Is saphenous nerve radio frequency an effective treatment for advanced gonarthrosis in elders with cardiac comorbidity?

BACKGROUND: Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) used for knee pain originating from osteoarthritis is one of these methods. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the knee functional status and pain palliation following the application of pulse radiofrequency in patients with cardiac comorbid disease who were diagnosed with advanced stage osteoarthritis. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with high surgical risk having cardiac comorbidities with grade 3-4 gonarthrosis according to the Kellgren-Lawrence classification were retrospectively analyzed. PRF was applied to the saphenous nerve of each patient. Visual Analog Scale for knee pain evaluation both at rest and on movement and the Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale for function evaluation were used. The patient status was evaluated before the procedure and at the first and sixth months after the procedure. RESULTS: The mean age was 68.8 years (range, 53-82 years). Both the rest and movement post-procedural Visual Analog Scale scores at first and sixth months were significantly lower than pre-procedural values (p< 0.001). A statistically significant improvement was also determined when pre- and one and six months post-procedural Lysholm scores were compared (p< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PRF is a safe and function sparing minimally invasive pain palliation method for knee osteoarthritis in elders with cardiac comorbidity.

[Transient Horner's syndrome after single shot paravertebral block]. / Síndrome de Horner transitória após bloqueio paravertebral em injeção única.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic paravertebral block can provide analgesia for unilateral chest surgery and is associated with a low complication rate. Horner syndrome also referred to as oculosympathetic paresis, is a classic neurologic constellation of ipsilateral blepharoptosis, pupillary miosis, and facial anhidrosis resulting from disruption of the sympathetic pathway supplying the head, eye, and neck. CASE REPORT: We present a patient with an ipsilateral transient Horner syndrome after ultrasound guided single shot of 15mL 0.25% levobupivacaine for thoracic paravertebral block at T5-6 level. CONCLUSIONS: It should be kept in mind that even a successful ultrasound guided single shot thoracic paravertebral block can be complicated with Horner syndrome due to unpredictable distribution of the local anesthetic.

[The relationship between preoperative anxiety levels and vasovagal incidents during the administration of spinal anesthesia]. / A relação entre os níveis de ansiedade no período pré­operatório e os incidentes vasovagais durante a administração de raquianestesia.

BACKGROUND: It was aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative anxiety and vasovagal symptoms observed during the administration of spinal anesthesia in patients undergoing surgery in the perianal and inguinal regions. METHODS: The study included patients with planned surgery for inguinal hernia repair, anal fissure, hemorrhoid and pilonidal sinus excision. The study included a total of 210 patients of ASA I-II, aged 18-65 years. Patients were evaluated in respect of demographic characteristics, smoking and alcohol consumption, ASA grade and educational level. Correlations were evaluated between the number of attempts at spinal anesthesia and anesthesia history with vasovagal symptoms and educational level, gender, smoking and alcohol consumption and anesthesia history with anxiety scores. The instant (transient) state anxiety inventory part of the Transient State/Trait Anxiety Inventory (State Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI) was used to determine the anxiety levels of the participants. Clinical findings of peripheral vasodilation, hypotension, bradycardia and asystole observed during the administration of spinal anesthesia were recorded. RESULTS: Vasovagal incidences during the administration of spinal anesthesia were seen to increase in cases of high anxiety score, male gender, and an absence of anesthesia history. Educational level and the number of spinal needle punctures were not found to have any effect on vasovagal incidents. CONCLUSION: The determination of causes triggering vasovagal incidents seen during the application of spinal anesthesia, better patient information of regional anesthesia implementations and anxiety relief with preoperative anxiolytic treatment will help to eliminate potential vasovagal incidents.

The use of ultrasound in planned cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia for patients having nonprominent anatomic landmarks.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare conventional landmark method with ultrasound-guided spinal anesthesia in cesarean delivery cases where spinous processes and interspinous spaces were not prominent on physical examination. DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial. SETTING: Operating rooms of university hospital of Erzurum, Turkey. PATIENTS: Sixty-four 18- to 45-year-old American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II patients scheduled for cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia having hardly palpated anatomic landmarks on vertebral column. INTERVENTIONS: Palpation difficulty of vertebral column landmarks was scored as 0, 1, 2, or 3 from easy to difficult for all patients in sitting position. The patients with score 2 or 3 were randomly allocated into 2 groups as group C (conventional, n=32) and group U (ultrasound, n=32) in which ultrasound guidance was used. MEASUREMENTS: The number of skin punctures, the number of needle steering, the number of puncture tried vertebral levels, and procedure time were all recorded. MAIN RESULTS: The number of skin punctures was significantly lower in group U (P<.001). Successful subarachnoid puncture on first attempt was also significantly higher in group U (P<.01). The duration of procedure in the patients with score 2 was determined to be significantly longer in the ultrasound-guided group (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound guidance is an effective and safe method to reduce the number of puncture attempts, improve the success rate of subarachnoid access on the first attempt, and reduce the need to puncture multiple levels, although it prolongs procedure time in patients with score 2 according to our scoring system designed for this current study.