Anesthesia for same day neurosurgery with updates on awake craniotomy and awake spine surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article delves into recent advances in same-day neurosurgery (SDNS), specifically concerning indications, perioperative protocol, safety, and outcomes. Additionally, it explores the recent updates on awake craniotomy and awake spine surgery. RECENT FINDINGS: There is an evolving body of literature on studies about SDNS that reaffirm its safety and feasibility. awake craniotomy is associated with lesser neurological deficits and better survival benefits in patients with lesions in eloquent areas. Monitored anesthesia care, compared with the asleep-awake-asleep technique, is associated with lower failure rates, shorter procedure time, and shorter length of stay. However, the incidence of intraoperative seizures is lower with the asleep-awake-asleep technique. Propofol-based and dexmedetomidine-based anesthesia are similar with regard to procedure duration, intraoperative adverse events, and patient satisfaction; however, surgeon satisfaction is higher with dexmedetomidine-based anesthesia. In spine surgery, regional anesthesia when compared with general anesthesia, is associated with less intraoperative blood loss and a lower incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting after 24 h. In addition, implementing an enhanced multimodal analgesia protocol improved disability scores and reduced the likelihood of postoperative complications. SUMMARY: SDNS offers promising prospects for patients and healthcare providers alike, with the potential to provide well tolerated, efficient, and cost-effective neurosurgical care in carefully selected cases.

Perioperative Analgesia in Neurosurgery (PAIN): A national survey of pain assessment and management among neuroanesthesiologists of India.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative pain assessment and management in neurosurgical patients varies widely across the globe. There is lack of data from developing world regarding practices of pain assessment and management in neurosurgical population. This survey aimed to capture practices and perceptions regarding perioperative pain assessment and management in neurosurgical patients among anesthesiologists who are members of the Indian Society of Neuroanaesthesiology and Critical Care (ISNACC) and evaluated if hospital and pain characteristics predicted the use of structured pain assessment protocol and use of opioids for postoperative pain management. METHODS: A 26-item English language questionnaire was administered to members of ISNACC using Kwiksurveys platform after ethics committee approval. Our outcome measures were adoption of structured protocol for pain assessment and opioid usage for postoperative pain management. RESULTS: The response rate for our survey was 55.15% (289/524). One hundred eighteen (41%) responders informed that their hospital setup had a structured pain protocol while 43 (15%) responders reported using opioids for postoperative pain management. Predictors of the use of structured pain protocol were private setup (odds ratio [OR] 2.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.52-4.59; P = .001), higher pain intensity (OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.21-0.64; P < .001) and use of pain scale (OR 7.94; 95% CI 3.99-15.81; P < .001) while availability of structured pain protocol (OR 2.04; 95% CI 1.02-4.05; P = .043) was the only significant variable for postoperative opioid use. CONCLUSIONS: Less than half of the Indian neuroanesthesiologists who are members of ISNACC use structured protocol for pain assessment and very few use opioids for postoperative pain management in neurosurgical patients.

Multimodal monitoring to aid detection and management of intraoperative seizures: a case report.

One of the primary goals in Neuroanesthesia is to preserve cerebral oxygenation and protect the brain from secondary injuries. Seizures have severe implications in the intraoperative period, as it can instigate an increase in cerebral metabolism and oxygen demand, thus causing cerebral hypoxia. Detection of intraoperative seizures is imperative in neurosurgical cases as the ramifications of intracranial hypertension and cerebral hypoxia caused by it can affect patient prognosis and perioperative outcomes. We report a case of detecting intraoperative seizures with the aid of patient state index and near infrared spectroscopy. Multi-modality monitoring aided in the management of a time-sensitive complication, which could otherwise have possibly led to secondary brain insult.

Emergency neurological procedures during COVID-19 pandemic: Practical issues.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a global pandemic. A significant number of these patients would present to hospitals with neurological manifestations and neurosurgical emergencies requiring urgent treatment. The anesthesiologists should be prepared to manage these cases in an efficient and timely manner in the operating room, intensive care units, and interventional neuroradiology suites. The clinical course of the disease is in an evolving stage. As we acquire more knowledge about COVID-19, new recommendations and guidelines are being formulated and regularly updated. This article discusses the anesthetic management of urgent neurosurgical and neurointerventional procedures. In addition, a brief overview of intrahospital transport of neurologically injured patients has been addressed.

Limitations of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in neurosurgical setting: our case experience.

One of the primary goals of anaesthesia in neurosurgical procedures is prevention of cerebral hypoxia leading to secondary neurological injury. Cerebral oximetry detects periods of cerebral hypoxemia and allows intervention for prevention of secondary brain injury and its sequelae. This can be achieved by the use of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS). In this regard, we present two cases where erroneous values of NIRS were shown which hindered monitoring of cerebral oxygenation in the intraoperative setting. In a neurosurgical setting, the erroneous values on the operative side could be attributed to altered tissue boundary conditions resulting in a changed optical path, which is normally held as a constant in NIRS measurements. The altered tissue boundary conditions could be due to the presence of air or blood between the myocutaneous flapskull, skull-dura, dura-brain interphases. It could also be that the sensors' penetrating depth was inadequate to compensate for the increased distance between sensor and brain tissue, thereby resulting in inaccurately higher values (> 80%).

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Analysis and Interpretation in Neurocritical Care for Acute Neurological Conditions.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear fluid circulating in the intracranial and spinal compartments. Under normal conditions, the composition of CSF remains constant. However, in various neurological disease especially in acute conditions, the composition, quantity and its pressure can be altered. By measuring the levels of various CSF components using relevant techniques, diagnosis, severity and prognostication of neurological conditions like infections, subarachnoid hemorrhage, demyelinating conditions, tumor like conditions, etc. can be done. In this review, alterations in CSF components and its relevance to the emergency care physician to help in the management of patients are enumerated. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Hrishi AP, Sethuraman M. Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Analysis and Interpretation in Neurocritical Care for Acute Neurological Conditions. Indian J Crit Care Med 2019;23(Suppl 2):S115-S119.

A Mysterious Case of Spontaneous Cervical Epidural Hematoma and Bilateral Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax caused by a Rare Etiology.

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a rare disorder that can present as an acute onset of pain and radicular symptoms that mimic disk herniation. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) can be defined as presence of air in the pleural space without apparent underlying lung disease or trauma. We describe a rare case of SSEH in cervical spine (C5-7) presenting with a novel association, a bilateral PSP, which has never been documented before. Both SSEH and spontaneous pneumothorax, though rare, can be associated with vasculopathy and our patient had signs of vasculopathy of intracranial vessels and pulmonary vasculature. Vasculopathy also needs to be considered while evaluating a case of PSP without emphysema-like changes (ELCs) and if diagnosed as the cause, pleurodesis could be considered as a part of the management to avoid the sequel of recurrent pneumothorax and prolonged ICU stay in this subset of patients. How to cite this article Thakkar K, Ajayan N, et al. A Mysterious Case of Spontaneous Cervical Epidural Hematoma and Bilateral Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax caused by a Rare Etiology. Indian J Crit Care Med 2019;23(4):186-187.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) induced 'hypoxia artifacts' on pulse oximetry: how reliable are MRI compatible monitoring devices?

Distinguishing a monitoring artifact requires expertise and adeptness. This can be practically challenging during the course of an anesthetic. We report a case, wherein we experienced episodes of aberrant pulse-oximeter values suggestive of desaturation with normal waveforms, occurring during a particular sequence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed under general anesthesia, which in fact was an artifact induced by the 3 T MRI during the diffusion tensor imaging sequence.

Seizures - just the tip of the iceberg: Critical care management of super-refractory status epilepticus.

Super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) is defined as status epilepticus (SE) that continues or recurs 24 h or more after the onset of anesthetic therapy, including those cases where SE recurs on the reduction or withdrawal of anesthesia. Although SRSE is a rare clinical problem, it is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. This article reviews the treatment approaches and the systemic complications commonly encountered in patients with SRSE. As evident in our search of literature, therapy for SRSE and its complications have been based on clinical reports and expert opinions since there is a lack of controlled and randomized trials. Even though this complex condition starts as a neurological disorder, because of the associated systemic complications, it can be considered as a multisystem disorder requiring scrupulous attention and deliberate efforts to prevent, detect, and treat these systemic effects. We have critically reviewed the intensive care management for SRSE per se as well as its associated systemic complications. We believe that a good recovery can occur even after prolonged and severe SRSE as long as the systemic complications are detected early and managed appropriately.

Periprocedural management of patients presenting for neurointerventional procedures using flow diverters for complex intracranial aneurysms: An anesthetist's perspective - A narrative review.

Complex intracranial aneurysms pose significant challenges in the realm of neurointervention, necessitating meticulous planning and execution. This article highlights the crucial roles played by anesthetists in these procedures, including patient assessment, anesthesia planning, and continuous monitoring and maintaining hemodynamic stability, which are pivotal in optimizing patient safety. Understanding these complex procedures and their complications will aid the anesthetist in delivering optimal care and in foreseeing and managing the potential associated complications. The anesthetist's responsibility extends beyond the procedure itself to postprocedure care, ensuring a smooth transition to the recovery phase. Successful periprocedural anesthetic management in flow diverter interventions for complex intracranial aneurysms hinges on carefully orchestrating these elements. Moreover, effective communication and collaboration with the interventional neuroradiologist and the procedural team are emphasized, as they contribute significantly to procedural success. This article underscores the essential requirement for a multidisciplinary team approach when managing patients undergoing neurointerventions. In this collaborative framework, the expertise of the anesthetist harmoniously complements the skills and knowledge of other team members, contributing to the overall success and safety of these procedures. By providing a high level of care throughout the periprocedural period, anesthetists play a pivotal role in enhancing patient outcomes and minimizing the risks associated with these intricate procedures. In conclusion, the periprocedural anesthetic management of neurointervention using flow diverters for complex intracranial aneurysms is a multifaceted process that requires expertise, communication, and collaboration.

A prospective observational study to compare and evaluate delta down, aortic velocity time integral variability, and superior vena cava collapsibility index as predictors of fluid responsiveness in patients with supratentorial brain tumors undergoing elective neurosurgery.

Background: Patients undergoing surgical resection of brain tumors frequently exhibit a spectrum of hemodynamic fluctuations necessitating careful fluid management. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of dynamic predictors of fluid responsiveness, such as delta down (DD), aortic velocity time integral variability (VTIAoV), and superior vena cava collapsibility index (SVCCI), in patients undergoing neurosurgery for brain tumors. Methods: In this prospective study, 30 patients scheduled to undergo elective neurosurgery for brain tumor resection were enrolled. Baseline measurements of vitals, anesthetic parameters, and study variables were recorded post-induction. Subsequently, patients received a fluid bolus of 10 mL/kg of colloid over 20 min, and measurements were repeated post-loading. Data were presented as mean ± standard deviation. The normally distributed continuous variables were compared using Student's t-test, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant. The predictive capability of variables for fluid responsiveness was assessed using Pearson's coefficient analysis (r). Results: Of the 30 patients, 22 were identified as volume responders (R), while eight were non-responders (NR). DD >5 mmHg effectively distinguished between R and NR (P < 0.001), with a good predictive ability (r = 0.759). SVCCI >38% differentiated R from NR (P < 0.001), with excellent predictability (r = 0.994). Similarly, VTIAoV >20% was also a good predictor (P < 0.05; r = 0.746). Conclusion: Our study revealed that most patients undergoing surgical resection of brain tumors exhibited fluid responsiveness. Among the variables assessed, SVCCI >38% emerged as an excellent predictor, followed by VTIAoV >20% and DD >5 mm Hg, for evaluating fluid status in this population.

Electrocardiographic changes in patients with raised intracranial pressure from supratentorial brain tumors.

Objectives: A wide variety of electrocardiographic (ECG) changes has been described in the context of neurological catastrophe. There has been diverse and plentiful literature emphasizing the cardiac changes in acute cerebrovascular events and traumatic brain injury. In stark contrast, there is scarce literature on the incidence of cardiac dysfunction caused by raised intracranial pressure (ICP) resulting from brain tumors. The study aimed to observe the ECG changes concurrent with intracranial hypertension resulting from supratentorial brain tumors. Materials and Methods: This is a pre-specified subgroup analysis of a prospective and observational study on cardiac function in patients presenting for neurosurgery. Data of 100 consecutive patients of either sex between 18 and 60 years who presented with primary supratentorial brain tumors were analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 consisted of patients without clinical and radiological features of raised ICP and Group 2 consisted of patients with clinical and radiological features of raised ICP. A 12-lead ECG was obtained for every patient on the day before the neurosurgical procedure as part of the pre-anesthetic assessment. The cardiologist and the neuroanesthetist independently examined the ECG, and it was then classified and coded as per the standardized Minnesota code. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS (release 22.0; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The normality of the distribution of continuous variables was tested using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Normally distributed variables were expressed as Mean ± SD. All nominal or categorical variables are described as frequencies and percentages. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test. The normally distributed continuous variables were compared using Student's t-test. "P < 0.05" was considered statistically significant. Results: About 6% in Group 1 and 32% in Group 2 had abnormal ECG. This was significantly different in Group 2 compared to Group 1 (P < 0.05). No patients in Group 1 had sinus bradycardia, whereas it was observed in 12% of the patients in Group 2 (P = 0.02). ST-segment depression was found in 12% of patients in Group 2, whereas none had it in Group 1 (P = 0.02). ST-segment elevation was noticed in 16 % in Group 2 and 2% in Group 1 (P = 0.01). T-wave abnormalities were found in 16% compared to 4% in Group 1 (P = 0.03). Conclusion: In patients with supratentorial tumors, we observed that those with raised ICP had a higher incidence of ECG changes than those with normal ICP. In addition, repolarization abnormalities and arrhythmias were significantly higher in patients with raised ICP.

Evaluation and correlation of nociceptive response index and spectral entropy indices as monitors of nociception in anesthetized patients.

Objectives: During anesthesia, the response to these stimuli depends on the balance between nociception and antinociception. Recently, various monitoring systems based on the variables derived from electroencephalography, plethysmography, autonomic tone, reflex pathways, and composite algorithms have been introduced for monitoring nociception. The main aim of our study was to evaluate and correlate the physiological variables which reflect the autonomic nervous system response to nociception, such as heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), perfusion index (PI), and nociceptive response index (NRI), with the spectral entropy indices response entropy (RE) and RE-state entropy (SE), which reflects electromyographic (EMG) activation as a response to pain. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the data from a prospective study on the hypnotic and analgesic effects and the recovery profile of sevoflurane-based general anesthesia. Eighty-six patients undergoing single-agent sevoflurane anesthesia were recruited in the study. The study parameters, HR, SBP, SE, RE, RE-SE, PI, and NRI, were recorded at predefined time points before and after a standardized noxious stimulus. Correlation between the variables was carried out by applying the Pearson correlation equation for normal and the Spearman correlation equation for non-normally distributed data. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) graphs were plotted, and the area under the curve was calculated to assess the diagnostic accuracy of post-stimulus NRI in detecting pain which was defined as RE-SE >10. Results: There was a significant increase in the SBP, HR, NRI, RE, SE, and RE-SE and a considerable decrease in PI values during the post-noxious period compared to the pre-noxious period. There was no correlation between the absolute values of NRI and entropy indices at T2. However, among the reaction values, there was a weak correlation between the reaction values of NRI and RE (r = 0.30; P = 0.05). The area under the ROC curve for NRI to detect pain as defined by RE-SE >10 was 0.56. Conclusion: During sevoflurane anesthesia, the application of noxious stimulus causes significant changes in variables reflecting sympathetic response and EMG activity. However, NRI failed to detect nociception, and there was only a weak correlation between the reaction values of NRI and RE-SE.

A Perfusion Index-Based Evaluation and Comparison of Peripheral Perfusion in Sevoflurane and Isoflurane Anaesthesia: A Prospective Randomised Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Perfusion index has shown to be helpful in the operative and critical care settings to monitor peripheral tissue perfusion. Randomised controlled trials quantifying different agents' vasodilatory properties using perfusion index has been limited. Therefore, we undertook this study to compare the vasodilatory effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane using perfusion index. METHODS: This is a pre-specified sub-analysis of a prospective randomised controlled trial on the effects of inhalational agents at equipotent concentration. We randomly allocated patients scheduled for lumbar spine surgery to either isoflurane or sevoflurane groups. We recorded values of perfusion index at age-corrected 1 Minimum Alveolar Concentration (MAC) concentration at baseline, pre- and post-application of a noxious stimulus. The primary outcome of interest was the measure of vasomotor tone with perfusion index, and the secondary outcomes which were analysed were mean arterial pressure and heart rate. RESULTS: At age-corrected 1.0 MAC, there was no significant difference in the pre-stimulus haemodynamic variables and perfusion index between both groups. During the post-stimulus period, there was a significant increase in heart rate in the isoflurane group compared to the sevoflurane group, with no significant difference in the mean arterial pressure values between both groups. Though the perfusion index decreased during the post-stimulus period in both groups, there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = .526, repeated-measures analysis of variance). CONCLUSION: In a steady state of age-corrected 1.0 MAC, isoflurane and sevoflurane had a similar perfusion index before and after a standardised nociceptive stimulus, which suggests that both of these agents have similar effect on peripheral perfusion and vasomotor tone.

Evaluation of markers of cerebral oxygenation and metabolism in patients undergoing clipping of cerebral aneurysm under total intravenous anesthesia versus inhalational anesthesia: A prospective randomized trial (COM-IVIN trial).

INTRODUCTION: Anesthetic goals in patients undergoing clipping of cerebral aneurysm include maintenance of cerebral blood flow, oxygenation, and metabolism to avoid cerebral ischemia and maintenance of hemodynamic stability. We intend to study the influence of anesthetic agents on the outcome of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized, parallel, single-center pilot trial approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee and is prospectively registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India. Patients with aneurysmal SAH (aSAH) admitted to our institution for surgical clipping, fulfilling the trial inclusion criteria, will be randomized in a 1:1 allocation ratio utilizing a computerized random allocation sequence to receive either total intravenous anesthesia (n = 25) or inhalational anesthesia (n = 25). Our primary objective is to study the effects of these anesthetic techniques on cerebral oxygenation and metabolism in patients with aSAH. Our secondary objective is to evaluate the impact of these anesthetic techniques on the incidence of delayed cerebral ischemia and long-term patient outcomes in patients with aSAH. The Modified Rankin Score and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at discharge and 3 months following hospital discharge will be evaluated. An observer blinded to the study intervention will assess the outcome measures. DISCUSSION: This study will provide more insight as to which is the ideal anesthetic agent that offers a better neurophysiological profile regarding intraoperative cerebral oxygenation and metabolism, thereby contributing to better postoperative outcomes in aSAH patients.