Enhanced recovery is cost-effective, with savings evident even in the initial implementation period.

Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) applied during induction of anesthesia prevents atelectasis formation and increases the duration of nonhypoxic apnea in nonobese patients. PEEP also prevents atelectasis formation in morbidly obese patients. Because morbidly obese patients have difficult airway management more often and because arterial desaturation develops rapidly, we studied the clinical benefit of PEEP applied during anesthesia induction. Thirty morbidly obese patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups. In the PEEP group, patients breathed 100% O(2) through a continuous positive airway pressure device (10 cm H(2)O) for 5 min. After induction of anesthesia, they were mechanically ventilated with PEEP (10 cm H(2)O) for another 5 min until tracheal intubation. In the control group, the sequence was the same but without any continuous positive airway pressure or PEEP. We measured apnea duration until Spo(2) reached 90% and we performed arterial blood gases analyses just before apnea and at 92% Spo(2). Nonhypoxic apnea duration was longer in the PEEP group compared with the control group (188 +/- 46 versus 127 +/- 43 s; P = 0.002). Pao(2) was higher before apnea in the PEEP group (P = 0.038). Application of positive airway pressure during induction of general anesthesia in morbidly obese patients increases nonhypoxic apnea duration by 50%.

Epidurals seem to slow down recovery after laparoscopic colorectal resections without adding obvious benefits. EDA can therefore not be recommended as part of ERAS pathways in laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Abbreviated Title (running head): ERAS -colorectal enhances non-ERAS liver surgery.Key words: enhanced recovery, liver surgery, compliance.

BACKGROUND Dexamethasone is widely used for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) but little is known about its efficacy for the treatment of established PONV.OBJECTIVE To test the antiemetic efficacy of intravenous dexamethasone for the treatment of established PONV in adults undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia and to determine whether there is dose-responsiveness.DESIGN The DexPonv trial is a multicentre, placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind, dose-finding study. Inclusion of patients was between September 2012 and November 2017. Follow-up for PONV symptoms was for 24 h. Thirty days postoperatively, patients were contacted by study nurses for any information on postoperative bleeding and infection. SETTING Four public hospitals in Switzerland.PATIENTS A total of 803 adults scheduled for elective surgery without any antiemetic prophylaxis signed the consent form; 714 were included. Among those, 319 had PONV and 281 patients were eventually randomised (intention to treat population and safety set). The per protocol set consisted of 260 patients.INTERVENTIONS Patients with PONV symptoms (including retching) were randomised to a single intravenous dose of dexamethasone 3, 6 or 12 mg or matching placebo.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary endpoint was the absence of further nausea or vomiting (including retching), within 24 h after administration of the study drug.RESULTS Dexamethasone was ineffective during the first 24 h, whatever the dosage, compared to placebo, even when the model was adjusted for known risk factors (P ¼ 0.170). There were no differences in the time to treatment failure or the quality of sleep during the first night. There was a positive correlation between the dose of dexamethasone and blood glucose concentrations (P < 0.001), but not with bleeding risk, wound infections or other adverse effects.CONCLUSION This randomised trial failed to show antiemetic efficacy of any of the tested intravenous regimens of dexamethasone for the treatment of established PONV in adults undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01975727).