Effect of different low doses of intrathecal morphine (0.1 and 0.2 mg) on pain and vital functions in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty: a randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Orthopaedic surgeries are among the most painful procedures. By adding low-dose morphine to intrathecal bupivacaine for spinal anaesthesia, the analgesic effect can be improved. The objeсtive of the study was tо compare the efficacy and safety of lоw-dоse (0.1 mg аnd 0.2 mg) intrаtheсаl mоrphine (ITM). METHODS: А prоspeсtive rаndоmised study was соnduсted at the Hоspitаl оf Trаumаtоlоgy аnd Оrthоpaediсs, Riga, Latvia (February 2020 tо May 2021) and enrolled 90 patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasty. All subjects were randomised intо three study grоups, using the online tool оn www.randomiser.org . Treatment groups were allocated to intrathecal morphine (0.1 mg and 0.2 mg) in addition to bupivacaine (15 to 18 mg). The primary outcome was postoperative pain intensity among the three study groups within 24 hours by NRS. The secondary outcomes: pain at rest 4 h, 7 h, 12 h, 24 h postoperatively, respiratory rate, SpО2, morphine соnsumptiоn, оxygen supply, opioid-related аdverse reасtiоns within 24 hours postoperatively. Dаtа were аnаlysed using R version 4.2.0, applying the Mann-Whitney test, Pearson's chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, Friedman test, Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: The primary outcome in the control, ITM 0.1 mg, ITM 0.2 mg groups, respectively: 2.56, 0.87, 0.28 (p < 0.001). The secondary outcomes in the control, ITM 0.1 mg, ITM 0.2 mg group, respectively: pain scores 4h - 1.21, 0.48, 0.17 (p = 0.068); 7 h - 2.62, 1.00, 0.17 (p < 0.001); 12 h - 3.08, 0.65, 0.37 (p < 0.001); 24 h - 2.50, 1.20, 0.41 (p < 0.001); rescue medication requests (incidence, %): 77%, 16.7%, 13.3% (p < 0.001); mean respiratory rate (breath/min) - 15.2; 15.2 (p > 0.05); mean SpO2 (%): 96.7%; 95.7%; 96.07%. Significant adverse effects: pruritus in ITM 0.2 mg group (23% of subjects, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Adult patients undergoing THA under spinal anaesthesia with bupivacaine and 0.2 mg morphine had superior analgesia to patients who received spinal analgesia with bupivacaine or bupivacaine and 0.1 mg morphine. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Study ID ISRCTN37212222; 20/04/2022 (registered retrospectively).

Recommendations for effective documentation in regional anesthesia: an expert panel Delphi consensus project.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Documentation is important for quality improvement, education, and research. There is currently a lack of recommendations regarding key aspects of documentation in regional anesthesia. The aim of this study was to establish recommendations for documentation in regional anesthesia. METHODS: Following the formation of the executive committee and a directed literature review, a long list of potential documentation components was created. A modified Delphi process was then employed to achieve consensus amongst a group of international experts in regional anesthesia. This consisted of 2 rounds of anonymous electronic voting and a final virtual round table discussion with live polling on items not yet excluded or accepted from previous rounds. Progression or exclusion of potential components through the rounds was based on the achievement of strong consensus. Strong consensus was defined as ≥75% agreement and weak consensus as 50%-74% agreement. RESULTS: Seventy-seven collaborators participated in both rounds 1 and 2, while 50 collaborators took part in round 3. In total, experts voted on 83 items and achieved a strong consensus on 51 items, weak consensus on 3 and rejected 29. CONCLUSION: By means of a modified Delphi process, we have established expert consensus on documentation in regional anesthesia.

Severe Clostridium difficile infection with extremely high leucocytosis complicated by a concomitant bloodstream infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae after osteomyelitis surgery: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Clostridium difficile is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections. Pseudomembranous colitis is a serious complication of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) after septic surgery and antibacterial therapy. A sudden white blood cell (WBC) count increase and extremely high leucocytosis may be a predictor of a poor outcome. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 77 years old male was hospitalised because of lower leg osteomyelitis and was operated. He received antibacterial treatment with Cefazolin for three days and then developed a high WBC count. The course of the disease was fulminant, with a rapid increase in the WBC count up to 132,000/mm3 and a septic shock, and required cardiovascular and ventilatory support. The patient was started on intravenous Metronidazole (500 mg every eight hours) and oral Vancomycin (500 mg every six hours). The patient's condition gradually improved over a period of six days. Then a hyperthermia above 39 degrees Celsius, hypotension and painful abdominal bloating developed, and the WBC count peaked to 186,000/mm3. The blood cultures were positive for Klebsiella pneumoniae. The patient died. DISCUSSION: In our case, we describe a community-onset, healthcare-facility-associated, severe CDI complicated by a blood stream infection. The administration of oral Vancomycin, which is highly active against the intestinal flora, could have been responsible for the persistence and overgrowth of Klebsiella pneumoniae. CONCLUSIONS: Severe CDIs after orthopaedic surgery and antibacterial treatment complicated by the development of nosocomial infection significantly worsen the prognosis of the disease. Careful consideration of antibacterial therapy and early symptom recognition may help prevent catastrophic events.

Imaging photoplethysmography for clinical assessment of cutaneous microcirculation at two different depths.

The feasibility of bispectral imaging photoplethysmography (iPPG) system for clinical assessment of cutaneous microcirculation at two different depths is proposed. The iPPG system has been developed and evaluated for in vivo conditions during various tests: (1) topical application of vasodilatory liniment on the skin, (2) skin local heating, (3) arterial occlusion, and (4) regional anesthesia. The device has been validated by the measurements of a laser Doppler imager (LDI) as a reference. The hardware comprises four bispectral light sources (530 and 810 nm) for uniform illumination of skin, video camera, and the control unit for triggering of the system. The PPG signals were calculated and the changes of perfusion index (PI) were obtained during the tests. The results showed convincing correlations for PI obtained by iPPG530 nm and LDI at (1) topical liniment (r = 0.98) and (2) heating (r = 0.98) tests. The topical liniment and local heating tests revealed good selectivity of the system for superficial microcirculation monitoring. It is confirmed that the iPPG system could be used for assessment of cutaneous perfusion at two different depths, morphologically and functionally different vascular networks, and thus utilized in clinics as a cost-effective alternative to the LDI.