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Pain or tenderness of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is widely believed to signify acute expansion and imminent rupture. To assess the potential benefit of emergency operation for the group of patients with an acutely expanding aneurysm, the clinical course of 19 patients with a symptomatic but unruptured expanding abdominal aortic aneurysm was compared with 117 patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm resection, and 69 patients having operation for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Postoperative morbidity was high in the patients with an expanding abdominal aortic aneurysm, and included a 21% incidence of myocardial infarction, a 10% incidence of stroke, a 37% risk of ventilatory failure, and a 31% incidence of acute renal failure, which was not statistically different from the results in patients having ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm resection. Patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm resection had only an 8% risk of myocardial infarction, and only a 2% risk of stroke, ventilatory failure, or renal failure. The mortality rate for expanding abdominal aortic aneurysm resection was 26% compared to 35% for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (p = 0.31). Both emergency operations had a mortality rate more than five times greater than the 5.1% after elective procedures (p = 0.008). Our findings emphasize the need for early and aggressive treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm in the elective setting, even in the patient at high risk, and suggest that the preoperative assessment and modification of risk factors is important to prevent the cardiac, cerebrovascular, pulmonary, and renal complications seen accompanying an emergency operation of this magnitude.

BACKGROUND Propofol and dexmedetomidine are used separately, and sometimes together, for paediatric deep sedation. Although their combination has been described in adults, the effect of dexmedetomidine as a potential synergist in children has not been studied before. OBJECTIVES The primary objective was to compare the propofol requirements of children who receive propofol alone with those who receive it in combination with dexmedetomidine for deep sedation for upper and lower endoscopic gastrointestinal procedures. DESIGN This was a prospective, open-label, randomised study comparing patients who received propofol alone (group P) with those who received dexmedetomidine and propofol (group DP). The depth of sedation was titrated to a target bispectral (BIS) index. SETTING A Gastroenterology Procedure Unit at a single, tertiary care academic medical centre from April 2018 until December 2019. PATIENTS Eligible patients were scheduled for upper endoscopy, lower endoscopy or both. A total of 39 patients were enrolled (20 DP) and (19 P). INTERVENTIONS Patients in Group DP received dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg kg−1 administered over 1 min followed by an infusion of 0.15 μg kg−1 h−1. In both groups, intravenous propofol was given in bolus increments titrated to a BIS index of 40 to 50 and then a continuous infusion of propofol to maintain BIS at 40 to 50. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measure was propofol requirement in each group. Secondary outcome measures were time to achieve the targeted sedation depth, time to achieve an Aldrete recovery score of 9, duration of sedation, mean BIS values, adverse events, ‘PAED’ scores and time to discharge from the postanaesthesia care unit (PACU). RESULTS The median (range) total dose of propofol was 0.23 (0.10 to 0.50) mg kg−1 min−1 in group DP and 0.40 (0.20 to 0.50) mg kg−1 min−1 in group P (P = 0.0004). Time of discharge from the PACU was 60 (20 to 121) min in group DP and 63 (46 to 91) min in group P (P = 0.0409). CONCLUSION The combination of dexmedetomidine and propofol for paediatric procedural sedation achieved a significant reduction in median propofol dose and a slightly shorter median time to discharge from PACU. Large-scale studies may determine whether this reduction decreases the risk of significant adverse events. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02952222

The exposure of infants and children to volatile anesthetics, such as sevoflurane, has been a topic of concern with respect to the potential risk for long term neurocognitive effects. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether the perioperative utilization of Bispectral Index (BIS) monitoring alters the sevoflurane delivery and exposure to children. This is a prospective randomized trial of two groups of healthy ambulatory day surgery patients (2 to 12 years). The patients in both groups had the BIS applied soon after the induction of general anesthesia, but only the anesthesiologists in the group randomized to BIS visible were able to see the BIS values. All of the patients received general anesthesia with sevoflurane. This study found no difference in the overall exposure to sevoflurane between both groups (mean end-tidal sevoflurane level of 1.8 in both groups, P = 084). The duration of time in the recovery room, the time to meet discharge criteria, the Pediatric Agitation Emergence Delirium (PAED) scores and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scores were not statistically different between the groups. The application and utilization of intraoperative BIS monitoring does not alter the sevoflurane administration nor the discharge readiness nor the recovery profile in healthy ambulatory children.

Background Caudal epidural anesthesia is a frequently performed regional anesthesia block in infants and young children. Traditional landmark‐based blind needle insertion remains the norm with no immediate, objective method to determine the presence of local anesthetic in the epidural space. Increasingly, ultrasound‐imaging is used in pediatric regional anesthesia with demonstrated improvements in block efficacy and efficiency. The value of ultrasound‐imaging in confirming success rate of traditional caudal placement is not well defined. Aim To assess the success rate of conventional landmark‐based caudal technique using ultrasound‐imaging. Methods Prospective observational study of 30 children ages 1 month to 7 years undergoing surgical procedures with consent for caudal blockade. Provider success rate of caudal blockade placed by landmark technique was measured using ultrasound‐imaging of needle tip and local anesthetic flow in the epidural space. Results Ultrasound‐imaging demonstrated 80% success to correct positioning of the needle tip and local anesthetic in the epidural space. Failure was associated with decreasing experience and presence of anatomic variances. All improperly positioned needles were subsequently successfully positioned using real‐time ultrasound‐imaging. Mean time for confirmatory ultrasound‐imaging (SD; range) was 1 minute (0.3; 1‐3). Conclusion The use of ultrasound‐imaging can be used to identify proper needle placement in the sacral epidural canal and facilitate subsequent corrected placement.

Since 1971, 6$8 consecutive carotid endarterectojnies were performed in 612 patients in a commun.ity-based teaching hospital by 16 surgeons; 82% of the procedures were performed in patients who had suffered a transient ischemic attack, amaurosis fugax, or a previous stroke. Seven patients (1%) died, five of perioperative stroke and two of myocardial infarction. Thirty-one patients suffered a perioperative stroke (4.5% of the 688 endarterectomies); 20 patients (2.9% of 688) were left with moderate to severe neurologic deficits. The combined mortality/major neurologic deficit morbidity rate (number of patients -s-number of endarterectomies) is 3.2%. Both operative mortality and morbidity have progressively declined in successive 5-year periods, with no deaths and a 2.7% stroke rate in 148 endarterectomies performed after 1984. Our results indicate that carotid endarterectomy as practiced in a community-based teaching hospital can be performed without excessive risk. (Stroke 1988; 19:1323-1327) D eath and disability related to stroke remain one of the most important public health problems in the United States today. Even though the stroke rate is declining by approximately 6% annually, more than 150,000 Americans die each year of stroke. Many of the estimated 2 million people disabled by stroke are in their economically productive years. The total cost to the nation was estimated at 12.8 billion dollars in 1987. ' The role of carotid endarterectomy in the prevention of stroke has come under increasing scrutiny. It is estimated that more than 100,000 carotid endarterectomies are performed annually in the United States, at a cost in excess of 1.2 billion dollars. 2Many surgeons have achieved excellent results with low morbidity and mortality rates, and many centers also report excellent results. However, the overall results of surgery may be substantially worse than those reported in the best series. Communitybased studies appear to indicate that morbidity and mortality rates, although declining, are still excessive for some groups of patients.3 Because of allegations of high morbidity and mortality rates, all institutions in which carotid endarterectomy is performed have been challenged to review their results. Subjects and MethodsWe reviewed the results of 688 consecutive carotid endarterectomies performed at Baystate Medical Center from 1971 to the present. Virtually all patients were operated on under general anesthesia; shunting was routinely used, as was heparin anticoagulation. Primary closure of the arteriotomy was most commonly employed, although patch closures with autogenous vein or synthetic materials were occasionally used. Endarterectomy was performed under local or regional anesthesia extremely rarely, and other types of monitoring such as intraoperative electroencephalography or cerebral blood flow measurements were not used. Completion angiography was rarely used, and intraoperative ultrasonic, imaging was not employed. ResultsThere were 688 carotid endarterectomies performed in 612 patients; 76 p...

Dieulafoy's lesion (exulceratio simplex) of the proximal gastric corpus is a more frequent cause of massive upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage than previously appreciated. Recent management has focused on interventional endoscopic and radiologic techniques, but these have been plagued by high rebleeding rates. The traditional surgical approach of suture control of the bleeding or wedge resection is effective but entails significant morbidity and mortality. This article describes endoscopically guided laparoscopic ligation of the feeding vessels in a patient with massive hemorrhage from a Dieulafoy's ulcer.

Background: Adolescent and young adult patients undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery experience significant pain in the immediate postoperative period. There is a small body of evidence that indicates suprainguinal fascia iliaca blocks can improve comfort during recovery from this intervention. Our hypothesis was that patients undergoing hip surgery would consume fewer opioids and have less pain in the perioperative time frame if they received the block as part of their analgesic regimen. Methods:In this study, we evaluated the outcomes of 716 patients, including 275 who received a suprainguinal fascia iliaca block, and 441 who did not have a block.Inclusion criteria included all age groups and American Society of Anesthesiologists, functional classes 1-2. Patients who received other concurrent procedures or those with incomplete data sets were excluded. We utilized a regional anesthesia database that combined data from various repositories into one web-based relational system. The primary outcomes were total opioid consumption and pain scores in the recovery room. Secondary outcomes included opioid side effects, block-related complications, and total recovery room time. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate opioid consumption, side effects, and total recovery times. Pearson chi-square was applied to assess the level of pain between the two groups.Results: Total opioid consumption was significantly less in the block group compared to those not receiving a block (0.28 mg/kg vs 0.35 mg/kg, P < 0.001, 95% CI of difference in medians 0.04-0.10 mg/kg), but there was no statistical difference in pain scores. Patients with the regional block had a lower frequency of emesis in the PACU (0.7% vs 4.3%; P < 0.005, 95% CI of difference: 2-25) and shorter PACU times (93 vs 108 minutes, P < 0.001, 95% CI of difference: 8-23 minutes). Conclusion:Our study supports the clinical effectiveness of suprainguinal fascia iliaca blocks in young patients undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery.