IMPLICATIONS: Carotid artery and aortic atherosclerosis increase the risk for stroke after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. In this study we found that men were more likely than women to have risk factors for perioperative stroke including severe carotid stenosis and severe aortic atherosclerosis.
IMPLICATIONS: We found that 35% of 349 patients had cognitive impairment before coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, based on a comparison of psychometric testing results with that obtained from 170 healthy control individuals free of cardiovascular disease. These results suggest that impaired cognition before surgery must be considered when assessing the effects of CABG surgery on cognitive performance.
IMPLICATIONS: We compared pressure-controlled ventilation with volume-controlled ventilation during one-lung ventilation in patients with good preoperative pulmonary function undergoing thoracic surgery. We found no difference in arterial oxygenation between ventilatory management strategies, but pressure-controlled ventilation did lead to lower peak airway pressures.
IMPLICATIONS: We present a case report of a patient with Raynaud's phenomenon who developed cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy desaturation simultaneous with evidence of peripheral vasospasm during rewarming from mild hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. These findings are consistent with Raynaud's associated cerebral vasospasm.
IMPLICATIONS: This study, with the use of noncompartmental and compartmental models, describes the pharmacokinetics of ketorolac in infants and small children undergoing surgical procedures.
IMPLICATIONS: There is no significant difference in five escalating doses of dexamethasone (0.0625-1.0 mg/kg) in children after adenotonsillectomy for preventing vomiting, reducing pain, or shortening time to first oral intake. The lowest dose of dexamethasone (0.0625 mg/kg) is as effective as the highest dose (1 mg/kg).
IMPLICATIONS: In infants undergoing an arterial switch procedure, B-type natriuretic peptide levels may have prognostic value.
IMPLICATIONS: Delayed preconditioning with isoflurane reduces mortality and improved striatal function in adult mice after a severe hypoxic-ischemic insult on Day 10 of life. However, spatial memory was not improved, nor was the degree of injury to the hippocampus.
IMPLICATIONS: This paper reports on the use of an intrathecal catheter and local anesthesia infusion for management of a child with a complex regional pain syndrome.
IMPLICATIONS: Aprepitant and the active comparator ondansetron did not differ for the composite end point of no vomiting and no rescue 0-24 h after major surgery; aprepitant provided better protection against vomiting 0-24 h and 0-48 h.
IMPLICATIONS: Although some fluorinated cyclic ethers can produce anesthesia, they do not appear to possess solubilities that would make them useful clinically.
IMPLICATIONS: Although lidocaine is a sodium channel blocker, and, thereby, might be predicted to decrease MAC by decreasing the release of N-methyl-d-aspartate from nerve terminals, this does not appear to be the primary means by which lidocaine decreases MAC.
IMPLICATIONS: Although fentanyl affects airway responsiveness, the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Using sensitized rat trachea we found that fentanyl attenuates airway hyperresponsiveness by inhibition of cholinergic nerves on the smooth muscle. Fentanyl would be a relatively useful analgesic for patients with antigen-induced asthma.
IMPLICATIONS: Lidocaine can reduce airway responsiveness to drugs that cause bronchospasm but does not reduce baseline airway tone. Instead, it caused a significant amount of increased tone and airway narrowing. Therefore, although lidocaine can prevent intubation-induced bronchospasm, the airways should be constantly monitored by auscultation, even during IV lidocaine administration.
IMPLICATIONS: We demonstrated by in vitro experiments using rat diaphragms that very high, but not therapeutic, concentrations of clonidine and dexmedetomidine enhance the rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block mediating non-{alpha}-2 adrenergic mechanisms. The results imply that these {alpha}-2 adrenoceptor agonists do not influence nondepolarizing neuromuscular block at clinically relevant concentrations.
IMPLICATIONS: The complex of levobupivacaine with maltosyl-{beta}-cyclodextrin prolonged the anesthetic effect of levobupivacaine in both intrathecal and sciatic nerve blocks in rats. This complex may be used to prolong the effect of a long-acting local anesthetic such as levobupivacaine 1.4-2.0 times through a conduction block and to supply adequate postoperative analgesia.
IMPLICATIONS: Changes in cerebral protein expression may persist for several days after anesthesia. In the present study, we showed that sevoflurane anesthesia induced direct changes in protein expression which persisted for 72 h after anesthesia. These changes may contribute to long-term effects such as neurocognitive dysfunction after anesthesia.
IMPLICATIONS: Microglial cells coordinate inflammatory brain responses to hypoxia and trauma. Although anesthetics produce neuroprotective effects through neuronal mechanisms, little is known about how they modulate microglial responses in the pathological state. Our results suggest that IV anesthetics, particularly thiopental and propofol, may modulate microglial functions through P2X7 receptors in pathological conditions.
IMPLICATIONS: Bispectral index-guided total IV anesthesia with propofol in combination with thoracic epidural analgesia reduces early recovery time and costs in patients undergoing fast-track open colon resection.
IMPLICATIONS: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of the stellate ganglion may reduce the number and duration of oximeter signal alerts.
IMPLICATIONS: This case report demonstrates how 3D imaging can help to understand and manage difficult airway anatomy.
IMPLICATIONS: Using publicly available health care data and an appropriate "similarity index," surgical and anesthesia practices can identify geographical regions with more than average growth potential. Anesthesia groups can forecast whether the cases at a new facility represent true growth or are cannibalized from another facility where they already practice.
IMPLICATIONS: Hypothermia reduces endotoxin-induced acute lung injury, even when applied after the onset of neutrophilic inflammation.
IMPLICATIONS: Sigma-1 receptor agonists appear to prevent ischemia-induced brain injury by a mechanism that is receptor-specific and is associated with enhanced antiapoptotic bcl-2 mRNA levels and preserved bcl-2 protein load.
IMPLICATIONS: Eye protectors may be used to protect the eyes from injury in the prone position. However, as illustrated by this case, they can also result in significant eye injury.
IMPLICATIONS: This study was designed to assess the accuracy and precision of ultrasound, using the transverse approach, to facilitate placement of labor epidurals. Agreement between ultrasound depth and needle depth were compared and found to be statistically significant. Our findings suggest that ultrasound using the transverse approach may facilitate labor epidural insertion.
IMPLICATIONS: We propose that a single surgical-interventional radiology suite would produce more opportunities for new treatments and offer a superior solution for interdisciplinary work among surgeons, anesthesiologists, and radiologists.
IMPLICATIONS: This prospective cross-over study demonstrated that cricoid pressure applied before insertion of the ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (ProSeal LMA) might prevent correct placement. Temporarily releasing cricoid pressure during insertion will facilitate advancing the ProSeal LMA to the proper position.
IMPLICATIONS: This study evaluated the potential of perineural resiniferatoxin (RTX) for prevention of neuropathy induced by peripheral nerve injury. Perineural RTX administered before surgery completely prevented ligation-induced reduction in withdrawal latency, increase in paw lift duration, and increase in withdrawal frequency to von Frey filaments. The preventive effect of RTX on the development of deficits in hindpaw posture was pronounced, but not complete.
IMPLICATIONS: Lumbar epidural steroid injection by the transforaminal approach is significantly more effective in providing pain relief than epidural steroid injection using the caudal or interlaminar approaches.
IMPLICATIONS: Two-thirds of patients with chronic pain scored in the clinically impaired range on attentional tasks, associated with working memory processing difficulties.
IMPLICATIONS: In this double blind, randomized study, we demonstrated that 1.0 {micro}g/mL of clonidine in an epidural mixture of morphine and ropivacaine resulted in the least use of supplemental analgesics, stable hemodynamic profiles, and minimal side effects during the 72 h period after total knee arthroplasty.
IMPLICATIONS: The neuropathic pain behavior after transection of the three peripheral nerves of the rat hindlimb resulted in different degrees and severity of neuropathic pain behaviors. Transection of the tibial nerve alone, or in combination with the sural or the saphenous nerve, induces the development of neuropathic pain behavior characterized by the presence of mechanical hyperalgesia and cold allodynia.
IMPLICATIONS: Excitatory transient receptor potiential-1 channel (TRPV-1) function in the cervix is facilitated by estrogen, suggesting a role for these channels in certain acute and chronic cervical pain states and the potential therapeutic utility of TRPV1 antagonists.
IMPLICATIONS: Dextromethorphan and dextrorphan (its active metabolite) are local anesthetics with higher potency and potentially greater safety than lidocaine.
IMPLICATIONS: Amitriptyline potently blocks human Kv1.1 and Kv7.2/7.3 channels. Since amitriptyline inhibited these channels at toxicologically relevant plasma concentrations, our results suggest a role for these channels in the neuroexcitatory side effects of amitriptyline. The Kv7.2/7.3 opener retigabine reverses the effects of amitriptyline, indicating that a combination of both drugs could be of additional benefit in the therapy of neuropathic pain.
IMPLICATIONS: Preliminary data, although limited, suggest that ultrasound-guided imaging during regional blockade may improve outcomes and decrease complications. Educational guidelines and large series studies are needed to establish training requirements and potential clinical benefits.
IMPLICATIONS: We analyzed the usefulness of ultrasound, combined with nerve stimulation, to block the sciatic nerve at the midfemoral level. Ultrasound guidance reduced the number of attempts for nerve localization and resulted in improved quality of sensory block and a better tolerance to pneumatic tourniquet.
IMPLICATIONS: Ultrasound-guided infraclavicular block is more rapidly performed and yields a higher success rate when visualization of local anesthetic spread is used as the end point for injection rather than neurostimulation. Posterolateral spread of local anesthetic around the axillary artery predicts successful block and circumvents the need for direct nerve visualization.
IMPLICATIONS: This animal study suggests that ultrasound may prove useful for detecting intraneural injection. Further, a motor response achieved above the conventional stimulating threshold of 0.5 mA may not exclude intraneural needle placement.
IMPLICATIONS: Ultrasound allowed direct visualization for performance of a brachial plexus block in an anticoagulated patient. This may have made the procedure safer.
IMPLICATIONS: Various anatomic factors may affect distribution of solution injected around the brachial plexus. Using computerized axial tomography dye studies, we introduce a new concept, the "axillary tunnel," to explain distribution.
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