Erector Spinae Plane Block for Perioperative Analgesia after Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

Erector spinae plane block was recently introduced as an alternative to postoperative analgesia in surgical procedures including thoracoscopies and mastectomies. There are no clinical trials regarding erector spinae plane block in percutaneous nephrolithotomy. The aim of our study was to test the efficacy and safety of erector spinae plane block after percutaneous nephrolithotomy. We analyzed 68 patients, 34 of whom received erector spinae plane block. The average visual analogue scale score 24 h postoperatively was the primary endpoint. The secondary endpoints were nalbuphine consumption and the need for rescue analgesia. Safety measures included the mean arterial pressure, Ramsey scale score, and rate of nausea and vomiting. The visual analogue scale, blood pressure, and Ramsey scale were assessed simultaneously at 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h postoperatively. The average visual analogue scale was 2.9 and 3 (p = 0.65) in groups 1 (experimental) and 2 (control), respectively. The visual analogue scale after 1 h postoperatively was significantly lower in the erector spinae plane block group (2.3 vs. 3.3; p = 0.01). The average nalbuphine consumption was the same in both groups (46 mL vs. 47.2 mL, p = 0.69). The need for rescue analgesia was insignificantly different in both groups (group 1, 29.4; group 2, 26.4%; p = 1). The mean arterial pressure was similar in both groups postoperatively (91.8 vs. 92.5 mmHg; p = 0.63). The rate of nausea and vomiting was insignificantly different between the groups (group 1, 17.6%; group 2, 14.7%; p = 1). The median Ramsey scale in all the measurements was two. Erector spinae plane block is an effective pain treatment after percutaneous nephrolithotomy but only for a very short postoperative period

Testing the ecophenotype model:cortical structure alterations in conduct disorder with versus without childhood maltreatment

Background: Childhood maltreatment is common in youths with conduct disorder (CD), and both CD and maltreatment have been linked to neuroanatomical alterations. Nonetheless, our understanding of the contribution of maltreatment to the neuroanatomical alterations observed in CD remains limited. We tested the applicability of the ecophenotype model to CD, which holds that maltreatment-related psychopathology is (neurobiologically) distinct from psychopathology without maltreatment. Methods: Surface-based morphometry was used to investigate cortical volume, thickness, surface area, and gyrification in a mixed-sex sample of participants with CD (n = 114) and healthy control subjects (HCs) (n = 146), ages 9 to 18 years. Using vertexwise general linear models adjusted for sex, age, total intracranial volume, and site, the control group was compared with the overall CD group and the CD subgroups with (n = 49) versus without (n = 65) maltreatment (assessed by the Children’s Bad Experiences interview). These subgroups were also directly compared. Results: The overall CD group showed lower cortical thickness in the right inferior frontal gyrus. CD youths with a history of maltreatment showed more widespread structural alterations relative to HCs, comprising lower thickness, volume, and gyrification in inferior and middle frontal regions. Conversely, CD youths with no history of maltreatment only showed greater left superior temporal gyrus folding relative to HCs. When contrasting the CD subgroups, those with maltreatment displayed lower right superior temporal gyrus volume, right precentral gyrus surface area, and gyrification in frontal, temporal, and parietal regions. Conclusions: Consistent with the ecophenotype model, findings indicated that CD youths with versus without maltreatment differ neurobiologically. This highlights the importance of considering maltreatment history in neuroimaging studies of CD and other disorders.ISSN:2451-9022ISSN:2451-903

Changing patterns of urologic emergency visits and admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic : a retrospective, multicenter, nationwide study

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to examine the change in the number and severity of visits to the emergency departments (EDs) and subsequent admissions for urgent urologic conditions in the early stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated data from 13 urologic centers in Poland and compared the number of visits to the EDs and subsequent admissions before and after the advent of COVID-19 in 2020, and before and after the escalating national restrictions. Furthermore, data on types of urologic complaints, crucial laboratory parameters, and post-admission procedures were analyzed. RESULTS: In total 1,696 and 2,187 urologic visits (22.45% decrease) and 387 and 439 urologic urgent admissions (11.85% decrease) were reported in given periods in 2020 and 2019, respectively. The year-over-year difference in daily mean visits was clear (36.1 vs. 46.5; p < 0.001). Declines were seen in all complaints but device malfunction. In 2020 daily mean visits and admissions decreased from 40.9 and 9.6 before lockdowns to 30.9 (p < 0.001) and 6.9 (p = 0.001) after severe restrictions, respectively. There was a trend towards more negative laboratory parameter profiles in 2020, with patients who visited the EDs after severe restrictions having twice as high median levels of C-reactive protein (15.39 vs. 7.84, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The observed declines in ED visits and admissions were apparent with the significant effect of national lockdowns. Our results indicate that some of the patients requiring urgent medical help did not appear at the ED or came later than they would have done before the pandemic, presenting with more severe complaints