Prolonged methylene blue infusion in refractory septic shock: a case report.

PURPOSE: Methylene blue (MB) has been advocated for the treatment of refractory hemodynamic instability in patients with septic shock. However, the use of MB infusions in septic shock is not considered standard treatment, and the available literature describes infusions of short duration, typically less than six hours. CLINICAL FEATURES: We report a case of septic shock in a 67-yr-old male who required maximal vasopressor support with norepinephrine, epinephrine, and vasopressin. Despite standard protocols for the treatment of septic shock, the patient's hemodynamic status was refractory 80 hr post admission. However, initiation of a MB infusion resulted in the rapid restoration of hemodynamic stability and a subsequent decrease in vasopressor requirements. Multiple attempts to discontinue the MB infusion resulted in immediate and repeated increases in vasopressor requirements, necessitating a continuous infusion with a slow taper of MB for 120 hr. Ultimately, the patient survived the illness and was discharged home. We observed no adverse events that could be attributed to the use of MB. CONCLUSION: In our patient, the use of MB resulted in hemodynamic stability unattained with standard vasopressor support. Further research is warranted on the use of MB in patients with septic shock.

Effectiveness of femoral nerve blockade for pain control after total knee arthroplasty.

Control of postoperative pain is a major concern for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to investigate pain control and opioid use, as well as length of stay, ambulation time, antiemetic use, and degree of mobilization for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, comparing those receiving femoral nerve block (FNB) to those receiving no femoral nerve block. Using retrospective patient record data, 133 subjects from an acute care community hospital in western Canada were split into three groups: no FNB (control group, n = 49), single-shot FNB (n = 33), and continuous FNB (n = 51). There was a statistically significant improvement in pain control on day of surgery for the FNB group compared with the no-FNB group, and reduction in opioid usage on days 0, 1, and 2 in the continuous FNB group compared with the no-FNB and single-shot group. Also noted was a statistically significant reduction in antiemetic use in the FNB compared with the no-FNB group on the day after surgery. This study is in accordance with earlier studies that support continuous FNB as an effective method for achieving postoperative pain control and reducing opioid use for patients undergoing TKA.