Anesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Remifentanil modifies the relation of electroencephalographic spectral changes and clinical endpoints in propofol anesthesia.
Depth-of-anesthesia monitoring with the electroencephalogram has become widely used in anesthesia practice. Generally, the methods presented are based on the spectral changes of the electroencephalogram. In this study, the authors evaluate the influence of remifentanil on the relation of timely occurrence of clinical endpoints and the spectral behavior of the electroencephalogram. ⋯ The infusion of remifentanil during propofol anesthesia significantly modifies the mutual relations of the electroencephalographic spectral characteristics and the endpoints in a predictable and quantifiable manner. This finding suggests that the electroencephalographic phenomena and the endpoints may not be identical but rather to some extent separate manifestations of hypnotic drug effect.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Low-dose propofol-induced amnesia is not due to a failure of encoding: left inferior prefrontal cortex is still active.
Propofol may produce amnesia by affecting encoding. The hypothesis that propofol weakens encoding was tested by measuring regional cerebral blood flow during verbal encoding. ⋯ If the amnesic effect of propofol were solely due to effects on encoding, activation in the LIPFC should be minimal. Because LIPFC activation was not totally eliminated by propofol, the amnesic action of propofol must be present in other brain regions and/or affect other memory processes.
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The authors hypothesized that inhalational anesthetics induced cell damage by causing abnormal calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum via excessive activation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptors, with isoflurane having greater potency than sevoflurane or desflurane. ⋯ Inhalational anesthetics may induce cell damage by causing abnormal calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum via excessive activation of IP3 receptors. Isoflurane has greater potency than sevoflurane or desflurane to cause calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum and to induce cell damage.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Randomized placebo-controlled study evaluating lateral branch radiofrequency denervation for sacroiliac joint pain.
Sacroiliac joint pain is a challenging condition accounting for approximately 20% of cases of chronic low back pain. Currently, there are no effective long-term treatment options for sacroiliac joint pain. ⋯ These results provide preliminary evidence that L4 and L5 primary dorsal rami and S1-S3 lateral branch radiofrequency denervation may provide intermediate-term pain relief and functional benefit in selected patients with suspected sacroiliac joint pain. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results and to determine the optimal candidates and treatment parameters for this poorly understood disorder.