Sevoflurane anaesthesia for nasal surgery in a patient with multiple chemical sensitivity. / Anestesia con sevoflurano para cirugía de senos paranasales en un paciente con sensibilidad química múltiple.

Multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome is a group of complex disorders that include psychiatric disorders, chronic fatigue and/or respiratory problems. This syndrome could be triggered by specific allergens and toxins that cause neurophysiological sensitization and the appearance of the clinical symptomatology. Anaesthesia for these patients always poses a challenge for the anaesthetist, because they need to find and use drugs that do not trigger or aggravate the symptoms of the disease. Therefore, sevoflurane in these circumstances might be "the ideal anaesthetic". Performing general anaesthesia with sevoflurane as the sole anaesthetic agent, together with a series of environmental measures formed the basis for successful anaesthesia and surgery in our patient with a multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome.

Tratamiento de las arritmias cardíacas refractarias mediante bloqueo del ganglio estrellado en un paciente. Acceso por técnica clásica y ecodirigida / Treatment of a patient with refractory cardiac arrhythmias using stellate ganglion block. Access by the classical and ultrasound-guided approach

El bloqueo del ganglio estrellado es utilizado con frecuencia por anestesiólogos y otros especialistas para el tratamiento del síndromes de dolor regional complejo del miembro superior. Esta técnica interrumpe la inervación simpática cardíaca y ha sido propuesta como tratamiento de arritmias refractarias. Presentamos el caso de un paciente con arritmias refractarias a tratamiento farmacológico que fueron controladas mediante un bloqueo continuo del ganglio estrellado izquierdo. El ganglio estrellado izquierdo es clave en el manejo de las arritmias cardiacas por ser una estructura en la que se originan gran parte de las fibras simpáticas posganglionares que se encargarán de inervar preferentemente el nodo auriculoventricular, haz de His y masa ventricular, elementos fundamentales en la génesis y mantenimiento de las arritmias ventriculares (AU)

Stellate ganglion block is a technique that is often used by anesthesiologists for the treatment of complex regional pain syndromes of the upper extremity. This technique interrupts cardiac sympathetic innervation and has been proposed as treatment for refractory arrhythmias. We present the case of a patient with arrhythmias that were refractory to pharmacological treatment, and were finally treated by continuous stellate ganglion block. Left stellate ganglion is a lynchpin of cardiac arrhythmias due to being a structure where the majority of postganglion sympathetic fibers responsible for preferentially innervating the atriventricular node, bundle of His and ventricular mass are originated, fundamentals in the origin and maintenance of ventricular arrhythmias (AU)

[Treatment of a patient with refractory cardiac arrhythmias using stellate ganglion block. Access by the classical and ultrasound-guided approach]. / Tratamiento de las arritmias cardíacas refractarias mediante bloqueo del ganglio estrellado en un paciente. Acceso por técnica clásica y ecodirigida.

Stellate ganglion block is a technique that is often used by anesthesiologists for the treatment of complex regional pain syndromes of the upper extremity. This technique interrupts cardiac sympathetic innervation and has been proposed as treatment for refractory arrhythmias. We present the case of a patient with arrhythmias that were refractory to pharmacological treatment, and were finally treated by continuous stellate ganglion block. Left stellate ganglion is a lynchpin of cardiac arrhythmias due to being a structure where the majority of postganglion sympathetic fibers responsible for preferentially innervating the atriventricular node, bundle of His and ventricular mass are originated, fundamentals in the origin and maintenance of ventricular arrhythmias.

Distrofia simpático refleja o síndrome de dolor regional complejo tipo I / Reflex sympathetic dystrophy or complex regional pain syndrome type I

La distrofia simpático refleja es una entidad que engloba diferentes situaciones patológicas caracterizada por dolor, alteraciones vaso, sudomotoras y cambios tróficos. La etiología es variopinta, destacando la cirugía, lesión por aplastamiento, fracturas y esguinces como causas más frecuentes, localizándose sobre todo en la parte distal de ambas extremidades. Fisiopatológicamente se cree que cambios estructurales a nivel nervioso periférico, en los ganglios y en el asta dorsal de la médula, junto con una actividad simpática exagerada, condicionan que las fibras nociceptivas se activen de forma anómala espontánea y repetitivamente. Los pacientes refieren dolor, alodinia, hiperestesia, cambios de coloración y temperatura de la extremidad; hiperhidrosis y cambios tróficos en los anejos de la piel. Clásicamente se describen tres fases: aguda o caliente, fría o distrófica y atrófica. El diagnóstico se basa fundamentalmente en la clínica y la exploración física. Ninguna prueba diagnóstica resulta concluyente excepto la desaparición del dolor tras el bloqueo simpático.La terapia farmacológica consiste en la utilización de antidepresivos, anestésicos locales, vasodilatadores, betabloqueantes, bloqueantes del calcio y sobre todo, los nuevos anticomiciales (gabapentina y topiramato).Ante el fracaso de ésta se puede recurrir a los bloqueos simpáticos (ganglio estrellado, regional intravenosos, epidurales). Otras técnicas consisten en la realización de simpatectomías quirúrgicas, bloqueos neurolíticos, estimulación de cordones posteriores o lesiones neuroquirúrgicas en los casos refractarios a otros tratamientos (AU)

Tratamiento del dolor en un caso de osteogénesis imperfecta tipo III / Treatment of pain in a case of osteogenesis imperfecta tipe III

No disponible

Complicaciones en cirugía oftalmológica secundarias a cambio de aguja retrobulbar / Complications of eye surgery with use of a retrobulbar needle

No disponible

[Thermal effects of epidural anesthetic block]. / Efectos térmicos del bloqueo anestésico epidural.

In a sample of 20 healthy men (ASA I) we studied the thermal effects induced after epidural anesthetic blockade with bupivacaine (0.625%) and their relationship with the level of sensitive blockade to puncture or to cold. After 30 min of epidural injection of bupivacaine the level of cephalic analgesia was D IX (D IX +/- 2 segments) and that of cold discrimination D VII (D VII +/- 2 segments) being the thermo-algesic differential blockade of 2 to 3 segments. During epidural anesthesia there was a significant increase in foot skin temperature (4.1 +/- 1 centigrade degrees, p less than 0.001) without any appreciable skin temperature change at the thorax, abdomen, thigh, and calves. It is concluded that epidural anesthesia with bupivacaine (0.625%) at a sensitive analgesic level D IX produces significant increases in skin temperature only at the foot. This indicates that the extension level of sympathetic blockade is lower that of the analgesia.

[Anesthetic management of a hydatid cyst adhering to the inferior vena cava]. / Tratamiento anestésico de un quiste hidatídico adosado a la vena cava inferior.

A patient with a hepatic hydatid cyst with fistula formation to inferior vena cava is reported. To carry out the resection, the cyst was isolated from systemic circulation by means of cardiopulmonary bypass. Inferior vena cava was cannulated through the right atrium until the implantation area of the cyst (above the hepatic veins) was surpassed. Bypass was carried out in 25 minutes by means of cannulation of the ascending aorta, without clamping the aorta, myocardial protection or hypothermia. Postoperative analgesia was achieved with a lumbar epidural catheter. Measures to prevent anaphylactic shock are recommended, an anesthetic technique based on the prevention of hypersensitivity reactions and a careful surgical technique to prevent hydatid dissemination.

[Rheological and expander effect of hydroxyethyl-starch in intradural anesthesia]. / Efecto reológico y expansor del hidroxietilalmidón en anestesia intradural.

We have evaluated the effect of the infusion of hydroxyethylstarch (HES) on blood viscosity and its usefulness to prevent hypotension associated with intradural anesthetic blockade. The sample consisted of 20 healthy patients scheduled for elective surgery with intradural anesthesia (0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine), in whom 500 ml of HES were infused in 20 minutes. Blood samples were taken before lumbar puncture and 20 minutes after it and once HES infusion had been finished. Blood viscosity, the erythrocyte and leukocyte mass parameters and biochemical values (total protein, BUN, creatinine, glucose) were measured. Blood pressure (systolic, diastolic, mean) and heart rate were monitored every 5 minutes. During the study time, systolic blood pressure did not show significant changes. Mean and diastolic blood pressure in the minutes 15 and 20 were reduced in less than 10 mmHg (p less than 0.01). Packed red cell volume diminished in 5.7% and the blood viscosity in 0.5-2.3 mPas. It was concluded that HES is a good option for intradural anesthesia because of its plasma volume expanding effect and the hemodilution it induces.