Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology最新文献

Background: Some anesthetic drugs reduce the amplitude of transcranial electrical motor-evoked potentials (MEPs). Remimazolam, a new benzodiazepine, has been suggested to have little effect on MEP amplitude. This prospective, preliminary, dose-escalation study aimed to assess whether remimazolam is associated with lower MEP amplitude in a dose-dependent manner.

Methods: Ten adult patients scheduled for posterior spinal fusion were included in this study. General anesthesia was induced with a continuous infusion of remifentanil and remimazolam. After the patient lost consciousness, the infusion rate of remimazolam was set to 1 mg/kg/h, and the patient underwent tracheal intubation. Baseline MEPs were recorded under 1 mg/kg/h of remimazolam in a prone position. Thereafter, the infusion rate of remimazolam was increased to 2 mg/kg/h, with a bolus of 0.1 mg/kg. Ten minutes after the increment, the evoked potentials were then recorded again. The primary endpoint was the MEP amplitude recorded in the left gastrocnemius muscle at 2 time points.

Results: There was no difference in MEP amplitude recorded from the left gastrocnemius muscle before and after increasing remimazolam (median [interquartile range]: 0.93 [0.65 to 1.25] mV and 0.70 [0.43 to 1.26] mV, respectively; P =0.08). The average time from the cessation of remimazolam administration to neurological examination after surgery was 4 minutes using flumazenil.

Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that increasing remimazolam from 1 to 2 mg/kg/h might have an insignificant effect on transcranial electric MEPs.

In this review article, we explore the implementation and outcomes of enhanced recovery after spine surgery (spine ERAS) across different World Bank country-income levels. A systematic literature search was conducted through PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL databases for articles on the implementation of spine ERAS in both adult and pediatric populations. Study characteristics, ERAS elements, and outcomes were analyzed and meta-analyses were performed for length of stay (LOS) and cost outcomes. The number of spine ERAS studies from low-middle-income countries (LMICs) increased since 2017, when the first spine ERAS implementation study was published. LMICs were more likely than high-income countries (HICs) to conduct studies on patients aged ≥18 years (odds ratio [OR], 6.00; 95% CI, 1.58-42.80), with sample sizes 51 to 100 (OR, 4.50; 95% CI, 1.21-22.90), and randomized controlled trials (OR, 7.25; 95% CI, 1.77-53.50). Preoperative optimization was more frequently implemented in LMICs than in HICs (OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.06-4.41), and operation time was more often studied in LMICs (OR 3.78; 95% CI, 1.77-8.35). Implementation of spine ERAS resulted in reductions in LOS in both LMIC (-2.06; 95% CI, -2.47 to -1.64 d) and HIC (-0.99; 95% CI, -1.28 to -0.70 d) hospitals. However, spine ERAS implementation did result in a significant reduction in costs. This review highlights the global landscape of ERAS implementation in spine surgery, demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing LOS across diverse settings. Further research with standardized reporting of ERAS elements and outcomes is warranted to explore the impact of spine ERAS on cost-effectiveness and other patient-centered outcomes.

Background: We implemented a quality improvement project to transition from routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling to indication-based sampling in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients with an external ventricular drain (EVD).

Methods: Forty-seven patients were assessed across 2 epochs: routine (n=22) and indication-based (n=25) CSF sampling. The primary outcome was the number of CSF samples, and secondary outcomes included cost reductions and ventriculostomy-associated infections.

Results: Patient characteristics were similar in the routine and indication-based sampling groups, as was the mean (SD) EVD duration (13.86 [5.28] days vs. 12.44 [4.78] days, respectively; P =0.936). One hundred eight CSF samples were collected during the quality improvement project; 81 in the routine sampling period and 27 in the indication-based sampling period. The median (interquartile range) CSF sampling rate reduced from 4 (3 to 4) per patient during routine sampling to 1 (0 to 2) during indication-based sampling (odds ratio: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.08-0.46; P <0.001), representing a 73% reduction in the number of samples after the transition to indication-based sampling. Each CSF sample cost $723, resulting in total sampling costs in the routine and indication-based sampling periods of $58,571 and $19,524, respectively. Therefore, the mean cost per patient was significantly higher in the routine sampling period than in the indication-based period ($2772 [$615] vs. $889 [$165], respectively; P =0.007). There were no ventriculostomy-associated infections in either period.

Conclusion: Transitioning from routine to indication-based CSF sampling in aSAH patients with an EVD reduced sampling frequency and associated costs without increasing infection rates.

Objective: It is recommended that ruptured cerebral aneurysms are treated in a high-volume center within 72 hours of ictus. We assessed the impact of long-distance aeromedical evacuation in patients presenting aSAH.

Methods: This case-control study compared patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) who had a 6750 km air transfer from Guadeloupe (a Caribbean island) to Paris, France, for neurointerventional management in a tertiary center with a matched cohort from Paris region treated in the same center over a 10-year period (2010 to 2019). The 2 populations were matched on age, sex, World Federation of Neurological Surgeons score, and Fisher score. The primary outcome was a 1-year modified Rankin Scale score ≤3. Secondary outcomes included time from diagnosis to securing aneurysm, 1-year mortality, and a cost analysis.

Results: Among 128 consecutive aSAH transferred from Guadeloupe, 93 were matched with 93 patients from the Paris area. The proportion of patients with 1-year modified Rankin Scale ≤3 (75% vs 82%, respectively; P = 0.5) and 1-year mortality (18% vs 14%, respectively; P = 0.2) was similar in the Guadeloupe and Paris groups. The median (interquartile range: Q1, Q3) time from diagnosis to securing the aneurysm was higher in the patients from Guadeloupe than those from Paris (48 [30, 63] h vs 23 [12, 24] h, respectively; P < 0.001). Guadeloupean patients received mechanical ventilation (58% vs 38%; P < 0.001) and external ventricular drainage (55% vs 39%; P = 0.005) more often than those from Paris. The additional cost of treating a Guadeloupe patient in Paris was estimated at 7580 Euros or 17% of the estimated cost in Guadeloupe.

Conclusions: Long-distance aeromedical evacuation of patients with aSAH from Guadeloupe to Paris resulted in a 25-hour increase in time to aneurysm coiling embolization time but did not impact 1-year functional outcomes or mortality.

Background: Epidural blood patch (EBP) is frequently used for the treatment of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) and anesthesiologists are often involved in performing such procedures. However, the optimal technique and approach of EBP remains uncertain.

Methods: This case series included adult patients with SIH who underwent EBPs at London Health Science Centre, Ontario, Canada between 2010 and 2022. Demographics, clinical presentations, investigations, and EBP treatment details were collected and analyzed. Univariate analysis was used to investigate the association of the variables with the likelihood of EBP 1-month efficacy and the efficacy duration of EBP.

Results: The study included 36 patients with SIH who received at least 1 EBP. EBPs provided immediate relief in almost all patients, albeit with diminishing effects over time. The 1-month efficacy improved with increasing number of EBP attempts ( P =0.032, Fisher exact test), though no particular EBP technique or volume of injectate was associated with better efficacy ( P =0.38, Fisher exact test). Though permanent resolution of symptoms was observed in only 24 of 82 EBPs (29%), 24 of 36 patients (67%) had permanent symptom resolution following repeated EBPs.

Conclusions: EBP is a promising treatment and symptomatic relief option in patients suffering from the debilitating symptoms of SIH. Tailored EBP techniques, including use of targeted higher volume EBP and a multi-level catheter guided technique for refractory cases, showed efficacy in our institutional setting. Despite its limitations, this study contributes valuable insights and experiences into the use of EBP for treatment of SIH.

Objective: Multiple strategies exist to facilitate microdissection and obliteration of intracranial aneurysms during microsurgical clipping. Rapid ventricular pacing (RVP) can be used to induce controlled transient hypotension to facilitate aneurysm manipulation. We report the indications and outcomes of intraoperative RVP for clipping of ruptured and unruptured complex aneurysms.

Methods: We completed a retrospective review of adult patients who underwent RVP-facilitated elective and emergent microsurgical aneurysm clipping by a single senior neurosurgeon between 2016 and 2023. Intraoperative RVP was performed at a rate of 150 to 200 beats per minute through a transvenous pacing wire and repeated as needed based on surgical requirements. Intraoperative procedural and pacing data and perioperative cardiac and neurosurgical variables were collected.

Results: Forty patients were included in this study. The median (interquartile range) number of pacing episodes per patient was 8 (5 to 14), resulting in a median mean arterial pressure of 37 (30 to 40) mm Hg during RVP. One patient developed wide complex tachycardia intraoperatively, which resolved after cardioversion. Fifteen out of 36 (42%) patients who had postoperative troponin measurements had at least one troponin value above the 99th percentile upper reference limit. One patient had markedly elevated troponin with anterolateral ischemia in the context of massive postoperative intracranial hemorrhage. There were no other documented intraoperative or postoperative cardiac events.

Conclusions: This retrospective case series suggests that RVP could be an effective adjunct for clipping of complex ruptured and unruptured aneurysms, associated with transient troponin rise but rare postoperative cardiac complications.

Transfusion strategies in neurocritical care require a delicate and nuanced balance between optimizing oxygen delivery to the injured brain and minimizing transfusion-associated risks. Although restrictive transfusion protocols are widely adopted in critical care, their applicability to patients with neurological injury remains the subject of debate. Anemia may exacerbate cerebral hypoxia, potentially worsening neurological outcomes, yet transfusion carries risks such as thrombosis, immune modulation, and increased intracranial pressure. Studies comparing liberal and restrictive transfusion strategies in neurocritical care have yielded mixed results, with most settling on the noninferiority of a restrictive approach while still considering a higher threshold for particular subgroups. This focused review will examine the current evidence on transfusion strategies in neurocritically ill patients and highlight key areas for future research.

Background: Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) can has been used for analgesia after lumbar spine surgery. However, its effect on postoperative quality of recovery (QoR) remains underexplored in patients undergoing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) or oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF). This study hypothesized that ESPB would improve postoperative QoR in this patient cohort.

Methods: Patients undergoing TLIF or OLIF were randomized into ESPB (n=38) and control groups (n=38). In the ESPB group, 25 mL of 0.375% bupivacaine was injected into each erector spinae plane at the T12 level under ultrasound guidance before skin incision. Multimodal analgesia, including wound infiltration, was applied in both groups. The QoR-15 score was measured before surgery and 1 day (primary outcome) and 3 days after surgery. Postoperative pain at rest and during ambulation and postoperative ambulation were also evaluated for 3 days after surgery.

Results: Perioperative QoR-15 scores were not significantly different between the ESPB and control groups including at 1 day after surgery (80±28 vs. 81±25, respectively; P =0.897). Patients in the ESPB group had a significantly lower mean (±SD) pain score during ambulation 1 hour after surgery (7±3 vs. 9±1, respectively; P= 0.013) and significantly shorter median (interquartile range) time to the first ambulation after surgery (2.0 [1.0 to 5.5] h vs. 5.0 [1.8 to 10.0] h, respectively; P= 0.038). There were no between-group differences in pain scores at other times or in the cumulative number of postoperative ambulations.

Conclusion: ESPB, as performed in this study, did not improve the QoR after TLIF or OLIF with multimodal analgesia.

The global demand for hospital care, driven by population growth and medical advances, emphasizes the importance of optimized resource management. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols aim to expedite patient recovery and reduce health care costs without compromising patient safety or satisfaction. Its principles have been adopted in various surgical specialties but have not fully encompassed all areas of neurosurgery, including craniotomy. ERAS for craniotomy has been shown to reduce the length of hospital stay and costs without increasing complications. ERAS protocols may also reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting and perioperative opioid requirements, highlighting their potential to enhance patient outcomes and health care efficiency. Despite these benefits, guidelines, and strategies for ERAS in craniotomy remain limited. This narrative review explores the current global landscape of ERAS for craniotomy, assessing existing literature and highlighting knowledge gaps. Experts from 26 countries with diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds contributed to this review, offering insights about current ERAS protocol applications, implementation challenges, and future perspectives, and providing a comprehensive global overview of ERAS for craniotomy. Representatives from all 6 World Health Organization geographical world areas reported that barriers to the implementation of ERAS for craniotomy include the absence of standardized protocols, provider resistance to change, resource constraints, insufficient education, and research scarcity. This review emphasizes the necessity of tailored ERAS protocols for low and middle-income countries, addressing differences in available resources. Acknowledging limitations in subjectivity and article selection, this review provides a comprehensive overview of ERAS for craniotomy from a global perspective and underscores the need for adaptable ERAS protocols tailored to specific health care systems and countries.