Heated humidifiers are used to prevent respiratory complications associated with mechanical ventilation with an endotracheal tube. One of the heated humidifiers uses an air dryer filter in order to remove humidity from air before it enters the anesthetic machine. We report a case in which the air dryer filter was unintentionally misconnected to the inspiratory limb of the circuit, which caused insufficient volatile anesthetic concentration during anesthesia induction.
Adsorption ; Anesthesia ; Extremities ; Hot Temperature ; Humidity ; Isoflurane ; Respiration, Artificial ; Silica Gel

BACKGROUND: Emergence agitation (EA) frequently occurs after general anesthesia in children. This multicenter study was investigated to determine incidence and risk factors of EA after general anesthesia in children. METHODS: This prospective study evaluated 816 pediatric patients receiving elective surgery under general anesthesia at 10 university hospitals. Emotional and behavioral status of the patients upon emergence from anesthesia was assessed by Aono's four point scale. Those with an Aono's four point scale of 3 or 4 were considered to be affected by EA. Patient physical, anesthetic, and surgical variables were analyzed to find the risk factors of EA. RESULTS: One-hundred-fifty-two children (18.6%) developed EA. No relationships between the incidence of EA and age, sex, ASA physical status, premedicants, anesthetic induction agents, anesthetic maintenance methods, or postoperative analgesia were found. A multivariate analysis identified preanesthetic emotional status (OR = 1.774, P < 0.001), perioperative airway complication (OR = 1.867, P < 0.007) and rhinolaryngologic surgery (OR = 1.597, P < 0.017) as risk factors of EA. CONCLUSIONS: Preanesthetic emotional status, perioperative airway complication and rhinolaryngologic surgery were risk factors of EA after general anesthesia in children.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics ; Child ; Dihydroergotamine ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Incidence ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors

We report the case of a patient who suffered two events of sudden cardiac arrests separately. Sudden onset of dyspnea and cardiac arrests occurred during cesarean section in a 35-year-old woman who delivered premature baby. Instant chest compression and epinephrine 1 mg was administered. She was diagnosed to have a placenta previa totalis with bleeding preoperatively and placenta accreta was noted intraoperatively. Cesarean hysterectomy was performed due to excessive hemorrhage associated with uterine atony. Another cardiac arrests occurred during hysterectomy. After instant successful resuscitation, she recovered her heart rhythm and transferred to tertiary hospital safely. She was discharged about two months later without any major physical or neurocognitive deficits.
Cesarean Section ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Dyspnea ; Emergencies ; Epinephrine ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Arrest ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Placenta ; Placenta Accreta ; Placenta Previa ; Pregnancy ; Resuscitation ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Thorax ; Uterine Inertia

BACKGROUND: The use of neuraxial anesthesia for Cesarean section has dramatically increased. There was little information about the relationship of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure according to the position and spinal block level in pregnant women. The aims of this study are to investigate the cerebrospinal fluid pressure according to the degree of flexion in the lateral position and block height after spinal anesthesia in pregnant women undergoing Cesarean section. METHODS: We enrolled 40 patients, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-II, aged 22-40 years, undergoing Caesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. In group I, patients were placed in a full flexed position, and 10 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine was injected. In group II, the same dose of bupivacaine was injected when the hip and neck was straightened slowly. Following injection, the patients were immediately placed in supine position. The level of spinal anesthesia was checked by pinprick at 5, 10, 15, and 30 min after the subarachnoid injection. RESULTS: There was significant difference in the cerebrospinal fluid pressure between full-flexed position and non-full-flexed position. The spinal block height level was T3-T5 in both groups, and there was no significant difference in the spinal block height level in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: CSF pressures according to the degree of flexion in the lateral position during the subarachnoid injection have no significant correlation with the block level in spinal anesthesia for Cesarean section.
Aged ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Bupivacaine ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Hip ; Humans ; Neck ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Supine Position

BACKGROUND: Recently, balanced anesthesia (BA: halogenated volatile anesthetics + remifentanil) has been useful for abdominal surgery. The authors therefore performed a retrospective study about the difference in the dose of vasoactive drugs and rocuronium according to the general anesthesia type. METHODS: BA was compared with inhalational anesthesia (IA: halogenated volatile anesthetics + N2O) and total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA: propofol + remifentanil). The records of a total of 415 patients (IA : TIVA : BA = 126 : 157 : 132) who received open gastrectomy between 2004 to 2010 were analyzed. The types of vasoactive drugs and dosage as well as infusion time were calculated. The total amounts of vasoactive drugs were scored by two different methods. Infusion drugs were scored as 30 points, whereas bolus drugs were scored as 5 points. Drug score is the total sum of each score, where each drug score point split either into Plus or Minus. Plus means raising the blood pressure whereas Minus means the opposite. For rocuronium dosage, a total of 286 patients (IA : TIVA : BA = 89 : 78 : 119) who met the criteria were enrolled, and this formula was used (total rocuronium/weight/time, microg/kg/hr). RESULTS: The BA group showed a lower (P = 0.01) Minus score (1.8 +/- 4.0) compared to the IA group (3.6 +/- 5.2). Less amount of rocuronium (P = 0.001) was administered in the BA (327 +/- 72 microg/kg/hr), compared to the IA (368 +/- 93 microg/kg/hr) and TIVA (356 +/- 81 microg/kg/hr). CONCLUSIONS: BA seems to require less hypotensive agent and rocuronium compared with IA and TIVA for open gastrectomy. But, well-designed prospective studies are required.
Androstanols ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Intravenous ; Anesthetics ; Balanced Anesthesia ; Blood Pressure ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Piperidines ; Propofol ; Retrospective Studies

Classical trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by recurrent attacks of lancinating pain in the trigeminal nerve distribution, and no cause of the symptoms can be identified, other than vascular compression. This type of injury may rarely be caused by identifiable conditions, including tumor in the cerebellopontine angle. If the patient is suspected for secondary trigeminal neuralgia, further evaluation is required to diagnose and treat correctly. We report a case of a 49-year-old woman with a 1-month history of facial pain, who was initially misdiagnosed as odontalgia, and even treated with the extraction of her molar teeth. This case with the review of secondary trigeminal neuralgia may highlight the difficulties of diagnosis, and the importance of early diagnostic imaging, when trigeminal neuralgia occurs with a brain tumor.
Brain Neoplasms ; Cerebellopontine Angle ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Facial Pain ; Female ; Humans ; Meningioma ; Molar ; Neuroma, Acoustic ; Tooth ; Toothache ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the combining effects of sevoflurane and remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) on cell death of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 hippocampus induced by transient global cerebral ischemia in rats. METHODS: Twenty rats were assigned to one of two groups; sevoflurane group and combination of sevoflurane and RIPC group. RIPC was performed by occluding the bilateral femoral arteries for 10 min 3 times in an interval of 10 min. Ischemia was induced by a bilateral common carotid artery occlusion plus hemorrhagic hypotension (26-30 mmHg) and was maintained for 8 min. Histologic outcomes were measured at 7 days after ischemia in CA1 pyramidal cells of the rat hippocampus. RESULTS: The combination group contained significantly more viable cells in the hippocampal CA1 area than sevoflurane group (71% vs. 46%, P = 0.03). The mean percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly reduced in the combination group compared to sevoflurane group (11% vs. 41%, P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: A combination of sevoflurane and RIPC can offer additional neuroprotective effects after transient global cerebral ischemia in rats.
Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Cell Death ; Femoral Artery ; Hippocampus ; Hypotension ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; Methyl Ethers ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Prosencephalon ; Pyramidal Cells ; Rats

BACKGROUND: Hypotension often occurs after induction of general anesthesia. Although preload status has been considered as an important factor for the occurrence of this hypotension, there have been inconsistent results on this topic. The dynamic preload parameters have not been studied as a predictor of hypotension, and therefore we hypothesized that the passive leg raising (PLR) test, a dynamic preload parameter, could predict anesthesia-induced hypotension and conducted a prospective clinical study. METHODS: In 40 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery, mean arterial pressure (MAP), stroke volume variation, stroke volume (SV) and cardiac index (CI) were measured using arterial line and FloTrac(TM)/Vigileo(TM) system before, during and after PLR test, respectively. Occurrence of anesthesia-induced hypotension was recorded. The ability of PLR test to predict hypotension was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The incidence of hypotension was 90%, which includes 12.5% of refractory hypotension. Changes in MAP and CI induced by PLR test predicted hypotension (area under ROC curves: 0.722 and 0.788, respectively). Changes in SV and CI induced by PLR test predicted refractory hypotension (area under ROC curves: 0.863 and 0.789, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that PLR test can predict hypotension and refractory hypotension occurring after induction of anesthesia in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Leg ; Prospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Stroke Volume ; Thoracic Surgery ; Vascular Access Devices

Coronary artery spasm under general anesthesia induces interruption of blood flow of coronary arteries and can be detected by a sudden ST elevation on electrocardiogram, which may be followed by severe cardiovascular complications. We have experienced a case of a sudden ST elevation on a 52-year-old patient with no history of coronary artery diseases undergoing spine surgery under general anesthesia. Following administration of nitroglycerin, ST elevation returned to normal. Postoperative coronary angiogram showed positive on ergonovine provocation test and the patient was diagnosed as variant angina. Correlating with the results, we concluded that the ST elevation was probably due to coronary artery spasm. Although the definite mechanism of the coronary artery spasm is unclear. A-adrenergic stimulation by phenylephrine may have acted as a solitary factor or as one of many factors. Early administration of nitroglycerin and calcium channel blocker seems to be useful in treatment and prevention of recurrence.
Anesthesia, General ; Calcium Channels ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Electrocardiography ; Ergonovine ; Humans ; Nitroglycerin ; Phenylephrine ; Recurrence ; Spasm ; Spine

BACKGROUND: Remifentanil could require an appropriate pain strategy to prevent unacceptable pain in the postoperative period. We investigated the effect of perioperative ketamine for nociception and remifentanil hyperalgesia after gastrectomy when we used intraoperative remifentanil infusion for hemodynamic control. METHODS: Eighty patients scheduled for gastrectomy were randomly included in this trial. In control group (C), patients received normal saline. In ketamine group (K), patients received ketamine perioperatively. In remifentanil group (R), patients received remifentanil during operation. In remifentanil and ketamine group (RK) patients received remifentanil intraoperatively and ketamine perioperatively. Hemodynamic indexes were recorded during anesthesia. Visual analogue scale (VAS), cumulative analgesic requirement, and side effects were recorded during 36 h after operation. RESULTS: The requirement of vasodepressants was significantly increased in C and K group. Morphine consumption and agitation were significantly increased in R group at the postanesthetic recovery room. The analgesic demand of R group was greater than that in other groups. The VAS scores of K group were significantly lower than those of other groups at the ward. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative use of remifentanil with sevoflurane may be related to increased pain during early postanesthetic period. Perioperative low-dose ketamine decreased intraoperative remifentanil use and postoperative morphine consumption without increasing the incidence of side effects.
Anesthesia ; Dihydroergotamine ; Gastrectomy ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Incidence ; Ketamine ; Methyl Ethers ; Morphine ; Nociception ; Pain, Postoperative ; Piperidines ; Postoperative Period ; Recovery Room