No abstract

Objectives/Hypothesis Microlaryngeal surgery (ML) is a short procedure that requires a deep neuromuscular blockade to provide optimum surgical conditions. Succinylcholine is a relaxant widely used but involves numerous complications. One valid alternative is rocuronium, with a specific antagonist, sugammadex. The primary objective was to assess the surgical conditions in ML according to the relaxant. The secondary objectives were to assess intubation conditions and intraoperative and immediate postoperative adverse events. Study Design Prospective randomized study. Methods This was a prospective study of patients scheduled for ML randomized into two groups according to relaxant. Neuromuscular blockade was recorded after administration and during ML surgery. Surgical conditions were assessed using the ML Rating Scale, intubation conditions, remifentanil doses, intraoperative complications, surgery time, emergence time, and complications in the postanesthesia care unit. Results Two hundred five patients were included (rocuronium = 103, succinylcholine = 102). Train‐of‐four values were higher for rocuronium, though the otorhinolaryngology surgical conditions were significantly better in that group (rocuronium = 5.54 ± 1.39 points; succinylcholine = 9.13 ± 1.99 points). Intubation conditions were similar in both groups. Remifentanil doses were higher for succinylcholine (P < .001) (rocuronium = 0.102 ± 0.05 μg/kg/min; succinylcholine = 0.201 ± 0.05 μg/kg/min). There were no differences in the duration of surgery, but the time to awakening was significantly longer for succinylcholine (rocuronium = 3.82 ± 1.38 minutes, succinylcholine = 9.18 ± 2.04 minutes, P < .001). Conclusions Rocuronium provides better surgical conditions and allows for the use of lower doses of remifentanil as compared to succinylcholine and cisatracurium in ML. This makes it possible to decrease the time to awakening and the complications associated with high doses of remifentanil. Level of Evidence 1b Laryngoscope, 131:E212–E218, 2021

In recent years, some studies have generated controversy since they conclude that intraoperatively pharmacological reversal of neuromuscular blockade does not contribute to the reduction of postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade or pulmonary complications. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the incidence of residual neuromuscular blockade and postoperative pulmonary complications according to spontaneous or pharmacological neuromuscular reversal. The secondary aim was to present a prognostic model to predict the probability of having postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade depending on a patient's comorbidities and intraoperative neuromuscular blocking agents management. A single-center, prospective, observational cohort study including patients undergoing surgical procedures with general anesthesia was designed. A total of 714 patients were analyzed. Patients were divided into four groups: cisatracurium with spontaneous reversal, cisatracurium with neostigmine antagonism, rocuronium with spontaneous reversal, and rocuronium with sugammadex antagonism. According to our binomial generalized linear model, none of the studied comorbidities was a predisposing factor for an increase in the residual neuromuscular blockade. However, in our study, pharmacological reversal of rocuronium with sugammadex and, particularly, neuromuscular monitoring during surgery were the factors that most effectively reduced the risk of residual neuromuscular blockade as well as early and late postoperative pulmonary complications.

IntroductionThe evidence currently available from enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programmes concerns their benefits in the immediate postoperative period, but there is still very little evidence as to whether their correct implementation benefits patients in the long term. The working hypothesis here is that, due to the lower response to surgical aggression and lower rates of postoperative complications, ERAS protocols can reduce colorectal cancer-related mortality. The main objective of this study is to analyse the impact of an ERAS programme for colorectal cancer on 5-year survival. As secondary objectives, we propose to analyse the weight of each of the predefined items in the oncological results as well as the quality of life.Methods and analysisA multicentre prospective cohort study was conducted in patients older than 18 years of age who are scheduled to undergo surgery for colorectal cancer. The study involved 12 hospitals with an implemented enhanced recovery protocol according to the guidelines published by the Spanish National Health Service. The intervention group includes patients with a minimum implementation level of 70%, and the control group includes those who fail to reach this level. Compliance will be studied using 18 key performance indicators, and the results will be analysed using cancer survival indicators, including overall survival, cancer-specific survival and relapse-free survival. The time to recurrence, perioperative morbidity and mortality, hospital stay and quality of life will also be studied, the latter using the validated EuroQol Five questionnaire. The propensity index method will be used to create comparable treatment and control groups, and a multivariate regression will be used to study each variable. The Kaplan-Meier estimator will be used to estimate survival and the log-rank test to make comparisons. A p value of less than 0.05 (two-tailed) will be considered to be significant.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval for this study was obtained from the Aragon Ethical Committee (C.P.-C.I. PI20/086) on 4 March 2020. The findings of this study will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals (BMJ Open, JAMA Surgery, Annals of Surgery, British Journal of Surgery). Abstracts will be submitted to relevant national and international meetings.Trial registration numberNCT04305314.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the most critically ill patients with COVID-19 have greater autonomic nervous system dysregulation and assessing the heart rate variability, allows us to predict severity and 30-day mortality. This was a multicentre, prospective, cohort study. Patients were divided into two groups depending on the 30-day mortality. The heart rate variability and more specifically the relative parasympathetic activity (ANIm), and the SDNN (Energy), were measured. To predict severity and mortality multivariate analyses of ANIm, Energy, SOFA score, and RASS scales were conducted. 112 patients were collected, the survival group (n = 55) and the deceased group (n = 57). The ANIm value was higher (p = 0.013) and the Energy was lower in the deceased group (p = 0.001); Higher Energy was correlated with higher survival days (p = 0.009), and a limit value of 0.31 s predicted mortalities with a sensitivity of 71.9% and a specificity of 74.5%. Autonomic nervous system and heart rate variability monitoring in critically ill patients with COVID-19 allows for predicting survival days and 30-day mortality through the Energy value. Those patients with greater severity and mortality showed higher sympathetic depletion with a predominance of relative parasympathetic activity.