Randomized cinefluoroscopic comparison of cervical spine motion using McGrath series 5 and Macintosh laryngoscope for intubation with manual in-line stabilization.

BACKGROUND: Intubation in patients with suspected cervical spine injury must be cautiously performed to avoid any further neurologic trauma. Several intubation techniques have been introduced to minimize cervical spine motion such as the use of the videolaryngoscope. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to compare the movement of the cervical spine during intubation by using McGrath series 5 videolaryngoscope (MGL) and that of the conventional Macintosh laryngoscope from cinefluoroscopic imaging. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Twenty-two patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery that did not involve cervical spine procedure and required general anesthesia were recruited into the study. All patients were randomized either to have intubation with MGL (n = 11) or Macintosh laryngoscope (n = 11) in a neutral position with manual in-line stabilization (MILS). The primary outcome was the cervical vertebral angle changes pre- and post-intubation, measured by cinefluoroscopy. The number of intubation attempts, the laryngoscopic view, the time to intubation, and the incidence ofany complications were recorded as well. RESULTS: Eleven patients were included in each group without any exclusion from the study. The cervical vertebral angle changes pre- and post-intubation with the MGL was less than with the Macintosh laryngoscope at C3/4 (2.00 vs. 4.27 degrees, respectively; p-value = 0.034) and the cumulative changes of all cervical spine levels (9.18 vs. 17.18 degrees, respectively; p-value = 0.017). However, the time to intubation with the MGL was longer (35.07 vs. 23.21 seconds, p-value = 0.004), the laryngoscope view was better. There were no statistically significant differences in the intubation success rate, the number of attempts, and the incidence of complications. CONCLUSION: Orotracheal intubation with MGL provided less cervical spine motion and improved visualization of the vocal cords, without causing adverse consequences as compared with Macintosh laryngoscope and MILS.

Analgesia nociception index for early detection of vagal stimulation during carotid body tumor resection: A case report.

ANI can be used for early detection of parasympathetic signals before the occurrence of bradycardia or to locate unidentified carotid structures in the head and neck region.

Unintended intraoperative awareness: An analysis of Perioperative Anesthetic Adverse Events in Thailand (PAAd Thai).

BACKGROUND: Despite the improvement of anesthetic-related modalities, the incidence of unintended intraoperative awareness remains at around 0.005-0.038%. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe the intraoperative awareness incidents that occurred across Thailand between January to December, 2015. METHODS: Observational data was collected from 22 hospitals throughout Thailand. The awareness category was selected from incident reports according to the Perioperative Anesthetic Adverse Events in Thailand (PAAd Thai) study database and descriptive statistics were analyzed. The awareness characteristics and the related factors were recorded. RESULTS: A total of nine intraoperative awareness episodes from 2000 incidents were observed. The intraoperative awareness results were as follows: experience of pain (38.1%), perception of sound (33.3%), perception of intubation (9.5%) and feeling of paralysis (14.3%). The observed factors that affect intraoperative awareness were anesthesia-related (100%), patient-related (55.5%), surgery-related (22.2%) and systematic process-related (22.2%). The contributing factors were situational inexperience (77.8%) and inappropriate patient evaluation (44.4%). An awareness of anesthetic performer (100%) and experience (88.9%) were defined as incident-mitigating factors. The suggested corrective strategies were quality assurance activity (88.9%), improved supervision (44.4%) and equipment utilization (33.3%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Nine intraoperative awareness incidents were observed, however the causes were preventable. The anesthetic component seems to be the most influential to prevent these events.

Awareness and Perspectives among Asian Anesthesiologists on Postoperative Delirium: A Multinational Survey.

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common perioperative complication. Although POD is preventable in up to 40% of patients, it is frequently overlooked. The objective of the survey is to determine the level of knowledge and clinical practices related to POD among anesthesiologists in different Asian countries. A questionnaire of 22 questions was designed by members of the Asian focus group for the study of POD, and it was sent to anesthesiologists in Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea from 1 April 2019 through 17 September 2019. In total, 531 anesthesiologists (Singapore: 224, Thailand: 124, Korea: 183) responded to the survey. Half the respondents estimated the incidence of POD to be 11-30% and believed that it typically occurs in the first 48 h after surgery. Among eight important postoperative complications, POD was ranked fifth. While 51.4% did not perform any test for POD, only 13.7% monitored the depth of anesthesia in all their patients. However, 83.8% preferred depth of anesthesia monitoring if they underwent surgery themselves. The results suggest that Asian anesthesiologists underestimate the incidence and relevance of POD. Because it increases perioperative mortality and morbidity, there is an urgent need to educate anesthesiologists regarding the recognition, prevention, detection, and management of POD.

Deep neuromuscular blockade for endolaryngeal procedures: A multicenter randomized study.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of the present study was to compare the surgical condition between deep neuromuscular blockade (NMB) and moderate NMB. STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter, randomized, parallel intervention trial. METHODS: One hundred two patients underwent microscopic endolaryngeal surgery at four university hospitals. The patients were randomized into moderate NMB (train-of-four 1-2) (M group) or deep NMB (post-tetanic count 1-2) (D group) with moderate or high doses of rocuronium, respectively. Surgical rating conditions (SRCs) were evaluated during the surgery. Sugammadex was given to the M group at 2 mg/kg and the D group at 4 mg/kg. Perioperative clinical signs and conditions were recorded until discharge from the postanesthesia care unit. RESULTS: Clinically acceptable SRC was observed in 49 patients (100%) in the D group and 43 patients (89.6%) in the M group (P = .027). The frequency of notable vocal fold movement in the M group was significantly higher than the D group (70.8% vs. 32.7%). The patients in the M group required more additional doses of rocuronium (47.9%) than the D group (20.4%) to maintain full relaxation (P = .005). The median time (interquartile range) from administration of sugammadex to train-of-four ratio 0.9 in the D group was shorter than the M group (120 [109-180 minutes] vs. 180 minutes [120-240 minutes], P = .034). CONCLUSIONS: Deep NMB with high doses of rocuronium combined with 4 mg/kg of sugammadex for reversal during endolaryngeal surgery provided better SRC and anesthetic conditions than moderate NMB of rocuronium with 2 mg/kg of sugammadex. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1b Laryngoscope, 130:437-441, 2020.