Post-traumatic epidural hematoma in two patients with long-standing “arrested” hydrocephalus

The occurrence of a post-traumatic epidural hematoma in two patients with long-standing arrested hydrocephalus is reported. There was a relatively long interval between the head injury and the onset of symptoms. The large hematoma was accommodated by the decrease in size of the markedly dilated ventricles. This report stresses the possibility of the presence of an epidural hematoma in the management of head injury in patients with long-standing arrested hydrocephalus.     

Spread of epidural analgesia following a constant pressure injection

(1) The spread of epidural analgesia following injection of 15ml of 2% mepivacaine was 17.3 ± 0.6, 14.3 ± 0.4, and 13.3 ± 0.7 spinal segments in cervical, thoracic, and lumbar epidural analgesia, respectively. The patients age showed significant correlation with the spread of epidural analgesia in cervical (r = 0.5776, p < 0.001), thoracic (r = 0.3758, p < 0.01), and lumbar area (r = 0.8195, p < 0.001). The spread of cervical epidural analgesia was more caudad than cephalad (p < 0.05), but in lumbar epidural analgesia it was more cephalad than caudad (p < 0.05). There was no difference between the cephalad and caudad spread in thoracic epidural analgesia.(2) The epidural pressure immediately after injection of 15ml of 2% mepivacaine into the lumbar epidural space at a constant pressure (80mmHg) correlated to the patients age (r = –0.5714, p < 0.001) and the spread of analgesia (r = –0.3904, p < 0.05). The lower epidural pressure associated with higher age, the wider spread of analgesia. There was no significant correlation between the residual pressure at 60 seconds and the age or the spread of analgesia.(Hirabayashi Y et al.: Spread of epidural analgesia following a constant pressure injection: an investigation of relationships between locus of injection, epidural pressure and spread of analgesia. J Anesth 1: 44–50, 1987)     

Epidural pressure and its relation to spread of epidural analgesia

The relationships between the epidural pressures following the injection of local anesthetic solution and the spread of epidural analgesia were investigated. In 46 patients, 15ml of 2% mepivacaine was injected into the lumbar epidural space at a constant rate (1ml/sec) using an electropowered syringe pump. Injection pressures and residual pressures were recorded and the spread of analgesia to pinprick was assessed. The changes of the epidural pressures during and following the injection of a volume of local anesthetic solution in old subjects were significantly smaller than those in young subjects (P < 0.05). The spread of analgesia closely correlated with the epidural pressures during and following the injection of local anesthetic solution. The most close correlation was found between the epidural pressure immediately after the completion of injection and the spread of analgesia (r = –0.5659, P < 0.001). In conclusion, the lower the terminal injection pressure and the residual pressures associated with higher age, the wider the spread of epidural analgesia.(Hirabayashi Y, Matsuda I, Inoue S et al.: Epidural pressure and its relation to spread of epidural analgesia. J Anesth 1: 168–172, 1987)     

罗哌卡因用于下腹部手术后硬膜外自控镇痛的评价

目的　评价罗哌卡因用于下腹部手术后镇痛的有效性和不良反应。方法　 6 0例择期下腹部手术患者 ,随机分为两组 ,第Ⅰ组为罗哌卡因复合PCA吗啡治疗组 ,第Ⅱ组为安慰剂复合PCA吗啡组。观察罗哌卡因镇痛效果及对运动神经阻滞的影响 ,对比两组的血液动力学变化、吗啡用量和不良反应。结果　罗哌卡因复合PCA吗啡治疗组的术后疼痛评分及不良反应明显低于安慰剂复合PCA吗啡组 ,且第Ⅰ组的吗啡用量明显低于安慰剂组。结论　 0 2 %罗哌卡因复合PCA吗啡可安全有效地应用于下腹部术后的镇痛。     

异氟醚吸入分娩镇痛对新生儿神经行为的影响(英文)

目的 :探讨异氟醚用于阴道分娩镇痛对新生儿神经行为的影响。方法 :75例产妇随机分为异氟醚组、笑气组和对照组 ,采用新生儿神经适应能力评分 (NACS)对新生儿出生后 15min ,2h及 2 4h进行监测。结果 :3组新生儿的神经行为状态差异无显著性 (P >0 0 5 )。 15min ,2h及 2 4h的评分相比 ,3组新生儿均为 2h的评分最低。 2 4h评分时 ,3组分别有 92 %、89%和 90 %的新生儿评为高分。结论 :吸入异氟醚分娩镇痛对新生儿 15min、2h及 2 4h的神经行为状态无不良影响。     

耳针分娩镇痛效果及对母儿的影响

目的 :探讨耳针镇痛的临床效果。方法 :对 6 8例正常足月初产妇临产后取耳穴、子宫穴、神门穴、交感穴、内分泌穴针刺镇痛 ,同时以 6 0例足月妊娠的正常产妇为对照组 ,不采取任何方法进行镇痛。记录 2组镇痛效果及产程、分娩方式、产后出血及新生儿评分的数值。结果 :耳针能协调子宫收缩、减轻疼痛、缩短产程 ,对分娩方式、产后出血量及新生儿阿氏评分均无影响。结论 :耳针用于分娩镇痛安全、简便、有效、便于推广     

电针对疼痛患者血浆及小鼠脊髓甲硫氨酸脑啡肽、强啡肽及痛阈的影响

目的 :探讨 4～5Hz电针下 ,患者血浆及小鼠脊髓的甲硫氨酸脑啡肽 (MEK)及强啡肽 (Dyn)的变化与疼痛的关系。方法 :将针灸门诊患者电针前后的血浆和随机分为电针、对照两组的雄性BALB/C小鼠的脊髓匀浆 ,分别定量点于硝酸纤维素膜上 ,应用免疫反应性蛋白质斑点印迹技术 ,用Shimadu薄层层析扫描仪进行检测。患者在电针前后、小鼠在电针 /牵拉前后均用测痛仪检测痛阈。结果 :电针后患者血浆D(MEK)及D(Dyn)均升高 (P <0 .0 1) ,而小鼠脊髓两者均降低(P <0 .0 1,P <0 .0 5 ) ,患者血浆及小鼠脊髓的D(MEK)比D(Dyn)变动显著。血浆或脊髓的D(MEK)与D(Dyn)变动呈正相关。血浆及脊髓D(MEK)分别与痛阈呈正相关 (r=0 846 ,P <0 0 1)或呈负相关 (r=- 0 6 2 5 ,P <0 0 5 )。但血浆及脊髓的D(Dyn)与痛阈不相关。结论 :在较低频率电针下MEK可能在镇痛中起重要作用     

Assessing opioid administration in pediatric burn patients with nonsurgical management

BackgroundDespite the vast literature studying the opioid crisis, sparse data describe this in the pediatric burn population. This study sought to assess patient-level characteristics and their potential effects on opioid administration in nonsurgical pediatric burn inpatients.MethodsAdmitted burn patients from 2013 to 2018 with nonsurgical management at an American Burn Association (ABA) verified pediatric burn center were retrospectively identified. Morphine milligram equivalents by weight (MME/kg) per admission were evaluated through a multiple loglinear regression with race, sex, age, total body surface area burned (TBSA), and burn depth as predictors. Simple linear regression was used to evaluate the temporal trend of median opioid utilization.ResultsA total of 806 patients (55% White, 35% Black, 5% Hispanic, 5% Other) were included. In an adjusted analysis, no differences in opioid administration were seen by sex, burn degree, or for Blacks and Hispanics when compared with Whites. Increased MME/kg was associated with older age (10–18 years; p < 0.0001) and larger burns (>5% TBSA burned; p < 0.0001). From 2013 to 2018, median MME/kg per admission declined significantly (2013:0.21, 2018:0.09; p = 0.0103).ConclusionsNonsurgical burn patients who were older and presented with larger TBSA experienced marked increases in opioid utilization. Overall, opioid administration decreased over time.