience with a multidisciplinary clinical protocol for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drain management in patients undergoing TEVAR. Furthermore, we aimed to characterize complications of CSF drain placement in a large, single center experience of patients who underwent TEVAR. METHODS: This retrospective review is of patients undergoing TEVAR with and without CSF drain placement between January 2014 and December 2019 at a single institution. Patient demographics, hospital course, and drain-related complications were analyzed to assess the incidence of CSF drain-related complications. RESULTS: A total of 235 patients were included in this study, of which 85 received CSF drains. Eighty patients (94.1%) were placed by anesthesiologists, while 5 (5.9%) were placed under fluoroscopic guidance by interventional neurosurgery. The most common level of placement was L3-L4 in 38 (44.7%) cases followed by L4-L5 in 36 (42.4%) cases. The mean duration of CSF drain was 1.9 ± 1.4 days. Complications due to CSF drainage occurred in 5 (5.9%) patients and included partial retainment of catheter, subdural edema, epidural hematoma, headache, and bleeding near the drain site. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 5.5% and did not differ between those who received a CSF drain and those who did not (P = 0.856). The overall incidence of SCI resulting in paraplegia was 1.7% in the studied patients. CONCLUSIONS: A protocol-based CSF drainage program for spinal cord protection involves a multifaceted approach in identification and selection of patients meeting criteria for prophylactic drain placement, direct closed loop communication, and perioperative management by an experienced team. Despite the inherent advantages of CSF drain placement, it is not without complications, thus risk and benefit need to be weighed in context of the procedure and the patient with close communication and team approach.

Handheld Point-of-Care Ultrasound Probes: The New Generation of POCUS.

Recent advances in ultrasound technology have made ultrasound equipment more versatile, portable, and accessible than ever. Modern handheld, ultra-portable ultrasound devices have been developed by multiple companies and are contributing to make bedside ultrasound evaluation a practice available to all physicians. The significance of making point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) a common practice that all physicians eventually can use in the evaluation of their patients is changing the way medicine is practiced, allowing physicians to quickly obtain valuable information to complement the traditional physical examination. Despite the proven benefits of using bedside ultrasound imaging as a part of the patient evaluation and for procedure guidance, adoption of this technology still is not widespread among anesthesiology clinicians nor is there uniform teaching of ultrasound skills to anesthesia residents and faculty. Among obstacles that have been identified as precluding achievement of the goal of widespread utilization of POCUS among anesthesia professionals and trainees, are the availability of equipment for all physicians when it is needed and lack of instructor supervision for trainees who desire to use ultrasound but do not always have an instructor knowledgeable in POCUS with them when an ultrasound examination is warranted. Herein, the characteristics, advantages, and limitations of available ultra-portable, handheld ultrasound devices are analyzed, with a focus on the Butterfly iQ (Butterfly Network, Inc, Guilford, CT) pocket probe, which is available at the authors' institution, and how some of its features, such as the capacity to emulate multiple transducers and its cloud-sharing and teleguidance technology, may contribute to increase the availability and use of POCUS by anesthesia clinicians.

Use of Erector Spinae Plane Block in Thoracic Surgery Leads to Rapid Recovery From Anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound guidance has resulted in a continuous evolution in techniques for pain control for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). The objective of this study was to compare erector spinae plane block with intercostal block as multimodal analgesia to elucidate quality of postoperative pain control and preservation of pulmonary function after VATS. METHODS: A consecutive cohort of patients undergoing elective VATS was enrolled in the study and divided into erector spinae plane block and intercostal block groups. Spirometry and visual analog scale pain score exams were performed to measure forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, and forced expiratory flow in intervals of 25% to 75%. Chronic pain was assessed by reviewing surgical follow-up notes. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients were included. Comparing the erector spinae plane block group with the intercostal block group found significant improvement in visual analog scale pain score (3.2 vs 6.4, P < .001), postanesthesia care unit length of stay (127.3 vs 189.5 minutes, P = .045), preservation in lung volume parameters at 2 hours (FVC: 40.5% vs 51.4%, P < .001; FEV1: 40.9% vs 53.8%, P < .001; and forced expiratory flow in intervals of 25%-75%: 39.7% vs 53.7%, P = .019) and at 24 hours (FVC: 37.8% vs 50.5%, P < .001; FEV1: 34.3% vs 51.9%, P < .001; forced expiratory flow in intervals of 25%-75%: 27.1% vs 56.3%, P < .001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Erector spinae plane block improves acute and chronic pain control and preserves lung function. Thus, it has the potential for enhanced recovery from VATS as part of a multimodal analgesia regimen.