A multicenter survey on the use of neuromuscular blockade in Greece. Does the real-world clinical practice indicate the necessity of guidelines?

Background and Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of clinical practice regarding neuromuscular blocking drugs and their antagonists in Greece. Material and Methods: This is a multicenter survey, including a questionnaire based on previous studies, which was translated and modified by a Task Force of the Hellenic Society of Anaesthesiology. It was completed on a web-based database after invitation via e-mail and was left online for a period of 2 months. Results: A total of 1,100 questionnaires were sent, with a response rate of 7.9%. 13.7% stated that they do not use neuromuscular monitoring. Rocuronium was most commonly used for intubation ['often' stated by 19 (21.8%) and 'very often' by 62 (71.2%)], followed by cis-atracurium, atracurium, and succinylcholine. Neostigmine and sugammadex were both used, with reversal not always administered by 23 (26.4%). Both agents were mostly used at fixed doses and not calculated based on TOF monitoring or body weight. Sugammadex was preferred in special patient groups and in operations of short duration. Reversal was most often administered based on clinical signs of neuromuscular recovery rather than objective monitoring. A significant percentage of respondents used an inadequate TOF ratio for extubation [37 (43.2%) used a TOF ratio <90%]. The reported incidence of observed residual neuromuscular blockade (RNMB) was 44.8%. Conclusion: Great variability was observed in Greek clinical practice regarding the use of neuromuscular blockade, which indicates serious issues that must be addressed. The needs for educating anesthesia providers and developing official guidelines are obvious in order to improve patient outcomes. © 2019 Medknow Publications. All rights reserved

Piezoelectric or Conventional Osteotomy in Rhinoplasty? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Outcomes

Introduction: Osteotomy of nasal bones in rhinoplasty is associated with postsurgical morbidities. Recent evidence has suggested that a surgical method applying piezoelectric ultrasound waves for nasal osteotomies in rhinoplasty reduces soft tissue damage and causes less postsurgical morbidities compared to conventional methods. The purpose of this study is to compare clinical outcomes of piezoelectric and conventional lateral nasal osteotomies in rhinoplasty. Methods: We searched PubMed, CENTRAL, and Web of Science up to 17 August 2019 for studies comparing postoperative outcomes of piezoelectric and conventional lateral osteotomies in rhinoplasty. We included studies comparing results of patients subjected to piezoelectric or conventional lateral nasal osteotomies in rhinoplasty. For outcomes, we considered postoperative pain, eyelid edema, periorbital ecchymosis, and intraoperative mucosal injury. Results: For eyelid edema, a statistically significant difference in favor of piezoelectric osteotomy was documented within the first 3 postoperative days (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.65; 95% CI = -1.18, -0.12, p = 0.02; I2 = 69%) and on postoperative day 7 (SMD = -0.69; 95% CI = -1.47, -0.09; p = 0.08; I2 = 85%). This was also the case for periorbital ecchymosis within the first 3 postoperative days (SMD = -0.85; 95% CI = -1.42, -0.28; p = 0.004; I2 = 72%) and on postoperative day 7 (SMD = -0.52; 95% CI = -0.79, -0.24; p = 0.0003; I2 = 71%). Intraoperative mucosal injury (OR = 0.06; 95% CI = 0.01, 0.53; p = 0.01; Ι2 = 0%) and postoperative pain (SMD = -0.99; 95% CI = -1.78, -0.11; p = 0.01; I2 = 49%) were also statistically lower during piezoelectric osteotomies. Conclusions: This study shows that lateral piezoelectric osteotomy in rhinoplasty decreases postoperative pain, edema, ecchymosis, and intraoperative mucosa injuries compared to the conventional osteotomy technique with a chisel. Piezoelectric osteotomies are especially associated with less postoperative edema and ecchymosis in osteotomies not executed under direct vision. © 2020 S. Karger AG. All rights reserved

Changes of Platelet Indices in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in Acute Phase and After Two Months Treatment

Background Various indices have been raised as predictors of activity and severity of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Objectives This study was conducted to investigate the changes of platelet indices in acute phase and two months after treatment in these patients. Patients and Methods In a cohort study, platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), plateletcrit (PCT) were evaluated in children referred to children’s medical center, Tehran due to juvenile idiopathic arthritis from March 2013 to March 2014 during the acute phase and two months after standard treatment. The statistical data were analyzed by SPSS 19 software, and the significance level was set as P < 0.05. Results In this study, 55 children (24 boys and 31 girls) with mean ± SD age of 7.50 ± 3.35 years were studied. The mean ± SD value of platelet count was 441872.7 ± 151836.9 in the acute phase and reached 395418.2 ± 119601.6 two months after treatment (P = 0.01). The mean ± SD PCT in the acute phase of various subtypes of the disease was 0.32 ± 0.11, which reached 0.29 ± 0.10 after treatment (P = 0.09). However, the PDW range in different subtypes of the disease reached 13.4 ± 8.0 from 13.9 ± 2.9 and MPV reached 8.7 ± 0.9 from 8.8 ± 1.1 after treatment, but they were not significantly different from the results in the acute phase (P = 0.5). Conclusions Platelet count is one of the most remarkable indices in JIA. Evaluation of PCT can also help determine the severity of the inflammatory process in the follow-up and treatment process