Neuromuscular block with vecuronium reduces the rapidly extracted auditory evoked potentials index during steady state anesthesia

PURPOSE: During clinical monitoring, vecuronium appeared to reduce the rapidly extracted auditory evoked potentials index (A-line ARX index or AAI) to some extent. A prospective and randomized study was designed to analyze this phenomenon. METHODS: Forty adult patients undergoing elective surgery were studied. After tracheal intubation, anesthesia was maintained with an end-tidal isoflurane concentration (F(ET)ISO) of 1.0% for 20 min, then a 10-mL dose of either vecuronium 0.05 mg*kg(-1), 0.1 mg*kg(-1), 0.2 mg*kg(-1) or saline was administered in a randomized, double-blind design. The AAI and bispectral index (BI(hx)) were monitored throughout the study and analyzed off-line. RESULTS: BI(hx) was unaltered after the administration of saline or vecuronium. The mean of the averaged (per patient) AAI values recorded from two minutes to ten minutes after the administration of saline or vecuronium 0.05 mg*kg(-1) did not differ significantly from the corresponding mean recorded from 15 min to 20 min after F(ET)ISO maintained 1.0% (P = 0.678, 0.169), however after the administration of vecuronium 0.1 mg*kg(-1) or 0.2 mg*kg(-1), AAI was reduced from 18.3, 18.0 to 14.8, 13.4 (P = 0.016, 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Neuromuscular block with vecuronium reduces AAI in patients during steady state anesthesia without surgical stimuli, while BI(hx) is unaltered. The cut-off values of AAI for events should be determined according to the level of neuromuscular blockade when monitoring the depth of anesthesia/sedation.     

异丙酚对大鼠海马神经元NMDA受体通道电流的影响

目的 研究异丙酚对大鼠海马神经元N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸（NMDA）受体通道电流的影响。方法 体外培养新生Wistar大鼠海马神经元8—12d，采用全细胞膜片钳技术和压力喷射给药方式，钳制电压为-80mV，记录3、48μg∥ml异丙酚对100μmol／LNMDA诱发NMDA受体通道电流的影响；然后用7-氨基丁酸（GABA）受体拮抗剂荷包牡丹碱100μmol／L阻断GABA．受体，观察3、48μg／ml异丙酚对NMDA受体通道电流的影响。结果 3、48μg／ml异丙酚抑制自发兴奋性突触后电流并直接激动GABA．受体，使Cl．内流，产生外向超极化的GABA电流，从而间接抑制NMDA受体通道电流。用荷包牡丹碱100μmol／L阻断GABA．受体后，3、48μg∥ml异丙酚仍可抑制100μmol／LNMDA诱发的NMDA受体通道电流（P〈0．05）。结论 异丙酚通过激活GABA．受体影响NMDA受体通道电流，对NMDA受体通道也有直接抑制作用。     

依托咪酯对大鼠皮层、海马脑片缺氧复氧损伤的保护作用

目的观察依托眯酯对大鼠皮层、海马脑片缺氧复氧损伤的保护作用及其机制。方法雄性SD大鼠10只,体重90-100 g,制备大脑皮质和海马脑片,随机分为对照组、缺氧复氧组、3 μmol ·L-1依托咪酯组、6μmol·L-1依托咪酯组、15 μmol·L-1依托咪酯组和6 μmol·L-1依托咪酯+γ-氨基丁酸 A(GABAA)受体拮抗剂Picrotoxin 50 μmol·L-1组。各组脑片缺氧10 min复氧120 min时,测定经三苯基氯化四唑氮染色的吸光度(A490),Fluo-3荧光染色后计算细胞内Ca2+浓度。结果缺氧复氧可导致大脑皮层、海马A490降低,细胞内Ca2+浓度升高,不同浓度依托咪酯可减弱缺氧复氧导致的上述改变,以 6 μmol·L-1依托咪酯的效果较好,且此作用可被GABAA受体拮抗剂完全拮抗。结论依托咪酯对大鼠皮层、海马脑片缺氧复氧损伤有一定的保护作用,可能通过GABAA受体介导,并降低Ca2+负荷有关。     

异丙酚减轻大鼠机械通气所致肺损伤

目的探讨异丙酚对大鼠高压力机械通气所致急性肺损伤的影响。方法24只Wistar大鼠随机分为3组（n=8）,采用压力控制机械通气模式通气。A组为对照组,通气模式为PIP=25 cmH2O,PEEP=2 cm H2O;B、C两组为异丙酚组,通气模式同A组,B组输注模式为静注2 mg／kg,继以4 mg·ks^-1·h^-1速度持续输注;C组输注模式为静注5 mg／kg,继以10 mg·kg^-1·h^-1速度持续输注,记录基础时点、1h、2 h、3 h、4 h的MAP、HR和动脉血气。4 h后处死全部大鼠。测量肺组织湿干比、BALF中蛋白含量,观察肺组织病理形态学变化。结果A组MAP、PaO2和pH在4 h时显著降低,与基础值相比有统计学差异（P〈 0．05）,而B、C两组与基础值相比无明显变化。在4h时A组的PaCO2显著升高（P〈0．05）,而B、C两组与基础值相比无明显变化。肺组织湿／干比和BALF中蛋白含量A组亦明显高于B、C两组（P〈0．05）。B、C组间无显著差别。肺组织形态学改变B、C组好于A组,肺组织中性粒细胞浸润程度也较轻。结论异丙酚对机械通气所致急性肺损伤具有保护作用,其机制可能与减少中性粒细胞在肺内浸润有关。     

Review article: The role of anticonvulsant drugs in postoperative pain management: a bench-to-bedside perspective

PURPOSE: Anticonvulsant drugs are effective in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain but were not, until recently, thought to be useful in more acute conditions such as postoperative pain. However, similar to nerve injury, surgical tissue injury is known to produce neuroplastic changes leading to spinal sensitization and the expression of stimulus-evoked hyperalgesia and allodynia. Pharmacological effects of anticonvulsant drugs which may be important in the modulation of these postoperative neural changes include suppression of sodium channel, calcium channel and glutamate receptor activity at peripheral, spinal and supraspinal sites. The purpose of this article is to review preclinical evidence and clinical trial data describing the efficacy and safety of anticonvulsant drugs in the setting of postoperative pain management. SOURCE: A Medline search was performed to retrieve available literature on the basic and clinical pharmacology of anticonvulsant drugs as they pertain to postoperative pain management. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Numerous laboratory studies have described analgesic effects of different anticonvulsant drugs in experimental pain models. Furthermore, several recent clinical trials have shown that anticonvulsants may reduce spontaneous and movement-evoked pain, as well as decrease opioid requirements postoperatively. Some early findings suggest further that anticonvulsant drugs may alleviate postoperative anxiety, accelerate postoperative functional recovery and reduce chronic postsurgical pain. CONCLUSION: Given the incomplete efficacy of currently available non-opioid analgesics, and the identified benefits of opioid sparing, anticonvulsant medications may be useful adjuncts for postoperative analgesia. Further research in this field is warranted.     

Effects of nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, on postoperative pain

PURPOSE: Cannabinoids have been shown to have analgesic properties in animal studies, but a potential role for these drugs in acute pain management has not been established. It was hypothesized that nabilone, an oral cannabinoid synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol analogue, decreases morphine consumption, pain scores, nausea and vomiting following major surgery. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group pilot trial compared the effects of two different doses, 1 mg (n = 11) and 2 mg (n = 9) of nabilone, ketoprofen 50 mg (n = 11) or placebo (n = 10), given at eight-hour intervals for 24 hr. Outcomes included morphine consumption, pain scores and emesis after major surgery. Secondary outcomes included patient tolerability of the study medication. RESULTS: Forty-one patients (mean age 52 +/- 2 yr) undergoing gynecologic (46%), orthopedic (44%), or other (10%) surgery were recruited. Cumulative 24-hr morphine consumption was not different between the four groups, but pain scores at rest and on movement were significantly higher in the 2 mg nabilone group compared to the other groups. There were no significant differences between groups with respect to episodes of nausea and vomiting, quality of sleep, sedation, euphoria, pruritus, or the number and severity of adverse events. No serious adverse event was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to the main hypothesis, high dose nabilone in the presence of morphine patient controlled analgesia is associated with an increase in pain scores in patients undergoing major surgery.     

Sterile surgical technique for shunt placement reduces the shunt infection rate in children: preliminary analysis of a prospective protocol in 115 consecutive procedures

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the rigid application of a sterile protocol for shunt placement was applicable on a routine basis and allowed the reduction of shunt infections (SI) in children. Materials and methods Since 2001, a rigid sterile protocol for shunt placement in children using neither antibiotic-impregnated catheters nor laminar airflow was prospectively applied at Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. For assessing the protocol efficacy before continuation, we preliminarily analyzed the results of the first 100 operated children (43 females, 57 males, 49 aged <12 months; 115 consecutive shunt placement/revision procedures). All procedures were performed by the same senior surgeon, one assistant, one circulating nurse, one anesthesiologist. The sterile protocol was rigidly imposed to these four staff members: uniformed surgical technique; limited implant and skin edge manipulation; minimized human circulation in the room; scheduling surgery as first morning operation; avoiding postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak; double gloving; procedures of less than 30-min duration; systemic antibiotics prophylaxis. We analyzed separately: (1) children carrying an increased risk of SI (n = 38) due to preoperative external ventricular drainage, CSF leak, meningitis, glucocorticoids, chemotherapy; (2) children aged <12 months; (3) procedures for shunt revision. Results Errors in protocol application were recorded in 71/115 procedures. They were mainly done by non-surgical staff, decreased with time and were medically justified in some young children. Surprisingly, no SI occurred (follow-up, 4 to 70 months). One child developed an appendicitis with peritonitis (Streptococcus faecalis) after 6 months. No SI was found. After peritonitis was cured, shunt reinsertion was uneventful. Conclusion These preliminary results suggest that a uniform and drastic sterile surgical technique for shunt placement: (1) can be rigidly applied on a routine basis; (2) can lower the early SI rate below 1%; (3) might have a stronger impact to reduce SI than using antibiotic-impregnated catheters and optimizing the operative environment such as using laminar airflow and reducing the non-surgical staff. This last issue will be evaluated further in the present ongoing protocol.