This study confirms that the FPCD and the FPCD/weight ratio are the most consistent predictors of laryngoscopic difficulty in pediatric patients. For patients over 6 months of age, the IID also correlated with laryngoscopic difficulty. For children who were capable of obeying simple orders, the Mallampati test correlated better with laryngoscopic difficulty than did the Mallampati test with phonation. Our results strongly suggest that skilled professionals should perform airway management in children, especially in patients with a high FPCD or a high FPCD/weight ratio.

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Trigeminal neuralgia, considered by many the worst pain that humankind can experience, has been called “the suicide disease.” Neuroablative procedures are good options when conservative treatment fails to promote pain relief or in those whose side effects are unbearable. The objective was to compare the effectiveness and safety of trigeminal percutaneous radiofrequency ablation in classical refractory trigeminal neuralgia in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial. We included 30 consecutive patients with classical trigeminal neuralgia who had failed to respond to drug treatment. The patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups, a thermal radiofrequency and a sham group. The thermal radiofrequency group were submitted to a 75 °C lesion for 60 seconds after proper sensory and motor stimulation. All steps were carried out in the sham group except the thermal lesion. Patients were evaluated using the Numerical Rating Scale, the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire, and anticonvulsant dose. After one month, the mean NRS score decreased from 9.2 to 0.7 in the radiofrequency group and from 8.9 to 5.8 in the sham group. This significant reduction was measurable starting at day one after the procedure and remained significant throughout the first month. Changing groups was allowed after one month, after which the pain reduction was similar between the two groups. Percutaneous trigeminal radiofrequency ablation results in statistically and clinically significant greater pain relief than the sham procedure after one month of follow-up. These results support using radiofrequency nerve ablation as a treatment for refractory trigeminal neuralgia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of N-acetylcysteine, as a renoprotective agent, when administered early after anesthesia induction, against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats anesthetized with isoflurane. METHODS: Eighteen male Wistar rats weighing > 300g were anesthetized with isoflurane. The internal jugular vein and the left carotid artery were dissected and cannulated. The animals were randomly divided into GAcetyl, receiving intravenous N-acetylcysteine, 300mg/kg, and GIsot, isotonic saline. After 30 minutes, right nephrectomy was performed and the left renal artery was clamped during 45 minutes. The animals were sacrificed after 48 hours and blood samples were taken after anesthetic induction and upon sacrificing of the animals to evaluate blood creatinine. The kidneys were sent for histological analysis. RESULTS: The variation in serum creatinine was 2.33mg/dL ± 2.21 in GAcetyl and 4.38mg/dL ± 2.13 in GIsot (p=0.074). Two animals presented intense tubular necrosis in GAcetyl, compared to 5 in GIsot. Only GAcetyl presented animals free of tubular necrosis (two) and tubular degeneration (one). CONCLUSION: After renal ischemia/reperfusion, the rats which were given N-acetylcysteine presented less variation in serum creatinine and milder kidney injuries than the control group.