Purpose Local anesthetic adjuvants have been studied previously in an attempt to prolong the duration of analgesia after peripheral nerve blockade. Magnesium has been shown to have an antinociceptive effect in animal and human pain models. We evaluated the effects of adding magnesium sulphate to long-acting local anesthetics for interscalene nerve block to prolong the duration of analgesia and improve the analgesic quality. Methods We enrolled 66 patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The interscalene nerve block was performed with 0.5% bupivacaine 20 mL with epinephrine (1:200,000) plus either 10% magnesium sulphate 2 mL (Magnesium Group) or normal saline 2 mL (Saline Group). The following data were recorded for 24 hr after surgery: onset times and durations of sensory and motor blocks, analgesic duration, the pain numeric rating scale (NRS), postoperative fentanyl consumption, and complications. Results The duration of analgesia was longer in the Magnesium Group than in the Saline Group [mean and (standard deviation) 664 (188) min vs 553 (155) min, respectively; P = 0.017]. Patients in the Magnesium Group had significantly reduced pain NRS scores at 12 hr (P = 0.012), but the cumulative fentanyl consumption was similar in both groups. The onset times and durations of sensory and motor blocks were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion The addition of magnesium sulphate to a bupivacaine-epinephrine mixture for interscalene nerve block prolongs the duration of analgesia and reduces postoperative pain.

ObjectiveTo assess retrospectively the treatment results of ethanol embolization of peripheral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) with a dominant outflow vein (DOV).Materials and MethodsNineteen patients who had peripheral AVMs with a DOV were enrolled in this study (mean age, 29.7 years; range, 15-42 years). Fifty-one ethanol embolizations (mean, 2.7; range, 1-8) were performed by direct puncture (n = 29), the transarterial approach (n = 13), the transvenous approach (n = 5), or a combination of methods (n = 4) under general anesthesia. Coil and/or core-removed guide wire embolization of the DOV or another flow occlusion technique (i.e., use of an external pneumatic pressure cuff) to achieve vascular stasis were required in all patients during ethanol embolization. Clinical follow-up (mean, 22.2 months; range, 1-53 months) was performed for all patients, and imaging follow-up (mean, 22.1 months; range, 2-53 months) from the last treatment session was performed for 14 patients. The therapeutic outcome (cure, improvement, no change, or aggravation) was assessed according to the clinical response and the degree of devascularization at angiography.ResultsEthanol embolization was considered as an effective procedure in all patients. Thirteen (68%) of 19 patients were cured and six displayed improvement. Three of six patients with improvement needed further treatment sessions for residual AVMs. Four patients (21%) experienced a total of eight complications. Five complications (three events of a distal embolism and one event each of a urinary bladder necrosis and a brain infarct related to the accidental cannulation of the common carotid artery during insertion of the Swan-Ganz catheter) were major and three complications (skin necrosis) were minor.ConclusionPeripheral AVMs with a DOV can be effectively treated with a high cure rate by the use of ethanol embolization alone or in conjunction with the use of coil and/or core-removed guide wire embolization.

BackgroundAlthough midazolam administration may occasionally induce a paradoxical episode, such as threatened crying and violent behavior in children, systematic studies on the causes of paradoxical reaction are limited. We investigated the effect of children's age and a dose of midazolam on the paradoxical reaction.MethodsA total of one hundred sixty four children of 1-3 years and 3-5 years, were enrolled in this study. Each age group randomly received 0.05 mg/kg or 0.1 mg/kg of intravenous midazolam (41 patients/group).ResultsThe incidence of paradoxical midazolam reaction in the study groups, 1-3 years with 0.1 mg/kg of intravenous midazolam, 1-3 years with 0.05 mg/kg, 3-5 years with 0.1 mg/kg, and 3-5 years with 0.05 mg/kg were as follows: 29.3%, 12.2%, 7.3% and 2.4%, respectively. The incidence among the 4 groups was significantly different (P = 0.002), highest in the 1-3 years receiving 0.1 mg/kg of midazolam (29.3%). Both age (P = 0.004, OR [95%CI] = 5.3 [1.7-16.8]) and dose of midazolam (P = 0.036, OR [95%CI] = 3.0 [1.1-8.4]) were risk factors. Perioperative clinical data including anxiety scales of children were not associated with the paradoxical midazolam reaction.ConclusionsIn conclusion, we suggest that children less than 3 years old receiving higher dose of intravenous midazolam are at risk for the paradoxical midazolam reaction.