OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk factors of overall postoperative complications in elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgeries. METHODS: This study was conducted among a total of 1388 elderly patients, who underwent elective gastrointestinal surgeries at 17 centers across China between April, 2020 and April, 2022. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative complications within 30 days, including procedure-related, neuropsychiatric, respiratory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal complications as well as acute kidney injury. Baseline characteristics, preoperative psychological and functional status, intraoperative anesthesia and surgical factors, intraoperative medication, use of nerve block, and postoperative analgesia methods were compared between the patients experiencing one or more postoperative complications and those without complications. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors for postoperative complications. The relationship between postoperative acute pain and each type of complication were explored. RESULTS: The incidence of overall postoperative complications was 50.8% (705/1388) in these patients. Multivariate analysis showed that age (OR: 1.026; 95% CI: 1.006-1.046), prognostic nutritional index (OR: 0.998; 95% CI: 0.997-1.000), preoperative EuroQol-5 dimensions score (OR: 0.094; 95% CI: 0.018-0.500), blood loss (OR: 1.002; 95% CI: 1.001-1.003), and acute postoperative pain (OR: 1.308; 95% CI: 1.033-1.657) were significantly associated with the occurrence of postoperative complications. Specifically, patients experiencing severe postoperative pain had a significantly higher incidence of neuropsychiatric (27.2% vs 19.8%), procedure-related (17.3% vs 10.2%), and cardiovascular complications (3.6% vs 1.7%). CONCLUSIONS An advanced age, a low preoperative nutritional index, a poor quality of life score, a greater volume of intraoperative blood loss, and acute postoperative pain are independent risk factors for postoperative complications in elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgeries. There is a significant association between acute postoperative pain and multi-system complications.
Humans ; Postoperative Complications/etiology* ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; China/epidemiology* ; Pain, Postoperative/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Aged, 80 and over

OBJECTIVES: To assess the regulatory effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on circadian rhythm sleep disorders following general anesthesia and explore its potential mechanism in a rat model of propofol-induced rhythm sleep disorder. METHODS: An electrode was embedded in the skull for cortical EEG recording in 24 male SD rats, which were randomized into control, propofol, CBD treatment, and diazepam treatment groups (n=6). Eight days later, a single dose of propofol (10 mg/kg) was injected via the tail vein with anesthesia maintenance for 3 h in the latter 3 groups, and daily treatment with saline, CBD or diazepam was administered via gavage; the control rats received only saline injection. A wireless system was used for collecting EEG, EMG, and body temperature data within 72 h after propofol injection. After data collection, blood samples and hypothalamic tissue samples were collected for determining serum levels of oxidative stress markers and hypothalamic expressions of the key clock proteins. RESULTS: Compared with the control rats, the rats with CBD treatment showed significantly increased sleep time at night (20:00-6:00), especially during the time period of 4:00-6:00 am. Compared with the rats in propofol group, which had prolonged SWS time and increased sleep episodes during 18:00-24:00 and sleep-wake transitions, the CBD-treated rats exhibited a significant reduction of SWS time and fewer SWS-to-active-awake transitions with increased SWS aspects and sleep-wake transitions at night (24:00-08:00). Diazepam treatment produced similar effect to CBD but with a weaker effect on sleep-wake transitions. Propofol caused significant changes in protein expressions and redox state, which were effectively reversed by CBD treatment. CONCLUSIONS CBD can improve sleep structure and circadian rhythm in rats with propofol-induced sleep disorder possibly by regulating hypothalamic expressions of the key circadian clock proteins, suggesting a new treatment option for perioperative sleep disorders.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male ; Cannabidiol/therapeutic use* ; Rats ; Circadian Rhythm/drug effects* ; Propofol/adverse effects* ; Anesthesia, General/adverse effects* ; Sleep Wake Disorders/chemically induced* ; Hypothalamus/metabolism* ; Electroencephalography

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the regulatory role of astrocytes in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) during sevoflurane anesthesia emergence. METHODS: Forty-two male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into 6 groups (n=7) for assessing astrocyte activation in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) under sevoflurane anesthesia. Two groups of mice received microinjection of agfaABC1D promoter-driven AAV2 vector into the DMH for GCaMP6 overexpression, and the changes in astrocyte activity during sevoflurane or air inhalation were recorded using calcium imaging. For assessing optogenetic activation of astrocytes, another two groups of mice received microinjection of an optogenetic virus or a control vector into the DMH with optic fiber implantation, and sevoflurane anesthesia emergence was compared using behavioral experiments. In the remaining two groups, electroencephalogram (EEG) recording during sevoflurane anesthesia emergence was conducted after injection of the hChR2-expressing and control vectors. Anesthesia induction and recovery were assessed by observing the righting reflex. EEG data were recorded under 2.0% sevoflurane to calculate the burst suppression ratio (BSR) and under 1.5% sevoflurane for power spectrum analysis. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to visualize the colocalization of GFAP-positive astrocytes with viral protein signals. RESULTS: Astrocyte activity in the DMH decreased progressively as sevoflurane concentration increased. During 2.0% sevoflurane anesthesia, the mice injected with the ChR2-expressing virus exhibited a significantly shortened wake-up time (P<0.05), and optogenetic activation of the DMH astrocytes led to a marked reduction in BSR (P<0.001). Under 1.5% sevoflurane anesthesia, optogenetic activation resulted in a significant increase in EEG gamma power and a significant decrease in delta power in ChR2 group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Optogenetic activation of DMH astrocytes facilitates sevoflurane anesthesia emergence but does not significantly influence anesthesia induction. These findings offer new insights into the mechanisms underlying anesthesia emergence and may provide a potential target for accelerating postoperative recovery and managing anesthesia-related complications.
Animals ; Astrocytes/physiology* ; Sevoflurane ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Male ; Electroencephalography ; Anesthetics, Inhalation/pharmacology* ; Hypothalamus/cytology* ; Anesthesia Recovery Period ; Methyl Ethers/pharmacology*

The accumulation of fatigue during military operations may lead to decreased operational efficiency and non-combat attrition,which can impact combat effectiveness.On-site monitoring and evaluation of fatigue during military operations,as an important means to keep track of military operations and bring about quick changes in training,underlie the combat effectiveness of military personnel.Focusing on the on-site monitoring and evaluation methods of fatigue during military operations,this paper reviews the determinants of such fatigue as well as on-site monitoring and comprehensive evaluation methods so as to provide reference for accurate and efficient evaluation of fatigue during military operations and for early warning of such fatigue.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery (MINS).Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of adult patients ( n=2 203) who underwent liver resection surgery with general anesthesia at our center from January 2016 to August 2019 were retrospectively collected. The predictive value of preoperative PNI for MINS and the optimal cut-off value of PNI were evaluated and determined according to the receiver operating characteristic curve, and the patients were divided into 2 groups based on the cut-off value: high PNI group and low PNI group. Logistic regression analyses were applied to investigate the relationship between preoperative PNI and MINS. According to the same inclusion and exclusion criteria, the clinical data of patients at our center from January 2022 to December 2023 were collected as the validation set ( n=2 525), and they were grouped using the same PNI cutoff value. Logistic regression analyses were used to verify the relationship between PNI and MINS. Results:The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of preoperative PNI for predicting MINS was 0.651 (95% confidence interval [ CI] 0.602-0.699), with an optimal cut-off value of 46.193, and the specificity and sensitivity were 0.729 and 0.519 respectively. The integer 46 was considered as the optimal cutoff value for PNI, and the patients were divided into low PNI group (PNI<46, n=606) and high PNI group (PNI≥46, n=1 597). Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that preoperative low PNI was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of MINS (univariate: OR=2.873, 95% CI 2.063-4.003, P<0.001; multivariate: OR=1.844, 95% CI 1.241-2.600, P=0.003). The results in the validation set were still robust (univariate: OR=2.694, 95% CI 1.890-3.833, P<0.001; multivariate: OR=1.602, 95% CI 1.071-2.385, P=0.021). Conclusions:Preoperative low-level PNI is an independent risk factor for MINS, with a certain predictive value.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the regulatory effects of GABAergic neurons in the zona incerta (ZI) on sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia. METHODS: Forty-eight male C57BL/6J mice divided into 8 groups (n=6) were used in this study. In the study of sevoflurane anesthesia, chemogenetic experiment was performed in 2 groups of mice with injection of either adeno-associated virus carrying hM3Dq (hM3Dq group) or a virus carrying only mCherry (mCherry group). The optogenetic experiment was performed in another two groups of mice injected with an adeno-associated virus carrying ChR2 (ChR2 group) or GFP only (GFP group). The same experiments were also performed in mice for studying propofol anesthesia. Chemogenetics or optogenetics were used to induce the activation of GABAergic neurons in the ZI, and their regulatory effects on anesthesia induction and arousal with sevoflurane and propofol were observed; EEG monitoring was used to observe the changes in sevoflurane anesthesia maintenance after activation of the GABAergic neurons. RESULTS: In sevoflurane anesthesia, the induction time of anesthesia was significantly shorter in hM3Dq group than in mCherry group (P < 0.05), and also shorter in ChR2 group than in GFP group (P < 0.01), but no significant difference was found in the awakening time between the two groups in either chemogenetic or optogenetic tests. Similar results were observed in chemogenetic and optogenetic experiments with propofol (P < 0.05 or 0.01). Photogenetic activation of the GABAergic neurons in the ZI did not cause significant changes in EEG spectrum during sevoflurane anesthesia maintenance. CONCLUSION Activation of the GABAergic neurons in the ZI promotes anesthesia induction of sevoflurane and propofol but does not affect anesthesia maintenance or awakening.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Propofol/pharmacology* ; Sevoflurane/pharmacology* ; Zona Incerta ; Anesthesia, General ; GABAergic Neurons

Objective:To retrospectively review the efficacy of enhanced epidural anesthesia in the patients undergoing cesarean section.Methods:The data from patients who underwent cesarean section in our hospital from August 2008 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected. The method of epidural anesthesia, drug dosage, onset time, blocking level, anesthesia effect, remedial medication, and complications related to the method were recorded. The main points of enhanced epidural anesthesia included: ① test negative pressure by rotating the epidural puncture needle in situ to determine the position of the needle tip; ② catheterization after administering local anesthetic through epidural puncture needle to assess the clinical application of this technique. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 134 anesthesiologists with qualifications for epidural procedures. The questionnaire addressed whether to perform routine needle rotation during epidural procedures, direction of needle rotation, and the percentage of the dosage of local anesthetic administered through puncture needle. Results:A total of 10 054 patients received epidural anesthesia (10 016 cases) and switched to general anesthesia because of poor epidural effect or intraoperative emergencies (38 cases) were enrolled. The consumption of local anesthetics for epidural anesthesia was 18 (15, 20) ml.There were 7 287 cases with block plane records, of which the ratio of the block level reached T 6-8 was 86.84%. The time from the beginning of anesthesia to skin incision was 25 (20, 30) min. Sixteen patients (0.159%) switched to general anesthesia because of poor epidural effect.Among 10 016 patients underwent epidural anesthesia, 925 patients (9.235%) received intravenous adjunctive drugs.No patients experienced total spinal anesthesia, 25 patients (0.248%) had epidural perforation due to puncture or needle rotation, and 4 cases (0.039%) local anesthetic intoxication, 3 cases (0.030%) postoperative nerve injury, and 142 patients (1.412%) requiring intervention with vasoactive drugs due to hemodynamic instability within 30 min after epidural administration. Questionnaire survey: The proportion of anesthesiologists rotating epidural puncture needles was 85.1%, and the proportion of anesthesiologists using epidural puncture needles to inject local anesthesia drugs with a dose greater than 50% of the total dose before catheterization was 84.2%. Conclusions:Enhanced epidural anesthesia can provide effective anesthesia for the patients undergoing cesarean section without increasing the risk of complications related to epidural procedures.

Objective:To explore the effect of desflurane on activity of neurons in 2/3 layer cortex of mice by using high-resolution light-field intelligent imaging system.Methods:Six SPF healthy male Rasgrf/Ai148d mice, aged 8-12 weeks, weighing 25-30 g, were selected. The 6 mice were subjected to skull replacement surgery and then recovered for 2 weeks before experiment.The mice were first fixed under the high-resolution light-field intelligent imaging system for 5 min before calcium signals in 2/3 layer cortex were recorded. The 7.5% desflurane was inhaled for anesthesia starting from 100 s of recording and inhalation was stopped at 700 s, and then the recording continued for 700 s. The total duration of the experiment was 1 500 s. Neurons were extracted and data were analyzed using MATLAB software.Results:When mice were subjected to inhalation anesthesia with desflurane, the calcium fluorescence intensity and percentage of active neurons in the cortex 2/3 layers initially increased significantly, then continuously declined, stabilizing after about 100 s of inhalation. After cessation of inhalation, it gradually recovered to the pre-anesthetic level around 50 s post-inhalation. During the induction period of anesthesia, the percentage of active neurons was significantly higher in the retrosplenial cortex than in the other brain regions ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The disappearance and recovery of consciousness induced by desflurane anesthesia at the neuronal level is not a " symmetrical" process. Neuronal activity in the brain exhibits asymmetry when entering and recovering from an anesthetized state. The retrosplenial cortex, which is related to sleep-wake cycles, may play a crucial role in maintaining consciousness during induction of anesthesia with desflurane.

Dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) play an important role in cognition, emergence from anesthesia, reward, and aversion, and their projection to the cortex is a crucial part of the "bottom-up" ascending activating system. The prelimbic cortex (PrL) is one of the important projection regions of the VTA. However, the roles of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA and the VTA^DA-PrL pathway under sevoflurane anesthesia in rats remain unclear. In this study, we found that intraperitoneal injection and local microinjection of a dopamine D1 receptor agonist (Chloro-APB) into the PrL had an emergence-promoting effect on sevoflurane anesthesia in rats, while injection of a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist (SCH23390) deepened anesthesia. The results of chemogenetics combined with microinjection and optogenetics showed that activating the VTA^DA-PrL pathway prolonged the induction time and shortened the emergence time of anesthesia. These results demonstrate that the dopaminergic system in the VTA has an emergence-promoting effect and that the bottom-up VTA^DA-PrL pathway facilitates emergence from sevoflurane anesthesia.
Anesthesia ; Animals ; Dopaminergic Neurons/metabolism* ; Rats ; Receptors, Dopamine D1/metabolism* ; Sevoflurane/pharmacology* ; Ventral Tegmental Area/metabolism*

Objective:To observe and analyze the changes in activity of layer 2/3 cortical neurons in isoflurane-anesthetized mice by Real-time Ultra-large-Scale High-resolution (RUSH) imaging platform.Methods:Clean-grade healthy male Rasgrf2-Cre/Ai148d mice, aged 8-12 weeks, weighing 18-25 g, were studied.The mice recovered ten days after the skull replacement surgery and proceeded to the next experiment.Imaging data of calcium fluorescence signals from layer 2/3 cortical neurons were acquired by RUSH imaging platform after fixing the head of mice.The time of imaging data acquisition in the awake state, during anesthesia with 1.2% isoflurane, and after the end of anesthesia was 100, 600 and 600 s, respectively.Imaging data were analyzed using Image J and MATLAB softwares.Results:The overall trend of activity of layer 2/3 cortical neurons decreased first and then stabilized with the inhalation of 1.2% isoflurane.The cortical neural activity were gradually increased when isoflurane inhalation was stopped.The recovery rate of neural activity was different in different brain regions after isoflurane inhalation was stopped.The recovery of neural activity in the primary motor cortex was delayed obviously.During the maintenance of anesthesia, the activities of most layer 2/3 cortical neurons in the retrosplenial cortex were weakened, however, some of the neurons became more active.Conclusions:The neural activity in the 2/3 layer of cortex in isoflurane anesthetized mice is inconsistent in observation region, brain region and single cell, suggesting that different neural pathways are involved in the process of anesthesia induction and recovery from anesthesia.