[Audit on preoperative cardiac evaluation before non-cardiac surgery: the importance of a pocket guide to improve the anaesthesist's adhesion to ACC/AHA guidelines]. / Audit sur l'évaluation cardiaque préopératoire avant une chirurgie non cardiaque : utilité d'un aide-mémoire pour améliorer l'adhésion des anesthésistes aux recommandations de l'American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA).

INTRODUCTION: The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines stratify perioperative cardiac risk according to clinical markers, functional capacity, and type of surgery. They help determining which patients are candidates for preoperative cardiac testing and optimizing the cost-effectiveness of the evaluation strategy. Auditing our preoperative anaesthetic screening practice revealed an exceedingly high rate of referrals to the cardiologists. A small pocket-size reminder was created in order to improve the adhesion of the anaesthesiologists to the recommendations of the ACC/AHA, and confirm or obviate the need for a formal preoperative specialized cardiology consultation. Another audit was conducted 1 year later in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this reminder. METHODS: The second audit was conducted over a period of 1 month. Recorded data included demographic characteristics, clinical predictors of cardiovascular risk, surgical risk, and the reasons for the cardiac evaluation by a cardiologist (as reported by the senior or junior anaesthesiologist). Results of this second audit were compared to those of the audit conducted a year earlier. RESULTS: During the first audit, a total of 654 patients were seen in the preoperative unit. Fifty-two patients were referred to a cardiologist during the study period (7.9%). Guidelines for cardiac assessment were respected in 7/52 patients (13.5%). During the second audit, 30 out of 787 patients (3.8%) screened in preoperative anaesthetic consultation unit were referred to the cardiologist. According to the ACC/AHA guidelines, 27/30 patients (90%) objectively needed a cardiology consultation due to the existence of a known previous heart disease. DISCUSSION: The use of the pocket reminder concerning the ACC/AHA recommendations significantly reduced both the total number of cardiology referrals, and the number of unjustified referrals. The use of a pocket guide may help in reducing both the cost and the postponement of scheduled surgery.

Anaesthetic management of a child with Freeman-sheldon syndrome undergoing spinal surgery.

Freeman-Sheldon syndrome, or distal arthrogryposis type 2A, is a rare congenital myopathy and dysplasia characterised by multiple contractures, abnormalities of the head and face, defective development of the hands and feet and skeletal malformations. The facial muscle contracture produces the typical 'whistling face' appearance. Anaesthetic issues include difficult intravenous access, difficult airway and postoperative pulmonary complications. Although an association with malignant hyperthermia has been suggested, this has not been confirmed. We report the management of a seven-year-old girl with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome undergoing anterior and posterior spinal surgery and describe a successful anaesthetic regimen based on a total intravenous anaesthesia technique with remifentanil and propofol without neuromuscular blocking agents. The child had an uneventful anaesthetic and postoperative course. We believe the presence of the myopathy warranted the use of a 'non-triggering' anaesthetic, as suxamethonium and volatile agents may be associated with significant complications such as muscle rigidity and rhabdomyolysis in myopathic patients, even in the absence of malignant hyperthermia.

Comparison between dexmedetomidine and remifentanil for controlled hypotension during tympanoplasty.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Controlled hypotension is frequently used for obtaining better exposure during tympanoplasty. The aim of this study was to compare dexmedetomidine, a selective, short-acting, central alpha2-adrenergic agonist with remifentanil, an ultra-short-acting opioid with properties similar to other mu-specific agonists, regarding their effects in achieving controlled hypotension and improving surgical field exposure and surgeon's satisfaction during tympanoplasty. METHODS: In this prospective, double-blind pilot study, 24 consecutive patients scheduled for elective tympanoplasty were randomly assigned to receive either dexmedetomidine 1 microg kg(-1) over 10 min at anaesthesia induction followed by 0.4-0.8 microg kg(-1) h(-1) infusion during maintenance or remifentanil 1 microg kg(-1) over 1 min at anaesthesia induction followed by 0.2-0.4 microg kg(-1) min(-1) infusion during maintenance. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were recorded before induction, at incision, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after incision and 10 min after stopping the infusion. Surgical field exposure condition and satisfaction scores were assessed by the surgeon, blinded to the study drugs. RESULTS: Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were significantly lower in the remifentanil group compared with the dexmedetomidine group at all times (P = 0.03 and 0.036, respectively). Surgical field exposure condition (3 +/- 0.01 vs. 2.3 +/- 0.7; P = 0.039) and surgeons' satisfaction (3 +/- 0.01 vs. 2.25 +/- 0.87; P = 0.039) scores were significant after remifentanil compared with dexmedetomidine. CONCLUSIONS: Infusion of dexmedetomidine, at the doses used in this study, was less effective than remifentanil in achieving controlled hypotension, good surgical field exposure condition and surgeons' satisfaction during tympanoplasty.

General anesthesia with remifentanil for Cesarean section in a patient with HELLP syndrome.

HELLP syndrome is a severe complication of pre-eclampsia characterised by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and a low platelet count. It is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcome for both the mother and the fetus. Patients with HELLP syndrome are also at greater risk of pulmonary edema, adult respiratory distress syndrome, abruptio placentae, intracerebral hemorrhage, eclamptic convulsions, disseminated intravascular coagulation, ruptured liver hematomas and acute renal failure. Perinatal mortality is equally high. Before delivery, aggressive obstetric management is directed toward stabilization of the affected organ systems, if possible, and interruption of the pregnancy in the early phase of the accelerated disease progression. Definitive therapy is delivery. Parturients HELLP syndrome often require general anesthesia for Cesarean section delivery. The anesthetic technique is critical for these patients with a high risk of uncontrollable hypertension, bleeding and multiple organ failure. Remifentanil is increasingly used as a very short analgesic agent providing cardiovascular stability in high-risk patients. We report the management of a patient presenting in labor with HELLP syndrome, and describe the successful use of remifentanil as part of the anesthetic technique for her subsequent Cesarean section.

Prognostic importance of automated ST-segment monitoring after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

BACKGROUND: Automated ST-segment monitors are widely used in cardiac surgery units. The purpose of this study was to determine if cardiac morbidity and mortality, after CABG surgery, are predicted by ECG ST-segment changes on automated monitors. METHOD: One hundred patients, who underwent CABG, were included in this prospective study. ST-segment deviations were recorded by an automated ST monitor, in the ICU, for 24 h after surgery. A reversible ST depression of more than 0.1 mV or a ST elevation of more than 0.2 mV and for at least 1 min were considered as significant episodes. Adverse cardiac outcomes were defined as: myocardial infarction (MI), severe left ventricular failure, ventricular fibrillation (VF) and cardiac-related death. RESULTS: Sixty patients (group 1) presented significant episodes of ST deviation (6+/-5 episodes per patient). Forty patients (group 2) were free from ST changes. Eight patients from group 1 had postoperative adverse cardiac outcomes: 5 MI, 2 VF and 1 cardiac-related death. Patients from group 2 were all free from adverse cardiac outcomes. Automated ST-segment analysis during the first 24 h had a positive predictive value of 13% and a negative predictive value of 100%. CONCLUSION: Automated ST analysis is a non-invasive, sensitive and very easy-to-use monitoring system to screen patients who may develop myocardial ischemia and cardiac complications after CABG surgery.

Mivacurium in an obese patient with myotonic dystrophy--a case report.

Mivacurium is a short-acting non-deplolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent. Its use in an obese patient with myotonic dystrophy undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy is reported. Mivacurium was used as a bolus dose of 0.07 mg. kg-1, followed by a continuous infusion at the rate of 0.003 mg. kg-1. min-1. Muscle relaxation, monitored by a train of four count, was adequate throughout the surgery. Spontaneous recovery of the neuromuscular function was obtained fifteen minutes after the end of mivacurium infusion. Neostigmine was not given. Postoperative mechanical ventilation and respiratory complications were avoided.

[Comparative measurement of pressure in the abdominal inferior vena cava and in the superior vena cava in adults]. / Mesure comparée de la pression dans la veine cave inférieure abdominale et dans la veine cave supérieure chez l'adulte.

Abdominal inferior vena cava pressure was compared to intrathoracic central venous pressure in 30 adults admitted in an intensive care unit following coronary artery bypass grafting. Mean pressures were obtained during controlled ventilation with a positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) of zero and 10 cmH2O respectively, and during spontaneous breathing as well. Ninety measurements were obtained. Limits of agreement between intra-abdominal and intrathoracic cava pressures were below 2.5 mmHg in all cases. In this study, inferior vena cava pressure has predicted central venous pressure in adults during both controlled and spontaneous ventilation.