Summary This study investigated the effects of pre‐procedural anxiety (assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory) on sedative requirements in 135 patients undergoing sedation for colonoscopy. Deep sedation was defined as loss of consciousness and no response to colonoscopy, and was achieved by target‐controlled infusion of propofol. Patients' characteristics, baseline haemodynamic profiles, Beck Anxiety Inventory scores, effect‐site propofol concentration at loss of consciousness and characteristics of recovery were recorded. No correlations were found between Beck Anxiety Inventory scores and effect‐site propofol concentration at loss of consciousness or baseline haemodynamic profiles. There was no statistical difference in the characteristics of recovery among patients with different levels of anxiety. In conclusion, in patients receiving deep sedation for colonoscopies, the level of pre‐procedural anxiety did not relate to the sedative requirement or post‐procedural recovery characteristics.

To determine, in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, the associations of pulmonary embolism (PE) with mortality and risk factors for PE as well as the therapeutic benefit of anticoagulant prophylaxis. Embase, PubMed, Cochrane controlled trials register, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to October 10, 2020. We included all published trials on PE in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 with eligibility of the trials assessed following the PRISMA guidelines. Sixteen clinical trials with 5826 patients were eligible. There were significant associations of PE with the male gender [odd ratio (OR) = 1.59, 95% CI 1.28–1.97], mechanical ventilation (OR = 3.71, 95% CI 2.57–5.36), intensive care unit admission (OR = 2.99, 95% CI 2.11–4.23), circulating D-dimer [mean difference (MD) = 5.04 µg/mL, 95% CI 3.67–6.42) and CRP (MD = 1.97 mg/dL, 95% CI 0.58– 3.35) concentrations without significant correlation between PE and mortality (OR = 1.31, 95% CI 0.82–2.08) as well as other parameters or comorbidities. After omitting one trial with strict patient selection criteria for anticoagulant prophylaxis, significant prophylactic benefit was noted (OR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.1–0.91). Our findings identified the risk factors associated with PE in COVID-19 patients and supported the therapeutic benefit of anticoagulant prophylaxis against PE in this patient population.

Background Previous researches have shown that anesthetic techniques may influence the patients' outcomes after cancer surgery. Here, we studied the relationship between the type of anesthetic techniques and patients' outcomes following elective robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who received elective, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy between January 2008 and December 2018. Patients were grouped according to the anesthesia they received, namely desflurane or propofol. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted, and survival curves were presented from the date of surgery to death. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to compare hazard ratios for death after propensity matching. Subgroup analyses were performed for tumornode-metastasis stage and disease progression. The primary outcome was overall survival, and the secondary outcome was postoperative biochemical recurrence. Results A total of 365 patients (24 deaths, 7.0%) under desflurane anesthesia, and 266 patients (2 deaths, 1.0%) under propofol anesthesia were included. The all-cause mortality rate was significantly lower in the propofol anesthesia than in the desflurane anesthesia during follow-up (P = 0.001). Two hundred sixty-four patients remained in each group after propensity matching. The propofol anesthesia was associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.48; P = 0.003) in the matched analysis.

SummaryIncreased tracheal cuff pressure during mechanical ventilation is associated with reduced mucosal blood flow and ischaemia, as well as postoperative sore throat. We assessed the potential effects of transoesophageal echocardiography probe insertion on the tracheal cuff pressure in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Using a manometer, the cuff pressure of a high-volume, low-pressure tracheal tube (inner diameter 7.0 mm for women and 7.5 mm for men) was adjusted to 25-30 cmH 2 O before blind insertion of a transoesophageal echocardiography probe. The pressure changes were then recorded for 1 min. After probe insertion, the mean (SD) intra-cuff pressure increased from 27.7 (1.5) to 36.2 (6.4) cmH 2 O (p < 0.001) and was > 35 cmH 2 0 in 17 ⁄ 38 patients (45%). Our results suggest that transoesophageal echocardiography probe insertion may increase the tracheal cuff pressure more than that is generally recommended and therefore the latter should be routinely monitored under such circumstances.

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The data of this study suggest that NR1 siRNA has potential therapeutic value in the treatment of inflammatory pain induced or maintained by peripheral nociceptor activity and support the potential application of this method to the study of nociceptive processes and target the validation of pain-associated genes.

This study characterized the incidence of airway misplacement of nasogastric (NG) tubes in surgical patients, and the benefit of using a manometer to discriminate gastric placement from airway placement of NG tubes. Subjects included adult patients scheduled for abdominal surgery. After tracheal intubation, a 16 Fr. NG tube was inserted blindly through the nostril, and its position was assessed using the auscultation (10-ml air insufflation) or manometer (attached to NG tubes) techniques. Briefly, a biphasic pressure change synchronous with airway pressure during mechanical ventilation indicated airway misplacement. The presence of a notable pressure change while compressing the epigastric area indicated a gastric placement. A surgeon made the final confirmation of NG tube placement within the stomach using manual palpation of the tube immediately after laparotomy. The first-attempt success rate was 82.7 % in 104 patients. There were 29 misplacements of 130 attempted insertions (oral cavity, n = 23; trachea, n = 3; distal esophagus, n = 3). The incidence of airway misplacement was 2.9 % (3 of 104 cases). For confirmation of gastric placement, the auscultation technique had a sensitivity of 100.0 % and a specificity of 79.3 %. In contrast, the manometer technique had a sensitivity of 100.0 % and a specificity of 100.0 % in the discrimination of gastric placement from airway placement of NG tubes. Airway misplacement of NG tubes is not uncommon in surgical patients, and the manometer technique may be a reliable and safe method to discriminate gastric placement from airway placement of NG tubes.

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