Postoperative Analgesia in Breast Cancer Surgery: Efficiency and Safety of Ultrasound Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block, a randomized controlled double blinded trial.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer surgeries are the mainstay and usually the first step of treatment. AIM: To assess the efficiency and safety of ultrasound guided Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) for the management of postoperative pain in patients undergoing elective breast cancer surgery. METHODS: Between December 2018 and June 2019, a prospective, controlled, randomized, double-blinded study was conducted at the maternity and neonatology center of Tunis. We included fifty ASA I-II female patients who were scheduled for elective breast cancer surgery. They were randomly divided into two groups: Group R (n=25) with Ropivacaine, while Group P (n=25) received a placebo. The study recorded PCA morphine consumption and patient demand for PCA. The primary outcome was to compare the visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores at various points throughout the 24 hours postoperatively (1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, 20th, 24th) between the two groups. RESULTS: Except for the first hour and 16th hour post-surgery, the mean VAS pain scores were significantly lower in Group R compared to Group P. The 24-hour morphine consumption was significantly lower in Group R (5.5±0.9 mg) compared to Group P (16.6±2.8 mg); p<0.001. Per-operative fentanyl consumption was also significantly lower in Group R (9.1±4.2 mcg; Group P: 50±9.1 mcg; p< 0.001). Moreover, the mean total morphine demand was significantly lower in Group R. CONCLUSION: ESPB with Ropivacaine is effective and safe for pain management after breast cancer surgery with a consequent morphine sparing and less use of systemic analgesia.

Prognostic value of highly-sensitive troponin in preeclampsia.

INTRODUCTION: Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication leading to significant morbidity and mortality. High-sensitivity troponin (hs-cTnI ) is one of the most sensitive cardiac biomarkers, but its variation in preeclampsia remains poorly studied. AIM: To assess the prognostic value of hyper-sensitive troponin in preeclampsia. METHODS: It was a prospective study including patients with preeclampsia. The exclusion criteria included conditions that may cause an elevation of hs-cTnI. Preoperative laboratory assessment included the determination of the level of hs-cTnI. The discriminative value of the preoperative hs-cTnI allowing to predict the onset of complications was evaluated by the ROC curve. Group A included patients whose rate was above the calculated cutoff, and group B included the others. RESULTS: Seventy seven patients were included. Complications occurred in 22% of cases. The preoperative hs-cTnI cutoff of 6.3 ng/l predicted the onset of complications (sensitivity 70.6% / specificity 86.6% / p < 0.0001). There was a higher rate of severe pre-eclampsia and complications, a higher systolic and mean arterial blood pressure values in group A with significant differences. Both groups were comparable demographically, obstetrically, clinically and biologically. CONCLUSION: According to the results of our study, increased values of preoperative hs-cTnI may predict the onset of complications in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia.

Pelvic Packing for Intractable Obstetric Hemorrhage After Emergency Peripartum Hysterectomy: A Review.

IMPORTANCE: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Even after emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH), bleeding may occur in the setting of acquired coagulopathy. This type of bleeding resistant to clipping, ligating, or suturing could be successfully controlled with a pelvic packing. OBJECTIVE: This review provides an overview of the different pelvic packing techniques used after the failure of an EPH to control severe PPH. It aims to highlight the outcome of patients after packing, the morbidity and complications of packing, the timing and indications of packing, and finally the optimal duration of packing. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Literature relating to pelvic packing after EPH in a PPH setting was reviewed. RESULTS: Packing techniques can be divided into 2 types: pads or roller gauze and balloon pack. The overall success rate was as high as 78.8% with a mortality rate of 12.5%. No major morbidity related to the pelvic packing was documented. The optimal duration of packing is in the range of 36 to 72 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic packing should be part of the armamentarium available to the obstetrician whenever intractable pelvic hemorrhage is encountered. It is quite simple and quick to perform and requires no special medical materials, the rate of complications is very low, and the success rate is high. RELEVANCE: The pelvic packing should be particularly useful in developing countries where more advanced technologies such as selective arterial embolization are not always available. In developed countries, the pelvic packing may be a valuable temporary measure pending transport to a tertiary care facility.

[Late reinterventions after repair of common arterial trunk]. / Les reinterventions tardives apres reparation du tronc arteriel commun.

BACKGROUND: The common arterial trunk is a heart disease in witch a unique arterial trunk, with a unique ventriculo-arterial valve, exits from the ventricular mass and supply directly the coronary, the aortic and also the pulmonary arterial circulations. Its anatomic repair is now possible but necessitates the use of conduit in pulmonary position. AIM: To evaluate the incidence and the causes of late reinterventions after repair of common arterial trunk. METHODS: We retrospectively study the outcome of 17 patients who underwent repair of common arterial trunk between January 1983 and December 2006. The 15 early survivors were followed during a median period of 7 years (range 10 months and 13 years). RESULTS: Nine reinterventions were necessary in 8 patients. Only one conduit reintervention was necessary in the 8 patients. Freedom from conduit reintervention was 73% at 5 years and 33% at 10 years. Three reinterventions were performed in 2 patients for severe truncal valve incompetence, including repair in 2 cases and replacement in one case. Freedom from truncal valve reintervention was 67% at 10 years. CONCLUSION: Late reinterventions are inevitable after repair of common arterial trunk. The most common reasons are conduit stenosis and truncal valve incompetence.