Intravenous anesthetic agents such as midazolam, propofol, and ketamine are routinely used to provide anesthesia and sedation. They have been shown to effectively induce and maintain amnesia, sedation, and hypnosis in various patient groups and clinical settings. However, all anesthetic agents have the potential to cause unwanted side effects such as hemodynamic instability, respiratory depression, or slow recovery due to prolonged post-procedural sedation. Remimazolam, a recently approved benzodiazepine for general anesthesia and procedural sedation in Korea, has been successfully used for these purposes. To date, inconclusive knowledge has been obtained regarding the use of remimazolam in different patient populations and under various surgical conditions. With respect to the specific pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of remimazolam, the use of remimazolam is expected to increase providing safe general anesthesia and sedation. This review aims to provide an overview of the basic and clinical pharmacology of remimazolam and to compare it with midazolam and propofol.

Anesthetic management for aortic arch aneurysm (AAA) surgery employing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in a Jehovah's Witness (JW) patient is a challenge to anesthesiologist due to its complexity of procedures and their refusal of allogeneic transfusion. Even in the strict application of intraoperative acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) and intraopertive cell salvage (ICS) technique, prompt timing of re-administration of salvaged blood is essential for successful operation without allogeneic transfusion or ischemic complication of major organs. Cerebral oximetery (rSO2) monitoring using near infrared spectroscopy is a useful modality for detecting cerebral ischemia during the AAA surgery requiring direct interruption of cerebral flow. The present case showed that rSO2 can be used as a trigger facilitating to find a better timing for the re-administration of salvaged blood acquired during the AAA surgery for JW patient.
Aneurysm ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Brain Ischemia ; Circulatory Arrest, Deep Hypothermia Induced ; Disulfiram ; Hemodilution ; Humans ; Oximetry ; Spectrum Analysis ; Wit and Humor as Topic

Anesthetic management for aortic arch aneurysm (AAA) surgery employing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in a Jehovah's Witness (JW) patient is a challenge to anesthesiologist due to its complexity of procedures and their refusal of allogeneic transfusion. Even in the strict application of intraoperative acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) and intraopertive cell salvage (ICS) technique, prompt timing of re-administration of salvaged blood is essential for successful operation without allogeneic transfusion or ischemic complication of major organs. Cerebral oximetery (rSO2) monitoring using near infrared spectroscopy is a useful modality for detecting cerebral ischemia during the AAA surgery requiring direct interruption of cerebral flow. The present case showed that rSO2 can be used as a trigger facilitating to find a better timing for the re-administration of salvaged blood acquired during the AAA surgery for JW patient.
Aneurysm ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Brain Ischemia ; Circulatory Arrest, Deep Hypothermia Induced ; Disulfiram ; Hemodilution ; Humans ; Oximetry ; Spectrum Analysis ; Wit and Humor as Topic

No abstract available.
Anesthesia ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Humans ; Lung ; Pneumothorax

We report a case using cerebral oxygen saturation (rCbO2) for off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery in a patient with co-existing Moyamoya disease. The rCbO2 with the routine monitoring for OPCAB surgery were monitored intraoperatively. In spite of infusing nimodipine (0.2 microgram/kg/min) and maintaining the end-tidal CO2 tension at 35-40 mmHg, a sudden reduction in the right-side rCbO2 from the base line value of 70-80%/78-83% (Left/Right) to 70-72%/65-70% was developed during the harvesting of the vascular graft. We increased the rate of phenylephrine infusion to increase systemic and cerebral perfusion pressure, and both rCbO2 values were elevated to 80%/70% within 3 minutes. However, the preferential reduction in the right-side rCbO2 compared with the left-side value was not corrected. While suspecting cerebral ischemia due to cerebral vascular spasm, we administered nimodipine 2 mg bolus and increased infusion rate to 0.5 microgram/kg/min. Finally, the preferential rCbO2 reduction in the right-side was corrected and both rCbO2 reached 84%/91%. We concluded rCbO2 monitoring is useful for detecting an intraoperative episode of cerebral ischemia and maintaining the optimal cerebral perfusion during OPCAB surgery with Moyamoya disease.
Brain Ischemia ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump ; Humans ; Moyamoya Disease ; Nimodipine ; Oxygen ; Perfusion ; Phenylephrine ; Spasm ; Transplants

Association between postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and micro-opioid receptor A118G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is undefined and might underlie inconsistent results of studies on PONV occurrence in patients undergoing general anesthesia with the opioid, remifentanil. Four hundred and sixteen Korean women undergoing breast surgery with general anesthesia were randomized to receive remifentanil 10 ng/mL (plasma-site, Minto model) using a target-controlled infusion device and either propofol for total intravenous anesthesia (T group) or sevoflurane for inhalation anesthesia (I group) with bispectral index values maintained between 40 and 60. Blood specimens were collected after anesthesia induction for A118G SNP analysis. PONV and postoperative pain were evaluated. A118G SNP type distribution among Korean female adults studied was AG (n=195)>AA (n=158)>GG (n=63). Regardless of anesthetic technique, patients with GG types had lower PONV scale on arrival at postoperative care unit (PACU) (P=0.002), while T group showed lower PONV scale than I group up to 6 hr after PACU discharge in AA and AG types. No differences were apparent for postoperative pain among opioid receptor polymorphism. PONV occurrence differs according to opioid receptor polymorphism and anesthetic technique in patients undergoing general anesthesia with remifentanil.
Adult ; Analgesics, Opioid/*adverse effects ; Anesthesia, General/*adverse effects ; Breast Diseases/surgery ; Demography ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Humans ; Methyl Ethers/adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Pain, Postoperative/drug therapy ; Piperidines/*adverse effects/therapeutic use ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting/*etiology ; Receptors, Opioid, mu/*genetics

No abstract available.
Heart Septal Defects, Atrial* ; Mitral Valve Stenosis* ; Myxoma*

Intracardiac thrombus during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with full heparinization is very rare but fatal. A 60-year-old woman was scheduled for aortic and mitral valve repairs with a maze procedure for mixed aortic and mitral valvular heart disease with atrial fibrillation. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac computed tomography showed moderate aortic regurgitation and moderate mitral stenosis with regurgitation. There was no intracardiac thrombus. Aortic and mitral valve repairs with the maze procedure were successfully performed without unexpected events. During CPB weaning, a mobile hyper-echogenic mass in the left atrium was detected on transesophageal echocardiography. After cardiac arrest, it was surgically removed. On completion of the operation, weaning from CPB was accomplished uneventfully. The patient fully recovered and was discharged from the intensive care unit on her third postoperative day.
Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Female ; Heart Arrest ; Heart Atria ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Heparin ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Middle Aged ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Thrombosis ; Weaning