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Epidurally introduced narcotic, like buprenorphine in saline, has been found to be effective in our study to achieve adequate analgesia in treatment of patients with multiple rib fractures. In addition, this methodology of pain relief eliminates the costly delivery system and early discharge, and allows walking epidurals and follow-up on outpatient basis.

Intra-operative nerve monitoring (IONM) is rapidly becoming a standard of care in many institutions across the country. In the absence of neuromuscular blocking agents to facilitate the IONM, the depth of anesthesia required to abolish the laryngo tracheal reflexes often results in profound hemodynamic instability during surgery, necessitating the use of large doses of sympathomimetic amines. The excessive alpha and beta adrenergic effects exhibited by these agents are undesirable in the presence of cardiovascular co-morbidities. Trying to strike a balance frequently results in an unsatisfactory intra-operative course. In the course of the near total thyroidectomy performed on a 60-year-old female, we employed lidocaine infusion at 1.5 mg/kg/hour following a bolus dose of 1 mg/kg. The troublesome laryngo tracheal reflexes were successfully blunted and we were able to moderate the depth of anesthesia resulting in stable hemodynamics. A bispectral index monitor was employed to guard against “recall” and a train of four monitor was used to ensure the absence of inadvertent neuromuscular blockade. During the surgery, there was loss of signal on the left recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). The signal strength was restored by rotating the endotracheal tube on its long axis to realign the electrode with the vocal cords under Glidescope® visualization.

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Anaesthetic management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea for upper airway surgery has always been a challenging task. We report our anaesthetic approach for a young, mentally retarded obese patient with documented obstructive sleep apnea undergoing uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. The therapeutic intervention before, during and after operation is discussed.

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Intraoperative wake-up test (WPT) still remains the gold standard to monitor anterior spinal cord function during spinal surgery. However, the test requires patient cooperation and hence difficult to perform in very young children or mentally challenged. In this report, we describe a WPT in a newborn during surgical repair of a large myelomeningocele. We relied on mivacurium for intubation and the relaxant effect was allowed to wear-off to permit the use of intraoperative nerve stimulator. We used desflurane and propofol infusion for rapid titration of the anesthetic depth and BIS monitor to 'gauge' the 'wakefulness' of the child during the WPT. We employed lidocaine infusion to improve tolerance to the tracheal tube and to bestow beneficial effect on intracranial pressure during surgery and the WPT. The results of the WPT were judged to be satisfactory after confirming flexion and extension of the lower extremities at the hip and knee level, correlating it with the BIS values, and comparing it with the preoperative status. Frequently associated prematurity, higher possibility of remaining intubated in the immediate postoperative period and any new onset neurologic deficit not becoming apparent until after extubation makes intraoperative neuromonitoring relevant in this age group. Our methodology of management has permitted us to perform a delicate test safely and will allow us to repeat the WPT if needed during neonatal neurosurgery.