Erector spinae plane block as a rescue therapy in following cholecystectomy: a historical cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) as a rescue therapy in the recovery room. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This single-center historical cohort study included patients who received either ESPB or intravenous meperidine for pain management in the recovery room. Patients' numeric rating scale (NRS) scores and opoid consumptions were evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred and eight patients were included in the statistical analysis. Sixty-two (57%) patients received ESPB postoperatively (pESPB) and 46 (43%) patients were managed with IV meperidine boluses only (IV). The cumulative meperidine doses administered were 0 (0-40) and 30 (10-80) mg for the pESPB and IV groups, respectively (p < 0.001). NRS scores of group pESPB were significantly lower than those of Group IV on T30 and T60. CONCLUSION: ESPB reduces the frequency of opioid administration and the amount of opioids administered in the early post-operative period. When post-operative rescue therapy is required, it should be considered before opioids.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar el efecto del bloqueo del plano erector espinal (ESPB) como terapia de rescate en la sala de recuperación. MÉTODO: Este estudio de cohortes histórico de un solo centro incluyó a pacientes que recibieron ESPB o meperidina intravenosa para el tratamiento del dolor en la sala de recuperación. Se evaluaron las puntuaciones de la escala de calificación numérica (NRS) de los pacientes y los consumos de opiáceos. RESULTADOS: En el análisis estadístico se incluyeron 108 pacientes. Recibieron ESPB 62 (57%) pacientes y los otros 46 (43%) fueron manejados solo con bolos de meperidina intravenosa. Las dosis acumuladas de meperidina administradas fueron 0 (0-40) y 30 (10-80) mg para los grupos de ESPB y de meperidina sola, respectivamente (p < 0.001). Las puntuaciones de dolor del grupo ESPB fueron significativamente más bajas que las del grupo de meperidina sola en T30 y T60. CONCLUSIONES: El ESPB reduce la frecuencia de administración de opiáceos y la cantidad de estos administrada en el posoperatorio temprano. Cuando se requiera terapia de rescate posoperatoria, se debe considerar antes que los opiáceos.

A novel comparison of erector spinae plane block and paravertebral block in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Erector spinae plane block is an updated method than paravertebral block, possessing a lower risk of complications. This study aimed to compare erector spinae plane and paravertebral blocks to safely reach the most efficacious analgesia procedure in laparoscopic cholecystectomy cases. METHODS: The study included 90 cases, aged 18-70 years, classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II, who underwent an laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure. They were randomly separated into three groups, namely, Control, erector spinae plane, and paravertebral block. No block procedure was applied to Control, and a patient-controlled analgesia device was prepared containing tramadol at a 10 mg bolus dose and a 10-min locked period. The pain scores were recorded with a visual analog scale for 24 h postoperatively. RESULTS: The visual analog scale values at 1, 5, 10, 20, and 60 min at rest and 60 min coughing were found to be significantly higher in Control than in paravertebral block. A significant difference was revealed between Control vs. paravertebral block and paravertebral block vs. erector spinae plane in terms of total tramadol consumption (p=0.006). Total tramadol consumption in the first postoperative 24 h was significantly reduced in the paravertebral block compared with the Control and erector spinae plane groups. CONCLUSION: Sonography-guided-paravertebral block provides sufficient postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery. Erector spinae plane seems to attenuate total tramadol consumption.

Evaluation of Sensory Mapping of Erector Spinae Plane Block.

BACKGROUND: Erector spinae plane (ESP) block is an effective regional analgesic technique for thoracic and abdominal pain. The volume of local anesthetic (LA) needed to produce sensory block in the spinal segment is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to examine the extent of dermatomal spread following ultrasound-guided administration of ESP block, with a fixed-volume dose of a LA at the midthoracic area for analgesia in acute thoracic pain patients. Secondary objectives were postprocedure analgesia and patient satisfaction. STUDY DESIGN: This research used a prospective unicentric exploratory cohort design. SETTING: The study was conducted at an academic university hospital. METHODS: A total of 18 patients with acute severe chest pain including rib fractures, thoracic postoperative rescue analgesia, zoster herpetic neuritis, and myofascial pain syndrome received ESP block under ultrasound guidance at the T5-T7 levels. Twenty mL of 0.5% plain bupivacaine was injected. Evaluation of the sensory block was carried out 60 minutes following the completion of the ESP block via a change in sensation to pinprick and cold methods. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain was recorded one hour after the procedure. Patient satisfaction was reported using a 4-point Likert scale. This study was registered with the clinicaltrials.gov database (identifier: NCT03831581). RESULTS: Sixteen patients had a successful ESP block; 2 patients were excluded for a failed block. The mean dermatomal spread was 9 (range, 8-11). VAS scores improved by at least 50% from baseline (P < .05), one hour after the ESP block. The degree of satisfaction reported by all patients on the Likert scale was 4 points. No major complications were observed. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by its sample size. CONCLUSIONS: An ultrasound-guided ESP block with a single injection at the midthoracic level with 20 mL of 0.5% plain bupivacaine provides a mean dermatomal spread of 9 dermatomes (range, 8-11) with a high rate of analgesic efficacy and low incidence of adverse effects. KEY WORDS: Acute pain, dermatomal spread, erector spine plane nerve block, thoracic pain, thoracic postoperative analgesia.

General anesthesia combined with erector spinae plane block for ductus arteriosus closure: two case reports / Anestesia geral associada a bloqueio do plano do músculo eretor da espinha para encerramento de persistência de canal arterial: dois relatos de caso

Abstract Background: Failure of ductus arteriosus closure in preterm neonates results in a left-to-right shunt that leads to variable severities of hemodynamic and respiratory distress. When medical therapy fails, surgical ligation via left lateral thoracotomy remains an alternative approach and can be performed in the operating room or at the bedside with a low mortality rate. Opioid-based anesthesia is a frequent choice among anesthesiologists who manage patent ductus arteriosus cases based on the suppression of the stress response and maintenance of hemodynamic stability. This rationale suggests that regional anesthesia may also be an advantageous technique and may benefit earlier weaning from ventilation. Blocking afferent signals before incision may also modulate the long-term consequences of altered sensory perception and pain responses. Case report: We present two cases of general anesthesia combined with erector spinae plane block as part of multimodal anesthesia in premature twins undergoing patent ductus arteriosus closure. Discussion: In these cases, the use of erector spine plane block combined with general anesthesia was efficient to minimize the negative impact of surgery and allowed a reduction in the amount of intraoperative opioid use for patent ductus arteriosus closure.

Resumo Justificativa: A persistência do canal arterial em neonatos prematuros resulta em shunt esquerdo-direito com alterações hemodinâmicas e desconforto respiratório de gravidade variável. Quando o tratamento clínico não é bem sucedido, o fechamento cirúrgico via toracotomia lateral esquerda continua sendo a abordagem alternativa, e pode ser realizado no centro cirúrgico ou à beira leito com baixa taxa de mortalidade. A anestesia baseada em opioides é frequentemente escolhida pelos anestesiologistas nos casos de fechamento de canal arterial devido à supressão de resposta ao estresse e manutenção da estabilidade hemodinâmica. Essa justificativa sugere que a anestesia regional também pode ser uma técnica vantajosa e que promove desmame mais precoce do ventilador. O bloqueio dos estímulos aferentes antes da incisão também pode modular os efeitos no longo-prazo, tanto da percepção sensorial quanto das respostas à dor. Relato de caso: Apresentamos dois casos de anestesia geral associada a bloqueio do plano do músculo eretor da espinha como parte de anestesia multimodal em gêmeos prematuros submetidos a fechamento de canal arterial persistente. Discussão: Nos dois casos descritos, o bloqueio do plano do músculo eretor da espinha associado à anestesia geral foi eficiente para minimizar o impacto negativo da cirurgia, e possibilitou a redução na quantidade de opioide usado durante cirurgia para fechamento de persistência canal arterial.

[General anesthesia combined with erector spinae plane block for ductus arteriosus closure: two case reports]. / Anestesia geral associada a bloqueio do plano do músculo eretor da espinha para encerramento de persistência de canal arterial: dois relatos de caso.

BACKGROUND: Failure of ductus arteriosus closure in preterm neonates results in a left-to-right shunt that leads to variable severities of hemodynamic and respiratory distress. When medical therapy fails, surgical ligation via left lateral thoracotomy remains an alternative approach and can be performed in the operating room or at the bedside with a low mortality rate. Opioid-based anesthesia is a frequent choice among anesthesiologists who manage patent ductus arteriosus cases based on the suppression of the stress response and maintenance of hemodynamic stability. This rationale suggests that regional anesthesia may also be an advantageous technique and may benefit earlier weaning from ventilation. Blocking afferent signals before incision may also modulate the long-term consequences of altered sensory perception and pain responses. CASE REPORT: We present two cases of general anesthesia combined with erector spinae plane block as part of multimodal anesthesia in premature twins undergoing patent ductus arteriosus closure. DISCUSSION: In these cases, the use of erector spinae plane block combined with general anesthesia was efficient to minimize the negative impact of surgery and allowed a reduction in the amount of intraoperative opioid use for patent ductus arteriosus closure.

In vitro effects of Crotalus atrox snake venom on chick and mouse neuromuscular preparations.

The neuromuscular effect of venoms is not a major clinical manifestation shared between rattlesnakes native to the Americas, which showed two different venom phenotypes. Taking into account this dichotomy, nerve muscle preparations from mice and chicks were used to investigate the ability of Crotalus atrox venom to induce in vitro neurotoxicity and myotoxicity. Unlike crotalic venoms of South America, low concentrations of C. atrox venom did not result in significant effects on mouse neuromuscular preparations. The venom was more active on avian nerve-muscle, showing reduction of twitch heights after 120 min of incubation with 10, 30 and 100 µg/mL of venom with diminished responses to agonists and KCl. Histological analysis highlighted that C. atrox was myotoxic in both species of experimental animals; as evidenced by degenerative events, including edematous cells, delta lesions, hypercontracted fibers and muscle necrosis, which can lead to neurotoxic action. These results provide key insights into the myotoxicity and low neurotoxicity of C. atrox in two animal models, corroborating with previous genomic and proteomic findings and would be useful for a deeper understanding of venom evolution in snakes belonging to the genus Crotalus.