Impact of modified-release opioid use on clinical outcomes following total hip and knee arthroplasty: a propensity score-matched cohort study

Modified-release opioids are often prescribed for the management of moderate to severe acute pain following total hip and knee arthroplasty, despite recommendations against their use due to increasing concerns regarding harm. The primary objective of this multicentre study was to examine the impact of modified-release opioid use on the incidence of opioid-related adverse events compared with immediate-release opioid use, among adult inpatients following total hip or knee arthroplasty. Data for total hip and knee arthroplasty inpatients receiving an opioid analgesic for postoperative analgesia during hospitalisation were collected from electronic medical records of three tertiary metropolitan hospitals in Australia. The primary outcome was the incidence of opioid-related adverse events during hospital admission. Patients who received modified with or without immediate-release opioids were matched to those receiving immediate-release opioids only (1:1) using nearest neighbour propensity score matching with patient and clinical characteristics as covariates. This included total opioid dose received. In the matched cohorts, patients given modified-release opioids (n = 347) experienced a higher incidence of opioid-related adverse events overall, compared with those given immediate-release opioids only (20.5%, 71/347 vs. 12.7%, 44/347; difference in proportions 7.8% [95%CI 2.3–13.3%]). Modified-release opioid use was associated with an increased risk of harm when used for acute pain during hospitalisation after total hip or knee arthroplasty.     

RWMAs in critically ill patients with non-obstructed coronary arteries

Introduction

Left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is estimated to occur in 10%–25% of the general intensive care unit (ICU) population and is frequently seen as regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMAs). Although RWMA is mostly attributed to myocardial ischemia or infarction, some studies have suggested that nonischemic RWMA might also be prevalent. We sought to establish that RWMA can be seen in critically ill patients with normal coronary arteries and to explore reasons for RWMA in this population.

Methods

In this retrospective study, data from the hospital angiography register and the ICU register were collated between 2012 and 2019. Patients were identified who underwent angiography in conjunction with their ICU stay and had RWMA on echocardiography. Patients were divided into either those with non-obstructed or those with obstructed coronary arteries. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) examinations were reviewed if they had been performed on patients with non-obstructed coronaries.

Results

We identified 53 patients with RWMA and non-obstructed coronary arteries and 204 patients with RWMA and obstructed coronary arteries. Patients with non-obstructed coronary arteries were more often female, younger, and had fewer cardiovascular risk factors. They less commonly had ST elevation, but more frequently had T-wave inversion or serious arrhythmias. Troponin levels were higher in patients with obstructed coronary arteries, but NT-proBNP was similar between the groups. There were no differences in risk-adjusted 90-day mortality between patients with non-obstructed versus obstructed coronary arteries (OR 1.21, [95% CI 0.56–2.64], p = .628). In those with non-obstructed coronary arteries, follow-up echocardiography was available for 38 patients, of whom 30 showed normalization of cardiac function. Of the 14 patients with non-obstructed coronary arteries on whom cMRI was performed, 7 had a tentative diagnosis of Takotsubo syndrome or myocardial stunning; 4 had a myocardial infarction (preexisting in 3 cases); 1 patient had acute myocarditis; 1 patient had post-myocarditis; and 1 patient was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Conclusion

RWMA can be seen to occur in critically ill patients in the absence of coronary artery obstruction. Several conditions can cause regional hypokinesia, and cMRI is useful to evaluate the underlying etiology.     

Effect of pneumatic leg compression on post-induction hypotension in elderly patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: a double-blind randomised controlled trial

Post-induction hypotension is common and associated with postoperative complications. We hypothesised that pneumatic leg compression reduces post-induction hypotension in elderly patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. In this double-blind randomised study, patients were allocated randomly to the pneumatic leg compression group (n = 50) or control (n = 50). In the intervention group, pneumatic leg compression was initiated before induction of anaesthesia. In the control group, pneumatic leg compression was initiated 20 min after anaesthesia induction. The primary outcome was the incidence of post-induction hypotension in these groups. Post-induction hypotension was defined as systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg during the first 20 min after induction. Haemodynamic variables and area under the curve of post-induction systolic blood pressure over time were assessed. Complications associated with pneumatic leg compression were recorded, including: peripheral neuropathy; compartment syndrome; extensive bullae beneath the leg sleeves; and pulmonary thromboembolism. The incidence of post-induction hypotension decreased in the pneumatic leg compression group compared with that in the control group; 5 (10%) vs. 29 (58%), respectively, p < 0.001. In the pneumatic leg compression group, the lowest systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures 20 min after induction of anaesthesia were significantly greater than the control group. Pneumatic leg compression resulted in an increased area under the curve of systolic blood pressure in the first 20 min after induction, p = 0.001. There were no pneumatic leg compression-related complications. Pneumatic leg compression reduced post-induction hypotension in elderly patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, suggesting that it is an effective and safe intervention to prevent post-induction hypotension among elderly patients undergoing general anaesthesia.     

基于HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB信号通路研究木兰脂素对急性鼻窦炎大鼠的治疗作用及机制

目的： 观察木兰脂素对急性鼻窦炎(ARS)大鼠的治疗作用，并探讨其通过高迁移率家族蛋白1/ Toll样受体4/核因子-κB(HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB)信号通路的调控机制方法： 49只大鼠，随机取9 只作为正常组，40只用鼻窦腔内接种金黄色葡萄球菌法制备ARS模型，36只建模成功大鼠随机分为模型组、木兰脂素低剂量组、木兰脂素高剂量组、阳性组，各9只。木兰脂素低剂量组、木兰脂素高剂量组分别灌胃20、80 mg·kg^-1体质量的木兰脂素，模型组和正常组灌胃等体质量溶媒，阳性组灌胃40 mg·kg^-1 体质量左氧氟沙星，连续7 d。给药前、末次给药后1 h评估各组鼻窦炎症状评分；测定给药后各组血白细胞(WBC)计数及中性粒细胞占比，观察鼻窦黏膜病理组织学变化，检测鼻腔灌洗液中肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白介素(IL)-6水平及鼻黏膜中HMGB1、TLR4、NF-κB mRNA和蛋白表达情况结果： 给药后，木兰脂素低剂量组、高剂量组、阳性组的急性鼻窦炎症状评分及血WBC计数均低于模型组，但仍高于正常组，且木兰脂素高剂量组及阳性组均低于木兰脂素低剂量组，差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05)，而木兰脂素高剂量组与阳性组比较，差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05)。与给药前比较，给药后木兰脂素低剂量组、高剂量组及阳性组急性鼻窦炎症状评分均降低(P＜0.05)，正常组及模型组给药前后无明显差异(P＞0.05)。与模型组比较，木兰脂素低剂量组、木兰脂素高剂量组、阳性组中性粒细胞占比均降低，且木兰脂素高剂量组低于木兰脂素低剂量组，阳性组低于木兰脂素高剂量组，差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05)，而阳性组与正常组比较，差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05)。HE染色显示，模型组大鼠纤毛脱落、缺失、排列紊乱，黏膜上皮破损、变性，黏膜内及黏膜下可见大量炎症细胞浸润； 木兰脂素低剂量组、木兰脂素高剂量组及阳性组上述病理变化均减轻，且木兰脂素高剂量组和阳性组炎症反应减轻更为明显。与模型组比较，木兰脂素低剂量组、木兰脂素高剂量组、阳性组鼻腔灌洗液中 TNF-α、IL-6水平及鼻黏膜中HMGB1、TLR4、NF-κB mRNA和蛋白相对表达量均降低，但仍高于正常组，且木兰脂素高剂量组及阳性组均低于木兰脂素低剂量组，差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05)，而木兰脂素高剂量组及阳性组比较，差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05)结论： 木兰脂素治疗ARS效果显著，可能通过HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB信号通路抑制鼻黏膜炎症反应。     

Reduction of ventricular arrhythmias with synchronized LV pacing—fact,fiction, or fortuitous

Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology -     

Synthesis and automated fluorine-18 radiolabeling of new PSMA-617 derivatives with a CuAAC radiosynthetic approach

In the last decade, the development of new radiopharmaceuticals for the imaging and therapy of prostate cancer has been a highly active and important area of research, especially focusing on the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), an antigen which is upregulated in prostate, as well as in other tumor cells. A large variety of PSMA ligands have been radiolabeled, to date. Among the various derivatives, PSMA-617 resulted to be one of the most interesting in terms of interaction with the antigen and clinical properties, and its lutetium-177 labeled version has recently been approved by regulatory agencies for therapeutic purposes. For this reasons, the radiolabeling with fluorine-18 of a PSMA-617 derivative might be of interest. Beside other methodologies to radiolabel macromolecules with fluorine-18, the “click-chemistry” approach resulted to be very useful, and the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) is considered one of most efficient and reliable. This paper proposes the synthesis of a suitable precursor for the radiolabeling with fluorine-18 of a new PSMA-617 derivative. The whole radiosynthetic procedure has been fully automated, and the final product, which proved to be stable in plasma, has been obtained with radiochemical yield and purity suitable for subsequent preclinical studies.