Hepatic “BOLSA” a novel method of perihepatic wrapping for hepatic hemorrhage “BOLSA”

IntroductionSevere traumatic liver hemorrhage quickly leads to exsanguination. Perihepatic packing is frequently used in damage control surgery. This method can be unsuccessful and accompanied by complications. Vicryl mesh wraps have been described in the treatment of liver hemorrhage. In this report, we describe an enhanced technique of hepatic wrapping in a case of hepatic bleeding after liver biopsy in a coagulopathic patient. The technique is called the hepatic “BOLSA” (Bag on Liver Supporting Anti-Hemorrhage).Presentation of caseA 59 year old male presented in the recovery room after liver biopsy of a mass, followed by angio-embolization of the hepatic mass 9 h earlier. The patient was acidotic, coagulopathic, and demonstrated intra-abdominal hypertension. Computed tomography demonstrated perihepatic fluid. The patient continued hemorrhaging despite attempts to correct coagulopathy by transfusion. Multiple operating room visits were required where a combination of packing and hemostatic agents could not stop hepatic venous parenchymal hemorrhage. Mesh wrap consisting of Vicryl and PDS suture were used to create the “BOLSA” to achieve hemostasis.DiscussionPerihepatic packing compromises pulmonary excursion, elevates intra-abdominal pressure, is a risk factor for sepsis, and requires an additional trip to the operating room for removal. The use of Vicryl mesh wrap obviates these complications. Previously described mesh wraps require anchoring. The self-supporting structure of the BOLSA simplifies construction and application.ConclusionThe BOLSA is an effective tool in treatment of severe liver hemorrhage in coagulopathic patients. It is the modern simplification of hepatic wrapping and the solution to the side effects of perihepatic packing.     

Emergency valve surgery for infective endocarditis complicated by acute intracranial hemorrhage: A case report

IntroductionOptimal timing of surgical treatment for infective endocarditis (IE) complicated by intracranial hemorrhage remains controversial.Presentation of caseA 43-year-old man with IE received appropriate antibiotic therapy but had recurrence of cerebral infarction and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Emergency valve surgery was performed 2 days after ICH onset because of heart failure and recurrence of cerebral complications. Postoperatively, he showed no neurologic symptoms; neuroimaging showed no enlargement of ICH.DiscussionPostoperative risk of neurologic deterioration may be relatively lower than previously thought in patients with IE who undergo surgery within 1 month after ICH onset.ConclusionsEmergency surgery in patients with ICH is justified in cases of multiple indications for such small ICH. Further evaluation regarding the risk of subsequent hemorrhage in patients with ICH who require emergency valve surgery is warranted.     

Early postpartum mitral valve thrombosis requiring extra corporeal membrane oxygenation before successful valve replacement

Pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of thrombosis in women with mechanical prosthetic heart valves. We present the case of a 29-year-old woman who developed early postpartum mitral valve thrombus after an elective cesarean delivery. The patient had a mechanical mitral valve and was treated with warfarin in the second trimester, which was replaced with high-dose dalteparin during late pregnancy. Elective cesarean delivery was performed under general anesthesia at 37 weeks of gestation. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit for postoperative care and within 30 min she developed dyspnea and hypoxia requiring mechanical ventilation. She deteriorated rapidly and developed pulmonary edema, worsening hypoxia and severe acidosis. Urgent extra corporeal membrane oxygenation was initiated. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a mitral valve thrombus. The patient underwent a successful mitral valve replacement after three days on extra corporeal membrane oxygenation. This case highlights the importance of multidisciplinary care and frequent monitoring of anticoagulation during care of pregnant women with prosthetic heart valves.     

Hemorragia de la pared abdominal después de prostatectomía radical asistida por robot: ¿es una complicación de la cirugía robótica?

ObjectiveRobotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is the minimally invasive surgical treatment for patients with localized prostate cancer. Perioperative or postoperative complications following RARP have been reported in some studies and severe postoperative bleeding after RARP is rare, but hemodynamic instability may necessitate open surgical exploration and be associated with considerable morbidity. We reported postoperative bleeding cases, which is a kind of complication associated with robotic surgery and requiring massive transfusion after RARP.Patients and methodsFrom August 2009 to May 2012, 317 consecutive patients who underwent RARP performed at our institution were analyzed. Patients with serious postoperative bleeding that caused hemodynamic instability after surgery were enrolled.ResultsA total of 5 among 317 (1.6%) patients had bleeding requiring postoperative transfusion. In these cases, mean operative time was 114 minutes. The mean estimated blood loss was 110 ml during operation. In these patients, hematocrit (Hct) levels gradually fell after surgery and ecchymosis was detected on the side and posterior walls of the abdomen on the second day. The mean preoperative Hct was 44.3% and mean lowest Hct was 23.1%. All patients were successfully treatment without surgical exploration.ConclusionsRobotic radical prostatectomy has proven to be a safe surgical treatment with low morbidity. However, postoperative bleeding can reach serious problems. This is the first study to explain haemorrhage, associated with possible risk of robotic surgery.     

Use of a novel saline/bipolar radiofrequency energy instrument as an adjunct for arresting ongoing solid organ surface and laceration bleeding in critically injured patients

IntroductionSolid organ (liver, spleen and kidney) haemorrhage is often life threatening and can be difficult to stop in critically ill patients. Traditional techniques for arresting this ongoing bleeding include coagulation by high voltage cautery (Bovie), topical haemostatic application, and the delivery of ignited argon gas. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new energy device for arresting persistent solid organ haemorrhage.Patients and methodsA novel instrument utilizing bipolar radiofrequency (RF) energy which acts to ignite/boil dripping saline from a simple hand piece was employed to arrest ongoing bleeding from solid organ injuries at 2 high volume, level 1 trauma centres. This instrument is extrapolated from experience within elective hepatic resections. Standard statistics were employed (p < 0.05 = significant).ResultsFrom January 2013 to January 2015, 36 severely injured patients (mean injury severity score = 31; blunt mechanisms = 32/36 (89%)) underwent use of this new saline/RF energy instrument to arrest ongoing haemorrhage from the liver (29), spleen (5) and kidney (2). Of these patients, 25 received instrument use during an initial laparotomy, while 11 patients underwent use following removal of sponges during a return laparotomy after an initial damage control procedure. Success in arresting ongoing haemorrhage was 97% (35/36) in these highly selected cases. The surgeons reported an ‘ease of use’ score of 4.9 out of 5. No postoperative complications (including delayed haemorrhage) were noted as a direct result of the energy instrument.ConclusionsThis simple saline/RF energy instrument has the potential to arrest ongoing solid organ surface/capsular bleeding, as well as moderate haemorrhage associated with deep lacerations.     

Accuracy of the AAST organ injury scale for CT evaluation of traumatic liver and spleen injuries

Objective： Detection of abdominal in- jury is a very important component in trauma management, so a precise assessment of liver and spleen injuries includ- ing their severity degree is necessary. There is a good case to believe that in emergency situations the radiologists＇ performance may profit from a systematic approach using established scoring systems. Score systems as the organ injury scale （OIS） drawn up by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma are a valuable guidance for objec- tive trauma assessment. Aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively whether a structured approach using the OIS may help improve trauma assessment. Methods： Fifty-three patients, 38 male and 15 female who underwent CT and laparotomy after abdominal trauma were included in this study. The laparotomy was performed by experienced surgeons with a minimum experience of 6 years. While the original CT reports were written by differ- ent radiologists with a minimum experience of 3 years, and then a radiologist with experience of 4 years reviewed the same original CT pictures, resulting in the structured report. Both the original and structured CT results on liver and spleen injuries were transferred into OIS grades. Finally, the initial and structured CT results were compared with theintraoperative findings gathered from the surgery report. Results： Regarding the original CT report we found a mean divergence of 0.68±0.8 （r=-0.45） to the OIS finding in the surgery report for liver injuries （0.69±1.17 for spleen injuries; r=-0.69）. In comparison with the structured approach, where we detected a divergence of 0.8±0.68; r=-0.63 （0.47±0.77 for spleen injuries; r=0.91）, there was no significant difference. However we detected a lower rate of over-diag- nosis in structured approaches. Conclusion： Our study shows that a structured ap- proach to triage abdominal trauma using an imaging check- list does not lead to a significantly higher detection rate, but a nonsignificant trend to reduce the rate of over- diagnoses, thus being more precise in grading the severity grade. Concerning the bias by retrospective study design, further prospective investigations are needed to evaluate the impact of trauma scores on the workflow in emergency department procedure as structured reporting systems are a valuable guidance in other radiological disciplines.     

¿Existe alguna indicación de colocación de drenaje en la colecistectomía laparoscópica electiva?

IntroductionClassically, a sub-hepatic drain was inserted routinely in a cholecystectomy to prevent intra-abdominal abscesses, possible post-surgical bleeding, and biliary fistulas. Over the years, it has been demonstrated that the systematic use of a drain does not have any benefits, and many studies conclude that, in special circumstances (bleeding, signs of gallbladder inflammation, incidental opening, or suspected bile leak), and depending on the experience of the individual surgeon, the insertion of a drain may be of use.Material y methodsA prospective study was conducted on 100 elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed due to symptomatic cholelithiasis or gallbladder polyps. A sub-hepatic drain was inserted in 15 of them. The indications for inserting it were: in 11 patients as a “control” due to a gallbladder bed bleed controlled during surgery, and in 4 due to a gallbladder opening with the excretion of turbid-purulent bile. The main outcomes investigated were the clinical benefit achieved by the insertion of the drain, the hospital stay, and the quantifying of the pain by the patients 24 h after surgery, using a visual analogue scale.ResultsThe insertion of a drain was of no benefit to any patient. The median hospital stay increased by 1 day in patients with a drain (P=.002). The median pain score at 24 h was higher in patients with a drain inserted (P=.018).ConclusionThe insertion of a sub-hepatic drain after elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy increases post-surgical pain and prolongs hospital stay, and does not prevent the occurrence of intra-abdominal abscesses.     

Hemorragia y morbilidad asociada al uso de ácido tranexámico en cirugía cardiaca. Estudio multicéntrico de cohortes retrospectivo

IntroductionPostoperative bleeding is common complication, affecting up to 20% of patients, after cardiac bypass surgery. Fibrinolysis is one of the causes of this excessive bleeding, and for this reason the use of tranexamic acid is recommended. The problem with using this is that there are numerous guidelines and differences in the dose to be administered. Our aim was to evaluate whether there were any differences in postoperative bleeding and morbidity after cardiac surgery with the administering of different tranexamic acid doses in three university hospitals.Material and methodsA retrospective, multicentre cohort study was conducted. A total of 146 patients who were subjected to elective cardiac bypass surgery according to the anaesthetic-surgical protocol of each hospital were included in the study. The clinical histories were reviewed, and they were divided into two groups according to the tranexamic acid dose: Group A (high doses), initial dose of 20 mg/kg and continuous infusion of 4 mg/kg/hour until closure of the sternotomy. A further 100 mg was added to prime the bypass machine. Group B (low doses), initial dose of 10 mg/kg followed by a continuous infusion of 2 mg/kg/hour until closure of the sternotomy. A further 50 mg was added to prime the bypass machine. Variables, such as age, sex, weight, height, type of surgical procedure (valvular, coronary or mixed), haematocrit, INR, and preoperative platelet count, time and temperature of the bypass machine, and haematocrit on sternum closure, were recorded. Among the post-operative variables collected were: debit due to drainage at 6, 12 and 24 hours after surgery, number and type of blood products transfused in the first 24 hours, need for further surgery due to haemorrhage, CVA, TIA, or a new acute myocardial infarction, convulsions, and mortality.ResultsThe incidence of increased bleeding (patients in the 90 percentile) was higher in Group B at all the study evaluation times (P<.05). The incidence of further surgery due to bleeding, and the need for transfusion of ≥3 units of packed red cells was lower in Group A (5.56%) than in Group B (13.89%). There were no significant differences in the requirements for blood products transfusions between the groups. As regards associated morbidity, there was one isolated case of convulsion and a perioperative AMI in another case in Group A, and three cases of perioperative AMI in Group B.ConclusionsElevated doses of tranexamic acid in cardiac bypass surgery appear to significantly reduce bleeding in the first hours after surgery compared to low doses. However, this decrease did not lead to a reduction in the needs for blood products.     

Umbilical single-port pyelolithectomy on horseshoe kidney: a new indication

IntroductionLaparoscopic surgery through a single port is an evolution of laparoscopic surgery, possible after recent technological development of new access systems. It is an established minimally invasive technique, although its indications in the field of Urology are currently under development.Material and methodsWe present the first case of incision-less pyelolithectomy, performed through a single-port placed in the umbilicus, performed in a 47 years-old male patient (38.2 BMI) with solitary 4 cm diameter lithiasis in a horseshoe kidney. An umbilical 2.5 cm incision was used for the introduction of a prototype of the reusable Richard Wolf single-port system, without any ancillary elements.ResultsAfter placement of left double-J stent proximal left ureter and renal pelvis, pyelolithectomy and pyelorraphy were performed with DuoRotate-Instruments© (Richard Wolf). Water-tightness was demostrated with methylene blue intravesical instillation and no drain was placed. The procedure lasted for 280 min and bleeding was 30 cc. The patient was discharged 24 hours later without pain.ConclusionIncision-less pyelolithectomy is a feasible and resolutive option to treat pelvic lithiasis. It can be considered the most beneficial option in aesthetical terms in experienced centers, especially in peculiar cases like horseshoe kidney.     

Successful management using airway pressure release ventilation for severe postoperative pulmonary edema

IntroductionPostoperative pulmonary edema is a fatal adverse event after a cardiac surgery. We here report successful management using airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) for severe hypoxia with pulmonary edema after a cardiac surgery.Presentation of caseA 58-year-old man underwent an uneventful mitral valve repair. Immediately afterwards, the patient became agitated and made vigorous inspiratory efforts. His oxygen saturation dropped to 90%. Coarse inspiratory rhonchi were heard on auscultation, and copious, pink, frothy sputum was obtained with suctioning. Initial chest radiograph showed right-sided patchy opacities and interstitial infiltrates. A transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated normal cardiac function. With worsening respiratory failure on mechanical ventilation, APRV was attempted. His condition and blood gas was subsequently improved. Over the following 3 days, the patient experienced an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged to home on postoperative day 14.DiscussionExtracorponeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is the most effective for severe hypoxia with pulmonary edema; however, ECMO is associated with hemorrhage and infectious complications. Alteratively, APRV was required for the successful management for severe hypoxia with pulmonary edema.ConclusionAPRV could be effective for severe hypoxia with pulmonary edema after a cardiac surgery.     

Adult hepatoblastoma: A case report and literature review

INTRODUCTIONAdult hepatoblastoma is a rare malignant liver neoplasm. Surgery is the only cure, but recurrence is common even after complete resection. No therapeutic strategy has been established.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 22-year-old man presented with a rapidly expanding right hypochondrial mass. Pain preceded the appearance of the mass. No definitive diagnosis was established in the referring hospital. In addition, two attempts of embolization failed to reach the tumor due to its large size and vascular displacement. Clinical examination revealed a 26 cm × 23 cm mass occupying the right hypochondrium and epigastrium as far as the right iliac fossa, compressing the stomach, spleen, kidneys and liver. The preoperative diagnosis was gastrointestinal stromal tumor because it appeared to originate from the stomach. During surgery, we found a mass arising from the liver, adhering to the omentum, stomach, and left hemidiaphragm, and infiltrating the pericardium. The tumor was completely resected off the inferior vena cava and pericardium. The histopathological diagnosis was a 30 cm × 30 cm hepatoblastoma weighing 4 kg. The postoperative treatment course went smoothly until day 10, when the patient developed complications like bilateral atrial thrombi and left ventricular hypokinesia and expired on day 16.DISCUSSIONDue to the rarity of hepatoblastoma in adults and non-specific initial symptoms, hepatoblastoma is often overlooked as a diagnosis. Early detection may lead to improved prognosis and survival.CONCLUSIONWe report here the first case of adult hepatoblastoma in the Middle East and the largest such tumor ever reported in literature.     

Intraoperative ejection fraction: estimation with Simpson's rule vs tissue Doppler imaging

BackgroundTransesophageal echocardiography is appropriate for intraoperative monitoring of hemodynamics. The parameter often estimated is ejection fraction (EF) by means of Simpson’s rule. With the advent of tissue Doppler imaging and measurement of the systolic (S) wave, corresponding to the rate of myocardial perfusion during the systole, it is possible to estimate the EF more easily and rapidly during surgery.ObjectiveTo compare EF estimates obtained by Simpson’s rule to those based on intraoperative tissue Doppler measurements of S-wave velocity (S').Material and methodsPatients with chronic cardiovascular disease undergoing scheduled cardiac and noncardiac surgery were studied. Patients in nonsinus rhythm and with mitral valve disease were excluded. To apply Simpson's rule for calculating the EF, we measured end-diastolic volume in 4- and 2-chamber views. The group was divided into patients with normal (≥50%) and diminished (≤49%) ejection fraction. Tissue Doppler imaging of the mitral annulus was then used to measure S'. Ejection fraction was calculated according to the formula EF = 5.5 x S' + 8.ResultsNinety-two patients were studied; in 51 (55%) the EF was normal and in 41 (45%) it was reduced. In patients whose EF was ≤49% according to Simpson’s rule, the correlation between that measurement and EF based on tissue Doppler estimate of S' was good. The correlation was lower, however, in the group with normal EF (r = 0.61; P>0.5).ConclusionsEF is easy to estimate with tissue Doppler imaging and the procedure is reproducible. This approach is probably more useful in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.     

Intra-abdominal packing with laparotomy pads and QuikClot™ during damage control laparotomy: A safety analysis

BackgroundIntra-abdominal packing with laparotomy pads (LP) is a common and rapid method for hemorrhage control in critically injured patients. Combat Gauze™ and Trauma Pads™ ([QC] Z-Medica QuikClot^®) are kaolin impregnated hemostatic agents, that in addition to LP, may improve hemorrhage control. While QC packing has been effective in a swine liver injury model, QC remains unstudied for human intra-abdominal use. We hypothesized QC packing during damage control laparotomy (DCL) better controls hemorrhage than standard packing and is safe for intracorporeal use.MethodsA retrospective review (2011–2014) at a Level-I Trauma Center reviewed all patients who underwent DCL with intentionally retained packing. Clinical characteristics, intraoperative and postoperative parameters, and outcomes were compared with respect to packing (LP vs. LP + QC). All complications occurring within the patients’ hospital stays were reviewed. A p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.Results68 patients underwent DCL with packing; (LP n = 40; LP + QC n = 28). No difference in age, BMI, injury mechanism, ISS, or GCS was detected (Table 1, all p > 0.05). LP + QC patients had a lower systolic blood pressure upon ED presentation and greater blood loss during index laparotomy than LP patients. LP + QC patients received more packed red blood cell and fresh frozen plasma resuscitation during index laparotomy (both p < 0.05). Despite greater physiologic derangement in the LP + QC group, there was no difference in total blood products required after index laparotomy until abdominal closure (LP vs LP + QC; p > 0.05). After a median of 2 days until abdominal closure in both groups, no difference in complications rates attributable to intra-abdominal packing (LP vs LP + QC) was detected.ConclusionWhile the addition of QC to LP packing did not confer additional benefit to standard packing, there was no additional morbidity identified with its use. The surgeons at our institution now select augmented packing with QC for sicker patients, as we believe this may have additional advantage over standard LP packing. A randomized controlled trial is warranted to further evaluate the intra-abdominal use of advanced hemostatic agents, like QC, for both hemostasis and associated morbidity.     

Comparative study between laparoscopic extraperitoneal and open adenomectomy

ObjectivesIn spite of the development of endoscopic techniques, open adenomectomy continues to be the treatment of choice for large adenomas. Laparoscopic and robotic adenomectomy provides good results in specialized centers. The experience acquired with laparoscopic extraperitoneal adenomectomy (LEA) in a regional center is presented to evaluate its results and compare them prospectively with the results of open surgery.Patients and methods46 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (prostate >80 g) and an indication for surgery were evaluated. The first 11 patients underwent LEA and were not included in the comparison. Thereafter, the cases were compared; 17 patients underwent LEA and 18, open surgery. In the extraperitoneal technique with 4 trocars, enucleation was performed with an ultrasonic scalpel.ResultsThere were no significant differences between groups in age, prostate volume, uroflow (Qmax), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Quality of Life scale (QoLs). The operation time was significantly greater in the LEA group (135.2 vs. 101.2 minutes, p=0.022). Intraoperative bleeding (250 vs. 493.3 ml, p = 0.004), irrigation time (22.2 vs. 39.1 hours, p = 0.038), catheter indwelling time (5.5 vs. 7.5 days, p = 0.030), hospital stay (3.7 vs. 6.6 days, p = 0.006) and transfusion rate (0 vs. 22.2%) were significantly less in the laparoscopy group. There was a greater incidence of hemorrhagic and surgical wound complications in the open surgery group.ConclusionsLEA is a relatively complex technique that requires laparoscopic skills, but it is a feasible and safe alternative to open surgery and has several advantages.     

Uterine necrosis following a combination of uterine compression sutures and vascular ligation during a postpartum hemorrhage: A case report

IntroductionThe Postpartum bleeding is the first cause of maternal mortality in Morocco. It is an obstetrical emergency that requires a fast multimodal management including medical care, interventional procedure and in few cases a salvatory surgery.Clinical caseWe report a rare case of uterine necrosis following postpartum hemorrhage, refractory to medical therapy, and which was controlled by a combination of uterine hemostatic techniques and vascular ligation three days after surgery, the patient developed a fever (39 °C).At day 3 of postoperative period, the patient developed a fever (39 °C) associated with diffuse abdominal pain, diarrhea and non-fetid lochia. At day 5, she presented a state of sepsis. Abdominal and pelvic CT objectified gas bubbles in the uterine myometrium suggestive of necrosis. An exploratory laparotomy was performed. After adhesiolysis, exploration found a complete necrosis of the uterusDiscussionThere are many surgical techniques for the management of postpartum bleeding, and hysterectomy remains the reference solution in this context. However, new conservative surgical techniques that are easier to perform and are less aggressive have emerged and are becoming more commonly used.ConclusionWe emphasize on the importance of choosing surgical techniques that lead to the preservation of uterine vascularization.     

Incarcerated and eventrated abdominal wall hernia reconstruction with autologous double-layer dermal graft in the field of purulent peritonitis—A case report

IntroductionDouble-layer dermal grafts are used for the management of complicated abdominal wall hernias in obese, high risk patients. The method has not yet been used in case of emergency in septic/dirty environment.Case reportA 76-year old female patient (BMI 36.7 kg/m²) was admitted with mechanical bowel obstruction and sepsis caused by a third time recurred, incarcerated and eventrated abdominal wall hernia. During the emergency surgery perforation of the terminal ileum and the ascending colon was detected, along with a feculent peritonitis and extended abdominal wall necrosis. Extended right hemicolectomy and necrectomy of the abdominal wall were performed. The surgery resulted in an abdominal wall defect measuring 223 cm², for the management of which direct closure was not possible. Using a specific method, an autologous dermal graft was prepared from the redundant skin. The first dermal graft was placed under the abdominal wall with 5 cm overlap, and the second layer was placed onto the first layer with 3 cm overlap in a perforated fashion. The operating time was 250 min. No significant intra-abdominal pressure elevation was measured. No reoperation was performed. On the fifth postoperative day, the patient was mobilised. She was discharged in satisfactory general condition on the 18th postoperative day. There is no recurrent hernia 8 months after the surgery.DiscussionAbdominal wall reconstruction was possible in a necrotic, purulent environment by using a de-epithelised autologous double layer dermal graft, without synthetic or biological graft implantation. The advantage of the procedure was cost-effectivity, and the disadvantage was that only in an obese patient is the sufficient quantity of dermal graft available.ConclusionA homogeneous internal and perforated outer dermal graft was suitable for bridging the abdominal gap in the case of an obese, high risk patient. Autologous dermal grafts can be a safe and feasible alternative to biological meshes in emergency abdominal wall surgeries. Evaluation of a case series can be the next cornerstone of the method described above.     

Measurement of intra-abdominal pressure in term pregnancy: a pilot study

BackgroundThis study was conducted to assess the feasibility of measuring intra-abdominal pressure in term parturients under spinal anesthesia.MethodsIntra-abdominal pressure was measured in 20 term parturients after spinal anesthesia for elective caesarean section. Pressure was measured in the supine and 10° left lateral tilt positions with a constant reference point throughout.ResultsIntra-abdominal pressure measurement was feasible and safe to perform. Pressure was significantly lower in the left lateral tilt position than supine (10.9 mmHg ± 4.67 vs. 8.9 mmHg ± 4.87, P = 0.0004). The range of intra-abdominal pressure in pregnancy was wide, from 2 to 20 mmHg, with >25% of patients resting with pressures above 12 mmHg in both positions.ConclusionsUnder spinal anesthesia, intra-abdominal pressure in >25% of healthy term parturients was > 12 mmHg, which has conventionally been defined as intra-abdominal hypertension. The intra-abdominal pressure in term pregnancy should be performed in the left lateral tilt position to avoid falsely elevated pressure measurements.     

Efficacy of low-dose oxytocin during elective cesarean section

Background and objectiveIn cesarean section, the optimal dose of oxytocin to reduce the risk of hemorrhage with the least risk of adverse effects has yet to be defined. We studied the effects of using 2 different doses of oxytocin in women undergoing elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. The women had had no prior labor.Material and methodsRandomized multicenter trial enrolling 104 patients classified as ASA 1. Following fetal extraction and coinciding with umbilical cord clamping, a group of 52 women received 1 IU of oxytocin followed by an infusion of 2.5 IU·h^-1; a second group of 52 women received a continuous infusion of 20 IU at a rate of 700 mIU·min^-1followed by 10 IU·min^-1. We compared uterine contractility (assessed as absent, moderate, satisfactory), postoperative vaginal bleeding (absent, light, moderate, heavy), hemodynamics, and adverse effects after administration of oxytocin and fetal extraction (electrocardiographic abnormalities, nausea, vomiting, discomfort, headache, blushing, trembling, chills, or chest pain).ResultsNo significant between-group differences in patient, obstetric, or anesthetic variables were detected. Uterine contraction was satisfactory in over 90% of the patients in both groups on initial assessment during surgery. After surgery, vaginal bleeding was absent or light in over 90% of the women. No significant differences in adverse events were detected between groups.ConclusionsThe incidence of obstetric bleeding is not higher when a lower dose of oxytocin is used; the rate of postoperative adverse events also does not increase.