Assessing Full Stomach Prevalence with Ultrasound Following Preoperative Fasting in Diabetic Patients with Dysautonomia: A Comparative Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, diabetics have been considered patients with a high risk of aspiration due to having delayed gastric emptying; However, the evidence concerning residual gastric volume (GV) in fasting diabetic patients is inconsistent. This study aimed to compare the fasting GV of diabetic patients with or without dysautonomia with control patients scheduled for elective surgery using gastric ultrasound. METHODS: This bicentric prospective single-blinded case-control study was conducted at 2 university hospitals in Spain. Patients aged over 18 years, classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical statuses I to III and having similar fasting statuses, were included in the study. The primary outcome was to compare the prevalence of risk stomach using the Perlas gastric content grading scale evaluated by ultrasound in the 3 groups. Secondary outcomes included the measurement of cross-sectional area (CSA) and GV in the right lateral decubitus (RLD) position, as well as the prevalence of solid gastric residue. RESULTS: A total of 289 patients were recruited for the study, comprising 145 diabetic patients (83 of whom had dysautonomia) and 144 patients in the control group. The percentage of patients classified as Perlas grade 2 was 13.2% in the control group, 16.1% in diabetic patients without dysautonomia, and 22.9% in diabetic patients with dysautonomia (P = .31). Antral CSA was significantly higher in diabetic patients with dysautonomia (6.5 [4.8-8.4]) compared to the control group (5.4 [4.0-7.2]; P = .04). However, no significant differences were observed between groups in residual GV. Among diabetic patients with dysautonomia, 12% exhibited solid gastric residue, which was twice the percentage observed in diabetic patients without dysautonomia (4.8%) and 3 times higher than that in the control group (3.5%; P = .03). The presence of dysautonomia was associated with an increased odds ratio of solid gastric residue (odds ratio [OR], 3.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-8.87; P = .01) after adjusting for confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers insights into the relationship between dysautonomia in patients with diabetes mellitus and the presence of full stomach, underscoring the significance of preoperative gastric ultrasound evaluation in managing perioperative risks in this population.

Reliability of different body temperature measurement sites during normothermic cardiac surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Patients undergoing cardiac surgery can experience significant thermal changes during the perioperative period and, for that reason, it is essential to monitor temperatures with adequate accuracy and precision during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The primary aim of the current study was to measure the discrepancies between temperatures at different body sites during normothermic or mild hypothermic CPB. METHODS: 48 patients undergoing cardiac surgery participated in our study. Simultaneous temperatures were measured at nasopharynx, pulmonary artery, arterial outlet, venous inlet, forehead using a heat flux sensor, and urinary bladder at 5-min intervals throughout surgery. The Bland-Altman plot for repeated measures was used to assess concordance between methods. RESULTS: The duration of surgery was 360 min (interquartile range (IQR) 300-412), while the median cross-clamp time was 135 min (IQR 101-169). During the CPB time, the average difference between arterial outlet and nasopharyngeal temperature was -0.16°C (95% limits of agreement of ±0.93). The bias between arterial outlet and the venous inflow was 0.16°C and the 95% limits of agreement were -0.63 to 0.95°C. The Bland-Altman analysis showed an average difference between oxigenator arterial outlet and bladder probe of -0.62 (95% limits of agreement of ±1.3). The average difference between arterial outlet and Tcore™ temperatures was 0.08°C (95% limits of agreement of ±1.46). 25 patients (52.08%) presented nasopharyngeal temperatures higher than 37°C in the post-CPB period, but none of them exceeded 38°C. CONCLUSIONS: Perfusionists should be cautious when using the nasopharyngeal site as the only surrogate of brain temperature, even in normothermic cardiac surgery because the precision of measurements is not entirely adequate.

Evaluation of the novel non-invasive zero-heat-flux Tcore™ thermometer in cardiac surgical patients.

Tcore™ Sensor is a novel zero-heat-flux thermometer that estimates core temperature from skin over forehead. We tested the hypothesis that this system estimates core temperature to an accuracy within 0.5 °C. 40 cardiac surgical patients were enrolled (960 measurements). Reference core temperatures were measured in nasopharynx, pulmonary artery and the arterial branch of the oxygenator of the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit. 95% Bland-Altman limits of agreement for repeated measurement data was used to study the agreement between Tcore™ thermometer and the reference methods. The proportion of all differences that were within 0.5 °C and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (LCCC) were estimated as well. The mean overall difference between Tcore™ and nasopharyngeal temperature was - 0.2 ± 0.5 °C (95% limits of agreement of ± 1.09). The proportion of differences within 0.5 °C was 68.80% (95% CI 65.70-71.70%) for nasopharyngeal reference. LCCC was 0.84 (95% CI 0.83-0.86). The mean bias between Tcore™ and the temperature measured in the pulmonary artery was - 0.2 ± 0.5 °C (95% limits of agreement of ± 1.16). 55.30% of measurements were ≤ 0.5 °C (95% CI 51.40-59.20%). LCCC was 0.60 (95% CI 0.56-0.64). The average difference between Tcore™ and the temperature measured at the arterial outlet during the CPB period was - 0.1 ± 0.7 °C (95% limits of agreement of ± 1.43). The proportion of differences within 0.5 °C was 54.40% (95% CI 48.80-60.00%). LCCC was 0.74 (0.69-0.79). Cutaneous forehead zero-flux temperatures were not sufficiently accurate for routine clinical use in the cardiac surgical population.

Influence of uridine diphosphate-glucuronyltransferase 2B7 (UGT2B7) variants on postoperative buprenorphine analgesia.

BACKGROUND: Genetic factors are known to influence individual differences in pain and sensitivity to analgesics. Different genetic polymorphisms in opioid-metabolizing enzymes that can affect the analgesic response to opioids have been proposed. This study investigates a possible difference in the response to postoperative buprenorphine analgesia related to the presence of different isoforms (cytosine or thymine substitution at nucleotide 802) of UGT2B7 gene. METHODS: Transdermal buprenorphine was administered to 91 patients who underwent muscle-sparing thoracotomy. UGT2B7 polymorphism at locus C802T (His268Tyr) was detected using a PCR Taqman-based procedure. The severity of postoperative pain at rest and during coughing or deep inspiration was assessed by visual analog scale score after surgery. Hospital stay and perioperative opioid consumption were collected. RESULTS: Genotype frequencies were 18.4% for UGT2B7*1/*1, 52.9% for UGT2B7*1/*2, and 28.7% for UGT2B7*2/*2. VAS pain scores at rest were statistically similar among the groups except at 24, 60, and 120 hours (UGT2B7*2/*2 genotype showing higher pain scores). Patients with the UGT2B7*2/*2 genotype showed higher VAS scores triggered by coughing after the 48 hours (P < 0.05). In addition, patients with this genotype reported a higher prevalence of severe pain after 48 postoperative hours (P < 0.05). Thirty-eight percent of patients carrying genotype UGT2B7*2/*2 experienced severe pain in a final survey vs. 17% in the group with UGT2B7*1/*1 (P = 0.36). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of the SNP 802C>T UGT2B7 (UGT2B7*2/*2) is associated with a worse analgesic response to transdermal buprenorphine in the postoperative period of thoracic surgery.

Dynamic versus standard bougies for tracheal intubation with direct or indirect laryngoscopy in simulated or real scenarios: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of dynamic versus standard bougies to achieve tracheal intubation. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar on 10 October 2023. We included clinical trials comparing both devices. The primary outcome was the first-attempt intubation success rate. The secondary outcome was the time required for tracheal intubation. RESULTS: Eighteen studies were included. Dynamic bougies do not increase first-attempt success rate (RR 1.11; p = 0.06) or shorten tracheal intubation time (MD -0.30 sec; p = 0.84) in clinical trials in humans. In difficult airways, first-attempt success intubation rate was greater for dynamic bougies (RR 1.17; p = 0.002); Additionally, they reduced the time required for intubation (MD -4.80 sec; p = 0.001). First-attempt intubation success rate was higher (RR 1.15; p = 0.01) and time to achieve intubation was shorter when using Macintosh blades combined with dynamic bougies (MD -5.38 sec; p < 0.00001). Heterogeneity was high. CONCLUSION: Dynamic bougies do not increase the overall first-pass success rate or shorten tracheal intubation time. However, dynamic bougies seem to improve first-attempt tracheal intubation rate in patients with difficult airways and in those intubated with a Macintosh blade. Further research is needed for definitive conclusions. REGISTRATION OF PROSPERO: CRD42023472122.

Laparoscopic bariatric surgery in a patient with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and lumboperitoneal shunt: Anesthetic implications.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) typically affects obese young women. Treatment is mainly medical, but some cases require surgery; ventriculoperitoneal (VPS) or lumboperitoneal shunts (LPS) being the most common procedures. Although bariatric surgery is not the first-line surgical treatment, it can be useful in refractory cases and allows treating the major underlying risk factor and its comorbidities. Laparoscopic bariatric surgery is the gold standard; however, literature in patients with shunts is scarce. In the present study, we report the case of a morbidly obese female with IIH treated with an LPS and with refractory headache, scheduled for laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. LPS position was checked before surgery (abdominal X-ray) and during pneumoperitoneum was clamped. Anesthetic management was guided to minimize increases in intracranial pressure (ICP). Surgery and anesthesia were uneventful. Three months later, headaches disappeared and analgesics were discontinued. In conclusion, laparoscopic bariatric surgery may be an option for IIH. It is safe in patients with LPS, although concerns should be taken into account (avoid any damage to the shunt, limit digestive tract contents spillage, and strict vigilance for early detection of intracranial hypertension signs). Although valve system could prevent pressure complications, the catheter can be clamped to avoid retrograde insufflation of CO2 or digestive tract content.

Spontaneous rupture of a mechanical valve in a mitral position (On-X) with migration-embolization to aortic bifurcation from the perspective of the vascular surgeon.

We report on the case of spontaneous rupture of an On-X-pure pyrolytic carbon mechanical valve prosthesis implanted seven years earlier, in a mitral position, at our hospital. The patient was admitted with valvular dysfunction and acute pulmonary edema requiring emergency surgery (prosthesis replacement); the absence of a leaflet was confirmed intraoperatively. The patient presented severe respiratory failure, which prolonged the postoperative period. A CT scan showed that the migrated leaflet was located in the aortic bifurcation with no apparent arterial lesion. Four months later, once the patient had recovered, laparotomy and aortotomy were performed in order to retrieve the leaflet, which was found to have become included (neoendothelized) in the aortic wall without compromising the latter's integrity or obstructing the blood flow. A subsequent CT scan confirmed the persistence of the leaflet in its initial position. The literature review highlights two singular facts: 1) this is the second published case of the escape of a leaflet from an On-X prosthesis (the first patient died); 2) this is the first case in which a laparotomy was performed to retrieve the leaflet but finally a decision was made to leave it in situ. Seven months later, the patient remained asymptomatic.

Survival After Mitral Valve Replacement for Leaflet Escape in a Contemporary On-X Mechanical Valve.

Leaflet escape in contemporary mechanical valves is an extremely rare and potentially lethal condition. We report the case of a 77-year-old man who presented with embolization of a leaflet from an On-X mitral valve (CryoLife, Kennesaw, GA) with Conform-X Sewing Ring prosthesis (CryoLife) after exercise. The patient recovered completely 6 months after surgery, and he is currently asymptomatic.

[Blind tracheal intubation through 2 supraglottic devices: the Ambu AuraGain vs the LMA Fastrach]. / Intubación traqueal a ciegas a través de dos dispositivos extraglóticos: Ambu® AuraGainTM versus LMA FastrachTM.

OBJECTIVES: Supraglottic devices are now considered first-line tools for managing the difficult airway. Our main aim was to compare the percentage of successful blind intubations achieved with the Ambu AuraGain and LMA Fastrach devices. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Randomized, single-blind, parallel group trial. The following variables were analyzed: adequate ventilation, visualization of the glottis on the Brimacombe scale, success of blind intubation, and adverse events. RESULTS: The devices were inserted in 80 patients (40 per group). Adequate ventilation was achieved with both devices, in 92.5% in the AuraGain group and in 95% in the LMA group. The AuraGain provided a better view of the glottis on 2 attempts (P<.001). The rate of intubation success was higher with the LMA (70%) than with the AuraGain (17.5%) (P<.001). Hoarseness and signs of bleeding were observed more often with the AuraGain device than with the LMA: hoarseness, 12.5% vs 0%, respectively, P.027; blood, 17.5% vs 0%, P=.006 CONCLUSION: Even though the 2 devices are similarly effective, blind intubation was superior with the LMA Fastrach mask

OBJETIVO: Los dispositivos extraglóticos se consideran actualmente como una alternativa de primera línea en un escenario de vía aérea difícil. El objetivo principal de nuestro estudio fue comparar el porcentaje de éxito global en la intubación a ciegas con los dispositivos Ambu® AuraGainTM frente a LMA Fastrach™. METODO: Estudio de intervención de grupos paralelos, aleatorizado y simple ciego. Se evaluaron los siguientes pará- metros: la ventilación adecuada, la visión de la glotis utilizando la escala Brimacombe, el éxito en la intubación a ciegas y los efectos adversos. RESULTADOS: Los dispositivos se insertaron en 80 pacientes (40 pacientes por grupo). Se logró ventilación adecuada con ambos dispositivos (92,5% frente al 95% respectivamente). La visión fibroendoscópica de la glotis fue mejor con la Ambu® AuraGainTM en ambos intentos (p < 0,001). El éxito en la intubación fue mejor con LMA FastrachTM (70% frente al 17,5%, p < 0,001). La disfonía y la presencia de restos de sangre fueron más frecuentes con Ambu® AuraGainTM (12,5% frente al 0%, p = 0,027 y 17,5% frente al 0%, p = 0,006, respectivamente). CONCLUSIONES: A pesar de la similar eficacia para la ventilación de ambos dispositivos, el éxito en la intubación a ciegas fue mayor con LMA FastrachTM.

Bone cement implantation syndrome during spinal surgery requiring cardiac surgery.

During a posterior segmental spinal fusion procedure, a 71-year-old woman developed cardiac and pulmonary embolism characterized by nonsustained ventricular tachycardia during cement injection, rapid and severe hypoxemia, and hemodynamic instability. Management included exploratory cardiotomy under cardiopulmonary bypass and removal of the emboli from the pulmonary vessels. Postoperative recovery was successful, and the patient was discharged without sequelae. We discuss the pathophysiology of bone cement implantation syndrome during spinal fusion, possible causative factors, and treatment alternatives.