Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
The effect of anterior quadratus lumborum block on morphine consumption in minimally invasive colorectal surgery: a multicentre, double-blind, prospective randomised placebo-controlled trial.
We investigated the efficacy and safety of a bilateral anterior quadratus lumborum block in patients undergoing minimally invasive colorectal surgery. This was a two-centre, double-blind, prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled trial including 150 patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery (left- or right hemicolectomy, sigmoidectomy) who were enrolled in the institutional abdominal enhanced recovery programme. Before induction of anaesthesia, patients received a bilateral anterior quadratus lumborum block in the left and right lateral decubitus position under ultrasound guidance and were allocated randomly to receive 30 ml of ropivacaine 0.375% (n = 75) or placebo (saline 0.9%) (n = 75) bilaterally. ⋯ While a sensory block could be detected in significantly more patients allocated to the ropivacaine group, no differences were detected in pain scores or other secondary or safety endpoints. Patient satisfaction scores were high in both groups. In laparoscopic colorectal surgery, adding a bilateral anterior quadratus lumborum block to a standard multimodal analgesia regimen did not reduce opioid consumption or improve pain scores.
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The 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists studied peri-operative cardiac arrest in the UK, a topic of importance to patients, anaesthetists and surgeons. Here we report the results of the 12-month registry, from 16 June 2021 to 15 June 2022, focusing on epidemiology and clinical features. We reviewed 881 cases of peri-operative cardiac arrest, giving an incidence of 3 in 10,000 anaesthetics (95%CI 3.0-3.5 per 10,000). ⋯ Specialities with the highest proportion of cases relative to denominator activity were: cardiac surgery (9% vs. 1%); cardiology (8% vs. 1%); and vascular surgery (8% vs. 2%). The most common causes of cardiac arrest were: major haemorrhage (17%); bradyarrhythmia (9%); and cardiac ischaemia (7%). Patient factors were judged a key cause of cardiac arrest in 82% of cases, anaesthesia in 40% and surgery in 35%.