Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2023
ReviewManagement of adverse effects of intrathecal opioids in acute pain.
Intrathecal opioids have been used for several decades in different clinical settings. They are easy to administer and provide many benefits in clinical practice, such as better quality of spinal anaesthesia, prolonged postoperative analgesia, decreased postoperative analgesic requirements and early mobilisation. ⋯ In contrast, intrathecal hydrophilic opioids may have potentially serious adverse effects, the most feared of which is respiratory depression. In this review, we will focus on the contemporary evidence regarding intrathecal hydrophilic opioids and present their adverse effects and how to manage them.
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Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) may develop after an unintended (accidental) dural puncture, after deliberate dural puncture for spinal anaesthesia or during diagnostic dural punctures performed by other medical specialties. PDPH may sometimes be predictable (patient characteristics, inexperienced operator or co-morbidities), is almost never immediately evident during the procedure, and sometimes presents late, after discharge. ⋯ Failure of EBP after the first attempt is not uncommon, and major complications may occur but are rare. In the current review of the literature, we discuss the pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention and management of PDPH following accidental or intended dural puncture, and present possible therapeutic options for the future.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Mar 2023
ReviewControversies in anesthesia-induced developmental neurotoxicity.
Advances in the field of pediatric anesthesiology have enabled the performance of complex and life-saving procedures with minimal patient discomfort. However, preclinical studies over the past two decades have been reporting substantial neurotoxic potential of general anesthetics in young brain, thus challenging the safety of these agents in pediatric anesthesiology practice. ⋯ The significant degree of anxiety and apprehension surrounding the uncertainty of long-term developmental outcomes following early exposure to anesthesia has prompted numerous studies around the world to investigate the putative mechanisms and translatability of preclinical findings regarding anesthesia-induced developmental neurotoxicity. Guided by the vast preclinical evidence, we aim to highlight relevant human findings presented in the currently available clinical literature.
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Providing pain relief during labour is a fundamental human right and can benefit both mother and foetus. Epidural analgesia remains the 'gold standard', providing excellent pain relief, as well as the facility to convert to anaesthesia should operative intervention be required. While maternal well-being remains the primary focus, epidural analgesia may also have implications for the foetus. ⋯ Clinically relevant neonatal outcomes such as Apgar score <7 at 5 min, neonatal resuscitation and need for admission to a neonatal unit are reassuring, with the benefits of epidural analgesia for both mother and neonate outweighing any potential risks. Recent concerns regarding an association of epidural with the development of autism spectrum disorder in childhood appear to be unfounded, with several large observational studies refuting this association. This review discusses the evidence relating to maternal neuraxial analgesia in labour, implications for the foetus in utero, and childhood outcomes both in the immediate peripartum period and longer term.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Mar 2023
ReviewPractical and societal implications of the potential anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity: The safetots perspective.
Key elements for safe and high-quality care in pediatric anesthesia are personal and institutional competence, perioperative maintenance of physiological homeostasis, prevention, prompt recognition, and appropriate treatment of critical situations as well as the reassurance of the parents and respecting the children's rights. Training in pediatric anesthesia should take place within the framework of harmonized curricular structures. ⋯ The Safetots.org initiative was established to emphasize the role of the conduct of anesthesia to prevent harm, promote quality in the perioperative period, and provide safe and high-quality clinical care. This initiative considers that the prevention of complications and other well-known risk factors of perioperative care, as well as the quality of anesthesia management, have a far more important impact on outcomes following anesthesia and surgery than anesthetic drugs themselves.