Brainstem anesthesia is a serious complication that has been reported to occur more commonly with retrobulbar anesthesia compared to peribulbar anesthesia. We herein report a case of contralateral third nerve palsy follo...Brainstem anesthesia is a serious complication that has been reported to occur more commonly with retrobulbar anesthesia compared to peribulbar anesthesia. We herein report a case of contralateral third nerve palsy following administration of peribulbar anesthesia for cataract surgery. Two hours after the surgery, the patient recovered completely without any residual neurological deficit. The importance of immediate recognition of clinical signs and symptoms of central spread of the local anesthetic and the mechanical factors of the block that could have contributed to this complication are discussed in this report.
Several patients of cardiac arrest may be found in a state of agonal gasps that are of insufficient tidal volume and are not considered as a sign of life. However, this volume is sufficient enough to cause appreciable in...Several patients of cardiac arrest may be found in a state of agonal gasps that are of insufficient tidal volume and are not considered as a sign of life. However, this volume is sufficient enough to cause appreciable inflation and deflation of the reservoir bag of Umesh's intubation detector (UID) as evidenced in all 12 victims of cardiac arrest with gasping efforts in this study. Therefore, we conclude that the agonal gasps during cardiac arrest can reliably be used to confirm tracheal intubation using the UID device.
Neuropathic pain is a pathological symptom experienced worldwide by patients suffering with nervous system dysfunction caused by various diseases. Treatment of neuropathic pain is always accompanied by a poor response an...Neuropathic pain is a pathological symptom experienced worldwide by patients suffering with nervous system dysfunction caused by various diseases. Treatment of neuropathic pain is always accompanied by a poor response and undesired adverse effects. Therefore, developing a novel "pain-kill" drug design strategy is critical in this field. Recent evidence demonstrates that neuroinflammation and immune response contributes to the development of neuropathic pain. Nerve damage can initiate inflammatory and immune responses, as evidenced by the upregulation of cytokines and chemokines. In this paper, we demonstrated that different chemokines and chemokine receptors (e.g., CX3CL1/CX3CR1, CCL2/CCR2, CCL3/CCR1, CCL4/CCR5 and CCL5/CCR5) serve as mediators for neuron-glia communication subsequently modulate nociceptive signal transmission. By extensively understanding the role of chemokines in neurons and glial cells in nociceptive signal transmission, a novel strategy for a target-specific drug design could be developed.
3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor (statins) is one of the most commonly prescribed agents for controlling hyperlipidemia. Apart from their lipid-lowering property, statins are well known...3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor (statins) is one of the most commonly prescribed agents for controlling hyperlipidemia. Apart from their lipid-lowering property, statins are well known for their pleiotropic effects, such as improvement of vascular endothelial dysfunction, attenuation of inflammatory responses, stabilization of atherosclerotic plaques, inhibition of vascular smooth muscle proliferation, and modulation of procoagulant activity and platelet function. The vasculo-protective effect of statins is mainly mediated by inhibition of the mevalonate pathway and oxidized low-density lipoprotein generation, thereby enhancing the biosynthesis of endothelium-derived nitric oxide. Accumulating clinical evidence strongly suggests that administration of statins reduces overall mortality, the development myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation, and length of hospital stay after a major cardiac/noncardiac surgery. This review updates the clinical pharmacology and therapeutic applications of statins during major operations, and highlights the anesthesia considerations for perioperative statin therapy.
BACKGROUND: There are several sites for measuring body temperature. Correct reading of core temperature is imperative for patients undergoing major operations under anesthesia. In certain situations, the sites of measure...BACKGROUND: There are several sites for measuring body temperature. Correct reading of core temperature is imperative for patients undergoing major operations under anesthesia. In certain situations, the sites of measurement may be close to the surgical area, and thus the measurement is easily prejudiced by the influence environment. We hypothesized that the body temperature, if monitored in the esophagus, would be lower than obtained from the tympanic membrane during thoracotomy for lung pathology under general anesthesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 32 patients, of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II, who were to undergo elective thoracotomy for lung disorders. General anesthesia was induced with fentanyl, propofol, and rocuronium and maintained with sevoflurane in oxygen. The tympanic membrane probe was placed prior to when general anesthesia was administered, and the esophageal probe was inserted after administration of general anesthesia. Both the individualized temperatures were recorded at 5-minute intervals, and were compared at each change of surgical situation. RESULTS: The tympanic membrane temperature was higher than esophageal temperature after initiation of one-lung ventilation (OLV) with statistical significance. The magnitude of decrease in temperature between two individualized temperatures, as compared from start of OLV, was greater in tympanic membrane temperature, especially at 30 minutes after OLV (p < 0.02, difference = -0.09 ± 0.22) and at the time point of the lowest temperature (p = 0.002, difference = -0.14 ± 0.24). There was no clinical difference of situation found (difference > 0.5°C) in the measuring sequences. CONCLUSION: The accuracy of esophageal temperature seemed not to be affected during thoracotomy for lung lesion, in comparison with that of tympanic temperature. From clinical viewpoints, the monitoring of esophageal temperature could be more reliable in such surgical situation.
BACKGROUND: Labor pain is probably the most painful event in a woman's life. By the present consensus, epidural analgesia is the most effective and least depressive treatment for labor pain. Recent systematic reviews con...BACKGROUND: Labor pain is probably the most painful event in a woman's life. By the present consensus, epidural analgesia is the most effective and least depressive treatment for labor pain. Recent systematic reviews concluded that the risk of cesarean delivery or instrumental vaginal delivery for women receiving early epidural analgesia has not increased. However, studies designed for discussing this topic in Taiwan are few. In this study, the association of the intervention timing with labor outcomes in nulliparous women in Taiwan is discussed. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review in parturients who underwent epidural analgesia for labor pain. Only nulliparae were included and divided into four groups based on the cervical dilatation width of 1, 2, 3, and 4 cm when they underwent epidural analgesia. We retrieved each patient's demographic characteristics, the course of labor and delivery, and the management of epidural analgesia from the medical chart. RESULTS: A total of 799 nulliparae was included. The numbers of parturients with cervical dilatation width of 1, 2, 3, and 4 cm were 119, 338, 258, and 84 respectively. There was no significant difference in demographic factors, regimen of epidural analgesia, loading volume, and anesthesiologist in charge among the four groups. The percentages of cesarean delivery in the four groups were 27.73%, 20.71%, 15.89%, and 20.24%, respectively, and there was no significant difference among these four groups (p = 0.0651). The incidences of instrumental delivery in four groups were 13.51%, 14.59%, 18.65%, and 21.43% respectively, and there was no significant difference among these four groups either (p = 0.2278). CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that the timing of epidural intervention affects neither the cesarean delivery rate nor the instrumental delivery rate on nulliparae in Taiwan with the cervical dilatation width ranging from 1 cm to 4 cm. The fear of increasing cesarean section rate after early epidural analgesia is unfounded. Women in labor can choose pain relief at any time.
OBJECTIVE: Intestinal transplantation (ITx) is a definitive therapy for patients with intestinal failure. However, postoperative respiratory care in such patients remains a clinical challenge. In this study, we investiga...OBJECTIVE: Intestinal transplantation (ITx) is a definitive therapy for patients with intestinal failure. However, postoperative respiratory care in such patients remains a clinical challenge. In this study, we investigated the factors affecting the duration of mechanical ventilation in patients who underwent ITx. METHODS: In this observational study, eight patients who underwent ITx between 2007 and 2013 were studied. They were divided into two groups, with Group E including three patients who could be successfully extubated within 72 hours and Group V including the remaining five, who could not be extubated. The differences in demographical and clinical data between the two groups were evaluated. RESULTS: The surgery success rate, patient survival rate, and graft survival rate were 100%, 88%, and 75%, respectively. Compared with Group E, postoperative bleeding was significantly higher in Group V (700 ± 420.7 mL vs. 50.0 ± 2.0 mL, p = 0.021). In addition, postoperative respiratory complications including pleural effusion and pneumonia (p = 0.017 and p = 0.0714, respectively) were prone to occur in Group V. Other variables including demographic parameters and clinical data showed no significant differences between the two groups. It was not unexpected that the duration of ventilator use and the length of intensive care unit stay were significantly shorter in Group E. CONCLUSION: Postoperative blood loss and postoperative respiratory complications might be the factors responsible for delayed extubation in ITx patients. Because the study had few examinees, further studies with a larger population are needed to verify these issues.
OBJECTIVES: Subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and paravertebral block (PVB) offer postoperative analgesia for laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery, respectively. We investigated the early postoperative...OBJECTIVES: Subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and paravertebral block (PVB) offer postoperative analgesia for laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery, respectively. We investigated the early postoperative analgesic effects of PVB in combination with subcostal TAP block in patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal cancer. METHODS: Seventeen patients undergoing MIE without nerve block for postoperative analgesia and 16 patients undergoing MIE with PVB and subcostal TAP block for postoperative analgesia were enrolled for the study. The surgeon performed PVB with bupivacaine at T4, T6, and T8 levels under video-assisted thoracoscopy at the end of the thoracoscopic stage. The anesthesiologist responsible for the anesthesia performed ultrasound-guided bilateral subcostal TAP with bupivacaine at the end of the surgery. Postoperative morphine consumption, pain severity, vital capacity, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and complication rate were compared between groups. RESULTS: The group receiving nerve blocks consumed less morphine on postoperative Day 0 (p = 0.016), experienced lower levels of pain at postoperative 0 hour (p = 0.005) and 2 hours (p = 0.049), and had a shorter ICU stay (p = 0.02). No between-group differences in postoperative vital capacity and respiratory complications were observed. CONCLUSION: PVB in combination with subcostal TAP block could reduce morphine consumption and pain severity in the early postoperative period but did not offer other clinical benefits in MIE.
d-Lactic acidosis is a rare form of anion gap acidosis and requires a high index of suspicion for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. We report a rare case of short bowel syndrome with recurrent episodes of antibiotic-i...d-Lactic acidosis is a rare form of anion gap acidosis and requires a high index of suspicion for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. We report a rare case of short bowel syndrome with recurrent episodes of antibiotic-induced d-lactic acidosis with the presentation of transient severe left ventricular failure. The patient's cardiac function returned to normal with the resolution of acidosis under conservative management and a low carbohydrate diet. d-Lactic acidosis has been known to be associated with only neurological symptoms, and cardiac failure has not been previously reported.
The Trachway intubating stylet is designed to facilitate tracheal intubation in anesthetized patients with a normal or difficult airway anatomy. The shortcoming of this device is the lack of a working channel to provide...The Trachway intubating stylet is designed to facilitate tracheal intubation in anesthetized patients with a normal or difficult airway anatomy. The shortcoming of this device is the lack of a working channel to provide topicalization of the airway. We describe a novel modified method of using Trachway intubating stylet to provide airway topicalization and perform awake orotracheal intubation in two cases with an anticipated difficult airway. The first case was a superobese patient with a cervical spine disorder, whereas the second case was a patient with an enlarged thyroid gland. Transtracheal lidocaine injection was technically difficult in these patients because of neck obesity and thyroid enlargement, respectively. We believe that this modified method can be used to provide effective airway topicalization when Trachway intubating stylet is used for awake orotracheal intubation.
Chronic pain is a common issue worldwide and remains a big challenge to physicians, particularly when the underlying causes do not meet any specific disease for settlement. Such medically unexplained somatic symptoms of...Chronic pain is a common issue worldwide and remains a big challenge to physicians, particularly when the underlying causes do not meet any specific disease for settlement. Such medically unexplained somatic symptoms of pain that lack an integrated diagnosis in medicine have a high psychiatric comorbidity such as depression, and will require a multidisciplinary treatment strategy for a better outcome. Thus, most patients deserted management in spite of being inadequately treated and even presented with high resistance to analgesic drugs. Noninvasive brain stimulation, including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), has been used to treat refractory neuropathic pain and the analgesic efficacy is promising. So far, some case series and randomized rTMS studies have reported on patients with certain medically unexplained symptoms (MUSs) of pain (e.g., psychogenic pain or somatic symptoms in major depression and fibromyalgia). However, there is still no review article that is specific to the efficacy of rTMS on chronic unexplained symptoms of pain. Therefore, in the present review, we ventured to clarify the terminology and summarized the analgesic effects of rTMS on chronic MUSs of pain.
The thalamus is a key relay station for the transmission of nociceptive information to the cerebral cortex. We review the input-output connection, functional imaging, direct neuronal recording, stimulation, and lesioning...The thalamus is a key relay station for the transmission of nociceptive information to the cerebral cortex. We review the input-output connection, functional imaging, direct neuronal recording, stimulation, and lesioning studies on the involvement of thalamus in acute and chronic pain functions. Based on its specific reciprocal connection with the cerebral cortex, strong nociceptive responsiveness, and the severe chronic pain when it is damaged, the thalamus may hold the key to pain consciousness and the key to understanding spontaneous and evoked pain in chronic pain conditions. A work plan is proposed for future study.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hyperglycemia, a major side effect of patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (PN), is associated with higher mortality in critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to determine whethe...BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hyperglycemia, a major side effect of patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (PN), is associated with higher mortality in critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether elevated blood glucose levels would be associated with worse outcomes in patients receiving PN. METHODS: This retrospective study included postoperative patients admitted to our surgical intensive care unit (SICU) from July 2008 to June 2009. Data collected included blood glucose levels, length of stay, and outcome measures. Correlations among daily average, maximum, and minimum blood glucose levels and outcome measures were calculated. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients were enrolled and divided into PN (n = 40) and non-PN (n = 29) groups. The initial mean blood glucose levels were 138.4 ± 63.1 mg/dL and 123.2 ± 41.8 mg/dL for the PN and non-PN groups, respectively. The mean blood glucose concentration was significantly increased (ΔBS = 44.8 ± 57.3 mg/dL; p < 0.001) in the PN group compared with the non-PN group (ΔBS = 39.4 ± 67.0 mg/dL; p = 0.004). The blood glucose concentration was significantly increased and consequently, consumption of insulin was increased on the 2(nd) day of ICU admission. The risk of mortality increased by a factor of 1.3 (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.07-1.59, p = 0.010) for each 10 mg/dL increase in blood glucose level, when the daily maximum blood glucose level was >250 mg/dL. There were no cases of mortality in the current study when the blood glucose levels were controlled below 180 mg/dL. The mean blood glucose level in patients receiving PN was higher in those with diabetes than in those without diabetes (215.5 ± 42.8 vs. 165.8 ± 42.0 mg/dL, respectively, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The blood glucose level was associated with patient outcome and should be intensively monitored in critically ill surgical patients. We suggest that blood glucose levels should be controlled below 180 mg/dL in postoperative critically ill patients.