Andrzej Siemiątkowski

Buprenorphine Added to Bupivacaine Prolongs Femoral Nerve Block Duration and Improves Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty—A Randomised Prospective Double-Blind Study

The aim of the study was to determine whether the addition the long-acting opioid buprenorphine as an adjuvant to the local anaesthetic agent would improve quality and prolong duration of femoral nerve blockade in post-operative analgesia following primary total knee arthroplasty. The study involved 48 patients. The femoral nerve was anaesthetised with a 0.25% solution of bupivacaine with adrenaline or with the addition of 0.3mg of buprenorphine. The duration of the sensory block and analgesic effect was assessed according to NRS scale at 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 hours post-surgery. Patients who received buprenorphine as an adjuvant to the local anaesthetic had significantly longer sensory blockade and lower NRS-rated pain intensity with the difference reaching statistical significance at 12 hours post-surgery.

The use of regional anesthetic techniques in pain management in patients undergoing primary knee replacement.

During last 30 years orthopedic surgery dramatically improved. The most significant progress had place in joint surgery. Today in many orthopedic centers total hip and knee arthroplasties are made and may be counted in hundreds per year. Surgeons can choose among many different implant operation systems. Nevertheless this type of operations is connected with pain in immediate postoperative course. The aim of the paper was presentation of contemporary methods of pain management after big knee surgery, especially after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Among presented methods of pain management the anesthetic techniques were discussed: epidural anesthesia (EA) and peripheral nerves blocks (PNB). They seem to be most interesting and evolutionary because of possibility of early ambulation and more effective postoperative rehabilitation. It directly corresponds to therapeutic effect of surgical procedure and patients satisfaction. In the paper there are presented advantages and possible complications of regional techniques, particular block techniques and technical problems with possible modifications of pain management. This review is based on latest medical literature, especially on metaanalyses published during last few years comparing different modes of postoperative pain management.

Total knee replacement induces peripheral blood lymphocytes apoptosis and it is not prevented by regional anesthesia - a randomized study

BACKGROUND Among the many changes caused by a surgical insult one of the least studied is postoperative immunosuppression. This phenomenon is an important cause of infectious complications of surgery such as surgical site infection or hospital acquired pneumonia. One of the mechanisms leading to postoperative immunosuppression is the apoptosis of immunological cells. Anesthesia during surgery is intended to minimize harmful changes and maintain perioperative homeostasis. The aim of the study was evaluation of the effect of the anesthetic technique used for total knee replacement on postoperative peripheral blood lymphocyte apoptosis. METHODS 34 patients undergoing primary total knee replacement were randomly assigned to two regional anesthetic protocols: spinal anesthesia and combined spinal-epidural anesthesia. 11 patients undergoing total knee replacement under general anesthesia served as control group. Before surgery, immediately after surgery, during first postoperative day and seven days after the surgery venous blood samples were taken and the immunological status of the patient was assessed with the use of flow cytometry, along with lymphocyte apoptosis using fluorescent microscopy. RESULTS Peripheral blood lymphocyte apoptosis was seen immediately in the postoperative period and was accompanied by a decrease of the number of T cells and B cells. There were no significant differences in the number of apoptotic lymphocytes according to the anesthetic protocol. Changes in the number of T CD3/8 cells and the number of apoptotic lymphocytes were seen on the seventh day after surgery. CONCLUSION Peripheral blood lymphocyte apoptosis is an early event in the postoperative period that lasts up to seven days and is not affected by the choice of the anesthetic technique.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia and other infections

One of the fundamental elements of therapy in patients hospitalised in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is mechanical ventilation (MV). MV enables sufficient gas exchange in patients with severe respiratory insufficiency, thus preserving the proper functioning of organs and systems. However, clinical and experimental studies show that mechanical ventilation may cause severe complications, e.g. lung injury (VALI, VILI), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and, on rare occasions, multiple organ failure (MOF). Mechanical ventilation and especially endotracheal intubation are associated also with higher risk of infectious complications of the respiratory system: ventilator-associated respiratory infection (VARI) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The complications of the MV listed above have a significant influence on the length of treatment and also on the increase of the costs of therapy and mortality of patients who stay in an ICU. These negative effects of supported breathing are the reasons for intensive research to find new biological markers of inflammation and lung injury, more sensitive and specific diagnostic instruments, more effective methods of therapy, and programs of prevention. The purpose of this article is the presentation of current knowledge concerning VAP-related infections, to allow pulmonologists and general practitioners to become more familiar with the problem. Basic and the most important data concerning the definition, epidemiology, pathophysiology, microbiology, diagnostics, treatment, and prevention of VAP have been included. Additionally, ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT) was discussed.