Efficacy of Bupivacaine Delivered by Wound Catheter for Post-Caesarean Section Analgesia

Summary: A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial was conducted to assess contribution to postoperative analgesia of intermittent instillation of 0.25% bupivacaine beneath the rectus sheath in 70 women delivered by lower uterine segment Caesarean section. The operations were performed via a Pfannenstiel incision under spinal anaesthesia. Background intravenous narcotic analgesia was provided with a patient controlled analgesia system (PCAS) using a standard morphine regimen.
Overall (44 hr) mean morphine consumption was significantly greater in the placebo (saline) group compared to the treatment group (84.2 mg versus 63.3 mg. Two tailed t test p<0.001). The most significant intergroup differences in narcotic use were found in the first 4 hours and between 24 and 36 hours after commencing PCAS (Two tailed t test p=0.014 and 0.003 respectively).
Subjective pain scores were assessed with a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS). The mean peak VAS score was greater in controls (5.37) than the treatment group (4.25) between 18 and 24 hours postoperatively (Mann-Whitney U=424, p=0.027). There were no intergroup differences in pain scores for any other time period. The overall incidence of nausea was lower in the treatment group compared to the control group (Chi squared with Yates' correction p=0.046) and a lower degree of sedation was seen in those receiving bupivacaine between 4 and 8 hours after commencing PCAS (Mann-Whitney U=427, p=0.028). No differences in other narcotic related side-effects (vomiting and pruritus) were shown between groups.
Regular instillation of 0.25% bupivacaine beneath the rectus sheath of women delivered by Caesarean section reduces their morphine requirements by 25% in the 44 hours after operation, with an associated reduction in both nausea and early sedation.     

Bradyarrhythmias and Laparoscopy: A Prospective Study of Heart Rate Changes with Laparoscopy

Cardiac arrhythmias are a common complication of laparoscopy. Brady-arrhythmias (including asystole) may be life-threatening. The recent introduction of new shorter-acting muscle relaxants (atracurium and vecuronium), with their lack of vagolytic activity, may exacerbate this situation. At the Royal Women's Hospital there have been several episodes of severe bradyarrhythmias and/or asystole associated with these relaxants. This study evaluated heart rate changes in 49 women during laparoscopy: 47% of patients had arrhythmias, 30% of these being bradyarrhythmias. Nearly all the episodes occurred during carbon dioxide insufflation or with traction on pelvic structures. The life-threatening nature of this phenomenon should be understood by all anaesthetists and gynaecologists engaged in laparoscopic procedures.     

Continuous Intrapartum Fetal Monitoring: A Prospective Randomized Comparison of 2 Types of Fetal Scalp Electrode

Summary: This trial was conducted to compare 2 commonly used fetal scalp electrodes with regard to ease of use, frequency and extent of neonatal injury and quality of cardiotocographic record. A randomized design was employed to study a group of 106 patients divided between a Surgicraft Copeland clip fetal scalp electrode (52 patients) and a Meditrace spiral single helix scalp electrode (54 patients). Patients were eligible for trial entry if they required an intrapartum fetal scalp electrode, at term with a singleton cephalic pregnancy. Ease of application was rated by the operator using a linear analogue score. Unidentified traces were reviewed independently for quality by 2 obstetricians and neonates were examined on day-2 postpartum for injury. The Meditrace spiral fetal scalp electrode was significantly easier to apply (unpaired t-test p <0.02). It also obtained higher ratings for trace quality (unpaired t-test p <0.02). There were no serious neonatal injuries and no difference was found between the 2 electrodes in this regard.     

Bilateral Radial Nerve Palsies from Use of a Birth Frame

Summary: A case of bilateral radial nerve palsies associated with the use of a birth frame is reported.     

Establishing local priorities for a health research agenda

Aim/Background

To describe the two‐stage prioritization process being used by the UK National Institute for Health Research''s Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care for the South‐West Peninsula (or PenCLAHRC) – a joint health service and university partnership and reflect on implications for the wider context of priority setting in health‐care research.

Method

PenCLAHRC''s process establishes the priorities of Stakeholders including service users across a regional health system for locally relevant health services research and implementation. Health research questions are collected from clinicians, academics and service users in Devon and Cornwall (UK) using a web‐based question formulation tool. There is a two‐stage prioritization process which uses explicit criteria and a wide Stakeholder group, including service users to identify important research questions relevant to the south‐west peninsula locality.

Results

To date, a wide variety of health research topics have been prioritized by the PenCLAHRC Stakeholders. The research agenda reflects the interests of academics, clinicians and service users in the local area. Potential challenges to implementation of the process include time constraints, variable quality of questions (including the language of research) and initiating and maintaining engagement in the process. Shared prioritization of local health research needs can be achieved between Stakeholders from a wide range of perspectives.

Conclusions

The processes developed have been successful and, with minor changes, will continue to be used during subsequent rounds of prioritization. Engagement of Stakeholders in establishing a research agenda encourages the most relevant health questions to be asked and may improve implementation of research findings and take up by service users.     

Transvaginal Sacrospinous Colpopexy -A New and Easier Way

EDITORIAL COMMENT: We accepted this paper for publication because it provides useful technical details of another method to place a suture in the sacrospinous ligament in the operation of transvaginal sacrospinous colpopexy. Our urogynaecologist reviewer stated that long-term review of results is essential to judge any such new technique and that postoperative findings at 6 weeks give no indication even of short-term outcome. Nonetheless we believe many readers will be interested in this paper.
Summary: Sacrospinous colpopexy is an operation which is gaining wide acceptance for suspending the vaginal vault in a woman with prolapse who wishes to retain the ability to maintain coitus. However, wider use may be prevented by the technical difficulty of the procedure. This article is a review of 63 cases where the operation was performed using a new 'ENDO STITCH' method which offers advantages both in ease (because it avoids the necessity of direct visualization of the ligament), and possibly safety (because it avoids the need for retractors).     

Familial hemifacial microsomia due to autosomal dominant inheritance. Case reports

Hemifacial microsomia is a rare dentofacial anomaly which is regarded as a separate entity to Goldenhar syndrome and primarily affects the structures of the first branchial arch. It has a heterogeneous aetiology and tends to occur sporadically, though positive family histories have been reported. This paper reports on individuals in two generations of a family that has overlapping features of hemifacial micro-somia and Goldenhar syndrome segregating as an autosomal dominant condition.