Articles: cations.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2023
Randomized Controlled TrialComparison of the effects of subcostal anterior quadratus lumborum block and thoracic paravertebral block in laparoscopic nephrectomy: a randomized study.
Thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) may provide sufficient postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic nephrectomy (LSN) by ensuring ipsilateral somatic and visceral analgesia. However, there are serious reservations due to the complexity of the technique, and various complications thereof. Subcostal anterior quadratus lumborum block (S-QLB3) may be a safe alternative in LSN procedures. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the postoperative analgesic effects of TPVB and S-QLB3. ⋯ In this study, NRS and APS-POQ-R-TR scores were similar in the S-QLB3 and TPVB groups, whereas cumulative morphine consumption was modestly lower in the TPVB group. This suggested that S-QLB3 could be an alternative to TPVB in patients undergoing LSN.
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Advances in targeted therapies and wider application of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) have redefined outcomes of patients with brain metastases. Under modern treatment paradigms, there remains limited characterization of which aspects of disease drive demise and in what frequencies. This study aims to characterize the primary causes of terminal decline and evaluate differences in underlying intracranial tumor dynamics in patients with metastatic brain cancer. These fundamental details may help guide management, patient counseling, and research priorities. ⋯ Most patients with brain metastases die secondary to systemic disease progression. For patients who die because of neurological disease, tumor dynamics and cause of death mechanisms indicate that the primary driver of decline for many may be unchecked systemic disease with unrelenting spread of new tumors to the CNS rather than failure of local growth control.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2023
Pro-Con Debate: Electroencephalography-Guided Anesthesia for Reducing Postoperative Delirium.
Postoperative delirium (POD) has significant implications on morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures. Monitoring electroencephalography (EEG) to adjust anesthetic management has gained interest as a strategy to mitigate POD. In this Pro-Con commentary article, the pro side supports the use of EEG to reduce POD, citing an empiric reduction in POD with processed EEG (pEEG)-guided general anesthesia found in several studies and recent meta-analysis. ⋯ The Con side also contends that the ideal EEG signatures to guide anesthetic titration are currently unknown, and the potential benefits of reduced anesthesia levels may be outweighed by the risks of potentially insufficient anesthetic administration. As the public health burden of POD increases, anesthesia clinicians will be tasked to consider interventions to mitigate risk such as EEG. This Pro-Con debate will provide 2 perspectives on the evidence and rationales for using EEG to mitigate POD.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2023
Meta AnalysisErector spinae plane block versus paravertebral block for postoperative pain management in thoracic surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The 2018 guidelines for enhanced recovery in thoracic surgery recommend paravertebral block (PVB) for postoperative pain management. However, recent studies demonstrate that erector spinae plane block (ESPB) achieves similar postoperative pain control with reduced block-related complications. ⋯ Compared with PVB, ESPB is safe and demonstrates no clinically significant differences in pain management after thoracic surgery.
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A critical aspect for most human pain research is the ability of participants to communicate their first-person, experiential perspective to a third-person observer. This communication is frequently accomplished via pain ratings. The scale type can influence the communication of pain experiences and can contribute to gender differences in pain. This study examined the role of gender on pain ratings using noxious and innocuous stimuli across two types of rating scales. ⋯ There are differences in the usage of rating scales in which ratings for auditory, visual and noxious somatosensory stimuli are higher with NRS compared to VAS. Choosing a rating scale for research or clinical use should take this different item functioning into account.