Blood loss in primary total knee arthroplasty-body temperature is not a significant risk factor-a prospective, consecutive, observational cohort study

BACKGROUND: Hypothermia related to anaesthesia and operating theatre environment is associated with increased blood loss in a number of surgical disciplines, including total hip arthroplasty. The influence of patient temperature on blood loss in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has not been previously studied. METHODS: We recorded patient axillary temperature in the peri-operative period, up to 24 h post-operatively, and analysed the effect on transfusion rate and blood loss from a consecutive cohort of 101 patients undergoing primary TKA. RESULTS: No relationship between peri-operative patient temperature and blood loss was found within the recorded patient temperature range of 34.7–37.8 °C. Multivariable analysis found increasing age, surgical technique, type of anaesthesia and the use of anti-platelet and anticoagulant medications as significant factors affecting blood loss following TKA. CONCLUSION: Patient temperature within a clinically observed range does not have a significant impact on blood loss in primary TKA patients. As long as patient temperature is maintained within a reasonable range during the intra-operative and post-operative periods, strategies other than rigid temperature control above 36.5 °C may be more effective in reducing blood loss following TKA

An assessment of pulse transit time for detecting heavy blood loss during surgical operation

Copyright @ Wang et al.; Licensee Bentham Open. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.The main contribution of this paper is the use of non-invasive measurements such as electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmographic (PPG) pulse oximetry waveforms to develop a new physiological signal analysis technique for detecting blood loss during surgical operation. Urological surgery cases were considered as the control group due to its generality, and cardiac surgery as experimental group since it involves blood loss and water supply. Results show that the control group has the tendency of a reduction of the pulse transient time (PTT), and this indicates an increment in the blood flow velocity changes from slow to fast. While for the experimental group, the PTT indicates high values during blood loss, and low values during water supply. Statistical analysis shows considerable differences (i.e., P <0.05) between both groups leading to the conclusion that PTT could be a good indicator for monitoring patients' blood loss during a surgical operation.The National Science Council (NSC) of Taiwan and the Centre for Dynamical Biomarkers and Translational Medicine, National Central University, Taiwan

Efficiency of spinal anesthesia versus general anesthesia for lumbar spinal surgery: a retrospective analysis of 544 patients.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown varying results in selected outcomes when directly comparing spinal anesthesia to general in lumbar surgery. Some studies have shown reduced surgical time, postoperative pain, time in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), incidence of urinary retention, postoperative nausea, and more favorable cost-effectiveness with spinal anesthesia. Despite these results, the current literature has also shown contradictory results in between-group comparisons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed by querying the electronic medical record database for surgeries performed by a single surgeon between 2007 and 2011 using procedural codes 63030 for diskectomy and 63047 for laminectomy: 544 lumbar laminectomy and diskectomy surgeries were identified, with 183 undergoing general anesthesia and 361 undergoing spinal anesthesia (SA). Linear and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify differences in blood loss, operative time, time from entering the operating room (OR) until incision, time from bandage placement to exiting the OR, total anesthesia time, PACU time, and total hospital stay. Secondary outcomes of interest included incidence of postoperative spinal hematoma and death, incidence of paraparesis, plegia, post-dural puncture headache, and paresthesia, among the SA patients. RESULTS: SA was associated with significantly lower operative time, blood loss, total anesthesia time, time from entering the OR until incision, time from bandage placement until exiting the OR, and total duration of hospital stay, but a longer stay in the PACU. The SA group experienced one spinal hematoma, which was evacuated without any long-term neurological deficits, and neither group experienced a death. The SA group had no episodes of paraparesis or plegia, post-dural puncture headaches, or episodes of persistent postoperative paresthesia or weakness. CONCLUSION: SA is effective for use in patients undergoing elective lumbar laminectomy and/or diskectomy spinal surgery, and was shown to be the more expedient anesthetic choice in the perioperative setting

Caesarean section in Malawi: preventable factors in maternal and perinatal mortality.

OBJECTIVES: To examine factors that may influence maternal and perinatal mortality associated with caesarean section in an African country. DESIGN: A prospective observational study, conducted between January 1998 and June 2000, of 8070 caesarean sections. SETTING: 25 district and 2 central hospitals in Malawi. Main outcome measures. Association between hospital type, ward or operative care, training of surgical and anaesthesia personnel, preoperative complications, method of anaesthesia, blood loss and anaesthetic technique on maternal and perinatal mortality. RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned for 5236 caesarean sections in district and 2834 in central hospitals. 95% were emergencies, 65% for obstructed labour. Pre-operative haemorrhagic shock was present in 7.6% of women, anaemia in 6.2% and ruptured uterus in 4.1%. Previous caesarean section did not appear to predispose to ruptured uterus. There were 85 maternal deaths (1.05% mortality), 65 of which occurred postoperatively on the wards. Maternal mortality was increased with ruptured uterus (adjusted odds ratio 3.9, 95% CI 2.3-6.5), little anaesthetic training (2.3, 1.3 to 4.1) and blood loss requiring transfusion (19.3, 9-41). In mothers without preoperative haemorrhage spinal anaesthesia was associated with lower maternal mortality than general anaesthesia (0.23, 0.1-0.7). Perinatal mortality was 11.2% overall, and was significantly associated with ruptured uterus, halothane and ketamine anaesthesia. CONCLUSION: Maternal and perinatal mortality rates among women undergoing caesarean section in Malawi are high. Improving resuscitation in postoperative wards might reduce maternal mortality. Blood loss and pre-operative complications are both strongly associated with mortality. Spinal anaesthesia was associated with good outcome

The effects of spinal anaesthesia for elective caesarean section on uterine and umbilical arterial pulsatility indexes in normotensive and chronic hypertensive pregnant women: a prospective, longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: Despite the known effects of neuraxial blockade on major vessel function and the rapid decrease in uterine vascular impedance, it is unclear how the blockade affects the utero-placental circulation in the near-term. We hypothesize that among women with chronic hypertension, a loss of sympathetic tonus consequent to spinal block may cause significant changes in the utero-placental haemodynamics than the changes typical in normal pregnant women. Therefore, the main study objective was to analyse the effect of spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section on uterine and umbilical arterial impedance in pregnant women at term diagnosed with stage-1 chronic hypertension. METHODS: A prospective, longitudinal study was performed in singleton pregnant women (203 low-risk and 33 with hypertension) scheduled to undergo elective caesarean section. The mean arterial blood pressure and pulsatility indexes for the uterine and umbilical arteries were recorded before and after spinal anaesthesia was performed using 8-9 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine (5 mg/mL) and 2-2.5 μg sufentanil (5 μg/mL). Multiple linear regression models with errors capable of correlation or with unequal variances were fitted using the generalized least squares. RESULTS: In normotensive women, the mean arterial blood pressure decreased after administering spinal anaesthesia (p < 0.05). The pulsatility index of the uterine and umbilical arteries did not change after spinal anaesthesia. In the hypertensive women, the mean arterial blood pressure (p < 0.05) and uterine artery pulsatility index (p < 0.05) decreased. In both groups, the umbilical artery pulsatility index did not change after spinal anaesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: In stage-1 chronic hypertensive pregnant women at term, spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section reduces uterine artery impedance but not umbilical artery impedance

Spinal involvement in mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (Morquio-Brailsford or Morquio A syndrome): presentation, diagnosis and management.

Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA), also known as Morquio-Brailsford or Morquio A syndrome, is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme N-acetyl-galactosamine-6-sulphate sulphatase (GALNS). MPS IVA is multisystemic but manifests primarily as a progressive skeletal dysplasia. Spinal involvement is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in MPS IVA. Early diagnosis and timely treatment of problems involving the spine are critical in preventing or arresting neurological deterioration and loss of function. This review details the spinal manifestations of MPS IVA and describes the tools used to diagnose and monitor spinal involvement. The relative utility of radiography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the evaluation of cervical spine instability, stenosis, and cord compression is discussed. Surgical interventions, anaesthetic considerations, and the use of neurophysiological monitoring during procedures performed under general anaesthesia are reviewed. Recommendations for regular radiological imaging and neurologic assessments are presented, and the need for a more standardized approach for evaluating and managing spinal involvement in MPS IVA is addressed

The effects of Adding Meperidine to Heavy Intrathecal Lidocaine on Hemodynamic Changes and Blood Loss in Open Prostatectomy: A Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial

Background: Clinical investigations have reported several anesthetic properties of intrathecal injections of meperidine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of adding meperidine to intrathecal heavy lidocaine on hemodynamic changes and blood loss in patients undergoing elective suprapubic open prostatectomy. Methods: In a randomized double-blind clinical trial, 77 patients candidate for elective suprapubic open prostatectomy were allocated to two equal groups. All patients in the control and experimental groups received heavy lidocaine intrathecally. A low dose of meperidine was added to lidocaine in the experiment group. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate were measured and documented in several intervals. Blood loss, transfusion rate, shivering, nausea, vomiting, need to an analgesic drug, and transient neurologic symptoms were also recorded. Results: No significant difference was observed between the two groups in regards to blood pressure changes in operating room. Blood pressure increase was more prevalent among patients of the control group immediately in post-operating period .There were significantly (P<0.0001) less postoperative bleeding and need to transfusion in the experimental group. Conclusion: Adding low dose of meperidine to lidocaine induces minimal effect on blood pressure change in operating room, but prevent increasing of blood pressure in postoperative period with a reduction of bleeding

Recommendations for the management of MPS IVA: systematic evidence- and consensus-based guidance.

IntroductionMucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IVA or Morquio A syndrome is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) caused by deficiency of the N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS) enzyme, which impairs lysosomal degradation of keratan sulphate and chondroitin-6-sulphate. The multiple clinical manifestations of MPS IVA present numerous challenges for management and necessitate the need for individualised treatment. Although treatment guidelines are available, the methodology used to develop this guidance has come under increased scrutiny. This programme was conducted to provide evidence-based, expert-agreed recommendations to optimise management of MPS IVA.MethodsTwenty six international healthcare professionals across multiple disciplines, with expertise in managing MPS IVA, and three patient advocates formed the Steering Committee (SC) and contributed to the development of this guidance. Representatives from six Patient Advocacy Groups (PAGs) were interviewed to gain insights on patient perspectives. A modified-Delphi methodology was used to demonstrate consensus among a wider group of healthcare professionals with experience managing patients with MPS IVA and the manuscript was evaluated against the validated Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument by three independent reviewers.ResultsA total of 87 guidance statements were developed covering five domains: (1) general management principles; (2) recommended routine monitoring and assessments; (3) disease-modifying interventions (enzyme replacement therapy [ERT] and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation [HSCT]); (4) interventions to support respiratory and sleep disorders; (5) anaesthetics and surgical interventions (including spinal, limb, ophthalmic, cardio-thoracic and ear-nose-throat [ENT] surgeries). Consensus was reached on all statements after two rounds of voting. The overall guideline AGREE II assessment score obtained for the development of the guidance was 5.3/7 (where 1 represents the lowest quality and 7 represents the highest quality of guidance).ConclusionThis manuscript provides evidence- and consensus-based recommendations for the management of patients with MPS IVA and is for use by healthcare professionals that manage the holistic care of patients with the intention to improve clinical- and patient-reported outcomes and enhance patient quality of life. It is recognised that the guidance provided represents a point in time and further research is required to address current knowledge and evidence gaps

A randomised, controlled, double blind, non-inferiority trial of ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block vs. spinal morphine for analgesia after primary hip arthroplasty

We performed a single centre, double blind, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority study comparing ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block with spinal morphine for the primary outcome of 24-h postoperative morphine consumption in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty under spinal anaesthesia with levobupivacaine. One hundred and eight patients were randomly allocated to receive either ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block with 2 mg.kg−1 levobupivacaine (fascia iliaca group) or spinal morphine 100 μg plus a sham ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block using saline (spinal morphine group). The pre-defined non-inferiority margin was a median difference between the groups of 10 mg in cumulative intravenous morphine use in the first 24 h postoperatively. Patients in the fascia iliaca group received 25 mg more intravenous morphine than patients in the spinal morphine group (95% CI 9.0–30.5 mg, p &lt; 0.001). Ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block was significantly worse than spinal morphine in the provision of analgesia in the first 24 h after total hip arthroplasty. No increase in side-effects was noted in the spinal morphine group but the study was not powered to investigate all secondary outcomes

SENSORY REGRESSION TIME FROM SUBARACHNOID BLOCK WITH HYPERBARIC 0.75% BUPIVACAINE IN THE OBESE PATIENT

The purpose of this study was to determine if obese patients have a different sensory regression time from subarachnoid block than non-obese patients using hyperbaric 0.75% bupivacaine. A quasi-experimental design was used. Twenty patients were separated into two groups; one group was classified as obese, and the other group was classified as non-obese. The data consisting of age, height, weight, sex, and surgical procedure were recorded preoperatively. All the patients received hyperbaric 0.75% bupivacaine via subarachnoid puncture. The levels of spinal anesthesia were recorded at the highest level achieved. The injection time was also recorded. When the surgery was completed, the patient was transferred to the recovery room and levels of sensory blockade were checked by pin-prick with an 18-gauge needle every 10 minutes until complete recovery from the spinal anesthesia had been achieved. The hypothesis, there will be no difference in sensory regression time from SAB with hyperbaric 0.75% bupivacaine between obese and non-obese patients, failed to be rejected. No statistically significant difference, using linear regression analysis, was found in mean regression time between groups (obese versus non-obese)