No abstract

Background:The surgical pleth index (SPI) is proposed for titration of analgesic drugs during general anesthesia. Several reports have investigated the effect of SPI on the consumption of opioids including remifentanil, fentanyl, and sufentanil during anesthesia, but there are no reports about oxycodone. We aimed to investigate intravenous oxycodone consumption between SPI-guided analgesia and conventional analgesia practices during sevoflurane anesthesia in patients undergoing thyroidectomy.Methods:Forty-five patients undergoing elective thyroidectomy were randomly assigned to an SPI group (SPI-guided analgesia group, n = 23) or a control group (conventional analgesia group, n = 22). Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane to achieve bispectral index values between 40 and 60. In the SPI group, oxycodone 1 mg was administered intravenously at SPI values over 50; in the control group, oxycodone 1 mg was administered intravenously at the occurrence of tachycardia or hypertension event. Intraoperative oxycodone consumption and extubation time were recorded. The number of hemodynamic and somatic movement events was recorded, as were postoperative pain and recovery scores.Results:Patients’ characteristics were comparable between the groups. Intraoperative oxycodone consumption in the SPI group was significantly lower than the control group (3.5 ± 2.4 vs 5.1 ± 2.4 mg; P = 0.012). Extubation time was significantly shorter in the SPI group (10.6 ± 3.5 vs 13.4 ± 4.6 min; P = 0.026). Hemodynamic and somatic movement events during anesthesia were comparable between the groups, as were numeric rating scales for pain and modified Aldrete scores at postanesthesia care unit.Conclusions:SPI-guided analgesia reduces intravenous oxycodone consumption and extubation time compared with conventional analgesia based on clinical parameters during sevoflurane anesthesia in patients undergoing thyroidectomy.

The number of elderly patients who frequently access health care services is increasing worldwide. While anesthesiologists are developing the expertise to care for these elderly patients, areas of concern remain. We conducted a comprehensive search of major international databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane) and a Korean database (KoreaMed) to review preoperative considerations, intraoperative management, and postoperative problems when anesthetizing elderly patients. Preoperative preparation of elderly patients included functional assessment to identify preexisting cognitive impairment or cardiopulmonary reserve, depression, frailty, nutrition, polypharmacy, and anticoagulation issues. Intraoperative management included anesthetic mode and pharmacology, monitoring, intravenous fluid or transfusion management, lung-protective ventilation, and prevention of hypothermia. Postoperative checklists included perioperative analgesia, postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction, and other complications. A higher level of perioperative care was required for older surgical patients, as multiple chronic diseases often makes them prone to developing postoperative complications, including functional decline and loss of independence. Although the guiding evidence remains poor so far, elderly patients have to be provided optimal perioperative care through close interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and cross-sectional collaboration to minimize unwanted postoperative outcomes. Furthermore, along with adequate anesthetic care, well-planned postoperative care should begin immediately after surgery and extend until discharge.