British journal of anaesthesia
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The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a regional anaesthetic technique that blocks abdominal wall somatic afferent nerves. We conducted a prospective observational study to evaluate the venous plasma concentrations of ropivacaine during a continuous TAP infusion. ⋯ Given the potential for high plasma concentrations from a bilateral TAP infusion technique, attention should be paid to individualized dosing strategies.
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The EuroSCORE associates coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with higher perioperative risk in the first 3 months after a myocardial infarction (MI). The optimal scheduling of CABG surgery after unstable angina (UA) is unknown. We investigated the preoperative predictors of adverse outcomes in patients undergoing CABG with prior MI or UA and investigated the importance of time interval between the cardiac event and CABG. ⋯ Our hypothesis generating data suggest that the increased risk currently allocated in the EuroSCORE for an interval of 3 months between MI and CABG should be critically re-evaluated. Furthermore, prior MI should not be discounted as a risk factor if it is more than 3 months old.