Risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting in hip and knee arthroplasty : a prospective cohort study after spinal anaesthesia including intrathecal morphine.

BACKGROUND: The overall risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting after general anaesthesia is approximately 30% even with prophylactic medications. Studies exploring the risk after regional anaesthesia including intrathecal morphine are limited but indicate that intrathecal morphine is highly emetogenic and is additive to the PONV risk associated with other forms of anaesthesia. The aim of this observational study was to investigate the risk of PONV after spinal blockade combined with intrathecal morphine and to explore associations with patient and perioperative factors, including given PONV-prophylaxis. We hypothesized that a large number of patients in a clinical setting receive less prophylaxis than the recommendations in guidelines (suboptimal prophylaxis), leading to a higher risk for PONV compared to those receiving adequate PONV prophylaxis. METHODS: The study was conducted as a prospective observational cohort study regarding PONV in patients undergoing hip/knee replacement under spinal anaesthesia including intrathecal morphine. Patients were included at a county hospital in Sweden during April-November 2013 (n = 59) and September 2014-June 2015 (n = 40). One hundred eight patients entered the study with 99 patients analysed in the final cohort. Patients were followed the first three postoperative days with a questionnaire regarding PONV and peri- and postoperative data was collected. PONV risk is presented as the proportion of patients (%) with PONV and was related to the level of perioperative PONV-prophylaxis (suboptimal/optimal). Univariate analysis was used to analyse factors associated with PONV. RESULTS: Forty-six patients (46%) experienced PONV during the 3-day study period whereof 36 patients (36%) until noon the first day after the procedure. 19/27 patients (70%) that received suboptimal PONV-prophylaxis experienced PONV compared to 27/72 (38%) that received optimal PONV-prophylaxis (p = 0.015). Further, female gender and/or a history of motion sickness were associated with an increased PONV-risk. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high risk for PONV after spinal anaesthesia including morphine. PONV risk was associated with the level of prophylaxis and with known risk factors for PONV. Our findings suggest that a more liberal use of PONV prophylaxis might be motivated

Limitations of care and comorbidities are associated with increased mortality in patients treated with non-invasive ventilation : A retrospective observational study in a single-center ICU

Background: Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is a common treatment for acute respiratory failure in intensive care units (ICU). While there is increasing data on outcomes after NIV treatment, there are large variations in staffing and monitoring where NIV is provided, making results hard to generalize. The aim of this study was to characterize patients treated with NIV, describe outcomes, and identify factors associated with outcome in an ICU at a Swedish county hospital. Methods: A single-centre retrospective observational study during 2018 of patients treated with NIV in a six-bed ICU at a Swedish county hospital. Patient characteristics, including comorbidities, details of ICU stay, simplified acute physiology score (SAPS-3), details of NIV treatment and 30-day mortality were collected, and the Charlson co-morbidity index (CCI) was calculated. Primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and associated factors. Results: 92 patients with mean age (71,3, SD 12,1) were treated with NIV during the study period. 42 (46%) were women. Median CCI was 3 (25 th-75 th percentiles 1.4)) and median SAPS-3 score was 66 (25 th-75 th percentiles 58). The 30-day mortality was 37% and in the univariate analysis, SAPS-3 score >66, Charlson comorbidity index, CCI>=3, pCO2 <5.5 and limitation of care were factors associated with increased 30-day mortality. pH <7.35 and pO2<8 at admission showed no associations with 30-day mortality. Conclusions: We found that patients treated with NIV in ICU were a diverse population where comorbidities and presence of limitations of care might be considered as better predictors of 30-day mortality, rather than physiological parameters

Cardiorespiratory response to sedative premedication in preschool children : a randomized controlled trial comparing midazolam, clonidine, and dexmedetomidine

Purpose: Sedative premedication in children may negatively impact their cardiorespiratory status during the perioperative course, and no clear consensus exists on the optimal premedication treatment for pediatric patients. The objective was to compare the perioperative cardiorespiratory responses to sedation using three different sedative premedication regimens in preschool children scheduled for surgery with total intravenous anesthesia. Design: A single-center randomized controlled trial. Methods: This is a planned secondary analysis of a study conducted at a 200-bed tertiary referral hospital. Ninety children participated in the study. They were aged 2–6 years and scheduled for ear, nose, and throat surgery with propofol/remifentanil anesthesia. Participants were randomly assigned to receive oral midazolam 0.5 mg/kg-1 (MID), oral clonidine 4 mcg/kg–1 (CLO), or intranasal dexmedetomidine 2 mcg/kg-1 (DEX). The main outcome measures were the sedation level, based on the Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS), and cardiorespiratory status, monitored during the perioperative period. Findings: The final cohort had 83 children (MID, n=27; CLO, n=26; DEX, n=30), with similar intergroup patient characteristics. RSS scores were lower in the MID group than in the CLO and DEX groups before induction and within 30 min postsurgery (P<0.001 and P=0.006, respectively). A negative correlation existed between the RSS and heart rate (HR) (r=-0.570, P<0.001). Before anesthesia induction, the respiratory rate was lowest in the DEX group (MID 21.5±1.7 min–1, CLO 20.6±2.6 min–1, DEX 20.2±1.7 min–1; P=0.042). The HR was lower in the CLO and DEX groups than in the MID group (MID, 102.8±10.0 min–1; CLO, 87.4±9.6 min–1; DEX, 87.6±7.9 min–1; P<0.001). The HR was lower immediately after induction (P=0.009) and intraoperatively (P=0.025) in the CLO and DEX groups than in the MID group. Conclusions: When used as premedication before propofol/remifentanil anesthesia, clonidine and dexmedetomidine provided deeper preoperative sedation compared to midazolam. From a clinical perspective, all three study drugs provided essentially stable cardiovascular and respiratory conditions during the entire perioperative period

Early post-operative nausea and vomiting : A retrospective observational study of 2030 patients

Background: The overall risk of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after general anaesthesia is reportedly 20%–40%. The first episode of PONV may occur early in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) or later at the ward or after discharge at home in an ambulatory setting. This study aimed to investigate and describe the risk of early PONV in a PACU, and we hypothesised that patients and perioperative factors were associated with early PONV. Methods: This single-centre retrospective observational study was conducted in a Swedish county hospital from January to June 2017 and included adult patients who underwent surgical procedures under general anaesthesia. Perioperative data were obtained by reviewing the local registry for surgical procedures, medical records and anaesthesia and post-operative charts. Early PONV was defined as PONV occurring up to 4 hours post-operatively at the PACU. Any notification in the medical records, perioperative charts or the registry regarding nausea, vomiting or PONV treatment was regarded as PONV. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for factors associated with early PONV. Results: A total of 2030 patients were included in the study, of which 9.6% (n = 194) experienced early PONV. Factors associated with a high risk of early PONV were suboptimal PONV prophylaxis, need for opioids, female sex, body mass index >35 kg m−2 and major surgery and anaesthesia time ≥60 minutes. Conclusion: We found that every 10th patient under general anaesthesia experienced early PONV. Suboptimal PONV prophylaxis and previously acknowledged risk factors for PONV were associated with early PONV

Pre-operative point-of-care assessment of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, an observational study

Background: Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is an acknowledged peri-operative risk factor that should be identified before surgery. This study aimed to evaluate a simplified echocardiographic method using e’ and E/e’ for identification and grading of diastolic dysfunction pre-operatively. Methods: Ninety six ambulatory surgical patients were consecutively included to this prospective observational study. Pre-operative transthoracic echocardiography was conducted prior to surgery, and diagnosis of LV diastolic dysfunction was established by comprehensive and simplified assessment, and the results were compared. The accuracy of e’-velocities in order to discriminate patients with diastolic dysfunction was established by calculating accuracy, efficiency, positive (PPV) and negative predictive (NPV) values, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Results: Comprehensive assessment established diastolic dysfunction in 77% (74/96) of patients. Of these, 22/74 was categorized as mild dysfunction, 43/74 as moderate dysfunction and 9/74 as severe dysfunction. Using the simplified method with e’ and E/e’, diastolic dysfunction was established in 70.8% (68/96) of patients. Of these, 8/68 was categorized as mild dysfunction, 36/68 as moderate dysfunction and 24/68 as severe dysfunction. To discriminate diastolic dysfunction of any grade, e’-velocities (mean < 9 cm s− 1) had an AUROC of 0.901 (95%CI 0.840–0.962), with a PPV of 55.2%, a NPV of 90.9% and a test efficiency of 0.78. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that a simplified approach with tissue Doppler e’-velocities may be used to rule out patients with diastolic dysfunction pre-operatively, but together with E/e’ ratio the severity of diastolic dysfunction may be overestimated

Post-anaesthesia pulmonary complications after use of muscle relaxants (POPULAR): a multicentre, prospective observational study

Background Results from retrospective studies suggest that use of neuromuscular blocking agents during general anaesthesia might be linked to postoperative pulmonary complications. We therefore aimed to assess whether the use of neuromuscular blocking agents is associated with postoperative pulmonary complications. Methods We did a multicentre, prospective observational cohort study. Patients were recruited from 211 hospitals in 28 European countries. We included patients (aged ≥18 years) who received general anaesthesia for any in-hospital procedure except cardiac surgery. Patient characteristics, surgical and anaesthetic details, and chart review at discharge were prospectively collected over 2 weeks. Additionally, each patient underwent postoperative physical examination within 3 days of surgery to check for adverse pulmonary events. The study outcome was the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications from the end of surgery up to postoperative day 28. Logistic regression analyses were adjusted for surgical factors and patients’ preoperative physical status, providing adjusted odds ratios (ORadj) and adjusted absolute risk reduction (ARRadj). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01865513. Findings Between June 16, 2014, and April 29, 2015, data from 22803 patients were collected. The use of neuromuscular blocking agents was associated with an increased incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in patients who had undergone general anaesthesia (1658 [7·6%] of 21694); ORadj 1·86, 95% CI 1·53–2·26; ARRadj –4·4%, 95% CI –5·5 to –3·2). Only 2·3% of high-risk surgical patients and those with adverse respiratory profiles were anaesthetised without neuromuscular blocking agents. The use of neuromuscular monitoring (ORadj 1·31, 95% CI 1·15–1·49; ARRadj –2·6%, 95% CI –3·9 to –1·4) and the administration of reversal agents (1·23, 1·07–1·41; –1·9%, –3·2 to –0·7) were not associated with a decreased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Neither the choice of sugammadex instead of neostigmine for reversal (ORadj 1·03, 95% CI 0·85–1·25; ARRadj –0·3%, 95% CI –2·4 to 1·5) nor extubation at a train-of-four ratio of 0·9 or more (1·03, 0·82–1·31; –0·4%, –3·5 to 2·2) was associated with better pulmonary outcomes. Interpretation We showed that the use of neuromuscular blocking drugs in general anaesthesia is associated with an increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Anaesthetists must balance the potential benefits of neuromuscular blockade against the increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications