Background and Objectives Clonidine, buprenorphine, dexamethasone, and midazolam (C,B,D,M) have been used to prolong perineural local anesthesia in the absence of data on the influence of these adjuvants on local anesthetic (LA)-induced neurotoxicity. Therefore, the impact of these adjuvants on ropivacaine (R)-induced death of isolated sensory neurons was assessed. Methods The trypan blue exclusion assay was used to assess death of sensory neurons isolated from adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Drugs were applied, alone or in combination, for 2 or 24 hrs at 37°C. Results Neuronal viability was halved by 24 hr exposure to R (2.5 mg/mL), far exceeding the neurotoxicity of C, B, D, or M (at 2–100 times estimated clinical concentrations). Plain M at twice the estimated clinical concentration produced a small but significant increase in neurotoxicity at 24 hr. After 2 hr exposure, high concentrations of B, C, and M increased the neurotoxicity of R; the combination of R+M killed over 90% of neurons. Estimated clinical concentrations of C+B (plus 66 µg/mL D) had no influence on (i) R-induced neurotoxicity, (ii) the increased neurotoxicity associated with the combination of R+M, or (iii) the neurotoxicity associated with estimated clinical concentrations of M. There was dose-response neurotoxicity with 133 µg/mL D combined with R+C+B Conclusions Results with R re-affirm the need to identify ways to mitigate LA-induced neurotoxicity. While having no protective effect on R-induced neurotoxicity in vitro, future research with adjuvants should address if the C+B+D combination can enable reducing R concentrations needed to achieve equi-analgesia (and/or provide equal or superior duration, in preclinical in vivo models).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Patients undergoing orthopedic surgery are susceptible to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, which can result in increased morbidity, hospital lengths of stay, and medical costs. We sought to estimate the economic value of routine preoperative MRSA screening and decolonization of orthopedic surgery patients. METHODS A stochastic decision-analytic computer simulation model was used to evaluate the economic value of implementing this strategy (compared with no preoperative screening or decolonization) among orthopedic surgery patients from both the third-party payer and hospital perspectives. Sensitivity analyses explored the effects of varying MRSA colonization prevalence, the cost of screening and decolonization, and the probability of decolonization success. RESULTS Preoperative MRSA screening and decolonization was strongly cost-effective (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio less than $6,000 per quality-adjusted life year) from the third-party payer perspective even when MRSA prevalence was as low as 1%, decolonization success was as low as 25%, and decolonization costs were as high as $300 per patient. In most scenarios this strategy was economically dominant (ie, less costly and more effective than no screening). From the hospital perspective, preoperative MRSA screening and decolonization was the economically dominant strategy for all scenarios explored. CONCLUSIONS Routine preoperative screening and decolonization of orthopedic surgery patients may under many circumstances save hospitals and third-party payers money while providing health benefits.

The risk of epidural haematoma is clearly elevated with abnormal coagulation parameters. Our data suggest that as the incidence of epidural haematoma with neuraxial access in patients with abnormal coagulation is not 100%, individual risk-benefit evaluations are warranted.

BACKGROUND Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can cause severe infection in patients who are undergoing vascular surgical operations. Testing all vascular surgery patients preoperatively for MRSA and attempting to decolonize those who have positive results may be a strategy to prevent MRSA infection. The economic value of such a strategy has not yet been determined. METHODS We developed a decision-analytic computer simulation model to determine the economic value of using such a strategy before all vascular surgical procedures from the societal and third-party payer perspectives at different MRSA prevalence and decolonization success rates. RESULTS The model showed preoperative MRSA testing to be cost-effective (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, <$50,000 per quality-adjusted life year) when the MRSA prevalence is ≥0.01 and the decolonization success rate is ≥0.25. In fact, this strategy was dominant (ie, less costly and more effective) at the following thresholds: MRSA prevalence ≥0.01 and decolonization success rate ≥0.5, and MRSA prevalence ≥0.025 and decolonization success rate ≥0.25. CONCLUSION Testing and decolonizing patients for MRSA before vascular surgery may be a cost-effective strategy over a wide range of MRSA prevalence and decolonization success rates.