Avulsion and replantation of a primary incisor tooth

Avulsion of a primary tooth is a serious dental trauma, and the guidelines of the International Association of Dental Traumatology and textbooks in paediatric dentistry do not recommend replantation. Such management can result in severe damage to the supporting structures, and together with avulsion itself is commonly associated with developmental disturbances of the permanent tooth. We report the case of replantation in a 9‐month‐old child with a successful outcome, in a unique situation where conditions were optimal and careful long‐term follow up was possible.     

Care and monitoring of the anaesthetized patient

Anaesthesia and surgery produce significant physiological changes in the human body. These significant changes mandate the need to monitor the continuously changing physiological parameters for patient safety and optimization. It is not uncommon to encounter iatrogenic harm to the patient during anaesthetic and surgical intervention. This article covers the importance of monitoring and interventions to reduce harm to the patients and promote safety.     

Increased hippocampal CD38 and systemic inflammation after partial hepatectomy does not induce impairment of spatial cognition

Objective: The role of inflammation in cognitive alterations in a post-operative setting is still not fully understood. Surgical interventions can cause systemic inflammations which eventually can induce neuroinflammation. However, the main causes of functional changes after surgery are still elusive. In this study, we investigated the role of CD38, a TNFα-inducible NADH⁺ cyclase and hydrolase. We assume that CD38 overexpression impairs mitochondrial ATP synthesis. Within the hippocampus, the resulting cellular death could lead to cognitive impairment.

Methods: Seventy-nine Wistar-HAN rats were subjected for three hours either to partial hepatectomy under sevoflurane anaesthesia (‘surgery’), sevoflurane anaesthesia alone (‘anaesthesia’) or control. Rats were randomly selected to determine levels of CD38, TNFα, IL-6, and ATP, for GFAP immunohistochemistry and for Morris Water Maze testing.

Results: Plasma TNFα and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the surgery group in the immediate post-operative phase. GFAP expression and hippocampal CD38 concentration were significantly elevated 24 h after the intervention in the surgery group as compared to anaesthesia alone and controls. ATP levels did not differ significantly between the three groups. No treatment differences in spatial cognition parameters were found.

Conclusions: Surgery in the form of partial hepatectomy activated the peripheral immune system and induced hippocampal glial activation and a CD38 increase. These changes, however, were not associated with rats’ cognitive impairment ≥24 h after surgery.     

Influence of general anaesthesia on slow waves of intracranial pressure

Objective: Slow vasogenic intracranial pressure (ICP) waves are spontaneous ICP oscillations with a low frequency bandwidth of 0.3–4 cycles/min (B-waves). B-waves reflect dynamic oscillations in cerebral blood volume associated with autoregulatory cerebral vasodilation and vasoconstriction. This study quantifies the effects of general anaesthesia (GA) on the magnitude of B-waves compared to natural sleep and conscious state.

Materials and methods: The magnitude of B-waves was assessed in 4 groups of 30 patients each with clinical indications for ICP monitoring. Normal pressure hydrocephalus patients undergoing Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) infusion studies in the conscious state (GROUP A) and under GA (GROUP B), and hydrocephalus patients undergoing overnight ICP monitoring during physiological sleep (GROUP C) were compared to deeply sedated traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients with well-controlled ICP during the first night of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay (GROUP D).

Results: A total of 120 patients were included. During CSF infusion studies, the magnitude of slow waves was higher in conscious patients (GROUP A: 0.23+/?0.10 mm Hg) when compared to anaesthetised patients (GROUP B: 0.15+/?0.10 mm Hg; p = 0.011). Overnight magnitude of slow waves was higher in patients during natural sleep (GROUP C: 0.20+/?0.13 mm Hg) when compared to TBI patients under deep sedation (GROUP D: 0.11+/? 0.09 mm Hg; p = 0.002).

Conclusion: GA and deep sedation are associated with a reduced magnitude of B-waves. ICP monitoring carried out under GA is affected by iatrogenic suppression of slow vasogenic waves of ICP. Accounting for the effects of anaesthesia on vasogenic waves may prevent the misidentification of potential shunt-responders as non-responders.     

Paediatric day case surgery

Paediatric day surgery is common, and increasingly more challenging surgeries are being carried out on more complex children. The benefits to the child and parent/care-giver include less disruption to daily routines and fewer psychological and emotional effects than an overnight stay would incur. The use of day case services improves efficiency and is more cost effective for organizations. To deliver high-quality paediatric day surgery services there are several key components to address. This article discusses the role of preoperative assessment and the need to consider each case individually despite robust inclusion/exclusion criteria. Optimization of preoperative hydration, pain management and prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting are highlighted as important factors to successful day case surgery.     

Intravenous anaesthetic agents

This article gives an overview of drugs frequently used for intravenous anaesthetic induction, as well as a brief overview of total intravenous anaesthesia. Physicochemical properties of intravenous anaesthetic drugs and their clinical and adverse effects are summarized. The article also discusses the historical context on the introduction of intravenous anaesthetic agents and highlights developments of novel agents.     

小剂量布比卡因复合芬太尼用于椎管内麻醉的安全性和有效性Meta分析

目的系统评价小剂量布比卡因复合芬太尼与常规剂量布比卡因两种方式用于椎管内麻醉的安全性和有效性。方法计算机检索PubMed、Embase,Medline、WOS、CNKI、CBM和万方数据库、维普数据库(1990.01~2015.07),收集小剂量布比卡因复合芬太尼(研究组)与常规剂量布比卡因(对照组)两种方式用于椎管内麻醉安全性和有效性的文献。按照纳入和排除标准,由两位研究人员独立选择文献、提取资料,然后采用RevMan 5.0软件进行Meta分析。结果纳入13个随机对照研究共573例患者。Meta分析结果显示:两组麻醉失败率差异无统计学意义[OR=0.54,95%CI(0.20,1.48)];两组术后镇痛时间差异无统计学意义[WMD=6.08,95%CI(-3.64,15.80)];研究组的低血压发生率明显低于对照组[OR=0.20,95%CI(0.12,0.34),P0.01];两组心动过缓发生率差异无统计学意义[OR=0.41,95%CI(0.06,2.90)];两组恶心呕吐发生率差异无统计学意义[OR=0.28,95%CI(0.08,1.05)];研究组的皮肤瘙痒发生率明显高于对照组[OR=13.29,95%CI(5.44,32.49),P0.01];研究组的尿潴留发生率明显低于对照组[OR=0.11,95%CI(0.04,0.30),P0.01];研究组腰骶部疼痛发生率明显低于对照组[OR=0.14,95%CI(0.04,0.46),P0.01]。结论小剂量布比卡因复合芬太尼可降低低血压、尿潴留及腰骶部疼痛的发生率,但会增加皮肤瘙痒的发生率。