The aim of this study was to compare the analgesic efficacy of three different postoperative treatments after supratentorial craniotomy. Sixty-four patients were allocated prospectively and randomly into three groups: paracetamol (the P group, n = 8), paracetamol and tramadol (the PT group, n = 29), and paracetamol and nalbuphine (the PN group, n = 27). General anesthesia was standardized with propofol and remifentanil using atracurium as the muscle relaxant. One hour before the end of surgery, all patients received 30 mg/kg propacetamol intravenously then 30 mg/kg every 6 hours. Patients in the PT group received 1.5 mg/kg tramadol 1 hour before the end of surgery. For patients in the PN group, 0.15 mg/kg nalbuphine was injected after discontinuation of remifentanil, because of its mu-antagonist effect. Postoperative pain was assessed in the fully awake patient after extubation (hour 0) and at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 24 hours using a visual analog scale (VAS). Additional tramadol (1.5 mg/kg) or 0.15 mg/kg nalbuphine was administered when the VAS score was > or = 30 mm. Analgesia was compared using the Mantha and Kaplan-Meier methods. Adverse effects of the drugs were also measured. The three groups were similar with respect to the total dose of remifentanil received (0.27 +/- 0.1 mircog/kg/min). In all patients, extubation was obtained within 6 +/- 3 minutes after remifentanil administration. Postoperative analgesia was ineffective in the P group; therefore, inclusions in this group were stopped after the eighth patient. Postoperative analgesia was effective in the two remaining groups because VAS scores were similar, except at hour 1, when nalbuphine was more effective (P = .001). Nevertheless, acquiring such a result demanded significantly more tramadol than nalbuphine (P < .05). More cases of nausea and vomiting were observed in the PT group but the difference was not significant (P < .06). In conclusion, pain after supratentorial neurosurgery must be taken into account, and paracetamol alone is insufficient in bringing relief to the patient. Addition of either tramadol or nalbuphine to paracetamol seems necessary to achieve adequate analgesia, with, nevertheless, a larger dose of tramadol to fulfill this objective.
BackgroundMany maneuvers assessing fluid responsiveness (minifluid challenge, lung recruitment maneuver, end-expiratory occlusion test, passive leg raising) are considered as positive when small variations in cardiac index, stroke volume index, stroke volume variation or pulse pressure variation occur. Pulse contour analysis allows continuous and real-time cardiac index, stroke volume, stroke volume variation and pulse pressure variation estimations. To use these maneuvers with pulse contour analysis, the knowledge of the minimal change that needs to be measured by a device to recognize a real change (least significant change) has to be studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the least significant change of cardiac index, stroke volume index, stroke volume variation and pulse pressure variation obtained using pulse contour analysis (ProAQT®, Pulsion Medical System, Germany).MethodsIn this observational study, we included 50 mechanically ventilated patients undergoing neurosurgery in the operating room. Cardiac index, stroke volume index, pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation obtained using ProAQT® (Pulsion Medical System, Germany) were recorded every 12 s during 15-min steady-state periods. Least significant changes were calculated every minute.ResultsLeast significant changes statistically differed over time for cardiac index, stroke volume index, pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation (p < 0.001). Least significant changes ranged from 1.3 to 0.7% for cardiac index, from 1.3 to 0.8% for stroke volume index, from 10 to 4.9% for pulse pressure variation and from 10.8 to 4.3% for stroke volume variation.ConclusionTo conclude, the present study suggests that pulse contour analysis is able to detect rapid and small changes in cardiac index and stroke volume index, but the interpretation of rapid and small changes of pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation must be done with caution.
This study, which aimed to reevaluate the ability of PETCO2 to estimate PaCO2 during neurosurgical procedures according to surgical position, indicates that PETCO2 cannot replace PaCO2 for the following reasons: scattering of individual values; occurrence of negative arterial to end-tidal CO2 gradient (P[a-ET]CO2; PaCO2 and PETCO2 variations in opposite directions; large changes in P(a-ET)CO2 between two samples; and instability of P(a-ET)CO2 over time.
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