Background: Propofol is a short-acting intravenous sedative widely used for procedural sedation and general anesthesia. However, pain during propofol injection is a distressing adverse effect. This study was designed to investigate whether transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) could reduce pain during propofol injection compared to sham TENS. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 80 patients were allocated to two groups: the active TENS group received electrical stimulation via two electrodes on the venous cannulation site, whereas the sham TENS group received no stimulus. After 20 min following TENS, propofol 0.5 mg/kg pain was injected intravenously and pain was evaluated using a four-point score (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe). Adverse effects associated with TENS were also recorded. Results: The overall incidence of pain during propofol injection was 47.5% in the TENS group and 87.5% in the sham group (P < 0.001). The incidence of moderate pain was significantly lower in the TENS group (7.5%) than in the sham TENS group (42.5%) (P < 0.001). There were no complications associated with TENS. Conclusion Pre-treatment with TENS significantly reduced the incidence and intensity of pain during propofol injection.

Methemoglobinemia is rare. It is classified into two types: congenital methemoglobinemia and acquired methemoglobinemia. Methemoglobin is incapable of binding oxygen, leading to complications such as cyanosis, dyspnea, headache, and heart failure. In the present case, a 35-year-old man with congenital methemoglobinemia underwent general anesthesia for thyroidectomy. The patient was diagnosed with hemoglobin M at 7 years of age. Ventilation was performed with FiO2 1.0. Arterial blood gas analysis showed that the pH was 7.4, PaO 2 439 mmHg, PaCO2 40.5 mmHg, oxyhemoglobin level of 83.2%, and methemoglobin level of 15.5%. The patient had a stable course, although cyanosis was observed during surgery.

Methemoglobinemia is rare. It is classified into two types: congenital methemoglobinemia and acquired methemoglobinemia. Methemoglobin is incapable of binding oxygen, leading to complications such as cyanosis, dyspnea, headache, and heart failure. In the present case, a 35-year-old man with congenital methemoglobinemia underwent general anesthesia for thyroidectomy. The patient was diagnosed with hemoglobin M at 7 years of age. Ventilation was performed with FiO2 1.0. Arterial blood gas analysis showed that the pH was 7.4, PaO 2 439 mmHg, PaCO2 40.5 mmHg, oxyhemoglobin level of 83.2%, and methemoglobin level of 15.5%. The patient had a stable course, although cyanosis was observed during surgery.

The conventional radiologic method for liver segmentation is based on the position of the hepatic and portal veins. However, during surgery, liver segments are resected based on the distribution of hepatic portal blood flow. This discrepancy can lead to a number of problems, such as miscommunication among clinicians, missing the location of the segment with the hepatic mass, and the risk of extended hepatic resection. We suggest a novel method to determine hepatic segments based on portal blood flow, as in the surgical approach, but by using high and low mechanical indexes in contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid. This approach is helpful for preoperatively determining hepatic segments and reducing the risk of missing the location of a hepatic tumor or extended hepatic resection.

We experienced an unusual case of accelerated junctional rhythm with severe hypotension after infiltration oflidocaine containing epinephrine during dental surgery under general anesthesia. The patient’s electrocardiogramexhibited retrograde P-waves following the QRS complex, which could be misinterpreted as ST-segment depression.As a temporary measure, administration of ephedrine restored the patient’s blood pressure to normal levels.The importance of this case lies in its demonstration of an unexpected and serious side effect of commonlyused epinephrine infiltration. This case also highlights the need for accurate interpretation of the electrocardiogramand comprehensive understanding of best practices for patient management.

Myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion are widely performed in pediatric patients with chronic otitis media. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia or sedation with local anesthesia infiltration in pediatric patients. In this case report, we report a case of transient facial paralysis in a pediatric patient who underwent myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion using sevoflurane inhalation and four-quadrant blocks with lidocaine.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic pain in the skeletal system accompanied by stiffness, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and psychiatric problems, such as anxiety and depression. Fibromyalgia commonly affects orofacial health, presenting with a variety of oral manifestations, including temporomandibular disorder, xerostomia, glossodynia, and dysgeusia. Therefore, oral healthcare providers need to be aware of this clinical entity to effectively manage oral symptoms and provide proper oral self-care modification and education on the nature of fibromyalgia.This review focuses on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, orofacial concerns, and treatment of fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: Substantial variation exists in the reported rates of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the Asian population. This retrospective study aimed to compare the early postoperative VTE incidence between patients managed with epidural anesthesia and those managed by general anesthesia at the time of TKA. METHODS: We reviewed 589 cases of unilateral primary TKA performed between January 2011 and June 2014. We selected epidural versus general anesthesia groups as the main anesthetic choices, with postoperative patient-controlled analgesia. All the patients underwent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) computed tomography angiography on postoperative day 7. The incidence of DVT and pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) was evaluated and compared between epidural and general anesthesia. RESULTS: The overall incidence of VTE was 8.0% in the two groups together. The incidence did not differ between the groups. The odds ratio in the generalized estimation equations analysis showed a higher incidence of DVT and PTE in the epidural group; however, this result was not statistically significant. Although, the odds ratio for age showed that the risk of developing DVT and PTE increased 1.12 times per year. CONCLUSIONS: Total VTE incidence was not significantly different between patients who underwent general anesthesia and those who underwent epidural anesthesia for TKA. A prospective multicenter study is required to evaluate the nature of the Korean VTE status in major orthopedic surgeries, and to prepare guidelines and protocols for medical prophylaxis for DVT and PTE in Korea.
Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, General* ; Angiography ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee* ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Korea ; Odds Ratio ; Orthopedics ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Retrospective Studies* ; Venous Thromboembolism* ; Venous Thrombosis

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate pain-related behaviors after bilateral C2 root resection and change in pain patterns in the suboccipital region in rats.METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups (n=25/group); näive, sham, and C2 resection. Three, 7, 10, and 14 days after surgery, cold allodynia was assessed using 20 μL of 99.7% acetone. c-Fos and c-Jun were immunohistochemically stained to evaluate activation of dorsal horn gray matter in C2 segments of the spinal cord 2 hours, 1 day, 7 days, and 14 days after surgery.RESULTS: Three days after surgery, the response to acetone in the sham group was significantly greater than in the näive group, and this significant difference between the näive and sham groups was maintained throughout the experimental period (p < 0.05 at 3, 7, 10, and 14 days). Seven, 10, and 14 days after surgery, the C2 root resection group exhibited a significantly greater response to acetone than the näive group (p < 0.05), and both the sham and C2 resection groups exhibited significantly greater responses to acetone compared with 3 days after surgery. No significant difference in cold allodynia was observed between the sham and C2 root resection groups throughout the experimental period. Two hours after surgery, both the sham and C2 root resection groups exhibited significant increases in c-Fos- and c-Jun-positive neurons compared with the naive group (p=0.0021 and p=0.0358 for the sham group, and p=0.0135 and p=0.014 for the C2 root resection group, respectively). One day after surgery, both the sham and C2 root resection groups exhibited significant decreases in c-Fos -positive neurons compared with two hours after surgery (p=0.0169 and p=0.0123, respectively), and these significant decreases in c-Fos immunoreactivity were maintained in both the sham and C2 root resection groups 7 and 14 days after surgery. The sham and C2 root resection groups presented a tendency toward a decrease in c-Jun-positive neurons 1, 7, and 14 days after surgery, but the decrease did not reach statistical significance.CONCLUSION: We found no significant difference in cold allodynia and the early expression of c-Fos and c-Jun between the sham and C2 resection groups. Our results may support the routine resection of the C2 nerve root for posterior C1–2 fusion, but, further studies are needed.
Acetone ; Animals ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Male ; Neuralgia ; Neurons ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn

Lingual nerve injury is a rare complication of general anesthesia. The causes of lingual nerve injury following general anesthesia are multifactorial; possible mechanisms may include difficult laryngoscopy, prolonged anterior mandibular displacement, improper placement of the oropharyngeal airway, macroglossia and tongue compression. In this report, we have described a case of bilateral lingual nerve injury that was associated with orotracheal intubation for open reduction and internal fixation of the left distal radius fracture in a 61-year-old woman. In this case, early treatment with dexamethasone effectively aided the recovery of the injured lingual nerve.
Anesthesia, General ; Dexamethasone ; Female ; Humans ; Intubation ; Laryngoscopy ; Lingual Nerve Injuries ; Lingual Nerve ; Macroglossia ; Middle Aged ; Radius Fractures ; Tongue