Pub Date : 2021-01-22eCollection Date: 2021-01-01DOI: 10.2147/LRA.S287975
Ambrose Rukewe, Linea Nanyalo-Nashima, Nicola Olivier
A recent inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction and percutaneous coronary intervention in an elderly female patient scheduled for bilateral lower extremity operations simultaneously represent significant risks for re-infarction and mortality. Our index patient required an above-knee amputation of the left leg to prevent infection/progressing gangrene as well as application of a back-slab for the conservative management of a fractured right femur. We employed spinal injection of ultra-low-dose 0.5% isobaric bupivacaine 4 mg with morphine 75 mcg plus fentanyl 10 mcg which provided adequate anesthesia for radical amputation, effective postoperative analgesia and good hemodynamic stability.
{"title":"Spinal Anesthesia Using Ultra-Low-Dose Isobaric Bupivacaine with Intrathecal Morphine-Fentanyl for Bilateral Low Extremity Procedures in a Geriatric Patient with Recent Myocardial Infarction and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.","authors":"Ambrose Rukewe, Linea Nanyalo-Nashima, Nicola Olivier","doi":"10.2147/LRA.S287975","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S287975","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A recent inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction and percutaneous coronary intervention in an elderly female patient scheduled for bilateral lower extremity operations simultaneously represent significant risks for re-infarction and mortality. Our index patient required an above-knee amputation of the left leg to prevent infection/progressing gangrene as well as application of a back-slab for the conservative management of a fractured right femur. We employed spinal injection of ultra-low-dose 0.5% isobaric bupivacaine 4 mg with morphine 75 mcg plus fentanyl 10 mcg which provided adequate anesthesia for radical amputation, effective postoperative analgesia and good hemodynamic stability.</p>","PeriodicalId":18203,"journal":{"name":"Local and Regional Anesthesia","volume":"14 ","pages":"7-11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/5d/44/lra-14-7.PMC7837540.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25314493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-14eCollection Date: 2021-01-01DOI: 10.2147/LRA.S291308
Abebayehu Zemedkun, Belete Destaw, Mesay Milkias
Mastectomy is mostly performed as definitive management for resectable breast cancer. Implementing paravertebral nerve block for patients with metastasis features of cancer to lungs and other organs, patients with co-morbidity, geriatrics, and malnourished individuals will eliminate the risks and complications of general anesthesia. Though thoracic paravertebral block is an established technique as postoperative pain management for breast surgery, there is no conclusive evidence on its use as a sole anesthetic for modified radical mastectomy. In this case report, we present a 33-year-old woman who underwent a successful modified radical mastectomy for stage IIIb breast cancer associated with clinical and radiological features of metastasis to the lung under a multiple injection landmark technique paravertebral nerve block. We believe that the anatomic landmark technique paravertebral nerve block can be used as an alternative anesthetic technique for modified radical mastectomy in a resource-limited setting for patients who are expected to have a high risk of perioperative complications under general anesthesia.
{"title":"Anatomic Landmark Technique Thoracic Paravertebral Nerve Block as a Sole Anesthesia for Modified Radical Mastectomy in a Resource-Poor Setting: A Clinical Case Report.","authors":"Abebayehu Zemedkun, Belete Destaw, Mesay Milkias","doi":"10.2147/LRA.S291308","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S291308","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mastectomy is mostly performed as definitive management for resectable breast cancer. Implementing paravertebral nerve block for patients with metastasis features of cancer to lungs and other organs, patients with co-morbidity, geriatrics, and malnourished individuals will eliminate the risks and complications of general anesthesia. Though thoracic paravertebral block is an established technique as postoperative pain management for breast surgery, there is no conclusive evidence on its use as a sole anesthetic for modified radical mastectomy. In this case report, we present a 33-year-old woman who underwent a successful modified radical mastectomy for stage IIIb breast cancer associated with clinical and radiological features of metastasis to the lung under a multiple injection landmark technique paravertebral nerve block. We believe that the anatomic landmark technique paravertebral nerve block can be used as an alternative anesthetic technique for modified radical mastectomy in a resource-limited setting for patients who are expected to have a high risk of perioperative complications under general anesthesia.</p>","PeriodicalId":18203,"journal":{"name":"Local and Regional Anesthesia","volume":"14 ","pages":"1-5"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/7e/8a/lra-14-1.PMC7814229.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38853659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-12-15eCollection Date: 2020-01-01DOI: 10.2147/LRA.S288726
Mohammad K Al Nobani, Mohammed A Ayasa, Tarek A Tageldin, Abduljabbar Alhammoud, Marcus Daniel Lance
Background: Dexmedetomidine is a sedative and analgesic medication which has gained an increased usage as an adjuvant to both general and regional anaesthesia in recent years. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we examined the changes to the characteristics of subarachnoid block when accompanied with intravenous dexmedetomidine. Our aim is to evaluate the effects of different doses of intravenous dexmedetomidine on the sensory and motor blockade duration of a single shot spinal anaesthetic and the incidence of any associated side effects.
Methods: We searched published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) from January 1992 to April 2019 that investigated the use of IV dexmedetomidine with spinal anaesthesia. After considering our inclusion and exclusion criteria, we included 15 RCTs with 985 patients. We analyzed the duration of sensory and motor blockade and the related adverse effects in relation to different doses of IV dexmedetomidine.
Results: Intravenous dexmedetomidine, with loading dose of 1 mcg/kg, prolonged the sensory blockade duration of spinal anaesthesia by a mean difference of 49.6 min, P<0.001, and motor blockade duration by a mean difference of 44.7 min, P<0.001, while a loading dose of 0.5 mcg/kg prolonged the sensory blockade by a mean difference of 43.06 min, P<0.001, and motor blockade duration by a mean difference of 29.09 min, P<0.001. Dexmedetomidine-related side effects were higher in patients receiving larger doses; the incidence of bradycardia was higher (OR=3.53, P<0.001) and incidence of hypotension showed a 1.29 fold increase when compared to the control group (P=0.065).
Conclusion: The administration of intravenous dexmedetomidine in conjunction with spinal anaesthesia can significantly prolong the duration of both sensory and motor blockade. The use of larger loading doses of dexmedetomidine was associated with a larger side-effect profile with minimal beneficial changes when compared to lower loading doses.
{"title":"The Effect of Different Doses of Intravenous Dexmedetomidine on the Properties of Subarachnoid Blockade: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Mohammad K Al Nobani, Mohammed A Ayasa, Tarek A Tageldin, Abduljabbar Alhammoud, Marcus Daniel Lance","doi":"10.2147/LRA.S288726","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S288726","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Dexmedetomidine is a sedative and analgesic medication which has gained an increased usage as an adjuvant to both general and regional anaesthesia in recent years. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we examined the changes to the characteristics of subarachnoid block when accompanied with intravenous dexmedetomidine. Our aim is to evaluate the effects of different doses of intravenous dexmedetomidine on the sensory and motor blockade duration of a single shot spinal anaesthetic and the incidence of any associated side effects.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) from January 1992 to April 2019 that investigated the use of IV dexmedetomidine with spinal anaesthesia. After considering our inclusion and exclusion criteria, we included 15 RCTs with 985 patients. We analyzed the duration of sensory and motor blockade and the related adverse effects in relation to different doses of IV dexmedetomidine.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Intravenous dexmedetomidine, with loading dose of 1 mcg/kg, prolonged the sensory blockade duration of spinal anaesthesia by a mean difference of 49.6 min, P<0.001, and motor blockade duration by a mean difference of 44.7 min, P<0.001, while a loading dose of 0.5 mcg/kg prolonged the sensory blockade by a mean difference of 43.06 min, P<0.001, and motor blockade duration by a mean difference of 29.09 min, P<0.001. Dexmedetomidine-related side effects were higher in patients receiving larger doses; the incidence of bradycardia was higher (OR=3.53, P<0.001) and incidence of hypotension showed a 1.29 fold increase when compared to the control group (P=0.065).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The administration of intravenous dexmedetomidine in conjunction with spinal anaesthesia can significantly prolong the duration of both sensory and motor blockade. The use of larger loading doses of dexmedetomidine was associated with a larger side-effect profile with minimal beneficial changes when compared to lower loading doses.</p>","PeriodicalId":18203,"journal":{"name":"Local and Regional Anesthesia","volume":"13 ","pages":"207-215"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2020-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7755884/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38763644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-05eCollection Date: 2020-01-01DOI: 10.2147/LRA.S230728
Marco Cascella, Sabrina Bimonte, Raffaela Di Napoli
The emergence from anesthesia is the stage of general anesthesia featuring the patient's progression from the unconsciousness status to wakefulness and restoration of consciousness. This complex process has precise neurobiology which differs from that of induction. Despite the medications commonly used in anesthesia allow recovery in a few minutes, a delay in waking up from anesthesia, called delayed emergence, may occur. This phenomenon is associated with delays in the operating room, and an overall increase in costs. Together with the emergence delirium, the phenomenon represents a manifestation of inadequate emergence. Nevertheless, in delayed emergence, the transition from unconsciousness to complete wakefulness usually occurs along a normal trajectory, although slowed down. On the other hand, this awakening trajectory could proceed abnormally, possibly culminating in the manifestation of emergence delirium. Clinically, delayed emergence often represents a challenge for clinicians who must make an accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause to quickly establish appropriate therapy. This paper aimed at presenting an update on the phenomenon, analyzing its causes. Diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are addressed. Finally, therapeutic perspectives on the "active awakening" are reported.
{"title":"Delayed Emergence from Anesthesia: What We Know and How We Act.","authors":"Marco Cascella, Sabrina Bimonte, Raffaela Di Napoli","doi":"10.2147/LRA.S230728","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S230728","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The emergence from anesthesia is the stage of general anesthesia featuring the patient's progression from the unconsciousness status to wakefulness and restoration of consciousness. This complex process has precise neurobiology which differs from that of induction. Despite the medications commonly used in anesthesia allow recovery in a few minutes, a delay in waking up from anesthesia, called delayed emergence, may occur. This phenomenon is associated with delays in the operating room, and an overall increase in costs. Together with the emergence delirium, the phenomenon represents a manifestation of inadequate emergence. Nevertheless, in delayed emergence, the transition from unconsciousness to complete wakefulness usually occurs along a normal trajectory, although slowed down. On the other hand, this awakening trajectory could proceed abnormally, possibly culminating in the manifestation of emergence delirium. Clinically, delayed emergence often represents a challenge for clinicians who must make an accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause to quickly establish appropriate therapy. This paper aimed at presenting an update on the phenomenon, analyzing its causes. Diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are addressed. Finally, therapeutic perspectives on the \"active awakening\" are reported.</p>","PeriodicalId":18203,"journal":{"name":"Local and Regional Anesthesia","volume":"13 ","pages":"195-206"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2020-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.2147/LRA.S230728","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38696628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-03eCollection Date: 2020-01-01DOI: 10.2147/LRA.S278372
Maria Escudero-Fung, Erik B Lehman, Kunal Karamchandani
Background: Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks using liposomal bupivacaine can reduce postoperative pain and opioid consumption after surgery. The impact of timing of administration of such blocks has not been determined.
Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study of all adult patients that underwent colorectal procedures between January 2013 and October 2015 and received TAP blocks with liposomal bupivacaine at our institution was conducted. The primary outcomes were postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption. Secondary outcomes included postoperative use of non-opioid analgesics as well as total hospital cost of admission and postoperative hospital length of stay.
Results: A total of 287 patients were identified and included in the analysis. A total of 71 patients received blocks prior to induction of general anesthesia (pre-ind), 85 patients received blocks after induction of general anesthesia but prior to surgical incision (post-ind) and 131 patients received blocks after completion of surgery (post-op). No significant differences were observed in the postoperative pain scores (either in the first 4 hours or for the entire duration of hospital stay) or opioid consumption between the pre-ind and the post-ind groups. More ketorolac was used in the post-op group compared to the pre-ind group (or= 3.36, 95% CI (1.08, 10.43); p=0.03).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that there seems to be no difference if tap blocks with liposomal bupivacaine are performed before or after induction of anesthesia. Patient preference as well as operating room efficiency should be considered when deciding on the timing of these blocks.
背景:使用布比卡因脂质体阻滞经腹平面(TAP)可以减少术后疼痛和阿片类药物的消耗。这类药物服用时间的影响尚未确定。材料与方法:对2013年1月至2015年10月在我院接受布比卡因脂质体TAP阻滞治疗的所有结直肠手术成年患者进行回顾性队列研究。主要结局是术后疼痛评分和阿片类药物消耗。次要结局包括术后非阿片类镇痛药的使用、住院总费用和术后住院时间。结果:共有287例患者被纳入分析。共有71例患者在全麻诱导前(pre-ind)接受阻滞,85例患者在全麻诱导后但在手术切口前(后ind)接受阻滞,131例患者在手术完成后(后op)接受阻滞。在术后疼痛评分(前4小时或整个住院期间)或阿片类药物消耗方面,ind前组和ind后组没有观察到显著差异。与术前相比,术后组使用更多的酮咯酸(or= 3.36, 95% CI (1.08, 10.43);p = 0.03)。结论:我们的研究结果表明,在麻醉诱导之前或之后使用布比卡因脂质体进行tap阻断似乎没有差异。在决定这些阻滞的时机时,应考虑患者的偏好以及手术室的效率。
{"title":"Timing of Transversus Abdominis Plane Block and Postoperative Pain Management.","authors":"Maria Escudero-Fung, Erik B Lehman, Kunal Karamchandani","doi":"10.2147/LRA.S278372","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S278372","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks using liposomal bupivacaine can reduce postoperative pain and opioid consumption after surgery. The impact of timing of administration of such blocks has not been determined.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A retrospective cohort study of all adult patients that underwent colorectal procedures between January 2013 and October 2015 and received TAP blocks with liposomal bupivacaine at our institution was conducted. The primary outcomes were postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption. Secondary outcomes included postoperative use of non-opioid analgesics as well as total hospital cost of admission and postoperative hospital length of stay.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 287 patients were identified and included in the analysis. A total of 71 patients received blocks prior to induction of general anesthesia (pre-ind), 85 patients received blocks after induction of general anesthesia but prior to surgical incision (post-ind) and 131 patients received blocks after completion of surgery (post-op). No significant differences were observed in the postoperative pain scores (either in the first 4 hours or for the entire duration of hospital stay) or opioid consumption between the pre-ind and the post-ind groups. More ketorolac was used in the post-op group compared to the pre-ind group (or= 3.36, 95% CI (1.08, 10.43); p=0.03).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings suggest that there seems to be no difference if tap blocks with liposomal bupivacaine are performed before or after induction of anesthesia. Patient preference as well as operating room efficiency should be considered when deciding on the timing of these blocks.</p>","PeriodicalId":18203,"journal":{"name":"Local and Regional Anesthesia","volume":"13 ","pages":"185-193"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2020-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.2147/LRA.S278372","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38696627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-28eCollection Date: 2020-01-01DOI: 10.2147/LRA.S240564
Stefan De Hert
Approximately, one in three physicians is experiencing burnout at any given time. This may not only interfere with own wellbeing but also with the quality of delivered care. This narrative review discusses several aspects of the burnout syndrome: prevalence, symptoms, etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, impact, and strategies on how to deal with the problem.
{"title":"Burnout in Healthcare Workers: Prevalence, Impact and Preventative Strategies.","authors":"Stefan De Hert","doi":"10.2147/LRA.S240564","DOIUrl":"10.2147/LRA.S240564","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Approximately, one in three physicians is experiencing burnout at any given time. This may not only interfere with own wellbeing but also with the quality of delivered care. This narrative review discusses several aspects of the burnout syndrome: prevalence, symptoms, etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, impact, and strategies on how to deal with the problem.</p>","PeriodicalId":18203,"journal":{"name":"Local and Regional Anesthesia","volume":"13 ","pages":"171-183"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2020-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/82/39/lra-13-171.PMC7604257.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38575129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-23eCollection Date: 2020-01-01DOI: 10.2147/LRA.S272694
James Harvey Jones, Robin Aldwinckle
Laparoscopic abdominal surgery has become a mainstay of modern surgical practice. Postoperative analgesia is an integral component of recovery following laparoscopic abdominal surgery and may be improved by regional anesthesia or intravenous lidocaine infusion. There is inconsistent evidence supporting the use of interfascial plane blocks, such as transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks, for patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery as evidenced by variable patterns of local anesthetic spread and conflicting results from studies comparing TAP blocks to local anesthetic infiltration of laparoscopic port sites and multimodal analgesia. Quadratus lumborum (QL) and erector spinae plane (ESP) blocks may provide greater areas of somatic analgesia as well as visceral analgesia, which may translate to more significant clinical benefits. Aside from the locations of the surgical incisions, it is unclear what other factors should be considered when choosing one regional technique over another or deciding to infuse lidocaine intravenously. We reviewed the current literature in attempt to clarify the roles of various regional anesthesia techniques for patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery and present one possible approach to evaluating postoperative pain.
{"title":"Interfascial Plane Blocks and Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgery: A Narrative Review.","authors":"James Harvey Jones, Robin Aldwinckle","doi":"10.2147/LRA.S272694","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S272694","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Laparoscopic abdominal surgery has become a mainstay of modern surgical practice. Postoperative analgesia is an integral component of recovery following laparoscopic abdominal surgery and may be improved by regional anesthesia or intravenous lidocaine infusion. There is inconsistent evidence supporting the use of interfascial plane blocks, such as transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks, for patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery as evidenced by variable patterns of local anesthetic spread and conflicting results from studies comparing TAP blocks to local anesthetic infiltration of laparoscopic port sites and multimodal analgesia. Quadratus lumborum (QL) and erector spinae plane (ESP) blocks may provide greater areas of somatic analgesia as well as visceral analgesia, which may translate to more significant clinical benefits. Aside from the locations of the surgical incisions, it is unclear what other factors should be considered when choosing one regional technique over another or deciding to infuse lidocaine intravenously. We reviewed the current literature in attempt to clarify the roles of various regional anesthesia techniques for patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery and present one possible approach to evaluating postoperative pain.</p>","PeriodicalId":18203,"journal":{"name":"Local and Regional Anesthesia","volume":"13 ","pages":"159-169"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2020-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.2147/LRA.S272694","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38640723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-22eCollection Date: 2020-01-01DOI: 10.2147/LRA.S236550
Lena Ebba Dohlman, Andrew Kwikiriza, Odinakachukwu Ehie
Safe and accessible surgical and anesthetic care is critically limited for over half of the world's population, particularly in Sub-Saharan African and Southeast Asian countries. Increasing the use of regional anesthesia in these areas has potential benefits regarding access, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Perioperative anesthesia-related mortality is significantly higher in resource-limited countries and every effort should be made to encourage the use of anesthetic techniques in these countries that are safest under the present conditions. Studies from Sub-Saharan Africa, although limited in number, have shown a lower risk of death with regional compared to general anesthesia. Regional anesthesia has the further benefit of decreasing the risk of COVID-19 spread to healthcare providers by avoiding the aerosol-generating procedures that occur during general anesthesia. Neuraxial regional anesthesia is relatively easy to teach and perform and is considered the anesthetic of choice for surgeries below the umbilicus in resource-limited settings due to its safety, efficacy, and low cost. Although regional anesthesia has multiple potential advantages, education and training of anesthetic providers in low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC) are a significant barrier to growth. Anesthesia professionals, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, are often poorly supported and undervalued, and recruitment and retention of adequate numbers of trained practitioners are a continuing problem. Greater use of regional anesthesia could be one way to safely increase anesthesia access and simultaneously create value and enthusiasm for the field. Deficits in anesthesia infrastructure, equipment, and drugs also limit anesthesia capacity in low-and middle-income countries. Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia may be helpful in improving access to safe and reliable anesthesia in low-resource countries as it continues to become more user-friendly, durable, and affordable.
{"title":"Benefits and Barriers to Increasing Regional Anesthesia in Resource-Limited Settings.","authors":"Lena Ebba Dohlman, Andrew Kwikiriza, Odinakachukwu Ehie","doi":"10.2147/LRA.S236550","DOIUrl":"10.2147/LRA.S236550","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Safe and accessible surgical and anesthetic care is critically limited for over half of the world's population, particularly in Sub-Saharan African and Southeast Asian countries. Increasing the use of regional anesthesia in these areas has potential benefits regarding access, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Perioperative anesthesia-related mortality is significantly higher in resource-limited countries and every effort should be made to encourage the use of anesthetic techniques in these countries that are safest under the present conditions. Studies from Sub-Saharan Africa, although limited in number, have shown a lower risk of death with regional compared to general anesthesia. Regional anesthesia has the further benefit of decreasing the risk of COVID-19 spread to healthcare providers by avoiding the aerosol-generating procedures that occur during general anesthesia. Neuraxial regional anesthesia is relatively easy to teach and perform and is considered the anesthetic of choice for surgeries below the umbilicus in resource-limited settings due to its safety, efficacy, and low cost. Although regional anesthesia has multiple potential advantages, education and training of anesthetic providers in low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC) are a significant barrier to growth. Anesthesia professionals, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, are often poorly supported and undervalued, and recruitment and retention of adequate numbers of trained practitioners are a continuing problem. Greater use of regional anesthesia could be one way to safely increase anesthesia access and simultaneously create value and enthusiasm for the field. Deficits in anesthesia infrastructure, equipment, and drugs also limit anesthesia capacity in low-and middle-income countries. Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia may be helpful in improving access to safe and reliable anesthesia in low-resource countries as it continues to become more user-friendly, durable, and affordable.</p>","PeriodicalId":18203,"journal":{"name":"Local and Regional Anesthesia","volume":"13 ","pages":"147-158"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2020-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/22/ff/lra-13-147.PMC7588832.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38640722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block (PNB) has become a popular anesthetic procedure. We report a case of an enlarged brachial plexus nerve noted on ultrasonographic images, as part of PNB, which was diagnosed postoperatively as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTD), an inherited neurological disorder of the peripheral nerves. Although nerve enlargement is characteristic of demyelinating diseases such as CMTD, the use of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of neurological disorders is a developing area for neurologists and anesthesiologists can lack knowledge in this emerging field. Unusual nerve presentation on ultrasonographic images during PNB anesthetic procedures should be recognized as being indicative of underlying neurologic disorders. This case highlights that increased awareness of the diagnosis of underlying neurologic disorders by ultrasonography would assist the general practice of PNB in anesthetic medicine. This is especially important as underlying neurological conditions can have important consequences for patient-appropriate anesthesia and may inform best anesthetic practice. A new category, "neurological disorder on ultrasound image", should be introduced to PNB knowledge in anesthetic field.
{"title":"Enlarged Brachial Plexus Nerve Found During Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Nerve Block Diagnosed as Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease: A Case Report.","authors":"Toshie Shiraishi, Kentaro Masumoto, Mitsuyo Nakamura, Gumi Hidano","doi":"10.2147/LRA.S270189","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S270189","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block (PNB) has become a popular anesthetic procedure. We report a case of an enlarged brachial plexus nerve noted on ultrasonographic images, as part of PNB, which was diagnosed postoperatively as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTD), an inherited neurological disorder of the peripheral nerves. Although nerve enlargement is characteristic of demyelinating diseases such as CMTD, the use of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of neurological disorders is a developing area for neurologists and anesthesiologists can lack knowledge in this emerging field. Unusual nerve presentation on ultrasonographic images during PNB anesthetic procedures should be recognized as being indicative of underlying neurologic disorders. This case highlights that increased awareness of the diagnosis of underlying neurologic disorders by ultrasonography would assist the general practice of PNB in anesthetic medicine. This is especially important as underlying neurological conditions can have important consequences for patient-appropriate anesthesia and may inform best anesthetic practice. A new category, \"neurological disorder on ultrasound image\", should be introduced to PNB knowledge in anesthetic field.</p>","PeriodicalId":18203,"journal":{"name":"Local and Regional Anesthesia","volume":"13 ","pages":"141-146"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2020-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.2147/LRA.S270189","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38643074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Patients with congestive heart failure have a high risk of perioperative major adverse cardiac events and death. The major perioperative goal of management in patients with low ejection fraction is maintaining hemodynamic stability. Evidence is scarce on the safety of a certain anesthetic technique for patients with heart failure. In this report, we present a 48-year-old man with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and low-output congestive heart failure (estimated ejection fraction of 27%) who underwent emergent below-knee amputation under selective spinal anesthesia without any apparent complications. We believe that selective spinal anesthesia can be a useful alternative anesthetic technique in patients with low ejection fraction undergoing emergent lower limb surgery. We showed evidence-based and customized anesthetic management of a high-risk patient with the available equipment and resources. This report will hopefully show the contextual challenges of the perioperative care of critically ill patients in resource-constrained settings.
{"title":"Selective Spinal Anesthesia in a Patient with Low Ejection Fraction Who Underwent Emergent Below-Knee Amputation in a Resource-Constrained Setting.","authors":"Hailemariam Mulugeta, Abebayehu Zemedkun, Hailemariam Getachew","doi":"10.2147/LRA.S277152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S277152","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Patients with congestive heart failure have a high risk of perioperative major adverse cardiac events and death. The major perioperative goal of management in patients with low ejection fraction is maintaining hemodynamic stability. Evidence is scarce on the safety of a certain anesthetic technique for patients with heart failure. In this report, we present a 48-year-old man with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and low-output congestive heart failure (estimated ejection fraction of 27%) who underwent emergent below-knee amputation under selective spinal anesthesia without any apparent complications. We believe that selective spinal anesthesia can be a useful alternative anesthetic technique in patients with low ejection fraction undergoing emergent lower limb surgery. We showed evidence-based and customized anesthetic management of a high-risk patient with the available equipment and resources. This report will hopefully show the contextual challenges of the perioperative care of critically ill patients in resource-constrained settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":18203,"journal":{"name":"Local and Regional Anesthesia","volume":"13 ","pages":"135-140"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2020-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.2147/LRA.S277152","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38643073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}