Brain specific monitoring enables detection and prevention of secondary cerebral insults, especially in the injured brain, thereby preventing permanent neurological damage. Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is widely used in various neurological, neurosurgical and even medical conditions, both intraoperatively and in critical care, to improve patient outcome. It is especially useful in patients with traumatic brain injury, as a robust predictor of cerebral perfusion, and can help to guide therapy and assess long-term prognosis. Intraventricular catheters remain the gold standard for ICP monitoring, as they are the most reliable, accurate and cost-effective, and allow therapeutic cerebrospinal fluid drainage. Newer fibreoptic catheter tip and microchip transducer techniques have revolutionised ICP monitoring, with their ease of insertion in patients with narrow ventricles, and reduced risk of infection and haemorrhage. Furthermore, non-invasive methods of ICP monitoring, such as transcranial Doppler, optic nerve sheath diameter, etc., have emerged as promising techniques for screening patients with raised ICP in settings where invasive techniques are either not feasible (patients with severe coagulopathy) or not available (setups without access to a neurosurgeon). Therefore, ICP monitoring, as a part of multi-modality neuromonitoring, is a useful tool in the armamentarium of the neuro-intensivist in decreasing morbidity and mortality of critically ill neurological patients.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) following injury or nerve damage, as its name signifies, is a challenging entity, and its successful management requires a multidisciplinary approach. It not only manifests as severe pain, but also gives rise to functional disability, lack of sleep, lack of enjoyment of life and poor quality of life. Various pain interventional techniques have been described in the literature for the management of CRPS ranging from sympathetic blocks to spinal cord stimulator. A 34-year-old liver transplant donor, who developed position-induced right upper limb neuropathic pain suggestive of CRPS type II was managed initially with medications and later with stellate ganglion block under fluoroscopic guidance at cervical C7 position. Following an initial significant improvement in pain and allodynia, which was transient, a pulsed radiofrequency ablation of stellate ganglion was performed successfully to provide prolonged and sustained pain relief, which persisted up to 14 months of follow-up.

Management of pituitary tumours can be very challenging for the anaesthesiologist. These patients require a thorough pre-operative assessment in view of underlying endocrine disturbances, which could cause anatomic and physiological disturbances. This needs to be optimized prior to surgery and the anaesthetic technique planned accordingly. The main intraoperative problems that could be encountered by the anaesthesiologist are airway problems, haemodynamic disturbances and potential for bleeding during surgery. The postoperative concerns are related to the endocrine system and fluid and water balance and this needs to be monitored closely and managed appropriately. The advent of minimally invasive surgery along with neuroimaging has considerably decreased perioperative morbidity and mortality following pituitary surgery. A team approach and close coordination between the endocrinologist, neurosurgeon and anaesthesiologist is imperative for a favourable outcome in patients undergoing pituitary surgery.

Study DesignProspective, randomised controlled, single centre study of 45 patients posted for two level lumbar fixation surgery in the prone position.PurposeTo compare intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), mean airway pressure mean airway pressure and blood loss during the spine surgery in prone position using three different positioning systems.Overview of LiteratureStudies have correlated IAP with the amount of perioperative bleeding. However, IAP and airway pressures while assessing the bleeding comparing two or more prone positioning systems are unclear.MethodsThis prospective study was conducted on a cohort of 45 patients scheduled for two-level lumbar fixation. Patients were randomly allocated to a spine table, Wilson's frame, and thermomodulated pads. Bladder pressure as an indicator of IAP, mean and peak airway pressures, and blood loss were monitored.ResultsIAP increased whenever patient position was changed to prone .The increase in pressure was more in the Wilson's frame group but was statistically significant only on prolonged positioning. Adopting the prone position always increased the mean airway pressure, but the increased was significant only in the Wilson's frame group. Mean airway pressure decreased in the spine table group and was statistically significant. The blood loss in the spine table group was significantly less as compared to the other groups.ConclusionsPositioning on a spine table results in less blood loss and low mean airway pressure. The Wilson's frame results in high IAP, increased mean airway pressure, and more blood loss. The thermomodulated frame increases mean airway pressure and produces a moderate increase in IAP and airway pressure.