Nesrin Bozdogan Ozyilkan

Comparison of Intrathecal Levobupivacaine Combined with Sufentanil, Fentanyl, or Placebo for Elective Caesarean Section: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Study ☆

Background The addition of opioids to local anesthetics contributes to the quality of spinal anesthesia and postoperative analgesia. Objective In our prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study, our aim was to compare the effect of low-dose sufentanil plus levobupivacaine or a fentanyl plus levobupivacaine mixture on anesthesia quality, block characteristics, newborn and mother well-being, surgeon satisfaction, and duration of postoperative analgesia. Methods Ninety-three patients were randomized into 3 groups (n = 31). Patients in Group C received 0.5% levobupivacaine (2.2 ± 0.2 mL), Group S received 2.5 µg sufentanil plus 0.5% levobupivacaine (2.2 ± 0.2 mL), and Group F received 10 µg fentanyl plus 0.5% levobupivacaine (2.2 ± 0.2 mL) intrathecally completed to a volume of 3 mL with the addition of saline in all groups. Patients’ demographics, sensory and motor block characteristics, hemodynamics, Apgar scores, umbilical blood gas values, maternal side effects, surgeon satisfaction score, time to first analgesia requirement, and additional analgesic use within 24 hours were recorded. Results In Group S and Group F, target levels of sensory and motor block were achieved more rapidly (P < 0.001). The hemodynamic values were lower (P < 0.05), and the duration of sensory blockade and the time of first analgesic requirement were longer (P < 0.001) in Group S. Additional analgesic requirement during first 24-hour period was lowest in Group S, and highest in Group C (P < 0.001). Apgar scores and umbilical blood gas samples were similar between groups. Postoperative pruritus was more frequent in Group S (P < 0.001) and surgeon satisfaction score was significantly lower in Group C (P = 0.003). Conclusions We suggest that the addition of sufentanil and fentanyl to intrathecal levobupivacaine during caesarean section surgery is more effective than the administration of levobupivacaine alone. The addition of sufentanil to levobupivacaine allowed rapid onset time for sensory and motor block levels. It also extended the duration of postoperative analgesia and led to a decrease in total analgesic requirement. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01858090.

Pneumorrhachis and Pneumocephalus with Severe Chest Pain Symptom: A Rare Complication of Epidural Steroid Injection

Dear Editor, Pneumorrhachis and pneumocephalus are unusual complications of inadvertent dural puncture. We present the case of pneumorrhachis and pneumocephalus in a patient with lumbar spinal stenosis who was performed epidural steroid injection by using loss of resistance technique to air. A 37-year-old man with the history of spinal stenosis, low back pain, bilateral leg pain, and neurogenic claudication was performed epidural steroid (80 mg metil prednisolone) injection in another pain clinic. He complained of severe chest pain and headache aproximately 1 hour after epidural injection in the recovery room. The anesthesiologist who attempt epidural steroid …

Meperidine Induced Seizure in a Patient With Lyme Borreliosis

A 15 years old child with Lyme borreliosis was treated with meperidine via a patient controlled analgesia (PCA) pump for pain management. He had no history of seizure and had normal hepatic and renal functions. At the 7th hour of meperidine PCA delivery, generalized tonic-clonic seizure was developed and successfully suppressed with antiepileptics and no neurologic sequel was occurred. The total meperidine consumption in the patient was quite lower than the recommended doses with PCA. Although Lyme disease might also cause seizure activities, the timing of the seizures was related with the accumulation of normeperidine which is the main metabolite of meperidine with central nervous system stimulant effect. The meperidine pain management on patients with Lyme syndrome should be reconsidered to avoid undesired effects. Keywords

Sugammadex given for rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade in infants: a retrospectıve study

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sugammadex in reversing profound neuromuscular block induced by rocuronium in infant patients. DESIGN Retrospective observational study. SETTING University teaching hospital. PATIENTS Twenty-six infants (2-12 months of age; 3-11 kg) with an American Society of Anesthesiologists classification I, II, or III who were scheduled to undergo neurosurgical procedures were included in the study. INTERVENTIONS Anesthesia was induced with 5 mg/kg thiopental, 1 μg/kg fentanyl and 0.6 mg/kg rocuronium. Sevoflurane was administered to all patients after intubation. METHODS The neuromuscular block was monitored with acceleromyography using train-of-four (TOF) stimuli. Patients received additional doses of rocuronium to maintain a deep block during surgery. If profound neuromuscular block (TOF, 0) persisted at the end of the surgery, 3mg/kg sugammadex was administered. MEASUREMENTS The demographic data, surgeries, and anesthetic agents were recorded. The time from sugammadex administration to recovery of neuromuscular function (TOF ratio, >0.9) and complications during and after extubation were also recorded. MAIN RESULTS Twenty-six infants who had a deep neuromuscular block (TOF, 0) at the end of surgery received 3 mg/kg sugammadex. The mean recovery time of the T4/T1 ratio of 0.9 was 112 seconds. No clinical evidence of recurarization or residual curarization was observed. CONCLUSIONS The efficacy and safety of sugammadex were confirmed in infant surgical patients for reversal of deep neuromuscular block induced by rocuronium.

Is atropine premedication during ketamine–dexmedetomidine sedation is necessary?

SIR—In his editorial ‘Let them drink’ (1), Philip Ragg mentions that review articles have been advocating to allow clear fluids closer to the scheduled anesthesia times for over 20 years. He could have gone back further. Dr Digby Leigh in his first text on pediatric anesthesia published in 1947 (2) stated ‘All patients are given clear fluids freely up to one hour before their journey to the operating room’. Uptake of these suggestions certainly has been slow.