The effect of corticosteroid injection for trigger finger on blood glucose level in diabetic patients

PURPOSE: To determine how corticosteroid injections for trigger finger affect the blood glucose level in diabetic patients and the clinical results of those injections. METHODS: Eighteen diabetic patients receiving a methylprednisolone injection for a single trigger finger were studied. Six patients had type I (juvenile-onset) diabetes and 12 patients had type II (adult-onset) diabetes. Patients recorded their usual blood glucose measurements and then they recorded their blood glucose measurements for 5 days after injection. Clinical efficacy of the injections was measured by avoidance of surgery. RESULTS: There were 3 men and 15 women with an average age of 58 years. The blood glucose level increased after corticosteroid injection for all patients. The first morning after injection showed the biggest increase in blood glucose level: 73% more than the average preinjection levels. By the fifth morning after injection the blood glucose levels still were increased by 26% more than the preinjection levels. This trend was marked particularly in type I diabetic patients, who had an average blood glucose level increase the first morning after injection of 145%, which decreased over 5 days to 22% greater than baseline levels. Sixteen patients had follow-up evaluation over a period of 1 year and of these 16 patients 7 required surgery for this condition. CONCLUSIONS: A digital injection of the corticosteroid methylprednisolone acetate in diabetic patients with trigger finger causes a hyperglycemic effect that lasts for at least 5 days but can help prevent the need for surgery more than half the time. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, Level IV.     

Effectiveness of ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection in the treatment of Morton's neuroma

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of corticosteroid injection and determine the duration of symptom-free period after treatment with a single ultrasound-guided injection for a painful Morton's neuroma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From May 2002 to November 2003, 35 consecutive patients (7 males, 28 females) (mean age, 54; age range, 29 to 77 years) underwent a single ultrasound guided corticosteroid injection. Thirty-nine injections were performed as 4 patients had bilateral Morton's neuromas. The injection of 1.0 cc Celestone Chronodose (5.7 mg/ml) with 0.5 cc of 1% lidocaine was performed into the symptomatic intermetatarsal web-space. The efficacy of the injection was determined by the Johnson grading scale, and modified lower extremity functional scale. RESULTS: On the Johnson scale, 15 of 39 (38%) neuromas showed complete satisfaction 9 months after treatment and 11 of 39 (28%) were satisfied with minor reservations. A total of 26 of 39 (66%) neuromas had a positive outcome 9 months after the injection. On the functional daily activity (FDA) scale, 20 of 39 (51%) neuromas showed no difficulty and 4 of 39 (10%) indicated minor difficulties, which was considered a positive outcome 9 months after injection. Complete pain relief was achieved in 11 of 39 (28%) neuromas 9 months after treatment. Twelve of 39 (31%) neuromas did not respond to conservative treatment and required surgery. The results of treatment suggested improvement in efficacy if injection was used early. The size of the lesion measured on ultrasound showed no correlation with pain relief after injection. CONCLUSION: A single corticosteroid injection can offer short-term pain relief in the conservative management of Morton's neuroma.     

Histological outcome of acute cellular rejection in kidney transplantation after treatment with methylprednisolone

BACKGROUND: Several studies comparing the response of acute cellular rejection (ACR) episodes to different corticosteroid regimens have been conducted. However, in most of them, the histological evaluation of the infiltrate and its correlation with clinical response was not studied. The clinical and histological outcomes of 37 episodes of ACR treated with methylprednisolone (MP) were studied, with the aim to determine how long the infiltrate takes to be cleared after therapy. METHODS: A total of 37 patients with biopsy-proven ACR were treated with 8 or 16 mg of MP/kg/day. Allograft biopsies were repeated at 5 and 10 days after the end of corticotherapy. Clinical and histological outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Six patients were excluded; 15 (48.4%) patients responded to therapy; the mean serum creatinine of these patients reached normal levels in the 2 weeks that followed treatment. Nine patients (60%) of this group had signs of ACR on biopsies done 5 days after corticotherapy, and four (26.7%) maintained them on the 10th day. Among 16 patients with no clinical response, none reached normal serum creatinine levels; 15 (93.7%) had signs of rejection 5 days after treatment and maintained them on the 10th day. Histological signs of ACR disappeared in 73.3% of patients with clinical response 10 days after therapy, but in only 6.3% of patients with no response (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Biopsies performed 5 days after treatment show a high incidence of features of ACR; such features take on average 10 days to disappear in nearly 75% of cases with successful therapy with MP.     

The effect of epidural methylprednisolone acetate injection on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Study ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of an epidural corticosteroid injection of 80 mg and 40 mg of methylprednisolone acetate on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and on back pain.DesignRandomized, single-blinded prospective study.SettingOperating room of a university-affiliated hospital.Patients42 patients with low back pain due to radiculopathy.InterventionsGroup 1 received an epidural corticosteroid injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, and Group 2 received an epidural corticosteroid injection of 40 mg of methylprednisolone acetate. All study patients underwent a stimulation test of one μg of adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), and their pain levels were graded just prior to and following the epidural corticosteroid injection on weeks one, 3, and 4.MeasurementsSerum cortisol of the ACTH stimulation tests and back pain levels were rated using a visual analog scale (VAS). Serum cortisol levels lower than 18 ng/mL 30 minutes following the ACTH stimulation test were considered to be secondary adrenal insufficiency.Main Results21 patients were enrolled in each group. The rate of secondary adrenal insufficiency in Group 1 was ~ 86%, ~ 22%, and ~ 17% of patients versus ~ 53% (P = 0.024), 15% (P = 0.874), and ~ 12% (P = 0.715) of Group 2 patients at weeks one, 3, and 4, respectively. About 62%, 56%, and 39% of Group 1 patients had a favorable clinical response as opposed to ~ 47% (P = 0362), 35% (P = 0.21), and ~ 6% (P = 0.049) of Group 2 patients at weeks one, 3, and 4, respectively.ConclusionsEpidural corticosteroid injection of methylprednisolone acetate in both groups was associated with very high rates of secondary adrenal insufficiency, but significantly more so in Group 1 at week one. This suppression was transient, with recovery of the gland in most patients noted over the ensuing weeks. An epidural corticosteroid injection of 80 mg had higher rates of favorable clinical response than a 40 mg injection, but significantly more so at week 4 only. This favorable response waned over a few weeks in both groups.     

Pregnancy and childbirth after total hip arthroplasty

We surveyed 343 young women with 420 total hip arthroplasties (THAs) regarding pregnancy and childbirth after THA. The mean age at surgery was 35 years (18 to 45). The mean length of follow-up after the initial arthroplasty was 16 years (6 to 27). Of these 343 women, 47 (13.7%) had a successful pregnancy after their primary THA. The first baby after a THA was delivered vaginally in 30 patients and by Caesarean section in 17. Of the 343 patients, 138 underwent a revision. For the entire series, the risk of revision at five years was 5%, at ten years 24%, and at 20 years 50%. After adjusting for age at surgical intervention, the risk of revision was not significantly associated with childbirth. Of the 47 patients who had a successful pregnancy, 28 (60%) noted an increase in pain in the hip during pregnancy and ten of these patients had persistent pain after their pregnancy. Seven patients complained of pain in the groin in the replaced hip after childbirth. At the time of this survey, five of these patients (70%) had had revision THA. Childbirth is not affected by the presence of a THA. Pregnancy after THA is not associated with decreased survival of the prosthesis. Pain in the hip is common during pregnancy in these patients. Pain in the groin which persists after delivery commonly leads to revision of the THA.     

Use of fluoroscopically guided intra-articular hip injection in differentiating the pain source in concomitant hip and lumbar spine arthritis

We retrospectively tested the effectiveness of fluoroscopically guided intra- articular hip injection in differentiating the pain generator in patients with atypical lower extremity pain and concomitant radiographic hip and spine arthritis. After the hip injection, 74 of 83 patients had pain relief (pain score improvement, 7.2 to 2.7) and functional improvement (Harris hip score [HHS] improvement, 54.3 to 80.4). Of those 74 patients, 50 (mean preoperative HHS, 60.3) went on to hip arthroplasty (for 48 of these 50, mean HHS increased to 84.4); the other 24 patients are being treated nonoperatively so far. The 11 patients who did not experience pain relief (9 after initial injection plus 2 after total hip arthroplasty) were found to have spinal pathology and were treated accordingly. Statistics: sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 81%; positive predictive value, 97%; negative predictive value, 100%.     

Effectiveness of collagen/oxidised regenerated cellulose/silver‐containing composite wound dressing for the treatment of medium‐depth split‐thickness skin graft donor site wounds in multi‐morbid patients: a prospective,non‐comparative,single‐centre study

Split‐thickness skin grafting (STSG) is a widely used method in reconstructive surgery, but donor site wounds (DSWs) are often slow healing and painful. This prospective study evaluated the performance of a composite wound dressing containing collagen/oxidised regenerated cellulose in the treatment of medium‐depth (0·4 mm) DSWs in 25 multi‐morbid patients with chronic leg ulcers requiring STSG. The range of patients' ages was 44–84 years (mean 71·6 years) with DSW sizes ranging between 12 and 162 cm² (mean 78 cm²). Comorbidities included anticoagulation therapy (15 patients), anaemia (11 patients), diabetes (6 patients) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ulcer colonisation (6 patients). The first dressing change was performed after 10 days. Complete reepithelialisation was observed between the 10th and 34th day (mean 17·2, median 14 days). Postoperative medium to strong bleeding occurred in only five patients (four with anticoagulation). Wound pain levels one day after harvesting were only moderate (range 0–1·5, mean 0·5, median 0·5 on a six‐item scale). No wound infection was observed during the first dressing. The composite dressing used allowed for the fast healing of medium‐depth DSWs with minimal or no postoperative pain and bleeding in older multi‐morbid patients under anticoagulation treatment.     

Use of fluoroscopically guided intra-articular hip injection in differentiating the pain source in concomitant hip and lumbar spine arthritis.

We retrospectively tested the effectiveness of fluoroscopically guided intra- articular hip injection in differentiating the pain generator in patients with atypical lower extremity pain and concomitant radiographic hip and spine arthritis. After the hip injection, 74 of 83 patients had pain relief (pain score improvement, 7.2 to 2.7) and functional improvement (Harris hip score [HHS] improvement, 54.3 to 80.4). Of those 74 patients, 50 (mean preoperative HHS, 60.3) went on to hip arthroplasty (for 48 of these 50, mean HHS increased to 84.4); the other 24 patients are being treated nonoperatively so far. The 11 patients who did not experience pain relief (9 after initial injection plus 2 after total hip arthroplasty) were found to have spinal pathology and were treated accordingly. Statistics: sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 81%; positive predictive value, 97%; negative predictive value, 100%.     

Recovery of pain control by intensive reprogramming after loss of benefit from motor cortex stimulation for neuropathic pain

INTRODUCTION: Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) may serve as an adjunct in managing neuropathic pain after other conservative and interventional methods have failed. However, the magnitude and duration of the benefit are highly variable, with a significant percentage of patients losing pain relief over time. We investigated whether intensive reprogramming could recapture the beneficial effects of MCS. METHODS: Six patients who had previously undergone MCS implantation for neuropathic pain but had lost benefit were brought back for 1-5 days of intensive reprogramming. Four patients were evaluated as inpatients while the others were seen as outpatients during multiple visits over several days. Several hours a day were spent with each patient. Patients completed visual analog scale (VAS) ratings at intervals throughout the reprogramming period to judge effectiveness of stimulation. Pre- and postadjustment VAS were compared using a paired t test. RESULTS: The patients' average age was 50 years (range 26-71). The diagnoses were trigeminal neuropathic pain (2 patients), complex regional pain syndrome I (2), phantom limb pain (1) and poststroke pain (1). The mean duration of pain was 6 years. The MCS benefit had initially lasted for a mean of 7.16 months (range 2-18 months). After reprogramming, 5 of 6 patients experienced improvement in pain. Average VAS scores decreased from 7.44 to 2.28 (p < 0.001) in those patients who responded to reprogramming. The average stimulation parameters in these patients were 5 V amplitude (range 1.7-10), 313 micros pulse width (range 240-390) and frequency of 84 Hz (range 55-130). Three patients experienced seizures during reprogramming. The mean seizure threshold was 8.9 V. No patient experienced seizures at their therapeutic settings. Pain control has been maintained after discharge. CONCLUSION: Intensive reprogramming can recapture the benefit of MCS in patients who have lost pain control. The use of broad dipoles using two contacts rather than one contact of the 1 x 4 electrode array improved the ability to recapture beneficial stimulation. There is a significant risk of seizures during aggressive reprogramming.     

Hip osteoarthritis: short-term efficacy and safety of viscosupplementation by hylan G-F 20. An open-label study in 22 patients

We studied the short-term safety and efficacy of intraarticular hylan G-F 20 (Synvisc) in patients with symptomatic hip osteoarthritis. METHODS: In this open-label prospective study, patients who had hip osteoarthritis with a visual analog pain scale score greaterthan 40/100 and a Lequesne index greater than 6 received one or two intra-articular injections of hylan G-F 20 under fluoroscopic guidance. The patients were evaluated once a month. A response was defined as a 50% decrease in the Lequesne score after 1 month as compared to baseline. RESULTS: Thirty injections were performed in 22 patients with a mean age of 54 years. The response rate was 50% (11/22) after the first injection. Five of the 11 patients who failed to respond to the first injection received a second injection on day 30; two had a response, yielding a cumulative response rate of 13/22. In the six patients followed up for more than 6 months, the improvement was sustained. Short-term safety was satisfactory, with a self-limited exacerbation of pain during the first few days in three patients but no infections or other side effects.     

Is intercostal block for pain management in thoracic surgery more successful than epidural anaesthesia?

Objective: Currently epidural anesthesia is the gold standard for postoperative pain management in thoracic surgery. In a prospective randomised study, the effect of an intercostal nerve block applied at the end of the operation was compared to that of epidural anesthesia. Methods: Thirty patients undergoing thoracotomy were randomised to each group. Patients with resection of the parietal pleura, rib resection and rethoracotomy were excluded from the study. Both groups received non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs every 8 h as a baseline analgesic medication and were allowed to ask for supplemental subcutaneous opiate injection, limited to four injections per day. The patients in the epidural catheter group (group I) were provided with a motor pump allowing continuous infusion of bupivacain 0.125% and 2 mg fentanyl/ml at a dosage of 6–10 ml per hour, dependent on the pain level over a period of 5 days. The patients of the second group (group II) received an intercostal nerve block at the end of the operation reaching from the third to the ninth intercostal space with 20 ml 0.5% bubivacaine. Pain was evaluated with a pain score ranging from 1 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain) twice daily in relaxed position and during physical activity like coughing. On the fifth postoperative day, the patients were asked specific questions concerning the subjective pain experience. Costs of both treatments were calculated. Mean pain values and costs of both groups were compared by t-tests for independent samples. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Eighteen male and 12 female patients, aged between 35 and 71 years (mean 59) were included in the study. Nineteen patients had lobectomy, five bilobectomy, two decortication and three wedge resection. There were 22 right sided and eight left sided procedures. In group I, the mean pain score on the operation day was 3.95 in relaxed position and 6.33 during physical activity like coughing. The mean pain score during the following 4 days was 2.19 in relaxed position and 4.28 with activity. Three patients required additional subcutaneous opiate injection. In group II, the mean score on the operation day was 2.0 in relaxed position and 3.5 during activity. The mean pain score during the next 4 days was 2.84 in relaxed position and 5.65 with activity. Twelve patients received subcutaneous opiates. In both groups, no complications were observed. Costs: The costs for treatment of one patient was €105 in group I and €33 in group II. Patients' satisfaction was equal in both groups, there were no differences in terms of outcome and recovery. Conclusion: Pain management by intercostal block was superior during the first 24 h after surgery whereas on the second day after surgery pain control was significantly better achieved by the epidural catheter in relaxed position. A combination of both forms of anaesthesia seems to be an ideal pain management in patients undergoing thoracic surgery.     

Evaluating short-term pain after steroid injection

Steroids are injected into joints for various indications. All steroid preparations relieve pain similarly over the long term. Therefore, decisions about which preparation to use are often arbitrary. We evaluated methylprednisolone acetate and a combination of betamethasone diproprionate and betamethasone sodium phosphate for short-term pain and the predictive value of short-term pain. Eighty-five patients were injected in prospective double-blind randomized fashion. Pain was evaluated by visual analog scale (1 = no pain, 10 = severe pain) at baseline, 3 days, and 3 weeks. No patient had joint pain immediately after injection. Three days after injection, mean (SD) pain levels were 5.1 (2.9) for methylprednisolone and 5.2 (2.6) for betamethasone (P = .97); 3 weeks after injection, they were 4.0 (2.8) and 3.7 (2.5), respectively (P = .57). Short-term pain increased from baseline for both preparations and decreased from 3 days to 3 weeks. Pain at 3 days and 3 weeks was positively correlated. This study does not support a difference in short-term pain between preparations. The significant correlation between short- and long-term pain may justify early decisions regarding treatment, especially in patients with high levels of initial pain.     

Multimodal cocktail analgesic injection in PIVD with lower limb radiculopathy – A mixed design cohart study

BackgroundThe role of Sodium Channel Blocker and steroid is well established for pain relief in neuropathic pain by reducing inflamation and desensitization of nerve roots. Our study aims at analyzing the effectiveness of multimodal cocktail injections for redicular pain relief & functional outcome in patients with intervertebral disc herniation.Material and methodThis was a Mixed design (prospective & retrospective) cohort study; we included 113 patients between the age group of 18–70 years, diagnosed with Prolapse of intervertebral disc (PIVD) with lower limb radiculopathy with MRI finding L4-L5/L5-S1 vertebral disc involvement. Patients were injected with total 15 ml of cocktail injection in 3 divided doses at 3 identified sites in affected lower limb. . Patient was examined & evaluated clinically for VAS pain score, SLRT, Sensory, Motor Examination on day 2, day 7, day 15 & after 1 month.ResultWe found that the mean pre-VAS score was 7.83 followed by the mean VAS score on post 2 days was 1.05, post 7 days was 3.47, post 15 days was 3.9 and post 30 days was 3.81. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean VAS score (p-value<0.0001). After one month majority of patients (54.62%) had comfortable painless walk and comfortable walking distance increased up to 1 km in 45.37% of them.ConclusionUse of cocktail multimodal injections for radiculopathy pain suggests that this non-operative,OPD based technique could be reasonable, efficient, and safe.     

Hospital stay of 2 days after open sigmoidectomy with a multimodal rehabilitation programme

BACKGROUND: Hospital stay after colonic surgery is usually between 5 and 10 days, limiting factors being pain, ileus, organ dysfunction and fatigue. Single-modality intervention to reduce these factors with laparoscopic surgery usually requires a hospital stay of 5 days. This paper reports the results of a multimodal rehabilitation regimen after open sigmoidectomy. METHODS: Sixteen unselected patients scheduled for elective sigmoid resection (median age 71 years) underwent operation under combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia. After operation, epidural analgesia was continued for 48 h, with immediate oral nutrition and mobilization, and with planned discharge 2 days after surgery. RESULTS: The median postoperative hospital stay was 2 (range 2-6) days (48 h), patients being mobilized for a median of 5 h on the second postoperative day (24-48 h) and for 10 h on the third day (48-72 h). Within 48 h of operation 14 patients had an oral intake of 2000 ml or more and 15 had resumed defaecation. Fatigue and pain scores were low during the first 8-9 days after operation, with a median of 13 h of mobilization per day after discharge. There were no medical or surgical complications during 30 days of follow-up, except for two patients who suffered postspinal headache. CONCLUSION: Postoperative recovery after open colonic surgery may be accelerated by effective pain relief integrated into an accelerated rehabilitation programme.     

Extra-articular steroid injection: early patient response and the incidence of flare reaction

PURPOSE: To evaluate the timing of improvement after extra-articular steroid injection, the incidence of a postinjection pain flare (a delayed postinjection transient increase in pain), and the role of the injection acidity in the postinjection flare. METHODS: One hundred twenty-five patients with trigger finger (88 patients) or de Quervain's tenosynovitis (37 patients) were prospectively randomized in this double-blind study to receive either an injection of steroid, lidocaine, and bupivacaine alone (standard injection, acidic pH) or an injection of steroid, lidocaine, bupivacaine, and bicarbonate (balanced injection, neutral pH). All patients completed a visual analog scale for pain before and immediately after the injection, daily for 7 days, and then again at 6 weeks. A flare reaction was defined as an increase in the visual analog scale score by 2 or more points any time after the injection. RESULTS: All patients immediately responded to the steroid injection, but pain rebounded to preinjection levels by day 1. In both groups the pain then gradually declined over the course of 7 days. In the balanced group, 23 of the 68 patients had flare reactions. In the standard group, 18 of the 57 patients had flare reactions. The difference between groups was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Patients respond to extra-articular steroid injections with gradual improvement over the course of the first week. An increase in pain, or flare reaction, in the days following a steroid injection was noted in 33% of patients. A pH-balanced injection did not significantly decrease the risk of a flare reaction. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic I.     

Outcome of cervical radiculopathy treated with periradicular/epidural corticosteroid injections: a prospective study with independent clinical review

This prospective study with independent clinical review was set up to monitor the clinical outcome of patients when using serial periradicular/epidural corticosteroid injection techniques in managing cervical radiculopathy. Over a 10 year period, between 1986 and 1995, a consecutive series of 68 secondary referral patients presenting with cervical radiculopathy were entered into the study. There were 57 men (84%) and 11 women (16%) of average age 47 years (range 31–65 years). The average duration of symptoms prior to presentation was 2 months (range 1–12 months). All patients apart from one had neurological signs. Of the 64 patients (94%) who under-went imaging, relevant pathology thought to correlate with the clinical presentation was demonstrated in all but one patient. Serial periradicular/epidural corticosteroid injections were used to control pain; an average of 2.5 injections was administered per patient (range 1–6). Patients underwent a final clinical examination when their pain had remained satisfactorily under control for an average of 7 months (range 1–23 months). They subsequently were reassessed, by an independent clinician, at an average of 39 months (range 4–112 months) after initial presentation, via a telephone interview. Despite the fact that all 68 patients were potential surgical candidates, they all made a satisfactory recovery without the need for surgical intervention. Forty-eight patients (76%) did not experience any arm pain, and of the 15 patients (24%) who did, this improved from 10 to an average of 2 (range 1–4) on a 10-point pain scale. Thus, patients with cervical radiculopathy make a satisfactory recovery with serial periradicular/epidural corticosteroid injections without the need for surgical intervention.     

Management of anastomotic leakage after nondiverted large bowel resection

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the natural history of anastomotic leakage after elective colorectal resection and supraperitoneal anastomosis without temporary stoma.

Study Design: Medical records from 1990 to 1997 were studied; 655 consecutive patients underwent colonic or rectal resection (without stoma). Patients were divided into two groups: those with clinical anastomotic leakage confirmed by laparotomy (group 1) and those without anastomotic leakage (group 2). Postoperative clinical and biologic findings were compared between the two groups.

Results: Anastomotic leakage occurred in 39 of 655 patients (6%). Clinically suspected anastomotic leakage was only confirmed by contrast radiography in 13 of 24 patients (54%), and by CT in 8 of 9 patients (89%). Significantly more patients in group 1 than group 2 had the following: fever (>™38°C) on day 2 (p < 0.001); absence of bowel action on day 4 (p < 0.001); diarrhea before day 7 (p < 0.001); collection of more than 400 mL of fluid through abdominal drains from day 0 to day 3 (p < 0.01); renal failure on day 3 (p < 0.02); and leukocytosis after day 7 (p < 0.02). Among the 39 patients in group 1, 28 (71%) had at least one of these clinical or biologic manifestations before day 5, but the mean delay for reoperation was only 8 days. The combination of signs observed before day 5 was associated with an increased risk of anastomotic leakage, from 18% with two signs to 67% with three signs.

Overall mortality rate was 2% (13 of 655) and was significantly higher in group 1 than group 2: 5 of 39 (13%) versus 8 of 616 (1%, p < 0.001). In patients with anastomotic leakage, death occurred in 5 of 23 patients (22%) reoperated on after day 5, versus 0 of 11 patients (0%) reoperated on before day 5 (NS). Univariate analysis showed that three clinical characteristics were associated with a significantly high risk of mortality after reoperation for anastomotic leakage: age greater than 65 years (p < 0.01), American Anesthesiologist Association score greater than 3 (p < 0.05), and blood transfusions during the first operation (p < 0.02).

Conclusions: In our study, some postoperative clinical and biologic signs were associated with a higher risk of anastomotic leakage. The knowledge of these findings might help in the early diagnosis and management of patients with anastomotic leakage after large bowel resection.     

Thoracoscopic sympathectomy for symptomatic arterial obstruction of the upper extremities

BACKGROUND: Severely symptomatic arterial insufficiency of the hand and upper extremities requires adequate treatment. Medical therapy and local care are usually unsuccessful, and thoracic sympathectomy can represent an effective procedure to control pain, to help ulcer healing, and to prevent or delay amputation. METHODS: We performed 20 thoracoscopic sympathectomies in 15 patients (13 men and 2 women) with upper extremity ischemia. Mean age was 47 years (range 21 to 72 years). All patients were thought to have organic blockage of digital arteries. The condition was unilateral in 10 patients and bilateral in 5. Primary diagnosis was digital arteriosclerosis in 8 patients, Buerger's disease in 4 patients and the remaining 3 were drug abusers with severe ischemia due to accidental intraarterial injection of drugs. Eleven patients (73%) presented with terminal digital necrosis, gangrene, or ulceration of the fingers associated with severe pain. Four patients complained of coldness, pain, and some degree of soft tissue infection without permanent loss of tissue. RESULTS: We performed 10 unilateral and five bilateral staged (mean interval was 3 months) thoracoscopic sympathectomies. We had two minor complications and no mortality. Mean duration of postoperative chest drainage was 2.5 +/- 0.4 days and mean postoperative hospital stay was 5.3 +/- 0.5 days. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 71 months, with a mean of 33 months. All patients demonstrated clinical benefit after operation. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracoscopic sympathectomy in patients with severe ischemia of upper limb extremities permits optimal symptomatic control and maximum tissue salvage. Because the procedure is minimally invasive, safe, and associated with a low rate of complications, it should be considered earlier the natural course of this disease.     

Surgeon-Performed High-Dose Bupivacaine Periarticular Injection With Intra-Articular Saphenous Nerve Block Is Not Inferior to Adductor Canal Block in Total Knee Arthroplasty

BackgroundPeriarticular injection or anesthesiologist-performed adductor canal block are commonly used for pain management after total knee arthroplasty. A surgeon-performed, intra-articular saphenous nerve block has been recently described. There is insufficient data comparing the efficacy and safety of these methods.MethodsThis is a retrospective two-surgeon cohort study comparing short-term perioperative outcomes after primary total knee arthroplasty, in 50 consecutive patients with surgeon-performed high-dose periarticular injection and intra-articular saphenous nerve block (60 mL 0.5% bupivacaine, 30 mL saline, 30mg ketorolac) and 50 consecutive patients with anesthesiologist-performed adductor canal catheter (0.25% bupivacaine 6 mL/h infusion pump placed postoperatively with ultrasound guidance). Chart review assessed pain scores through POD #1, opioid use, length of stay, and short-term complications, including local anesthetic systemic toxicity. Statistical analysis was performed with two-tailed Student's T-test.ResultsThe high-dose periarticular injection cohort had significantly lower pain scores in the postanesthesia care unit (mean difference 1.4, P = .035), on arrival to the inpatient ward (mean difference 1.7, P = .013), and required less IV narcotics on the day of surgery (mean difference 6.5 MME, P = .0004). There was no significant difference in pain scores on POD #1, total opioid use, day of discharge, or short-term complications. There were no adverse events related to the high dose of bupivacaine.ConclusionCompared with postoperative adductor canal block catheter, an intraoperative high-dose periarticular block demonstrated lower pain scores and less IV narcotic use on the day of surgery. No difference was noted in pain scores on POD #1, time to discharge, or complications. There were no cardiovascular complications (local anesthetic systemic toxicity) despite the high dose of bupivacaine injected.Level of EvidenceIII.