Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2002
Risk assessment of hemorrhagic complications associated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications in ambulatory pain clinic patients undergoing epidural steroid injection.
We prospectively studied 1035 individuals undergoing 1214 epidural steroid injections to determine the risk of hemorrhagic complications. A history of bruising or bleeding was present in 176 (15%) patients. A platelet count was assessed in 77 patients before the epidural steroid injection; none was less than 100 x 10(9)/L. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were reported by 383 (32%) patients, including 34 patients on multiple medications. Aspirin was the most common NSAID and was noted by 158 patients, including 104 patients on 325 mg or less per day. There were no spinal hematomas (major hemorrhagic complications). Blood was noted during needle or catheter placement in 63 (5.2%) patients (minor hemorrhagic complications). NSAIDs did not increase the frequency of minor hemorrhagic complications. However, increased age, needle gauge, needle approach, needle insertion at multiple interspaces, number of needle passes, volume of injectant, and accidental dural puncture were all significant risk factors for minor hemorrhagic complications. There were 42 patients with new neurologic symptoms or worsening of preexisting complaints that persisted more than 24 h after injection; median duration of the symptoms was 3 days (range, 1-20 days). Our results confirm those of previous studies performed in obstetric and surgical populations that document the safety of neuraxial techniques in patients receiving NSAIDs. We conclude that epidural steroid injection is safe in patients receiving aspirin-like antiplatelet medications. Minor worsening of neurologic function may occur after epidural steroid injection and must be differentiated from etiologies requiring intervention. ⋯ Previous studies performed in obstetric and surgical populations have demonstrated that antiplatelet therapy does not increase the risk of spinal hematoma associated with spinal or epidural anesthesia and analgesia. We confirm the safety of epidural steroid injection in patients receiving aspirin-like medications.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2002
Morbid obesity and postoperative pulmonary atelectasis: an underestimated problem.
Perturbation of respiratory mechanics produced by general anesthesia and surgery is more pronounced in morbidly obese (MO) patients. Because general anesthesia induces pulmonary atelectasis in nonobese patients, we hypothesized that atelectasis formation would be particularly significant in MO patients. We investigated the importance and resorption of atelectasis after general anesthesia in MO and nonobese patients. Twenty MO patients were anesthetized for laparoscopic gastroplasty and 10 nonobese patients for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We assessed pulmonary atelectasis by computed tomography at three different periods: before the induction of general anesthesia, immediately after tracheal extubation, and 24 h later. Already before the induction of anesthesia, MO patients had more atelectasis, expressed in the percentage of the total lung area, than nonobese patients (2.1% versus 1.0%, respectively; P < 0.01). After tracheal extubation, atelectasis had increased in both groups but remained significantly more so in the MO group (7.6% for MO patients versus 2.8% for the nonobese; P < 0.05). Twenty-four hours later, the amount of atelectasis remained unchanged in the MO patients, but we observed a complete resorption in nonobese patients (9.7% versus 1.9%, respectively; P < 0.01). General anesthesia in MO patients generated much more atelectasis than in nonobese patients. Moreover, atelectasis remained unchanged for at least 24 h in MO patients, whereas atelectasis disappeared in the nonobese. ⋯ We compared the resolution over time of pulmonary atelectasis after a laparoscopic procedure by performing computed tomography scans in two different groups of patients: 1 group had 10 nonobese patients, and in the other group there were 20 morbidly obese patients.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2002
Residual paralysis induced by either vecuronium or rocuronium after reversal with pyridostigmine.
We investigated postoperative residual curarization after administration of either vecuronium or rocuronium with reversal by pyridostigmine in 602 consecutive patients without perioperative neuromuscular monitoring. On arrival in the recovery room, neuromuscular function was assessed both by acceleromyography in a train-of-four (TOF) pattern and also clinically by the ability to sustain a head-lift for >5 s and the tongue-depressor test. Postoperative residual curarization was defined as a TOF ratio <0.7. One fifth of 602 patients (vecuronium, 24.7%; rocuronium, 14.7%) had a TOF <0.7 in the recovery room. There were no significant differences in the TOF ratios between 10 mg and 20 mg of pyridostigmine. The patients with residual block had several associated factors: the absence of perioperative neuromuscular monitoring, the use of pyridostigmine, which is less potent than neostigmine, a larger dose of vecuronium, shorter time from the last neuromuscular blocker to TOF monitoring, or peripheral cooling. We conclude that significant residual neuromuscular block after vecuronium or rocuronium was not eliminated even with reversal by a large dose of pyridostigmine. ⋯ Without monitoring, the significant residual neuromuscular block after vecuronium or rocuronium is not eliminated even by reversal with a large dose of pyridostigmine and can still be a problem in the recovery room.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2002
Current practice in postoperative epidural analgesia: a german survey.
We surveyed current German practice in postoperative epidural analgesia (EA). Of 300 questionnaires sent anonymously, 147 (49%) were returned fully completed. A 24-h acute pain service (APS) was offered in 41% of German hospitals. Seventy percent of the large teaching hospitals (>1000 beds) offered an APS, whereas just 9% of the hospitals of <500 beds provided an APS. Small-size hospitals (<200 beds) preferred ropivacaine as the local anesthetic (LA) in contrast to large teaching hospitals using more bupivacaine than ropivacaine. In the general ward setting, 36% of the respondents used plain LA, and 64% combined the LA with an opioid. If ropivacaine was used, 0.2% was the most popular concentration (78%), combined with morphine (17%), fentanyl (14%), or sufentanil (75%). If bupivacaine was used, 0.25% was the preferred concentration (30%), combined with morphine (40%), fentanyl (8%), or sufentanil (60%). On wards, 58% of German anesthetic departments used continuous epidural infusion, 57% bolus doses, and 20% patient-controlled EA mode. We conclude that the availability of a 24-h APS (41%) in German hospitals corresponds favorably to international data. EA with the combination of LAs and opioids was the most common modality in the ward setting. ⋯ We surveyed current German practice in postoperative epidural analgesia. We found that the availability of a 24-h acute pain service (41%) in German hospitals corresponds favorably to international practice. Epidural analgesia with the combination of local anesthetics and opioids was the most common modality in the ward setting.