The Effect of Cerebral Oxygen Saturation Changes on Early Postoperative Neuropsychological Function in Patients Undergoing Cranial Surgery.

AIM: To compare the incidence of postoperative neuropsychological dysfunction in patients managed with cerebral saturation monitoring versus traditional approaches. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A hundred patients undergoing elective intracranial surgery were divided into two groups to receive intraoperative management via cerebral saturation monitoring (Group O) or the conventional approach (Group C). The postoperative neuropsychological function was evaluated by the antisaccadic eye movement test (ASEM) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). These tests were performed preoperatively and postoperatively on the first, second, and fifth days. The time for the modified Aldrete score to reach 9 (MAS 9), adverse effects, and pain using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores were recorded. RESULTS: Patient characteristics and surgery data were not statistically different. The MAS 9 of group O was significantly lower than that of group C (p < 0.001). The MMSE at the postoperative 1, 2, and 5 days were significantly higher in Group O compared to Group C (p < 0.001). ASEM was similar between groups. Group O was subdivided according to the type of surgery applied with diagnosis, and there were no statistically significant between-group differences in terms of areas under the curve for the cerebral regional oxygen saturation. There was no between-group difference regarding the mean arterial pressure at any time perioperatively. The heart rate at 80, 90, 100, and 110 min intraoperatively was significantly higher in group C than in Group O. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative cerebral oxygenation monitoring can reduce patient mortality and morbidity by allowing early postoperative neurological evaluation to detect potential neurocognitive deficits.

Is music the food of the anesthesia in children?

Background: The noise in an operating room may have a detrimental effect on human cognitive functions, and it may cause perioperative anxiety with prolonged exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of music therapy and use of earplugs and normal noise level in the operating room under general anesthesia of pediatric patients on hemodynamic parameters and postoperative emergence delirium. Methods: One hundred and five pediatric patients were involved in this study. The patients were randomly divided into three groups. Group N was exposed to the ambient operating room noise, group S received earplugs from an independent anesthesiologist, and group M used a CD player. The preoperative anxiety levels of children were evaluated with the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (M-YPAS). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate were recorded at 30-minute periods until the completion of surgery, end of surgery and postoperatively. During each measurement, noise level recordings were performed using sonometer. Pediatric Anesthesia Emergency Delirium (PAED) score was evaluated after postoperative extubation. Results: M-YPAS was similar between groups. The MAP at 30 and 60 min intraoperatively, at end of surgery, and at 5, 10, and 15 min postoperatively was significantly lower in group S than in group N. There were no differences in heart rate among the groups. Postoperative PAED score was not significantly different among the groups. Conclusions: The music therapy was not more effective than silence and operating noise room in reducing PAED score postoperatively in pediatric patients. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03544502).

Pulmonary Embolism During Hepatoblastoma Resection.

Although hepatoblastoma is rare, it is the most malignant tumour of childhood. Treatment is usually done by surgical resection and chemotherapy. The mortality and morbidity have decreased due to improvements in the treatments. In this process, hepatic resection has a risk of pulmonary embolism, and this condition could be fatal. In this case, a 9-month-old patient who was treated with chemotherapy and then underwent hepatectomy was presented. We used non-invasive methods such as the perfusion index (PI), the plethysmographic variability index (PVI) (Massimo Radical 7) and non-invasive total haemoglobin measurement (SpHb) rather than invasive measurements. During closure of the surgical skin incision, the end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) value dropped, after which arrhythmia and bradycardia resulted in cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated. However, the patient did not respond to CPR. We concluded that heparin may be administered to reduce the risk of thrombosis in patients undergoing liver surgery.

Sugammadex-Induced Hypersensitivity Reaction in a Pediatric Patient.

We report a case of a 3-year-old boy who administered sugammadex and developed an allergic reaction several minutes after the administration. He developed an increase in airway pressures and a decrease in peripheral oxygen saturation; auscultation revealed widespread wheezing in the lungs. He was successfully treated with immediate administration of methylprednisolone, pheniramine, and theophylline. We assumed an allergic reaction to sugammadex based on the clinical condition of the patient.

A Comparison of the Effects of Different Types of Laryngoscope on the Cervical Motions: Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: The rate of cervical injury among all trauma patients is 3.1%. The most important point during intubation of those patients is not to increase the cervical injury. AIMS: In this study, we hypothesize that there will be a minimal cervical extension during a laryngoscopy with the use of optical view laryngoscopes. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomized clinical trial. METHODS: One hundred and fifty adult patients with ASA physical status I to III were enrolled in our study. After routine anesthesia induction, we randomly assigned the patients into three groups according to the type of laryngoscope. Macintosh type, Truview EVO2(®) type and Airtraq® type laryngoscopes were used in Group DL (n=50), Group TW (n=50) and Group ATQ (n=50), respectively. After applying general anesthesia induction and mask ventilation, all of the patients were positioned in the neutral position. An inclinometer was placed on the forehead of the patients. Then, the extension angle during intubation and the Cormack-Lehane Score were measured and the time to intubation was recorded. RESULTS: One of the 50 patients in the DL Group, 2 of the 50 patients in the TW Group, and 4 of the 50 patients in the ATQ Group were excluded from the study because of the failure of intubation at defined times. The angle of cervical extension during laryngoscopy was found to be 27.24±6.71, 18.08±7.53, and 14.54±4.09 degrees in the Groups DL, TV and ATQ, respectively; these differences also had statistical significance (p=0.000). The duration of intubation was found to be 13.59±5.49, 23.60±15.23, and 29.80±13.82 seconds in Groups DL, TV and ATQ, respectively (p=0.000). CONCLUSION: A minimal cervical motion was obtained during tracheal intubation with the use of Truview EVO2® and Airtraq® types of laryngoscope compared with the Macintosh laryngoscope. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02191904).

The effect of methylene blue treatment on aspiration pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to examine whether methylene blue (MB) prevents different pulmonary aspiration materials-induced lung injury in rats. METHODS: The experiments were designed in 60 Sprague-Dawley rats, ranging in weight from 250-300 g, randomly allotted into one of six groups (n = 10): saline control, Biosorb Energy Plus (BIO), hydrochloric acid (HCl), saline + MB treated, BIO + MB treated, and HCl + MB treated. Saline, BIO, and HCl were injected into the lungs in a volume of 2 mL/kg. After surgical procedure, MB was administered intraperitoneally for 7 days at a daily dose of 2 mg/kg per day. Seven days later, rats were killed, and both lungs in all groups were examined biochemically and histopathologically. RESULTS: Our findings show that MB inhibits the inflammatory response reducing significantly (P < 0.05) peribronchial inflammatory cell infiltration, alveolar septal infiltration, alveolar edema, alveolar exudate, alveolar histiocytes, interstitial fibrosis, granuloma, and necrosis formation in different pulmonary aspiration models. Pulmonary aspiration significantly increased the tissue hydroxyproline content, malondialdehyde levels, and decreased (P < 0.05) the antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) activities. MB treatment significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the elevated tissue hydroxyproline content and malondialdehyde levels and prevented the inhibition of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (P < 0.05) enzymes in the tissues. Furthermore, there is a significant reduction in the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling, and arise in the expression of surfactant protein D in lung tissue of different pulmonary aspiration models with MB therapy. CONCLUSIONS: MB treatment might be beneficial in lung injury and therefore shows potential for clinical use.

Post-Operative Malignant Hyperthermia in a Child after Colon Interposition.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare and potentially life threatening fatal complication of anaesthesia. We present a 2-year-old boy with late onset MH after colon interposition to replace the oesophagus under sevoflurane anaesthesia. The patient was treated with intravenous dantrolene sodium as well as cooling and controlled ventilation. Despite treatment, the patient developed cardiopulmonary arrest at 21 hours after the operation and died. It should be kept in mind that post-operative MH may develop during these types of operations with ischaemia-reperfusion injuries.

Modified 45-degree head-up tilt increases success rate of lumbar puncture in patients undergoing spinal anesthesia.

PURPOSE: Lumbar puncture (LP) is one of the most common procedures performed in medicine. The aim of this prospective study is to determine the success rate of LP in lateral decubitus with 45-degree head-up tilt position, and compare it with traditional positions like sitting and lateral decubitus. METHODS: Three hundred and thirty patients between 25 and 85 years of age who had undergone abdominal, urologic, and lower limb extremities surgeries were enrolled and 300 patients were divided into three different groups. The LP was performed with a 25-G atraumatic needle, either in the standard sitting position (group S, n = 100), lateral decubitus, knee-chest position (group L, n = 100) or lateral decubitus, knee-chest position with a 45-degree head-up tilt (group M, n = 100). The free flow of clear cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) upon first attempt was considered to be evidence of a successful LP. RESULTS: Total LP success rate was significantly higher in group M (85 %) than in groups S and L (70 and 65 %, respectively) (p = 0.004). When the significance between the groups was evaluated according to age, the increase in the LP success rate was not significant for ≤65 and >65 age groups. There were no differences among the three groups in terms of bloody CSF (p = 0.229) and the number of attempts before dural puncture (p = 0.052). CONCLUSIONS: The lateral decubitus in knee-chest position with a 45-degree head-up tilt may be the preferred position for spinal anesthesia in young and elderly patients, due to the high success rate.

Lateral Trendelenburg with the injected side down after the block improves the efficacy of the axillary approach to brachial plexus block.

PURPOSE: We hypothesized that, after axillary block, positioning the patient in a lateral position with the injected side down and simultaneously in a 20° Trendelenburg position will increase the success rate and quality of the block. METHODS: Fifty patients with chronic renal failure (ASA 2-3) scheduled for arteriovenous fistula surgery were included in this study. In all patients, 30-40 ml of 0.25 % levobupivacaine were injected into the axillary sheath. The block was performed as three injections (multiple injection technique) with the arm in 90° abduction and 90° flexion in the supine position. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups. Group I (n = 25) patients were kept in the supine position after the block. Group II (n = 25) patients were positioned laterally after the block with the injected arm down and in a 20° Trendelenburg position. Sensory and motor block were evaluated at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, and 25 min after the administration of the block. Thus, the patients in group II were evaluated in a lateral position during the first 30 min. Throughout the surgery and the recovery period, sensory and motor block were evaluated at 30-min intervals. RESULTS: There were no significant intergroup differences in the effects on radial, ulnar, median, and musculoskeletal nerve blockade. Thirty minutes after the injection, the patients in group II had higher levels of sensory axillary nerve blockade. Subscapular and thoracodorsal nerve motor block were not detected in group I, while 84 % of the patients in group II experienced blockade of both of these nerves (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: We conclude that, for patients undergoing an axillary block, positioning the patient laterally with the injected side down and in a 20° Trendelenburg position increases the success rate and quality of the block.

Anaesthesia Management of a Child with West Syndrome.

West syndrome (WS) is an epileptic encephalopathy usually occurring during the first year of life and is characterized by severe electroencephalography (EEG) derangement. Most of these patients may develop cerebral palsy, facial malformations, and skeletal deformities. The anaesthesiologist should make the preoperative assessment carefully due to epileptic seizures and should consider the possibility of difficult intubation because of coexisting anatomic malformations during the anaesthesia management of patients with WS. This report presents a case of general anaesthesia management in a left femoral fixation operation in an 11-year-old, 18 kg male patient.

Comparison of temporal artery, nasopharyngeal, and axillary temperature measurement during anesthesia in children.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy and precision of a new, noninvasive infrared thermometer applied to the temporal artery. DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. SETTING: Trakya University Hospital. PATIENTS: 60 ASA physical status 1 and 2 children undergoing surgery. INTERVENTIONS: During anesthesia, temperature measurements were recorded with three different techniques: temporal artery, nasopharynx, and axillary temperature. MEASUREMENTS: Temperatures measured from the nasopharynx, temporal artery, and the axilla were recorded at 15-minute intervals for the first hour, then at 30-minute intervals until the completion of surgery. During each measurement, heart rate and midarterial pressure were recorded. MAIN RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between temperatures recorded at the temporal artery and nasopharynx at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes, and the completion of surgery. Axillary temperatures were statistically lower than those recorded at the nasopharynx and the temporal artery (P < 0.001). Bland-Altman plots showed a correlation of temperature measurements between the temporal artery and nasopharyngeal methods. The axillary method had a lower correlation with the temporal artery and the nasopharyngeal methods. CONCLUSIONS: The temporal artery thermometer is a substitute for the nasopharyngeal thermometer for core temperature measurement during anesthesia in children.

Preventive effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on glycerol-induced myoglobinuric acute renal failure in rats.

Myoglobinuric acute renal failure (ARF) is a uremic syndrome caused by traumatic or non-traumatic skeletal muscle breakdown and intracellular elements that are released into the bloodstream. We hypothesized that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy could be beneficial in the treatment of myoglobinuric ARF caused by rhabdomyolysis. A total of 32 rats were used in the study. The rats were divided into four groups: control, control+hyperbaric oxygen (control+HBO), ARF, and ARF+hyperbaric oxygen (ARF+HBO). Glycerol (8 ml/kg) was injected into the hind legs of each of the rats in ARF and ARF+HBO groups. 2.5 atmospheric absolute HBO was applied to the rats in the control+HBO and ARF+HBO groups for 90 min on two consecutive days. Plasma urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, calcium, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactic dehydrogenase, creatinine kinase and urine creatinine and sodium were examined. Creatinine clearance and fractional sodium excretion could then be calculated. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were assessed in renal tissue. Tissue samples were evaluated by Hematoxylin-eosin, PCNA and TUNEL staining histopathologically. MDA levels were found to be significantly decreased whereas SOD and CAT were twofold higher in the ARF+HBO group compared to the ARF group. Renal function tests were ameliorated by HBO therapy. Semiquantitative evaluation of histopathological findings indicated that necrosis and cast formation was decreased by HBO therapy and TUNEL staining showed that apoptosis was inhibited. PCNA staining showed that HBO therapy did not increase regeneration. Ultimately, we conclude that, in accordance with our hypothesis, HBO could be beneficial in the treatment of myoglobinuric ARF.

The effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on aspiration pneumonia.

We have studied whether hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) prevents different pulmonary aspiration materials-induced lung injury in rats. The experiments were designed in 60 Sprague-Dawley rats, ranging in weight from 250 to 300 g, randomly allotted into one of six groups (n = 10): saline control, Biosorb Energy Plus (BIO), hydrochloric acid (HCl), saline + HBO treated, BIO + HBO treated, and HCl + HBO treated. Saline, BIO, HCl were injected into the lungs in a volume of 2 ml/kg. A total of seven HBO sessions were performed at 2,4 atm 100% oxygen for 90 min at 6-h intervals. Seven days later, rats were sacrificed, and both lungs in all groups were examined biochemically and histopathologically. Our findings show that HBO inhibits the inflammatory response reducing significantly (P < 0.05) peribronchial inflammatory cell infiltration, alveolar septal infiltration, alveolar edema, alveolar exudate, alveolar histiocytes, interstitial fibrosis, granuloma, and necrosis formation in different pulmonary aspiration models. Pulmonar aspiration significantly increased the tissue HP content, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased (P < 0.05) the antioxidant enzyme (SOD, GSH-Px) activities. HBO treatment significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the elevated tissue HP content, and MDA levels and prevented inhibition of SOD, and GSH-Px (P < 0.05) enzymes in the tissues. Furthermore, there is a significant reduction in the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase, TUNEL and arise in the expression of surfactant protein D in lung tissue of different pulmonary aspiration models with HBO therapy. It was concluded that HBO treatment might be beneficial in lung injury, therefore, shows potential for clinical use.

Investigation of the availability of tongue movements in Mallampati classification.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation of Mallampati classification with a new alternative method suggested for use in the estimation of tongue movements. METHODS: This study was conducted in the Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey from April to October 2009. Two hundred and thirty patients were enrolled in this study. The modified Mallampati score (MMS) was devised by an anesthetist. To define tongue movements, horizontal and vertical lines were utilized. Horizontal lines passing through the mid points of the upper lip and mandible, and vertical lines passing through the right and left infraorbital points were constituted on each subject. Subjects were asked to elevate, depress, and abduct (right-left) the tip of the tongue. The scores corresponding with the movements of the tongue were determined. RESULTS: Depression of the tip of the tongue (DTT) and elevation of the tip of the tongue (ETT) levels were significantly different between MMS 1, MMS 2, and MMS 3, MMS 4 groups (p=0.001). The risk of being MMS 3 or MMS 4 for the groups that cannot reach the borderline for the DTT or ETT are 5.5 times and 5.4 times higher consequently than the groups that can reach the borderline. CONCLUSION: This new method can be combined with MMS classification, which requires clinical experience and knowledge in predicting difficult intubation.

A retrospective trial comparing the effects of different anesthetic techniques on phantom pain after lower limb amputation.

BACKGROUND: Pain and other sensations from an amputated or absent limb, called phantom pain and phantom sensations, are well-known phenomena. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effects of anesthetic techniques on phantom pain, phantom sensations, and stump pain after lower limb amputation. METHODS: Ninety-two patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I to III were analyzed for 1 to 24 months after lower limb amputation in this retrospective study. Patients received general, spinal, or epidural anesthesia or peripheral nerve block for their amputations. Standardized questions were used to assess phantom limb pain, phantom sensation, and stump pain postoperatively. Pain intensity was assessed on a numeric rating scale (NRS) of 0 to 10. Patients' medical histories were determined from hospital records. RESULTS: Patients who received epidural anesthesia and peripheral nerve block perceived significantly less pain in the week after surgery compared with patients who received general anesthesia and spinal anesthesia (NRS [SD] values, 2.68 [1.0] and 2.70 [1.0], respectively). After approximately 14 to 17 months, there was no difference in phantom limb pain, phantom sensation, or stump pain among the anesthetic techniques for amputation. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing lower limb amputation, performing epidural anesthesia or peripheral nerve block, instead of general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia, might attenuate phantom and stump pain in the first week after operation. Anesthetic technique might not have an effect on phantom limb pain, phantom sensation, or stump pain at 14 to 17 months after lower limb amputation.

Effects of bupivacaine versus levobupivacaine on pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing urologic surgery: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data to determine the impact of subarachnoid blockade with local anesthetics on perioperative pulmonary function. The effects of local anesthetics used in spinal anesthesia are very important in terms of respiratory function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of bupivacaine versus levobupivacaine on pulmonary function in patients with COPD undergoing urologic surgery. METHODS: Patients were randomized into 2 groups: group B (n = 25) received 3 mL of hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine; group L (n = 25) received 3 mL of isobaric 0.5% levobupivacaine. Both agents were administered intrathecally. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), vital capacity (VC), and FEV1/FVC ratio were measured using spirometry 10 and 30 minutes after spinal anesthesia and 30 minutes after completion of the operation. An arterial blood gas test was performed before and after spinal anesthesia. RESULTS: Fifty male patients aged 40 to 80 years completed the study. There were no differences in the results of preoperative and postoperative FVC, FEV1, PEFR, VC, FEV1/FVC ratio, and arterial blood gas between the bupivacaine (n = 25) and levobupivacaine (n = 25) groups. However, patients who took bupivacaine showed a significant decrease in intraoperative PEFR at 30 minutes compared with baseline, a result not seen in patients who took levobupivacaine (P = 0.036 and P = 0.282, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In 50 patients with moderate COPD undergoing urologic surgery, hyperbaric bupivacaine caused a decrease in intraoperative PEFR compared with baseline because of higher level block; however, the effects of hyperbaric bupivacaine and isobaric levobupivacaine on pulmonary function in these patients showed equally effective potencies for spinal anesthesia.