Anesthesia via peripheral nerve blocks during total knee replacement has no effect on postoperative inflammation in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that, compared with general anesthesia (GA), the procedure of peripheral nerve blocks (PNB) facilitates faster recovery of elderly patients from total knee replacement (TKR). Here, we investigated whether the faster recovery is associated with decreased perioperative stress and inflammation and decreased incidences of postoperative complications. METHODS: After randomization, 165 patients aged ≥65 years underwent TKR under GA or PNB. The primary outcomes were the perioperative inflammation and stress levels, based on the serum C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, white-blood cell and neutrophil counts, and blood-sugar level. The secondary outcomes were the postoperative complications, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and hepatic or renal complications, insomnia, delirium, electrolyte disturbances, and nausea and vomiting. RESULTS: The two groups were not significantly demographically different (p > .05). Of the cytokines related to stress and inflammation, the differences of time points were statistically significant between the two groups (p < .01), but two-way ANOVA revealed no interaction between the time points and groups. Incidences of postoperative complications were far lower in PNB group than in GA group (p = .006). Incidences of postoperative respiratory complications (p = .005) and postoperative nausea and vomiting (p = .040) were significantly lower in PNB group than in GA group. There were no significant differences in other complications between the two groups (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: PNB does not alleviate the stress and inflammation in elderly patients post TKR but significantly reduces the incidences of postoperative complications, especially respiratory complications, and nausea and vomiting. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01871012).

Comparison of ropivacaine plus sufentanil and ropivacaine plus dexmedetomidine for labor epidural analgesia: A randomized controlled trial protocol.

OBJECTIVE: Effective analgesia during delivery can not only decrease pain, but also have a significant function in ensuring the safety of baby and mother. Sufentanil is generally used opioid with ropivacaine in epidural anesthesia in labor pain management; however it can cause some adverse reaction. Dexmedetomidine is an a2-adrenoceptor agonist with high selectivity. It possesses opioid-sparing and analgesic effects and it is suitable for the long-term and short-term intraoperative sedation. The purpose of this present study is to compare the analgesic effect of ropivacaine with dexmedetomidine against ropivacaine with sufentanyl in epidural labor. METHODS: This is a single center, placebo-controlled randomized trial which will be performed from May 2020 to May 2021. It was authorized via the Institutional Review Committee in the first medical center of Chinese PLA General Hospital (S2018-211-0). One hundred sixty full-term protozoa are included in this work. They are randomly divided into four groups (n = 40 per group): the RD1 group (with the epidural administration of 0.125% ropivacaine + dexmedetomidine of 0.5 µg/mL), and the RD2 group (with the epidural administration of 0.08% ropivacaine + dexmedetomidine 0.5 µg/mL), the RS1 group (with the epidural administration of 0.125% ropivacaine + sufentanil of 0.5 µg/mL), as well as RS2 group (with the epidural administration of 0.08% ropivacaine + sufentanil of 0.5 µg/mL). Clinical outcomes are pain score, a modified Bromage scale, the Ramsay Sedation Scale, and adverse reactions during analgesia. All the needed analyses are implemented through utilizing SPSS for Windows Version 20.0. RESULTS: The first table shows the clinical outcomes between these four groups. CONCLUSION: This current work can provide a primary evidence regarding the clinical outcomes of dexmedetomidine versus sufentanil for labor epidural analgesia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study protocol was registered in Research Registry (researchregistry5877).

Incidence of bradycardia in pediatric patients receiving dexmedetomidine anesthesia: a meta-analysis.

Background Dexmedetomidine, an α2-receptor agonist, provides potent sedation, analgesia, and anxiolysis without respiratory depression and is used in a variety of surgical and procedural situations. Aim of the review The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of bradycardia in pediatric patients who received dexmedetomidine as a sole agent for any procedural, intensive care or surgical sedation. Method Literature was searched in electronic databases and studies were selected by following pre-determined eligibility criteria. Meta-analyses were carried out by pooling the percent incidence of bradycardia to attain a weighted overall effect size. Age-wise subgroup analyses and meta-regression analyses for the identification of factors affecting the incidence were also performed. Results Data of 2835 patients from 21 studies were included. The mean age was 62.21 ± 35.68 months. Initial, maintenance and total doses of dexmedetomidine (mean ± standard deviation) were 1.63 ± 0.33 µg/kg body weight, 0.86 ± 0.68 µg/kg/h, and 26.7 ± 20.8 µg/kg. The overall incidence of bradycardia (95% confidence interval) was 3.067 (2.863, 3.270)%; P < 0.0001. However, range was wider (0-22%) with 9 studies observed 0% incidence. The mean change in the heart rate was -17.26 (-21.60, -12.92); P < 0.00001. In the meta-regression analyses, age, body weight and dexmedetomidine dose were not significantly associated with the incidence of bradycardia. The minimum heart rate observed during the dexmedetomidine treatment period was positively associated with baseline heart rate. Conclusion Incidence of bradycardia in dexmedetomidine treated pediatric patients is 3%.

Retrospective comparison of the effects of epidural anesthesia versus peripheral nerve block on postoperative outcomes in elderly Chinese patients with femoral neck fractures.

BACKGROUND: Geriatric patients with femoral neck fracture (FNF) have unacceptably high rates of postoperative complications and mortality. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of epidural anesthesia versus peripheral nerve block (PNB) on postoperative outcomes in elderly Chinese patients with FNF. METHODS: This retrospective study explored mortality and postoperative complications in geriatric patients with FNF who underwent epidural anesthesia or PNB at the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2008 to December 2012. The electronic database at the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital includes discharge records for all patients treated in the hospital. Information on patient demographics, preoperative comorbidity, postoperative complications, type of anesthesia used, and in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortality after surgery was obtained from this database. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-eight patients were identified for analysis. The mean patient age was 79.7 years, and 71.7% of the patients were women. In-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year postoperative mortality was 4.3%, 12.4%, and 22.9%, respectively, and no differences in mortality or cardiovascular complications were found between patients who received epidural anesthesia and those who received PNB. More patients with dementia or delirium were given PNB. No statistically significant differences were found between groups for other comorbidities or intraoperative parameters. The most common complications were acute cardiovascular events (23.6%), electrolyte disturbances (20.9%), and hypoxemia (18.2%). Patients who received PNB had more postoperative delirium (P=0.027). Postoperative acute respiratory events were more common (P=0.048) and postoperative stroke was less common (P=0.018) in the PNB group. There were fewer admissions to intensive care (P=0.024) in the epidural anesthesia group. Key factors with a negative influence on mortality were acute cardiovascular events, dementia, male sex, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, acute respiratory events, intensive care admission, and comorbidities. CONCLUSION: PNB was not associated with lower mortality or lower cardiovascular complication rates when compared with epidural anesthesia in elderly patients with FNF.

Peripheral nerve blocks versus general anesthesia for total knee replacement in elderly patients on the postoperative quality of recovery.

BACKGROUND: Both peripheral nerve blocks with sedation or general anesthesia can be used for total knee replacement surgery. OBJECTIVES: We compared these anesthetic techniques on the postoperative quality of recovery early in elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our study, 213 patients who were ≥65 years old and undergoing total knee replacement were randomized to peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) - lumbar plexus and sciatic - with propofol sedation, or general anesthesia with combined propofol and remifentanil. Blocks were performed using nerve stimulation and 0.35% ropivacaine. All patients received postoperative multimodal analgesia. Postoperative recovery was assessed at 15 minutes, 40 minutes, 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days after surgery, with the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale, in physiological, nociceptive, emotive, modified activities of daily living, modified cognitive, and overall patient perspective domains. RESULTS: Intraoperative blood pressure and heart rate were more stable with PNBs (P<0.001). The recovery was better with PNBs in physiological (P<0.001), emotive (depression and anxiety) (P<0.001), nociceptive (pain and nausea) (P<0.001), modified cognitive (P<0.001), and all domains recovery (P<0.001), but not in activities of daily living (P=0.181). Intraoperative drugs and the postoperative sulfentanil requirement of the PNBs group were lower (all P<0.001). Differences were greatest early after surgery with equivalence by 1 week. Satisfaction was high and not different between groups (P=0.059). CONCLUSION: Lumbar plexus and sciatic blocks with sedation facilitates faster postoperative recovery than general anesthesia, but not at 1 week after total knee replacement in patients who were 65 years or older. The trial has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. (NCT01871012).

[Anesthetic management for neurosurgery using intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the anesthetic management for neurosurgery using intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI). METHODS: Thirty patients with intracranial tumor received MRI for preoperative safety screening and the operation was performed with general anesthesia and support by MRI-compatible machines. The operative time, frequency and duration of MRI, MRI-related time (from the preparation for MRI to the beginning of the surgery), time delay by MRI, body temperature at the initial iMRI and special issues related to the scanning and perioperative anesthesia were recorded. RESULTS: Thirty patients successfully completed the operations without any incidents related to anesthesia or scanning. The mean frequency of MRI was 1.8, the mean duration of MRI was 29.24 ∓ 10.10 min, and the MRI-related time was 43.83 ∓ 10.23 min; the time delay MRI was 92.63 ∓ 28.31 min, and the body temperature was significantly higher at 2 h after MRI than that after induction. CONCLUSION: In the anesthetic management for neurosurgery with iMRI, the anesthesiologists should focus on the safety precaution and anesthetic modulation according to the special environment and procedure of iMRI.