Ercan Kurt

Spinal 5-HT7 receptors play an important role in the antinociceptive and antihyperalgesic effects of tramadol and its metabolite, O-Desmethyltramadol, via activation of descending serotonergic pathways.

Background:Tramadol is an analgesic drug, and its mechanism of action is believed to be mediated by the &mgr;-opioid receptor. A further action of tramadol has been identified as blocking the reuptake of serotonin (5-HT). One of the most recently identified subtypes of 5-HT receptor is the 5-HT7 receptor. Thus, the authors aimed to examine the potential role of serotonergic descending bulbospinal pathways and spinal 5-HT7 receptors compared with that of the 5-HT2A and 5-HT3 receptors in the antinociceptive and antihyperalgesic effects of tramadol and its major active metabolite O-desmethyltramadol (M1) on phasic and postoperative pain models. Methods:Nociception was assessed by the radiant heat tail-flick and plantar incision test in male Balb-C mice (25-30 g). The serotonergic pathways were lesioned with an intrathecal injection of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine. The selective 5-HT7, 5-HT2, and 5-HT3 antagonists; SB-269970 and SB-258719; ketanserin and ondansetron were given intrathecally. Results:Systemically administered tramadol and M1 produced antinociceptive and antihyperalgesic effects. The antinociceptive effects of both tramadol and M1 were significantly diminished in 5-HT-lesioned mice. Intrathecal injection of SB-269970 (10 &mgr;g) and SB-258719 (20 &mgr;g) blocked both tramadol- and M1-induced antinociceptive and antihyperalgesic effects. Ketanserin (20 &mgr;g) and ondansetron (20 &mgr;g) were unable to reverse the antinociceptive and antihyperalgesic effects of tramadol and M1. Conclusions:These findings suggest that the descending serotonergic pathways and spinal 5-HT7 receptors play a crucial role in the antinociceptive and antihyperalgesic effects of tramadol and M1.

Oronasopharyngeal Suction versus No Suction in Normal and Term Infants Delivered by Elective Cesarean Section: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Background/Aim: There are controversies about the routine use of oronasopharyngeal suction (ONPS) in healthy infants. This study aimed to compare the effects of oronasopharyngeal suction with those of no suction in normal, term infants delivered by cesarean section. Methods: 140 term, healthy newborns of uncomplicated pregnancies were prospectively randomized to one of two groups according to the use of ONPS procedure. Differences in oxygen saturation levels, heart rates, and Apgar scores were determined. Results: The mean SaO2 values through the 2nd and 6th min of life were significantly higher in the no suction group (p < 0.001). The maximum time to reach SaO2 of ≧92% (6 vs. 11 min) and ≧86% (5 vs. 8 min) saturation were shorter in the no suction group than in the ONPS group. The mean heart rates were consistently and significantly lower in the no suction group during the first 6 min except the second one. All neonates without suction had an Apgar score of 10 at the 5th min, while the mean ± SD for ONPS group was 9.34 ± 0.48 (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Although findings remained on statistical level and did not lead to clinically adverse outcomes, there is no statistical or physiological basis for oronasopharyngeal suction as a systematic procedure in healthy, term infants delivered by cesarean section.

Continuous brachial plexus blockade for digital replantations and toe-to-hand transfers.

Microsurgical operations of the hand are common procedures of reconstructive surgeons. Sympathetic blockade of the vessels provides increased blood flow to the injured extremity, which increases the success rate of the surgery. Moreover, postoperative pain management can be performed with continuous blockade of the nerves. In this article, the effect of continuous brachial plexus blockade on patients who underwent upper extremity microsurgical operation was evaluated. A total of 16 patients were operated on either for replantation or for toe-to-hand transfer. The first group (n = 9) received combined continuous brachial plexus blockade and general anesthesia, and postoperative pain management was performed with continuous brachial plexus blockade. The remaining 7 patients operated on general anesthesia and conventional pain management. All transplant and replants were followed by use of Doppler flowmeter. Pain was scored by visual analog scale every 4 hours postoperatively. Continuous brachial plexus blockade was found to be effective in both sympathetic blockade and postoperative pain management. Continuous brachial plexus blockade must be considered when microvascular anastomosis is performed at the upper extremity, especially at the digital vessels, which are very susceptible to vasospasm.

Oronasopharyngeal suction versus no suction in normal, term and vaginally born infants: a prospective randomised controlled trial.

This prospective randomised controlled trial aimed to compare the effects of oronasopharyngeal suction with those of no suction in normal, term and vaginally born infants and was performed at a Turkish tertiary hospital from June 2003 to January 2004. A total of 140 newborns were enrolled in the trial (n = 70 per group). The no suction group showed lower mean heart rates through the 3rd and 6th minutes and higher SaO2 values through the first 6 mins of life (P < 0.001). The maximum time to reach SaO2 of ≥ 92% (6 vs. 11 min) and ≥ 86% (5 vs. 8 min) were shorter in the no suction group (P < 0.001).

Ameliorative Effects of Proanthocyanidin on Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Introduction. Several natural products have been reported to have beneficial effects on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, particularly from a preventative perspective. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the efficiency of proanthocyanidin (PA), a natural product derived from grape seed, on renal dysfunction and injury induced by I/R of rat kidney. Materials and Methods. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham-operated, I/R, I/R+PA. Rats were given PA (100 mg/kg/day peroral) 7 days prior to I/R. All rats except sham-operated underwent 60 min of bilateral renal ischemia followed by 6 h of reperfusion. After reperfusion, kidneys and blood were obtained for evaluation. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl content, and nitrite/nitrate level (NOx) were determined in the renal tissue. Serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were determined in the blood. Additionally, renal sections were used for histological grade of renal injury. Results. PA significantly reduced the I/R-induced increases in SCr, BUN, and AST. In addition, PA markedly reduced elevated oxidative stress product, restored decreased antioxidant enzymes, and attenuated histological alterations. Moreover, PA attenuated the tissue NOx, levels indicating reduced NO production. Conclusions. The pretreatment of rats with PA reduced the renal dysfunction and morphological changes, ameliorated cellular injury, and restored renal antioxidant enzymes caused by renal I/R.

Effect of radiofrequency ablation and comparison with surgical sympathectomy in palmar hyperhidrosis

OBJECTIVES Hyperhidrosis is a the disorder of excessive sweating in certain regions of the body. It is usually treated with surgical sympathectomy. Radiofrequency therapy has been successfully used for sympatholysis. We tested the primary hypothesis that radiofrequency therapy is independently associated with decreased palmar hyperhidrosis and compared results for patients receiving this treatment with patients who underwent surgical sympathectomy. METHODS We included all the patients undergoing treatment for hyperhidrosis between March 2010 and April 2012. Patients who underwent either surgical sympathectomy or radiofrequency ablation for palmar hyperhidrosis were included and analysed. The outcomes studied included complications, success of the procedure, patient satisfaction with their procedure and compensatory hyperhidrosis. RESULTS There were 94 patients who met our criteria, of whom 46 (49%) had surgical sympathectomy and 48 (51%) had radiofrequency ablation performed. Radiofrequency had a success rate of 75% in treating hyperhidrosis, but this was found to be statistically lower than for surgical sympathectomy (95%; P < 0.01). The groups were similar regarding patient satisfaction (P = 0.26) and compensatory hyperhidrosis (P = 0.78). CONCLUSIONS This is the first clinical study to evaluate the role of radiofrequency ablation and compare it with the surgical treatment option for palmar hyperhidrosis. Radiofrequency ablation significantly decreased hyperhidrosis, but it had a lower success rate than surgical sympathectomy.

A Novel Treatment of Chronic Orchialgia

We evaluated the effectiveness of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) denervation of spermatic cord for the treatment of chronic orchialgia. Five patients diagnosed with chronic orchialgia were evaluated with a thorough medical and psychiatric history, physical examination, and scrotal Doppler ultrasound, urinary system x-ray film, and urine analyses. One of the patients had bilateral chronic orchialgia. All of the patients had pain for a period of at least 3 months, and multiple conservative therapies failed to alleviate the pain. The patients, who had temporary pain relief after undergoing outpatient diagnostic cord block, were determined to be candidates for PRF denervation. PRF denervation of spermatic cord was performed for 6 testicular units. Visual analog scores were noted before and after the procedure. There were no pathologic conditions that indicated chronic orchialgia in any of the patients. No complications, including testicular atrophy or hypoesthesia of the scrotal or penile skin, occurred after the procedure. Mean visual analog scores before and after the procedure were 9 and 1, respectively. None of the patients needed any analgesics after the procedure or during the follow-up period. Mean follow-up period was 20 ± 2.5 weeks. No recurrence was noted, and none of the patients needed additional therapy. This is a limited case report on the short-term use of PRF. Randomized, placebo-controlled, and long follow-up period studies are needed to better assess the efficacy of this procedure for chronic orchalgia.

A new target of percutaneus sympathic radiofrequency thermocoagulation for treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis: T4.

OBJECTIVES Hyperhidrosis is thought to result from a functional impairment of the sympathic nervous system. In this study, percutaneous T4 sympathic radiofrequency (RF) thermocoagulation was used to treat palmar hyperhidrosis which does not respond to conservative treatment. The results were evaluated in terms of safety, efficiency and patient satisfaction. METHODS In this study, 15 patients aged 16-48 years were retrospectively evaluated from prior records. Patient satisfaction scores (very satisfied, satisfied, not satisfied), after treatment of the hand condition (dry, mild dry, no improvement), and whether the most common complication and most patients expressed by the compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) degree (none, mild, moderate, severe) were analyzed. RESULTS No complications were observed except a coughing crisis that lasted for 2 hours in one patient, transient bradycardia in 1 patient and transient injection site pain in all cases. Two patients 1 per week and three patients 1, 2 and 6 months developed recurrence. CONCLUSION Sympathic T4 ablation with RF thermocoagulation was found to have long term (6 months) patient satisfaction (80%). It was also effective in reducing the hand sweating (80% dry or mild dry). The CH rate was 27%. According to our results, sympathic T4 ablation with RF thermocoagulation is a safe and effective treatment with a high degree of patient satisfaction.

A Typical Low-Back Pain Caused by an Atypical Etiology

Objective: Pain arising in the lumbar spine can have many etiologies, nearly 80% of which cannot be established with certainty. We present a very rare cause of back pain. Case Report: A 54-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of low-back pain and right-sided sciatica. Conventional analgesics, physiotherapy, and epidural steroid application had failed to provide relief. She had tenderness of the right sacroiliac joint. Diagnostic fluoroscopic-guided sacroiliac-joint injection with lidocaine did not produce symptomatic relief. Pelvic ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging showed septated multilocular hydatic cysts along the sciatic nerve. Surgical exploration noted multicystic lesions along the sciatic nerve woven to the nerve. Her low-back pain disappeared completely after the operation. She received oral albendazole for 6 months to prevent any recurrence of the disease and remains asymptomatic. Conclusion: Hydatid cyst can be included in the differential diagnosis of lumbar back pain, especially in the endemic areas.

Comparison of the postoperative analgesic efficacy of an ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block versus 3 in 1 block in hip prosthesis surgery.

OBJECTIVES In this study, we aimed to compare the postoperative analgesic efficiency of an ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block and a 3 in 1 block in patients who underwent hip prosthesis surgery as a result of hip fracture. METHODS With approval from the local ethics committee, 70 patients, aged 20 to 80, undergoing hip prosthesis surgery under elective conditions were included in this randomized, prospective, controlled study. They were informed of the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device and visual analog scale (VAS). All patients were separated randomly into three groups. Anaesthesia induction was standardized for all groups. An ultrasound guidance fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) was applied to the first group before anaesthesia induction. For the second group, a 3 in 1 block was applied, while for the control group no block was applied. After incision on all patients, 20 mg tenoxicam and 1 mg/kg tramadol were injected intravenously. Following surgery, IV tramadol PCA was begun on all patients routinely. In our study, the presence of cortisol and ACTH levels, hemodinamical parameters, nausea and sedation were determined. RESULTS We observed a decrease in VAS values and opioid consumption, no adverse effects on nausea and sedation, and a suppression of stress hormones in both the ultrasound-guided FICB and 3 in 1 block groups. CONCLUSION We believe that the safe and efficient application of the ultrasound-guided 3 in 1 block and the FICB is necessary in multimodal analgesic treatment in order to enable postoperative analgesia in hip prosthesis surgery.