A 33-year-old male patient with multiple sclerosis (MS) received an emergency laparotomy because of perforated appendicitis. He had been suffering from MS for 2 years and the symptoms of MS were paraplegia and urinary incontinence. Anesthesia was induced with propofol and remifentanil and maintained with nitrous oxide, sevoflurane and remifentanil. Rocuronium was used for tracheal intubation. Train of four ratio and bispectral index scale were also monitored for adequate muscle relaxation and anesthetic depth. The patient emerged from general anesthesia smoothly and was extubated without any complication. Postoperative exacerbation of MS symptoms did not appear. However, he was rehospitalized because deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurred after discharge and he received heparinization immediately. Eventually, he was discharged after a full recovery from DVT. We report a safe anesthetic management of the patient with MS, with the use of sevoflurane and with no the aggravation of MS during postoperative period.
Adult ; Androstanols ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Appendicitis ; Emergencies ; Heparin ; Humans ; Intubation ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Methyl Ethers ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Muscle Relaxation ; Nitrous Oxide ; Paraplegia ; Piperidines ; Postoperative Period ; Propofol ; Stress, Psychological ; Urinary Incontinence ; Venous Thrombosis

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare complication that occurs between the late stage of pregnancy and six months after delivery. PPCM presents as symptoms of left ventricular dysfunction and it can be fatal unless treated promptly. Furthermore, anesthesia and surgery in such patients is a large challenge to anesthesiologists. First and foremost, the maintenance of stable hemodynamics is a major concern. We report a case of combined lumbar epidural anesthesia and both ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve block under ultrasound guided for a wound revision in a 37-year-old woman diagnosed with PPCM after an emergency cesarean section.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Cardiomyopathies ; Cesarean Section ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Nerve Block ; Peripartum Period ; Peripheral Nerves ; Pregnancy ; Ventricular Dysfunction ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Two-stage liver transplantation, involving a total hepatectomy with a temporary portocaval shunt followed by liver transplantation, requires intensive perioperative care, especially during the prolonged anhepatic period. The pathophysiology and management of this prolonged anhepatic state is not fully elucidated and the proper management during this period is a great challenge to clinicians in the intensive care unit and anesthesiologists. We report a case and management of a total hepatectomy with a temporary portocaval shunt followed by living-donor liver transplantation in a patient with a surgically complicated liver failure after a hepatic tumor resection.
Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Liver ; Liver Failure ; Liver Transplantation ; Perioperative Care

Epidural block is useful for chronic pain and thoracic surgery. However, there are several complications, which include vessels or dural puncture, pleural puncture, misplacement of epidural catheter and trauma to the spinal cord. We report a case of intercostal misplacement of an epidural catheter in a 66-year-old patient who scheduled for left thoracotomy.
Aged ; Catheters ; Chronic Pain ; Humans ; Punctures ; Spinal Cord ; Thoracic Surgery ; Thoracotomy

Methemoglobinemia is an uncommon but potentially fatal disorder. Most cases have no adverse clinical consequence and require no treatment, but methemoglobinemia is often overlooked as a cause of low oxygen saturation, and often mistaken for the more common causes of hypoxia by anesthesiologists despite simple bedside tests that indicate the presence of this treatable abnormality. We present a 68-year-old female patient who underwent gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer with bleeding. In the preoperative period, the patient showed cyanosis and oxygen saturation was 85% by pulse oximeter, but oxygen saturation by arterial blood gas analysis was 100%. After tracheal intubation, the methemoglobin level was 18.3%. Ascorbic acid and methylene blue were administered. During preanesthetic evaluation, the patient had not informed the anesthesiologist that she had been taking dapsone.
Aged ; Anesthesia, General ; Anoxia ; Ascorbic Acid ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Cyanosis ; Dapsone ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intubation ; Methemoglobin ; Methemoglobinemia ; Methylene Blue ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; Preoperative Period ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of a combination of ondansetron and dexamethasone with that of metoclopramide and dexamethasone for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in gynecologic patients receiving fentanyl IV-patient controlled analgesia. METHODS: One hundred patients were divided into two groups at random. In Group O, 5 mg of dexamethsone was administered after tracheal intubation, while 4 mg of ondansetron was administered at the end of surgery. In Group M, 5 mg of dexamethsone was administered after tracheal intubation and 20 mg metoclopromide was administered at the end of surgery. During the experiment, the PONV was evaluated at regular intervals. In addition, the incidence of nausea, and vomiting and the numerical rating scale (NRS) of nausea was measured (range, 0-10). RESULTS: The overall incidence of PONV in Group O was 22/50 (44%) while that in Group M was 19/50 (38%). There were no significant differences in the incidence of nausea, moderate to severe nausea (NRS of nausea, 4-10), or vomiting between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with a combination of 20 mg metoclopramide and 5 mg dexamethasone is an effective, safe, and inexpensive way to prevent PONV when compared to treatment with 4 mg ondansetron and 5 mg dexamethasone.
Analgesia ; Antiemetics ; Dexamethasone ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intubation ; Metoclopramide ; Nausea ; Ondansetron ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Conventional pelviscopic surgery requires pneumoperitoneum with CO2 gas insufflation and lithotomy-Trendelenburg position. Pneumoperitoneum and Trendelenburg position may influence intraoperative respiratory mechanics in anesthetic management. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of pneumoperitoneum and Trendelenburg position on respiratory compliance and ventilation pressure. METHODS: Twenty-five patients scheduled for elective gynecologic laparoscopy were evaluated. The patients had no preexisting lung or heart disease or pathologic lung function. Conventional general anesthesia with thiopental sodium, lidocaine, rocuronium, and sevoflurane was administered. The peak inspiratory pressure, plateau pressure, and end-tidal CO2 were measured before and after creation of pneumoperitoneum with an intraabdominal pressure of 12 mmHg, then after 10 minutes and 30 minutes in the 20degrees Trendelenburg position, and after deflation of pneumoperitoneum. The dynamic lung compliance was then calculated. RESULTS: Following creation of pneumoperitoneum, there was a significant increase in peak inspiratory pressure (6 cmH2O), plateau pressure (7 cmH2O), and end-tidal CO2 (5 mmHg), while dynamic lung compliance decreased by 12 ml/cmH2O. Overall, the Trendelenburg position induced no significant hemodynamic or pulmonary changes. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of pneumoperitoneum significantly reduced dynamic lung compliance and increased peak inspiratory and plateau pressures. The Tredelenburg position did not change these parameters.
Androstanols ; Anesthesia, General ; Compliance ; Head-Down Tilt ; Heart Diseases ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Insufflation ; Laparoscopy ; Lidocaine ; Lung ; Lung Compliance ; Methyl Ethers ; Pneumoperitoneum ; Respiratory Mechanics ; Thiopental ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND: Respiratory dynamics may be monitored and evaluated indirectly by measuring the peak inspiratory pressure and plateau pressure. In this study, the respiratory dynamics of patients undergoing spinal surgery using a Jackson surgical table were observed with a device after converting their position from supine to prone. The effects of the dynamic compliance and airway resistance were observed from the changes in peak inspiratory pressure and plateau. METHODS: Twenty five patients were selected as subjects scheduled to undergo lumbar spine surgery. After intubation, the patients were ventilated mechanically with a tidal volume of 10 ml/kg and a respiration rate of 10/min. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane 1.5%, nitrous oxide 2 L/min and oxygen 2 L/min. The peak inspiratory pressure, plateau pressure, resistance, compliance, arterial oxygen tension, carbon dioxide tension, heart rate and arterial blood pressure were measured at 10 minutes after the induction of anesthesia. These parameters were measured again 10 minutes after placing the patient in the prone position. RESULTS: The prone position did not significantly affect the arterial oxygen tension, carbon dioxide tension, blood pressure and heart rate, but significantly increased the peak inspiratory pressure and resistance and decreased the dynamic compliance. CONCLUSIONS: The peak inspiratory pressure was increased using a Jackson surgical table to minimize the abdominal pressure when converting from the supine to prone position. This might be due to a decrease in lung and chest compliance as well as an increase in airway resistance.
Airway Resistance ; Anesthesia ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Carbon Dioxide ; Compliance ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Intubation ; Lung ; Methyl Ethers ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Prone Position ; Respiratory Mechanics ; Respiratory Rate ; Spine ; Thorax ; Tidal Volume

BACKGROUND: Coughing is a side effect of opioids that is rarely studied. Here, we evaluated the incidence of remifentanil induced coughing during anesthesia induction in an attempt to identify its risk factors and to examine the preventive effects of lidocaine and salbutamol. METHODS: A total of 237 patients scheduled to undergo general anesthesia were allocated randomly into three groups. Group C received no medication, while Group L received 2% lidocaine at 0.5 mg/kg intravenously 1 minute prior to remifentanil infusion and Group S inhaled one metered aerosol puff of salbutamol 15 minutes prior to entering the operating room. Remifentanil was infused at 5 ng/ml by target controlled infusion and coughing was measured for five minutes and graded as none, mild, moderate, or severe based on the number of coughs. RESULTS: The incidences of coughing were 30.4%, 25.3%, and 35.4% in Groups C, L, and S, respectively. The incidences, onset times, and severity of coughing did not differ significantly among groups. In addition, multivariate analysis showed that non-smoking and a lower body weight were risk factors of remifentanil-induced coughing (odds ratio, 8.13; P = 0.024, 1.11, and 0.004, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of remifentanil-induced coughing was 30%. A total of 0.5 mg/kg lidocaine and 1 metered aerosol puff of salbutamol did not prevent coughing. Non-smoking and low body weight were found to be risk factors of remifentanil-induced coughing.
Albuterol ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Body Weight ; Cough ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lidocaine ; Multivariate Analysis ; Operating Rooms ; Piperidines ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: For patients suspicious of cervical spine injury, a Philadelphia cervical collar is usually applied. Application of Philadelphia cervical collar may cause difficult airway. The aim of this study was to evaluate the laryngeal view and the success rate at first intubation attempt of the Airtraq and conventional laryngoscopy in patients with simulated cervical spine injury after application of a Philadelphia cervical collar. METHODS: Anesthesia was induced with propofol, remifentanil, and rocuronium. After a Philadelphia cervical collar applied, patients were randomly assigned to tracheal intubation with an Airtraq (Group A, n = 25) or with conventional laryngoscopy (Group L, n = 25). Measurements included intubation time, success rate of first intubation attempt, number of intubation attempts, and percentage of glottic opening (POGO) score. Mean blood pressure and heart rate were also recorded at baseline, just before and after intubation. RESULTS: The success rate of the first attempt in Group A (96%) was significantly greater than with the Group L (40%). POGO score was significantly greater in Group A (84 +/- 20%) than in Group L (6 +/- 11%). The duration of successful intubation at first tracheal intubation attempt and hemodynamic changes were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The Airtraq offers a better laryngeal view and higher success rate at first intubation attempt in patients who are applied with a Philadelphia cervical collar due to suspicion of cervical spine injury.
Androstanols ; Anesthesia ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Intubation ; Laryngoscopes ; Laryngoscopy ; Mouth ; Philadelphia ; Piperidines ; Propofol ; Spine