The use of a ketamine-propofol combination during monitored anesthesia care

Supplemental analgesics are commonly used to enhance analgesia and improve patient comfort during procedures performed under local anesthesia and sedation. Because the use of ketamine as an analgesic adjunct to propofol sedation has not been well established, we evaluated its impact on analgesia, sedation, and recovery after ambulatory surgery. One hundred female outpatients undergoing breast biopsy procedures under local anesthesia participated in this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. After premedication with midazolam, 2 mg IV, patients received an infusion of a solution containing propofol (9.4 mg/mL) in combination with either placebo (saline) (Group 1) or ketamine, 0.94 mg/mL (Group 2), 1.88 mg/mL (Group 3), or 2.83 mg/mL (Group 4). The sedative infusion rate was varied to maintain a deep level of sedation (Observer Assessment of Alertness/Sedation score 4) and normal respiratory and hemodynamic functions. Sufentanil, 2.5 microg IV, "rescue" boluses were used as needed to treat patients' responses (if any) to local anesthetic infiltration or surgical stimulation. Ketamine produced a dose-dependent reduction in the "rescue" opioid requirements. However, there was an increase in postoperative nausea and vomiting, psychomimetic side effects, and delay in discharge times with the largest ketamine dosage (Group 4). The adjunctive use of ketamine during propofol sedation provides significant analgesia and minimizes the need for supplemental opioids. The combination of propofol (9.4 mg/mL)/ketamine (0.94-1.88 mg/mL) provides effective sedation/analgesia during monitored anesthesia care. IMPLICATIONS: Ketamine, when used in subhypnotic dosages, may be an useful adjuvant to propofol sedation.     

Balanced regional anesthesia for hand surgery

In summary, the clinical goal in regional anesthesia for hand surgery is to constantly approach the ideal of a well-conducted, smooth, "balanced regional technique." This begins with the preoperative interview, assurance, and preoperative sedation (po). In the operating room, monitoring (EKG, BP) and safety measures (IV port, nasal oxygen) precede the regional technique. The block is performed with asepsis, minimal "needling," and correct dosages. The complement to neural blockade anxiolytic medication is titrated, thus the balance of IV sedation and regional block is achieved. The patient's symptoms, vital signs, and general comfort should be attended to during the hand surgery. Monitoring is continued in the recovery room, where special attention is given to positioning, cushioning of pressure areas, dressing, analgesia, and specific physical rehabilitation exercises. With a "balanced regional technique," the patient becomes an early participant in his or her own postoperative care and result. This balanced technique reduces the patient's overall operative risk and maximizes the surgical result.     

Anesthesia for male aesthetic surgery

The male patient for aesthetic plastic surgery should expect to have a good experience, with few, if any complications from anesthesia. Proper planning is essential to the process, from setting up the surgical facility to selection and preparation of patients. Anesthetic techniques should be adapted to the needs of each patient, with his safety and comfort the most important consideration. Anesthesia for plastic surgery has progressed from simple injection of local anesthetics to sophisticated sedation and general endotracheal techniques. Better anesthetic drugs, monitors, and procedures for dealing with complications have made anesthesia a major factor in the advances of the plastic surgery specialty. Male patients frequently have different medical problems than their female counterparts have, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and smoking history. Other problems include back discomfort and prostate enlargement, both factors that must be taken into consideration with local sedation anesthesia techniques. The use of basic monitoring equipment has made ambulatory surgery safer for patients and has been instrumental in reduction of medication-related complications. Monitoring standards changed in anesthesia in the late 1980s to include electrocardiogram (EKG), precordial or pretracheal continuous monitoring, blood pressure, and pulse oximetry. In addition, if general anesthesia is used, end-tidal carbon dioxide and temperature monitoring and oxygen analysis of the anesthesia gases are also recommended. General anesthesia is being utilized more frequently in cosmetic surgery procedures and offers many advantages over local and conscious sedation techniques. The modern agents and techniques permit the patient to recover quickly, with minimum postoperative sequelae, and provide obvious comfort during the operative procedure. The traditional anesthesia technique for facial plastic surgery has been local anesthesia supplemented by sedation. This technique requires a combination of skillful local administration, selection of appropriate sedation drugs in proper doses, and a cooperative patient. Ideally, the selection and administration of drugs and monitoring of the patient should be by an anesthetist, who understands drug interactions and synergistic and additive effects of sedation drugs. Facility set-up, professional personnel, and recovery and discharge criteria are essential to good anesthesia care for the male aesthetic patient.     

Local anesthesia

In summary, many surgical procedures may be safely and comfortably performed utilizing regional anesthesia if only a few guidelines are followed as to choice and usage of local anesthetics. The success of a regional block will always be dependent upon correct needle placement by an experienced physician with good technical skills. However, the safety of the patient is not solely a function of experience. Modern local anesthetic preparations are reliable enough and simple enough to use that all physicians should be capable of achieving optimal patient safety at all times. If placed in a position which seems to require unfamiliar knowledge or expertise, the practitioner need only seek a consultant anesthesiologist for assistance. Plastic surgery is recognized as a specialty that frequently utilizes local anesthetics for office and outpatient procedures. The manner in which these drugs are used or abused determines their clinical reputation as well as that of the physician. It is important to promote a correct understanding of local anesthetic compounds, not only among ourselves as physicians, but also among our patients, who are becoming ever more knowledgeable of medical practice as time goes on.     

Midfoot field block anesthesia with monitored intravenous sedation in forefoot surgery.

Fifty consecutive patients, studied prospectively, underwent an elective first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis or proximal metatarsal osteotomy and modified McBride bunionectomy, with or without concomitant lesser toe procedures. A field block was administered only at and distal to the level of the tarsometatarsal joints using 30 cc equal parts 0.25% bupivacaine and 1% lidocaine without epinephrine. Before injection, the monitoring anesthesiologist gave the patient intravenous (IV) sedation, usually an amnestic agent. Narcotic analgesia was not given to any patient before or during surgery to evaluate the efficacy of the block. Detailed records were kept of all intraoperative medication and its dosage, including supplemental local anesthetic. Efficacy and outcome were measured via direct patient monitoring during surgery and by direct interview after surgery, first in the recovery area (visual pain analogue applied) and again at 24 to 48 hr after surgery (recollection of events, duration of block, use of narcotics after surgery, subjective patient satisfaction). Supplemental local anesthetic was required for 15 patients (primarily for those who underwent lesser toe procedures), IV narcotic was required for 3 patients, and conversion to general anesthesia was required for 4 patients for agitation, not pain. The average duration of the local block was 8 hr (range, 5-14 hr); none of the patients had recall of negative events, and overall patient satisfaction was 98%. Midfoot blocks are easy to administer and provide reliable anesthesia for reconstructive forefoot surgery. Monitored IV sedation enhances patient acceptance, facilitates block administration, and provides a valuable measure of patient safety and comfort.     

Patient-controlled sedation during epidural anesthesia

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and advantages or disadvantages, if any, of patient-controlled sedation compared with sedation administered by the anesthesiologist during surgical epidural anesthesia. Forty patients were divided at random into two groups with 20 patients in each group. Patients in group 1 received 0.5-1.0 mg intravenous midazolam and 25-50 micrograms intravenous fentanyl in increments administered by the anesthesiologist to achieve intraoperative sedation; patients in group 2 self-administered a mixture of midazolam (0.5 mg) and fentanyl (25 micrograms) in increments using an Abbott Lifecare PCA infuser to achieve sedation. Demographics of the patients, the types of surgery performed, doses of midazolam and fentanyl administered in a given period of time, and the level of sedation maintained during epidural anesthesia and surgery were similar in both groups. Patients in the self-administered group, however, rated their level of comfort during anesthesia and surgery higher than did those in the anesthesiologist-controlled sedation group. This could have been due to a positive psychological effect produced by allowing patient to feel that they have some control over their situation. The findings of this study indicate that patient-controlled sedation using a combination of midazolam and fentanyl is a safe and effective technique that provides intraoperative sedation ranked better by patients than that provided by anesthesiologists using the same drugs. More studies are, however, needed to determine the best choice of drug(s), the doses, the lock-out intervals, and the possible use of continuous infusion with patient-controlled sedation.     

Conscious sedation during ophthalmic surgery under local anesthesia

Sedation during ophthalmic local anesthesia helps to ensure comfort and cooperation during eye surgery. Sedation requirements of ophthalmic patients have changed with the popularization of newer surgical and anesthetic techniques. Many sedative agents are available to anesthesiologists including benzodiazepines, intravenous anesthetic induction agents, narcotic analgesics and a-adrenoreceptor agonists. However, there is no single ideal sedative agent, regime or protocol that can completely cater to the wide spectrum of ophthalmic procedures performed in a heterogeneous patient population. Moreover, the clinical practice of sedation during ophthalmic surgery under local anesthesia is varied and not without risk of complications and adverse events. Hence, balanced sedative techniques should only be used after careful consideration of patient profile, the type of eye surgery, and patient and surgeon preferences. Good knowledge of the pharmacology of sedative agents is fundamental to their useful clinical application.     

Patient comfort during regional anesthesia

Regional anesthesia has many advantages, which include low cost, ease of administration, and avoidance of risks associated with general anesthesia. Injection of local anesthetic via a needle as part of a regional anesthetic technique can be a stressful experience. The goal is to produce a relaxed patient who is comfortable and cooperative throughout the duration of surgery. The topics of regional anesthetic techniques, drug combinations, and adjunct measures such as sedation have been described extensively in the literature. The issue of patient comfort has not been reviewed in its entirety. This review seeks to collate known information in a systematic format and provide a framework for patient comfort during regional anesthesia.     

A comparison of local intraarticular anesthesia versus general anesthesia for ambulatory arthroscopic knee surgery

Various anesthetic techniques including local, regional, and general anesthesia have been utilized for ambulatory arthroscopic knee surgery. The choice of anesthetic technique for this surgical procedure can have a significant impact on postoperative recovery, side effects, and patient satisfaction. The objective of this randomized, prospective study is to evaluate the efficacy of utilizing either intraarticular (IA) local anesthesia or general anesthesia (GA) for patients undergoing outpatient arthroscopic knee surgery. Patients assigned to the local anesthesia group were administered an IA injection of 30 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% approximately 20-30 min before surgery. Intraoperative sedation was provided with the administration of propofol. Patients assigned to the GA group were administered propofol and fentanyl for induction and maintained with sevoflurane combined with nitrous oxide in oxygen by laryngeal mask airway. The surgeon injected 30 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% through the arthroscope at the completion of the surgical procedure. This study demonstrates that IA anesthesia provides for improved pain relief, decreased postoperative opioid use, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), time spent in the recovery room, and improved patient satisfaction with similar operating conditions comparable to general anesthesia in patients undergoing outpatient arthroscopic knee surgery. Although both groups received a similar dose of IA bupivacaine, administering the local anesthetic prior to surgery resulted in more effective analgesia. We currently believe that intraarticular local anesthesia fulfills all the criteria for the optimal anesthetic technique for outpatient arthroscopic knee surgery.     

Outpatient regional anesthesia for upper extremity surgery update (2005 to present) distal to shoulder

Multiple different approaches to the brachial plexus are available for the regional anesthesiologist to provide successful anesthesia and analgesia for ambulatory surgery of the upper extremity. Although supraclavicular and infraclavicular blocks are faster to perform than axillary blocks, the operator needs to keep in mind that blocks performed around the clavicle carry the risk for specific side effects and complications, no matter whether ultrasound or nerve stimulation is the chosen modality for neurolocation. Owing to the ambulatory nature of the planned surgical intervention, even significant side effects may not become clinically symptomatic until the patient is discharged from the facility. For example, due to pneumothorax risks, axillary or mid-humeral blocks remain the most logical approaches for ambulatory surgical procedures at and below the elbow, while reserving infra-clavicularor supraclavicular approaches for surgery from the proximal humerus to above the elbow. Smaller interventions such as carpal tunnel release or trigger finger release can be performed under elbow, wrist, or digital blocks. The regional anesthesiologist should strive to develop a tailored plan for each individual case to provide the most effective and safest nerve block technique for their patients.     

Regional anesthesia for orthopedic procedures: What orthopedic surgeons need to know

Regional anesthesia is an integral component of successful orthopedic surgery. Neuraxial anesthesia is commonly used for surgical anesthesia while peripheral nerve blocks are often used for postoperative analgesia. Patient evaluation for regional anesthesia should include neurological, pulmonary, cardiovascular, and hematological assessments. Neuraxial blocks include spinal, epidural, and combined spinal epidural. Upper extremity peripheral nerve blocks include interscalene, supraclavicular, infraclavicular, and axillary. Lower extremity peripheral nerve blocks include femoral nerve block, saphenous nerve block, sciatic nerve block, iPACK block, ankle block and lumbar plexus block. The choice of regional anesthesia is a unanimous decision made by the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, and the patient based on a risk-benefit assessment. The choice of the regional block depends on patient cooperation, patient positing, operative structures, operative manipulation, tourniquet use and the impact of post-operative motor blockade on initiation of physical therapy. Regional anesthesia is safe but has an inherent risk of failure and a relatively low incidence of complications such as local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST), nerve injury, falls, hematoma, infection and allergic reactions. Ultrasound should be used for regional anesthesia procedures to improve the efficacy and minimize complications. LAST treatment guidelines and rescue medications (intralipid) should be readily available during the regional anesthesia administration.     

Regional anesthesia and analgesia in critically ill patients: a systematic review

ABSTRACT: Regional anesthesia has become invaluable for the treatment of pain during and after a wide range of surgical procedures. However, its benefits in the nonsurgical setting have been less well studied. Regional anesthesia is an appealing modality for critically ill patients, providing focused and sustained pain control with beneficial systemic effect profiles. Indications for regional anesthesia in this patient group are not limited to surgical and postsurgical analgesia but expand to the management of trauma-related issues, medical conditions, and painful procedures at the bedside. Patients in the critical care unit present special challenges to the regional anesthesiologist, including coagulopathies, infections, immunocompromised states, sedation- and ventilation-associated problems, and factors potentially increasing the risk for systemic toxicity. This review is intended to evaluate the role of regional anesthesia in critically ill patients, to discuss potential benefits, and to provide a summary of the published evidence on the subject.     

Local anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair in adolescents

Background Many centers use local anesthesia for adult inguinal hernia surgery in the setting of day-case surgery. There are no reports on, or guidelines for, use of anesthesia for inguinal hernia surgery in adolescents. We describe our initial experience with the use of local anesthesia and intravenous sedation for inguinal hernia surgery in adolescents in the setting of a day-surgery facility. Methods The charts of 14 consecutive adolescent patients (aged 12–17) who had inguinal hernia surgery from July 2004 to March 2005 were reviewed retrospectively. Intravenous sedation was administered 1–3 min before injection of local anesthetic. Sedation consisted of midazolam 0.085 mg kg⁻¹ and either fentanyl 0.85 μg kg⁻¹ or ketamine 0.085 mg kg⁻¹, according to the preference of the anesthesiologist. Additional sedation with half the initial dose was administered if required. Local anesthesia using a combination of lignocaine and bupivacaine was administered by the surgeon with infiltration in the skin and deep tissues. Results Fourteen adolescents aged 12–17 years (mean 14.8 ± 1.37), weighing 34–100 kg (mean 61.2 ± 16.5), had 15 inguinal hernia repairs with sedation and local anesthesia. All the patients were male. All completed the surgery with sedation and local anesthesia. None required conversion to general anesthesia. There were no immediate or subsequent complications. Mean time from the end of surgery to discharge home was under 2 h (mean 106 ± 36 min). Examination of patient charts did not reveal any complaints regarding the surgery or the postoperative course at the postoperative follow up visit. Conclusions The use of local anesthesia with intravenous sedation for inguinal hernia repair in the adolescent age group seems feasible and requires further prospective study.     

Pediatric thoracic anesthesia

The anesthesiologist caring for infants and children undergoing thoracic surgery faces many challenges. An understanding of the primary underlying lesion as well as associated anomalies that may impact perioperative management is paramount. A working knowledge of respiratory physiology and anatomy in infants and children is required for the planning and execution of appropriate intraoperative care. Familiarity with a variety of techniques for SLV suited to the patient's size will allow maximal surgical exposure while minimizing trauma to the lungs and airways. Finally, use of regional anesthetic techniques, including epidural anesthesia and analgesia, facilitates optimal postoperative pain control and pulmonary function.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery utilizing local anesthesia and sedation.

OBJECTIVE: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is usually performed with general anesthesia and double-lumen endotracheal intubation, but minor procedures have been carried out with patients spontaneously breathing and with epidural or regional analgesia. We have broadened our indications for VATS utilizing purely local anesthesia and sedation. METHODS: The medical records of all patients undergoing VATS under local anesthesia and sedation at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center between 7/1/02 and 6/1/06 were reviewed. All procedures were performed in the operating room with patients in full lateral position; no patient had endotracheal intubation or epidural or nerve block analgesia. RESULTS: One hundred and fifteen patients, ranging in age from 21 to 88 years and in size from 40 to 172 kg, underwent 126 video-assisted thoracic operations: pleural biopsy/effusion drainage with or without talc 81, drainage of empyema 21, lung biopsy 18, evacuate hemothorax 3, pericardial window 2, biopsy chest wall mass 1. No patient required intubation or conversion to thoracotomy. Three patients who underwent lung biopsy died of their underlying disease (cytomegalovirus and pneumocystis, primary amyloidosis, metastatic cancer to contra-lateral lung) on postoperative days 18, 14, and 4, respectively. One patient developed transient renal insufficiency attributed to ketorolac. CONCLUSION: VATS utilizing local anesthesia and sedation is well tolerated, safe, and valuable for an increasing number of indications.     

Regional anesthesia for hand surgery

Several regional anesthetic techniques for hand and wrist surgery are mentioned. Of these techniques, the axillarybrachial plexus block offers several advantages, such as ease of administration, prolongation of analgesia, and very few potential complications. Three conditions must be met to provide effective regional anesthesia: (1) patient instruction, (2) a surgeon comfortable with the technique, and (3) a prepared anesthesiologist. The axillary brachial plexus block is performed aseptically in a manner that promotes proximal spread of local anesthetic, giving the opportunity to block the musculocutaneous nerve before its exit from the sheath. In our institution, we favor 1.5% mepivacaine versus 0.5 bupivacaine because of its inherent safety factor. However, all local anesthetics have the potential for systemic toxicity with either inadvertent intra-arterial injection or use of excessive amounts of drug. Toxic symptoms range from mild, such as as tinnitus, to more severe, such as convulsions, and further progression to cardiovascular collapse. This toxicity must be anticipated and treated appropriately. Our own institutional study showed an 89% success rate with axillary brachial plexus blocks used for hand and wrist procedures. However, the success rate dropped to 60% for surgery involving the elbow. These results were improved by the use of local anesthetic supplementation or intravenous sedation.     

Monitored anesthesia care

According to the American Society of Anesthe-siologists (ASA), a monitored anesthesia care (MAC) is a planned procedure during which the patient undergoes local anesthesia together with sedation and analgesia. Actually MAC is the first choice in 10-30% of all the surgical procedures. The 3 fundamental elements and purposes of a conscious sedation during a MAC are: a safe sedation, the control of the patient anxiety and the pain control. The patients undergoing conscious sedation are able to answer to orders appropriately and to protect airways. Last but not least, another purpose of any MAC is to get the patient appropriately satisfied, allowing him to get his discharge as faster as possible. There are many surgical procedures which can be performed using a MAC. The patient consciousness evaluation is of extreme importance during the surgical procedure performed with MAC: to this purpose the clinical and electroencephalographic evaluations such as Bispectral Index are very useful. MAC can be obtained with the association of fast half-life drugs or drugs getting a clinical effect which can vary according to the surgical requirements, using an infusion regiment. Apart from the pharmacological choice, this procedure can be performed with patient controlled sedation techniques or with continued intravenous infusion or with target controlled infusion.     

Abdominoplasty with procedural sedation and analgesia

The ability to perform abdominal cosmetic surgery in the ambulatory setting provides a more comfortable environment for the patient, ease of scheduling for the physician, and decreased costs. Avoiding the use of general anesthesia allows for quicker recovery, shorter length of hospital stay, and decreased rate of postoperative complications. The authors report 106 consecutive abdominoplasties, including fascial plication when indicated, using local anesthesia, with procedural sedation and analgesia. All procedures were performed with an anesthesiologist providing intraoperative monitoring of the patients. Their protocol uses procedural sedation and analgesia, which results in a depressed level of consciousness, but allows the patient to maintain airway control independently and continuously. The results of this approach were measured in terms of procedure time, length of hospital stay, rate of complications, total recovery time, and the level of patient satisfaction. Between January 1996 and January 1999, 106 patients underwent abdominoplasty (performed by one of the authors) under local anesthesia with procedural sedation and analgesia. All patients had an American Society of Anesthesiologists status of 1 to 3, and underwent a full abdominoplasty, including fascial plication. In 26% of the patients, allied procedures were also performed, most commonly liposuction or augmentation mammaplasty. The mean age in this series was 45 years, and all patients were available for follow-up at least 1 year after surgery. The mean operative time was 135 minutes, recovery room time was 68 minutes, and all patients were ambulatory. There were no surgical complications, including flap loss or wound dehiscence, and no complications related to anesthesia (cardiac, deep vein thrombosis, fat emboli, pulmonary embolism, etc.). Because paralytic agents were not used, none of the patients required catheterization postoperatively. Patients were generally pleased with the results of surgery. Although the extent of the surgery remains the same, this approach provided patients with an easier postoperative experience. In summary, abdominoplasty, including full fascial plication of the rectus and external oblique aponeurosis, can be performed safely and comfortably under local anesthesia with procedural sedation and analgesia. Patients are comfortable, recover quickly, and are very satisfied with their surgical result and overall experience.     

Day surgery: the value of monitored anesthesia care and intraoperative monitoring

Recently an increasing percentage of patients is receiving care and surgical procedures in Day Surgery (DS), undergoing local or loco-regional anesthesia techniques, to which many patients appear to be rather reluctant and show fear and anxiety. The anesthesiologist can resolve this problem administering i.v. hypnotic and analgesic drugs and adjusting their level to patient's needs and type of surgery. They increase the patient's compliance to DS care and contribute to its diffusion. Nowadays, commonly used drugs permit quick changes of anesthesia depth with a fast and safe recovery but these require an appropriate monitoring in order to prevent and rapidly detect the onset of complications. In this study we analyze the peculiarity of Monitored Anesthesia Care and the appropriate intraoperative monitoring especially regarding the use of pulse oximetry.