Background and Aims:Patients undergoing ovarian cancer surgery after chemotherapy and requiring opioid-based patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) are at high-risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). We aimed to assess the effect of palonosetron and dexamethasone combination for these patients for prevention of PONV.Methods:This study included 2 groups and 150 patients. At the time of wound closure, patients in group A received ondansetron 8 mg intravenous (IV) + dexamethasone 4 mg IV and group B received palonosetron 0.075 mg IV + dexamethasone 4 mg IV. Postoperatively for 48 hours, group A patients received ondansetron 4 mg 8 hourly IV, group B patients received normal saline 8 hourly IV in 2 cc syringe. The primary objective was the overall incidence of PONV. Independent t-test, Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test were used and multivariate regression analysis was done.Results:Vomiting was significantly higher in group A (37.3%) as compared with group B (21.3%) at 0–48 hours (P = 0.031). Significantly more patients in Group A had nausea as compared with group B at 90–120 minutes (30.66% vs 18.66%, P = 0.043) and 6–24 hours (32.0% vs 22.66%, P = 0.029). PCA opioid usage in microgram was significantly higher in group A at 0–24 hours (690.53 ± 332.57 vs 576.85 ± 250.79, P = 0.024) and 0–48 hours (1126.10 ± 512.18 vs 952.13 ± 353.85, P = 0.030).Conclusion:Palonosetron with dexamethasone is more effective than ondasetron with dexamethasone for prevention of PONV in post-chemotherapy ovarian cancer surgeries receiving opioid-based patient controlled analgesia.

A bstract Pregnancy is a dynamic process, which induces a multitude of anatomic, physiological, biochemical, and psychological changes. Physiological changes during pregnancy allow the body to meet the increased metabolic demands of the mother and fetus by maintaining adequate uteroplacental circulation, and ensure fetal growth and development. These changes begin early in the first trimester and are brought on by the increased circulating levels of progesterone and estrogen, which are produced by the ovary in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and thereafter by the placenta. While some of these cause a change in biochemical values, others may mimic symptoms of medical disease. For instance, cardiac changes such as sinus tachycardia, systolic heart murmurs, and cardiac enlargement could be interpreted as signs of heart disease. It is thus crucial, to differentiate between normal physiological changes and pathological changes, particularly for clinicians involved in the care of pregnant patient. How to cite this article Gangakhedkar GR, Kulkarni AP. Physiological Changes in Pregnancy. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021; 25(Suppl 3):S189–S192.

Opioids are an indispensable part of perioperative pain management of cancer surgeries. Opioids do have some side effects and abuse potential, and some laboratory data suggest a possible association of cancer recurrence with perioperative opioid use. Opioid-free anesthesia and opioid-sparing anesthesia are emerging new concepts worldwide to safeguard patients from adverse effects of opioids and potential abuse. Opioid-free anesthesia could lead to ineffective pain management, leaving the perioperative physician with limited options, while opioid-sparing anesthesia may be a rational approach. This consensus guideline includes general considerations of the safe use of perioperative opioids along with concomitant use of central neuraxial or regional blockade and systematic nonopioid analgesics. Region-specific onco-surgeries with their specific recommendations and consensus statements for judicious use of opioids are suggested. Use of epidural analgesia or regional catheter during thoracic, abdominal, pelvic, and lower limb surgeries and use of regional nerve blocks/catheter in head neck, neuro, and upper limb onco-surgeries, wherever possible along with nonopioids analgesics, are suggested. Short-acting opioids in small aliquots may be allowed to control breakthrough pain for expedient control of pain. The purpose of this consensus practice guideline is to provide the practicing anesthesiologists with best practice evidence and consensus recommendations by the expert committee of the Society of Onco-Anesthesia and Perioperative Care for safe opioid use in onco-surgeries.

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We read with great interest the scientific review by Nahshon et al., titled 'Hazardous Postoperative Outcomes of Unexpected COVID-19 Infected Patients: A Call for Global Consideration of Sampling all Asymptomatic Patients Before Surgical Treatment' [1]. Universal testing for patients undergoing surgery promises to weed out those who slip through the diagnostic criteria in the pre-operative period. It would further allow the physicians to strike a balance between the urgency of surgery, allowing recover by deferring surgery, thus reducing mortality.The article points to an inordinately high fatality in postoperative patients (14/64 or 21.8%) in comparison with the 2-5% in the general population, indicating the need for increased vigilance among those undergoing surgical procedures in these testing times.The authors conclude that patients must test for COVID-19 before they undergo surgery using RT-PCR, the gold standard for testing for . What must be considered is that RT-PCR has its own shortcomings as a testing modality. Depending on the site of sampling, the rate of swab positivity could range between 53.3 and 71% and that too, somewhere between 2 and 8 days after exposure [3]. This attests to the fact that merely testing negative for COVID-19, would not rule out the possibility of the patient being an asymptomatic carrier. It also remains vital that patients that do not have the disease, do not contract it, during the course of their stay in the

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