Pediatric size 2 i-gel is easy to insert and provides higher OSP compared with same size PLMA and cLMA in spontaneously breathing children undergoing elective surgery. It may be a safe alternative to laryngeal mask airways in day care surgeries.
Background and Aims:Knee replacement surgery causes tremendous post-operative pain and adductor canal block (ACB) is used for post-operative analgesia. This is a randomised, controlled, three-arm parallel group study using different doses of dexmedetomidine added to ropiavcaine for ACB.Methods:A total of 150 patients aged 18–75 years, scheduled for simultaneous bilateral total knee replacement, received ultrasound-guided ACB. They were randomised into three groups -Group A received ACB with plain ropivacaine; Groups B and C received ACB with ropivacaine and addition of dexmedetomidine 0.25 μg/kg and 0.50 μg/kg, respectively, on each side of ACB. The primary outcome was the duration of analgesia. Total opioid consumption, success of early ambulation, and level of patient satisfaction were also assessed.Results:The patient characteristics and block success rates were comparable in all groups. Group C patients had longer duration of analgesia (Group C 18.4 h ± 7.4; Group B 14.6 ± 7.1; Group A 10.8 ± 7; P < 0.001); lesser tramadol consumption (Group C 43.8 mg ± 53.2; Group B 76.4 ± 49.6; Group A 93.9 mg ± 58.3; P < 0.001) and lesser pain on movement (P < 0.001). The patients in Group B and C walked more steps than in Group A (P < 0.002). The level of patient satisfaction was highest in Group C (P < 0.001).Conclusions:The addition of dexmedetomidine to ropivacaine resulted in longer duration of analgesia after adductor canal block for simultaneous bilateral total knee replacement surgery.
The number of patients with uncorrected congenital cyanotic heart disease is less but at times some may present for non-cardiac surgery with a high anesthetic risk. Some of these may even be adults with compromised cardiopulmonary physiology posing greater challenges to the anesthesiologist. The authors have used a combination of dexmedetomidine and ketamine for anesthesia for non cardiac surgery in five patients with cyanotic heart disease and right to left shunt (3-Eisenmenger's syndrome, 2-Tetralogy of Fallot). The sympathoinhibitory effects of dexmedetomidine were balanced with the cardiostimulatory effects of ketamine, thereby maintaining good cardiovascular stability. The analgesia was good and there was no postoperative agitation. This drug combination was effective and safe for patients with cyanotic heart disease for non cardiac surgeries.
Local anesthetics (LAs) are extensively used in clinical practice by both anesthesiologists and non-anesthesiologists and are often associated with systemic toxicity. We hypothesize that this awareness is inadequate among medical specialists and entails a risk of misdiagnosis and underreporting of such events. We therefore conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study to assess the level of understanding of LA use and effective management of systemic toxicity among 200 postgraduate residents of various specialties (with the exception of anesthesiology) in a tertiary care hospital in India from October to December 2013. Among those residents who had used LAs (193/200), 27 and 25 % of responders correctly identified the toxic doses of lidocaine and of lidocaine + adrenaline, respectively. Of the responders, 70 % always performed a negative aspiration of blood before injecting the drug, 27 % sometimes aspirated and the remaining 3 % never aspirated. The majority of the responders (93 %) were unaware of the toxic dose of bupivacaine. Only 70 % of responders believed that LAs could be toxic [95 % confidence interval (CI) 65.5-74.5 %], and 81 % of these correctly identified the signs and symptoms of cardiotoxicity. Only 2 % of responders knew that lipid emulsion is a part of its treatment (95 % CI 0.6-3.4 %). Based on these results, there is a definite need to increase the awareness of detection and treatment of local anesthetic toxicity among all medical practitioners who regularly use LAs.
Management of a case of ankylosing spondylitis can be very challenging when the airway and the central neuraxial blockade, both are difficult. Ultrasound-assisted central neuraxial blockade may lead to predictable success in the field of regional anaesthesia. We present a young patient with severe ankylosing spondylitis where conventional techniques failed and ultrasound helped in successful combined spinal–epidural technique for total hip replacement surgery.
A combination of dexmedetomidine and ketamine for upper gastrointestinal endoscopies (UGIE) was studied in 46 children aged 2-12 years over a 6-month period. Dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg and ketamine 2 mg/kg were given as a bolus over 5 min. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and sedation scores were noted before induction as baseline and then every 5 min until recovery. The duration and ease of the procedure, time to recovery, and adverse effects, if any, were also recorded. UGIE could be performed with ease in 41 of the 46 cases. The HR, MAP, and SpO2 did not change significantly from the baseline. No airway intervention was required in any patient. There was no laryngospasm or shivering in any of the children, and one, four, and 11 children had hiccup, vomiting, and increased salivation, respectively. The Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium score was <4 in all except for two cases. The results of this case series show that this drug combination not only promises to be clinically effective but also safe for UGIE in children. Further randomized controlled trials with standard sedation protocols will be required to draw definite conclusions.
Almost all supraglottic airways (SGAs) are now available in pediatric sizes. The availability of these smaller sizes, especially in the last five years has brought a marked change in the whole approach to airway management in children. SGAs are now used for laparoscopic surgeries, head and neck surgeries, remote anesthesia; and for ventilation during resuscitation. A large number of reports have described the use of SGAs in difficult airway situations, either as a primary or a rescue airway. Despite this expanded usage, there remains little evidence to support its usage in prolonged surgeries and in the intensive care unit. This article presents an overview of the current options available, suitability of one over the other and reviews the published data relating to each device. In this review, the author also addresses some of the general concerns regarding the use of SGAs and explores newer roles of their use in children.
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