Levetiracetam-Induced Hepatic Dysfunction.

Although levetiracetam is the antiepileptic of choice in patients after hepatic transplantation and patients with hepatic dysfunction, we report a patient in whom levetiracetam was the most probable cause of hepatic dysfunction. Treatment of this hepatic dysfunction is to have a high degree of suspicion and withdraw the drug at the earliest to prevent morbidity and rarely mortality. Though rare, this is an important unwanted side effect of this highly useful medication.

Transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in response to 20% mannitol and 3% hypertonic saline infusion in neurosurgical patients undergoing craniotomy.

BACKGROUND: Mannitol and hypertonic saline (HS) are routinely used during craniotomy. Both increase myocardial preload and reduce afterload, and may improve cardiac output. It is not currently known whether this results in an improvement in the global myocardial function. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of a single equiosmolar bolus of 20% mannitol (5 mL/kg) or 3% HS (5 mL/kg) on the global myocardial function by tissue Doppler-derived myocardial performance index (TD-MPI) in patients undergoing craniotomy. METHODS: Fifty adult patients were included and randomized to receive either mannitol or 3% HS. Transesophageal echocardiography was performed in all patients. Early (E) and late (A) peak mitral inflow velocity, early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E prime), isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT), ejection time (ET), and isovolumetric contraction time (IVCT) were recorded at baseline and at 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after administration of the hyperosmolar solutions. TD-MPI was calculated as IVRT+IVCT/ET. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the TD-MPI (HS vs. mannitol: 0.43 vs. 0.44 [baseline], 0.45 vs. 0.43 [15 min], 0.44 vs. 0.45 [30 min], 0.47 vs. 0.45 [60 min], 0.45 vs. 0.46 [120 min]), E/A ratio, IVCT, and E/E' either within or between the 2 groups at any time point. IVRT was prolonged in HS group as compared with baseline at 15, 30, and 60 minutes postinfusion. ET was decreased in both the groups at 120 minutes postinfusion. Neither of these altered the TD-MPI. CONCLUSIONS: Equiosmolar administration of 20% mannitol and 3% HS did not show any difference in global myocardial performance as measured by TD MPI.

A retrospective analysis of stridor after vestibular schwannoma surgery.

BACKGROUND: Transient lower cranial nerve deficits may occur after surgery in the posterior cranial fossa. Stridor has been reported after cerebellopontine angle epidermoid resection. The aim of this retrospective study is to find out whether any preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors lead to stridor after resection of vestibular schwannoma. METHODS: Data of patients who underwent vestibular schwannoma resection from 2006 to 2011 were collected. We collected the following factors--age, sex, weight, diabetes, hypertension, preoperative cranial nerve deficits, tumor characteristics, intraoperative use of nitrous oxide, difficult endotracheal intubation, duration of surgery, postoperative cough and swallowing difficulty, limb weakness, and facial edema. Data of patients who developed stridor were compared with those who did not develop stridor. Odds ratio (OR) was used to assess the risk of developing stridor with each factor. RESULTS: Thirteen patients (4.65%) developed stridor in immediate postextubation period. The risk of stridor was significantly high in patients who had difficult intubation (OR=9.56), longer duration of surgery (P=0.034) and in patients who developed facial edema (OR=13.33), upperlimb weakness (OR=32.88), poor cough (OR=7.72), and swallowing difficulty (OR=24.97) in the postoperative period. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of the exact etiology of stridor often is difficult. Our results suggest that stridor may be more likely in patients who were difficult to intubate, had longer duration of surgery, who develop facial and neck edema and upperlimb weakness, poor cough, and swallowing after surgery. Establishing airway patency with intubation of the trachea may be required if patients develop oxygen desaturation due to stridor.

Effect of operating microscope light on brain temperature during craniotomy.

BACKGROUND: Operating microscopes used during neurosurgery are fitted with xenon light. Burn injuries have been reported because of xenon microscope lighting as the intensity of xenon light is 300 W. We designed this study to find out if the light of operating microscope causes an increase in temperature of the brain tissue, which is exposed underneath. METHODS: Twenty-one adult patients scheduled for elective craniotomies were enrolled. Distal esophageal temperature (T Eso), brain temperature under the microscope light (T Brain), and brain temperature under dura mater (T Dura) were measured continuously at 15-minute intervals during microscope use. The irrigation fluid temperature, room temperature, intensity of the microscope light, and the distance of the microscope from the brain surface were kept constant. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 44±15 years (18 males and 3 females). The mean duration of microscope use was 140±39 minutes. There were no significant changes in T Brain and T Dura and T Eso over time. T Dura was significantly lower than T Brain both at time 0 and 60 minutes but not at 90 minutes. T Brain was significantly lower than T Eso both at time 0 and 60 minutes but not at 90 minutes. The T Dura remained significantly lower than T Eso at 0, 60, and 90 minutes. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that there is no significant rise in brain temperature under xenon microscope light up to 120 minutes duration, at intensity of 60% to 70%, from a distance of 20 to 25 cm from the brain surface.

Evaluation of propofol-ketamine anesthesia for children undergoing cardiac catheterization procedures.

The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of the continuous intravenous administration of a combination of propofol and ketamine for children undergoing cardiac catheterization procedures (CCP). Thirty-two children scheduled for CCP in a university teaching hospital were included in this prospective randomized study. Patients in group 1 (n = 15) were given a combination of propofol (25 microg/kg per minute) and ketamine (25 microg/kg per minute), whereas patients in group 2 (n = 17) received a combination of propofol (25 microg/kg per minute) and ketamine (12.5 microg/kg per minute) for the maintenance of anesthesia. There were no statistically significant differences with age, weight, duration of the procedure, and the number of diagnostic and interventional procedures between the two groups. There was no hemodynamic instability, airway compromise, excessive salivation, or arterial desaturation in either of the two groups. There was more incidence of movements in patients who received less dose of ketamine; however, it did not reach to statistically significant level. The total dose of ketamine used in group 1 was 309.25 +/- 90.97 microg/min, whereas in group 2, it was 148.06 +/- 34.05 microg/min. The time to awakening was significantly less in group 2 (P < 0.05). We conclude that a combination of propofol (25 microg/kg per minute) and two different doses of ketamine (25 and 12.5 microg/kg per minute, respectively) are safe and efficacious for CCP in children. Although the time to awaken was more in patients receiving 25 microg/kg per minute of ketamine compared to those receiving 12.5 microg/kg per minute of ketamine, it was well within acceptable limits.