IMPORTANCE An intraoperative higher level of positive end-expiratory positive pressure (PEEP) with alveolar recruitment maneuvers improves respiratory function in obese patients undergoing surgery, but the effect on clinical outcomes is uncertain. OBJECTIVE To determine whether a higher level of PEEP with alveolar recruitment maneuvers decreases postoperative pulmonary complications in obese patients undergoing surgery compared with a lower level of PEEP. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Randomized clinical trial of 2013 adults with body mass indices of 35 or greater and substantial risk for postoperative pulmonary complications who were undergoing noncardiac, nonneurological surgery under general anesthesia. The trial was conducted at 77 sites in 23 countries from July 2014-February 2018; final follow-up: May 2018. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to the high level of PEEP group (n = 989), consisting of a PEEP level of 12 cm H 2 O with alveolar recruitment maneuvers (a stepwise increase of tidal volume and eventually PEEP) or to the low level of PEEP group (n = 987), consisting of a PEEP level of 4 cm H 2 O. All patients received volume-controlled ventilation with a tidal volume of 7 mL/kg of predicted body weight. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was a composite of pulmonary complications within the first 5 postoperative days, including respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, bronchospasm, new pulmonary infiltrates, pulmonary infection, aspiration pneumonitis, pleural effusion, atelectasis, cardiopulmonary edema, and pneumothorax. Among the 9 prespecified secondary outcomes, 3 were intraoperative complications, including hypoxemia (oxygen desaturation with SpO 2 Յ92% for >1 minute). RESULTS Among 2013 adults who were randomized, 1976 (98.2%) completed the trial (mean age, 48.8 years; 1381 [69.9%] women; 1778 [90.1%] underwent abdominal operations). In the intention-to-treat analysis, the primary outcome occurred in 211 of 989 patients (21.3%) in the high level of PEEP group compared with 233 of 987 patients (23.6%) in the low level of PEEP group (difference, −2.3% [95% CI, −5.9% to 1.4%]; risk ratio, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.83 to 1.04]; P = .23). Among the 9 prespecified secondary outcomes, 6 were not significantly different between the high and low level of PEEP groups, and 3 were significantly different, including fewer patients with hypoxemia (5.0% in the high level of PEEP group vs 13.6% in the low level of PEEP group; difference, −8.6% [95% CI, −11.1% to 6.1%]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among obese patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia, an intraoperative mechanical ventilation strategy with a higher level of PEEP and alveolar recruitment maneuvers, compared with a strategy with a lower level of PEEP, did not reduce postoperative pulmonary complications.

Objectives:To compare analgesia nociception index (ANI) values, visual analog scale (VAS) values, and hemodynamic parameters in hysteroscopy patients who received remifentanil and dexmedetomidine during general anesthesia.Methods:In total, 30 patients who underwent hysteroscopy between March and September 2016 at the University of Health Sciences Fatih Sultan Mehmet Health Research and Application Center, İstanbul, Turkey were included in this prospective study. Standard hemodynamic monitoring, ANI, and bispectral index (BIS) monitoring were applied to the patients. At 10 min prior to induction, 1 µg/kg of remifentanil was applied in Group R (n=15) and 1 µg/kg of dexmedetomidine was applied in Group D (n=15). After induction, sevoflurane was used for maintenance with dexmedetomidine at 0.2-0.7 µg/kg/hour in Group D and remifentanil at 0.05-0.5 µg/kg/minute in Group R. Perioperative and postoperative analgesia levels (ANI and VAS, respectively), hemodynamics, and complications were recorded.Results:Even though the ANI levels in Group D were lower at the perioperative 5th and 10th minutes, the ANI values were between the targeted limits, except for the measurement after I-gel insertion, in both groups. Hemodynamic parameters were within normal limits, but the mean arterial pressures in Group R after induction, following I-gel placement, and at the perioperative 5th, 10th, and 20th minutes were lower and at postoperative 30th minute were significantly higher.Conclusion:Dexmedetomidine and remifentanil are both efficacious agents for perioperative analgesia in hysteroscopy cases.

Objectives:To investigate the analgesic effect of a subcostal-posterior transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block combination following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.Methods:This study was conducted at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Educational and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, between March 2014 and June 2015. A total of 40 patients with a body mass index of 40-60 kg/m2 scheduled for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy were randomly allocated into 2 groups. Patients in Group I (n=20) received a bilateral subcostal TAP block, and patients in Group II (n=20) received a bilateral subcostal and posterior TAP block. Pain intensity was assessed at rest and during coughing using the visual analog scale (VAS) prior to and at various time points after TAP block (0 min, 30 min, 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours). Morphine consumption over 24 hours and time to first morphine requirement were recorded.Results:There was no difference in VAS scores between groups. Morphine consumption was 6.78±5.95 mg in Group I, and 7.28±5.95 mg in Group II (p=0.795). Time to first morphine requirement was 267.22±303.84 min for Group I, and 207.80±209.81 min for Group II (p=0.154).ConclusionsSubcostal-posterior TAP block provided equivalent analgesia to subcostal TAP block alone following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

No abstract

Patients suffering from severe pain after shoulder arthroscopy. In addition to conventional analgesics, peripheral nerve blocks are frequently used as an anaesthetic and to treat postoperative pain.Interscalene blocks are used as an anaesthetic to provide analgesia in the postoperative period in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery and were reported as effective as epidural block. 1,2 Interscalene brachial plexus block is an easy-to-perform procedure that has few side effect, with high success rates. This procedure allows better pain control on the postoperative day 1 and is associated with fewer side effects than narcotic analgesics.Anaesthesia and surgical trauma induce oxidative stress. The safety of anaesthesia, which is an important step in the surgery, can be determined on the basis of its effect on oxidative stress and inflammation. Surgical trauma leads to severe neuroendocrine

No abstract

AimTo compare systemic right ventricular function by isovolumic myocardial acceleration before and 6 months after the percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects (ASD).Material and methodsPatients admitted to our tertiary center for the percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects between January 2010 and August 2012 constituted the study group. Right ventricular function of patients was assessed by tissue Doppler echocardiography before and after surgery. Echocardiographic data in patients were compared to age-matched controls without any cardiac pathology and studied in identical fashion mentioned below.ResultsA total of 44 patients (24 males, 20 females) and 44 age-matched controls (25 males, 19 females) met the eligibility criteria for the study. Right ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume, right ventricular end-diastolic diameter measurements on echocardiogram, and pulmonary artery pressures in both pre- and post-ASD groups were significantly higher than in controls. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and isovolumic myocardial acceleration measurements significantly increased after the percutaneous closure of the defect; however, post-ASD measurements were still significantly lower than the controls.ConclusionsAtrial septal defect device closure resulted in a significant increase of isovolumic myocardial acceleration measurements. Tissue Doppler analysis of regional myocardial function offers new insight into myocardial compensatory mechanisms for acute and chronic volume overload of both ventricles.

Background: Opioids added to local anesthetics for peripheral nerve blocks may intensify analgesia and prolong analgesic and sensorial block duration. These agents may also cause potentiation and prolongation of motor block. Objective: This study compared the postoperative effects of 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine +50 mcg fentanyl and 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine + 100 mcg fentanyl solutions for the ultrasound-guided infraclavicular block in patients undergoing elbow and forearm surgery. Methods: In this randomized double-blind study, thirty-six patients with risk of ASA class I-III were randomly allocated into 2 randomized groups. Ultrasound-guided infraclavicular blocks with 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine + 50 mcg fentanyl for group 1 and 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine + 100 mcg fentanyl for group 2 were performed before patients emerged from general anesthesia. After surgery, pain levels at rest and during movement were evaluated using the 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) at recovery room admission, at the 15th and 30th minutes in the recovery room, and at the 2nd, 6th, 12th and 24th hours postoperatively. Both morphine and rescue analgesic requirements were recorded. Sensorial and motor block durations, patient satisfaction, and complications related to the infraclavicular block were recorded. Results: In both groups, no significant difference in VAS pain scores, total morphine and total rescue analgesic requirements, duration of sensorial and motor block, or patient satisfaction were observed. None of the patients experienced any complications. Conclusion: The mixtures of 0.25% bupivacaine + 50 mcg fentanyl and 0.25% bupivacaine + 100 mcg fentanyl showed similar postoperative effects.