Standard Local Anesthetic Research Articles

Efficacy and Safety of Magnesium versus Dexmedetomidine as Additives to Local Anesthetic Mixture Using Single Injection Percutaneous Peribulbar Anesthesia in Vitreoretinal Surgeries

Background: Peribulbar block for vitreoretinal surgery is rather associated with delayed onset of globe anesthesia, akinesia and short duration of analgesia. Objective: To compare the effect of addition of Magnesium sulphate vs dexmedetomidine to standard local anesthetics mixtures on the time of onset of Globe Anesthesia, Akinesia & analgesia duration. Patients and Methods: Ninety patients of both sexes, aged 25- 75 years, ASA I-III scheduled for vitreoretinal surgery. They were randomly allocated into 3 equal groups each received peribulbar block a mixture of Levo- bupivacaine 0.5% (3 ml) + lidocaine 2% (3 ml) +120 IU hyaluronidase + Control group (C): 0.5 ml of Normal saline. Group (M): 50 mg of Magnesium sulphate in 0.5 ml normal saline. Group (D): 50 μic of dexmedetomidine in 0.5 ml normal saline. The duration of sensory, motor block, Sedation level, Intra-ocular Pressure (IOP) and surgeon satisfaction were assessed. Results: The onset of globe anesthesia and akinesia was significantly shorter in M group in comparison with D and C Groups, with a significant increase in the duration of globe analgesia and akinesia in the D Group when compared to both M & C groups. Groups D and M showed a statistically significant decrease in the IOP at 5 min and 10 min when compared to the baseline measurement of the same groups & to C Group, no complications or adverse effects related to the drug or technique were recorded. Conclusion: Magnesium sulphate as a local anesthetic adjuvant in peribulbar block is safe and comparable to dexmedetomidine regarding the sensory and motor block duration with better cost-effectiveness and availability.

Liposomal Bupivacaine May Benefit Select Reduction Mammaplasty Patients.

Postoperative pain control can be challenging in reduction mammaplasty patients. This study compares perioperative liposomal bupivacaine (Exparel; Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc, San Diego, Calif) with standard local anesthetics to determine if liposomal bupivacaine decreases opioid and antiemetic use, impacting length of stay and complication rates, thus improving patient outcomes. A retrospective review of 170 reduction mammaplasty patients was performed. Patients were divided into groups based on local anesthetic used (bupivacaine only and liposomal bupivacaine) and into subgroups based on obesity classification. Length of hospital stay; pain scores immediately postoperatively, at discharge, and at follow-up; and postoperative analgesics and antiemetics were compared. Further analysis was performed after weight stratification within pre- and postmenopausal categories. Liposomal bupivacaine resulted in less pain than bupivacaine immediately postoperatively and at discharge in obesity class I (P = 0.021 and P = 0.018). In obesity class II, antiemetic use was lower in the liposomal bupivacaine group (P = 0.012). Length of stay was persistently lower with liposomal bupivacaine for premenopausal women, and this difference was significant in obesity class I (P = 0.038). In premenopausal women, discharge pain scores were lower in the overweight liposomal bupivacaine group (P = 0.034) and analgesic use was lower in obesity class III (P = 0.004). Liposomal bupivacaine decreases postoperative pain, opioid, and antiemetic use in select patients. Liposomal bupivacaine might not be equally efficacious in pain reduction in obese or postmenopausal women given the theoretical increased absorption by adipose tissue. In addition, liposomal bupivacaine may have a dose-dependent effect, and weight-based dosing should be investigated.

Anesthetic ointment only (lidocaine/prilocaine) instead of injectable local lidocaine in trans-radial catheterization: A viable no-needle alternative.

The aim of the present study was to assess the level of access site pain in patients undergoing transradial coronary catheterization by using topical application of an anesthetic ointment (lidocaine/prilocaine-AO) compared to standard local anesthesia (LA) by means of injectable lidocaine. We prospectively studied 444 patients undergoing elective trans-radial coronary angiography. The quality of analgesia was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) immediately after the puncture and 30 min after the removal of the sheath. The number and duration of attempts before successful sheath insertion, as well as artery spasm, were compared between the two groups. Pain levels measured by VAS were found to be similar between the two groups during sheath insertion (VAS: AO: 4.84 ± 1.0 vs 4.82 ± 1.2, P = NS), as well as 30 min after sheath removal (VAS: AO: 0.07 ± 0.5 vs LA: 0.15 ± 0.6, P = NS). The time to obtain radial access was also not affected by the use of anesthetic ointment (AO: 62.24 ± 25.7 s vs LA: 64.04 ± 18.78 sec, P = NS). The rate of clinical or angiographic radial artery spasm was similar (8-10%) between the groups (P = NS) CONCLUSION: Use of a local anesthetic ointment, versus injectable lidocaine, in trans-radial cardiac catheterization as means of local anesthesia, was found to be equally effective in terms of pain, artery spasm, or artery cannulation speed.

Bicarbonate-buffered ropivacaine-mepivacaine solution for medial caruncle anaesthesia

BackgroundTo compare self-reported pain during injection of plain versus alkalinised 0.75% ropivacaine–2% mepivacaine solution for anaesthesia performed at the medial caruncle site for eye surgery. MethodsThis prospective, monocentric, double blind, randomised, controlled trial involved 40 consecutive patients who received either a standard local anaesthetic solution (0.75% ropivacaine 5ml and 2% mepivacaine 5ml with a pH of 5.9), or an alkalinised solution composed with a pH-adjusted solution of 7.0 through adjunction of 0.15mEq sodium bicarbonate per 10ml of the same mixture. Before anaesthesia, patients received intravenous midazolam (0.03mg/kg) to ease potential anxiety. During injection performed at the medial caruncle site, patients were asked to grade a pain VRS (0 to 10) for the injection using a verbal analogue scale. The primary end point was to investigate pain during injection of local anaesthetics. ResultsAnxiety levels before anaesthesia were low and similar for both groups. The mean pain score for the alkalinised group was significantly reduced compared to the control group (6 [25–75%, IQR 4–9] versus 3 [25–75%, IQR 1–5]; P=0.02; 95% CI for the difference in median pain scores [1.9–3.3]). ConclusionBuffering local anaesthetics used in caruncular injection for eye surgery significantly reduces pain during injection. This simple strategy should be tested in routine clinical practice to improve patient satisfaction.

A Randomized Controlled Study Comparing Efficacy of Classical and Gow-Gates Technique for Providing Anesthesia During Surgical Removal of Impacted Mandibular Third Molar: A Split Mouth Design.

Reliable profound mandibular block anesthesia is questionable when depositing the anesthetic solution at the lingula. The Gow-Gates technique is an useful alternative to the classical inferior alveolar nerve block and the incidence of unsuccessful anesthesia may be as high as classical technique. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy, degree of patient acceptability, advantages, disadvantages and limitations of the classical and Gow-Gates techniques for providing anesthesia in patients undergoing bilateral symmetrical surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molar under local anesthesia. The split mouth design study was conducted on 100 patients aged between 20 to 40 years undergoing surgical removal of bilateral symmetrical impacted mandibular third molar performed by the same maxillofacial surgeon. 2ml of 2% lignocaine hydrochloride with 1:80,000 adrenaline was used as a standard local anesthetic solution in all the cases. By using four-digit numbers from a random number table, either Gow-Gates or classical inferior alveolar nerve block were randomly assigned to either left or right sides in each patient. The injections were administered by another surgeon who was blinded to the experiment. The patient was assessed for Pain experienced during injection, frequency of positive aspirations, Onset and duration of anesthesia and Nerves anesthetized. Results were statistically analyzed by Mann-Whitney and chi square test. A 'P' value of less than 0.05 was considered for statistical significance. Higher mean pain during injection was recorded in classical group, was found to be statistically significant. No significant association was observed between aspiration and the groups. Higher mean onset of anesthesia was recorded in Gow-gates group, was found to be statistically significant. Higher mean duration of anesthesia was recorded in Gow-gates group, was not statistically significant. Higher success rate was recorded in Gow-gates group and was statistically significant. If we ignore delayed onset of anesthesia of Gow gates technique, it is found to be more reliable, beneficial and have higher success rate than classical inferior alveolar nerve block technique.

Effect of addition of magnesium to local anesthetics for peribulbar block: A prospective randomized double-blind study

Background:Magnesium sulphate has been used along with local anesthetics in different regional blocks and found to be effective in decreasing the time of onset of the block and increasing the duration of the block.Objective:To evaluate the effect of addition of magnesium sulfate to standard local anesthetics mixture on the time for onset of the globe and lid akinesia for peribulbar block in ophthalmic surgeries.Materials and Methods:Sixty patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists status I to III undergoing ophthalmic surgery under peribulbar block were included in this study. Patients were randomized into two groups. Both the groups received 4.5 ml of 2% lidocaine, 4.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine with150 IU hyaluronidase. Group NS received normal saline 1 ml in the peribulbar block and Group MS, magnesium sulfate 50 mg in 1 ml normal saline. The onset of akinesia, satisfactory block and complications were observed by an independent observer.Results:Demographic data was statistically similar. In the Group NS at 3, 5, 10 and 15 min after the block, complete akinesia was seen in 0, 2, 11 and 28 patients respectively. In the Group MS, at 3, 5, 10 and 15 min after the block, complete akinesia was seen in 13, 23, 27 and 28 patients respectively. Patients received magnesium sulfate showed the statistically significant rapid onset of lid and globe akinesia than the control group till 10 min (P < 0.000). None of the patients needed a supplementary block and had complications during the surgery.Conclusion:Addition of 50 mg of magnesium sulfate to the lidocaine-bupivacaine mixture for peribulbar block decreases the onset of akinesia without any obvious side effect.

Peripheral morphine reduces acute pain in inflamed tissue after third molar extraction: A double-blind, randomized, active-controlled clinical trial

BackgroundThe clinical use of peripheral analgesic effects of opioids has been investigated in numerous controlled clinical trials. The majorities of these have tested the local, intra-articular administration of morphine in knee surgery and have demonstrated marginal postoperative analgesia. ObjectiveWe examined direct morphine infiltration of the surgical site in a clinical model of tooth pain under two different conditions. Eighty-eight patients undergoing surgical tooth removal entered into the two prospective, parallel, randomized, double-blind studies. MethodsPatients undergoing surgical tooth removal received a standard local anaesthetic solution (articaine plus epinephrine) before surgery.Patients were assigned to an injection of peripheral 2mg morphine either into non-inflamed (Trial I) or inflamed (Trial II) submucous tissue before the surgery. Patients who received an intramuscular morphine in the upper arm were concomitantly given 1ml isotonic saline (NaCl) as a submucous injection. Patients who received a submucous injection of morphine peripherally were concomitantly given an intramuscular injection (IM) of 1ml of NaCl in the upper arm. Postoperative pain intensity was assessed by the numeric rating scale every 30min for the first 2h and then every hour for the next 8h after surgery. In addition, patients recorded the occurrence of side effects and the supplemental consumption of ibuprophen and codeine+paracetamol combination tablets. ResultsOf the eighty-eight original participants, nine patients (4 patients in Trial I and 5 patients in Trial II) were withdrawn for protocol noncompliance and loss at follow-up. Thirty-one patients in trial I and forty-eight patients in trial II were analyzed. Patients receiving 2mg morphine into non-inflamed tissue did not show any further reduction in pain scores and pain medication consumption compared to IM morphine group (Trial I).In patients receiving 2mg morphine into inflamed tissue, pain scores at rest were reduced to a similar extent in both groups at all measurement times up to 10h in the follow-up (Trial II). At the same time, in the area under the curves pain scores on swallowing between 2 and 6h in the peripheral morphine group (5.2±5.6) were significantly lower than in the IM morphine group (9.3±7.3, p=0.03), demonstrating the marginal analgesic efficacy of additional morphine. Sedation scores were significantly higher in the peripheral morphine group only 1h after surgery in Trial I (p=0.008). The time to first analgesic intake was similar between groups. No serious side effects were reported. ConclusionsOur results showed in patients undergoing surgical tooth removal that injection of 2mg of morphine into inflamed tissue results in significantly lower pain scores on swallowing in the early postoperative state while administration into non-inflamed tissue is not effective. ImplicationsOur studies indicate that the peripheral administration of opioids, at the doses and conditions set out for these two studies, produces significant analgesia by a pharmacologically specific mechanism that is active in chronically, but not acutely, inflamed tissue. Thus, consistent with preclinical experimental studies, the requirement of an inflammatory process for the occurrence of the peripheral opioid effects is also found in the clinical setting.

Liposomal bupivacaine for regional anesthesia.

Using a regional block in a multimodal approach to postoperative analgesia management involves addressing, which local anesthetic and how much should be used to ensure adequate pain relief to reduce related morbidity and mortality. This article will review literature surrounding the recently approved formulation of slow release liposomal bupivacaine, define its proven benefits, and identify ongoing studies to further examine the utility of this novel formulation by various routes. Recent Phase II and III clinical trials have demonstrated the ability of liposomal bupivacaine to provide prolonged analgesia, maintain a high safety profile in therapeutic doses, and decrease opioid requirements when compared with placebo in local infiltration applications for up to 24 h. Between 24 and 72 h after study drug administration, there was minimal to no difference between EXPAREL and placebo treatments on mean pain intensity. Conventional bupivacaine or ropivacaine groups (current standard practice in many hospitals in the USA) were not compared. In addition, the analgesic efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and safety profile of liposomal bupivacaine has not thoroughly been studied in various standard clinical settings such as perineural, intrathecal, and epidural administration. Current published data do not provide superior clinical results for EXPAREL over conventional bupivacaine based upon the lack of adequately powered multicentered clinical trials with comparison groups. Further investigation is necessary to identify the analgesic efficacy and safety profile of liposomal bupivacaine versus standard local anesthetics and to define the optimal clinical indication for liposomal bupivacaine administration in regional anesthesia.

Local Anaesthetic Properties vs. Neurotoxicity for (+)- and (−)-Carvone: An Ex Vivo Electrophysiological Study

The two carvone enantiomers were tested for local anaesthetic activity at concentrations of 10 and 20 mM using a nerve preparation based on the isolated sciatic nerve of the frog and were found to induce similar responses. They eliminated the evoked compound action potential within 6–7 min, while there was an instant 83 to 87 % recovery when they were washed out from the nerve preparation and replaced with normal saline. Both carvones have the same pattern of action as 10 mM lidocaine, the standard local anaesthetic, but they are 3–4 times less active with respect to the time of response. When the nerves were exposed to the carvones for a period of time longer than 6–7 min, for example 1 h, there was no recovery at all of the evoked compound action potential, indicating a neurotoxic action. In contrast, when nerves were exposed under the same conditions to lidocaine and another natural compound with local anaesthetic properties, 2-heptanone, there was an 80–100 % recovery. This unusual neurotoxic effect of (+)- and (−)-carvone can be a disadvantage for their use in clinical practice.

Infiltration of liposome bupivacaine into the transversus abdominis plane for postsurgical analgesia in robotic laparoscopic prostatectomy: a pilot study.

BackgroundTransversus abdominis plane (TAP) infiltration has been increasingly used for postsurgical analgesia in abdominal/pelvic procedures; however, duration/extent of analgesia with standard local anesthetics is limited. This pilot study assessed the preliminary efficacy and safety of two volumes of liposome bupivacaine administered via TAP infiltration in patients undergoing robotic laparoscopic prostatectomy.MethodsIn this single-center, open-label, prospective study, patients older than 18 years received TAP infiltration with liposome bupivacaine immediately after surgery. The first 12 patients received a total volume of 20 mL liposome bupivacaine (266 mg); the next 12 received 40 mL liposome bupivacaine (266 mg). The liposome bupivacaine was diluted with 0.9% normal saline. The primary efficacy measure was duration of analgesia, measured by time to first opioid administration. Secondary outcome measures included patient-assessed pain scores, opioid use, and opioid-related adverse events (AEs).ResultsTwenty-four patients received liposome bupivacaine (20 mL, n=12; 40 mL, n=12) and were included in the primary analysis. Three refused participation in a 10-day follow-up visit and did not complete the study. Median time to first opioid administration after surgery was 23 and 26 minutes for the 20 and 40 mL groups, respectively. Mean total amount of postsurgical opioids ranged from 25.4 to 27.3 mg; after hospital discharge to day 10, both groups required a mean of 0.7 oxycodone/acetaminophen tablets/day. Mean pain scores of 4.4 and 5.3 were reported at 1 hour and 3.1 and 3.9 at 2 hours postsurgery, with 20 and 40 mL doses, respectively. Neither group had mean scores higher than 3.0 at any further assessments. No opioid-related or treatment-related serious AEs were reported.ConclusionMedian time to first opioid administration did not differ between the two groups. No differences in secondary outcomes were observed on the basis of volume administered. These initial findings suggest further study of liposome bupivacaine administered via TAP infiltration as part of a multimodal analgesic regimen in laparoscopic robotic prostatectomy may be warranted.

US-Guided Femoral and Sciatic Nerve Blocks for Analgesia During Endovenous Laser Ablation

Endovenous laser ablation may be associated with significant pain when performed under standard local tumescent anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of femoral and sciatic nerve blocks for analgesia during endovenous ablation in patients with lower extremity venous insufficiency. During a 28-month period, ultrasound-guided femoral or sciatic nerve blocks were performed to provide analgesia during endovenous laser ablation in 506 legs and 307 patients. The femoral block (n=402) was performed at the level of the inguinal ligament, and the sciatic block at the posterior midthigh (n=124), by injecting a diluted lidocaine solution under ultrasound guidance. After the blocks, endovenous laser ablations and other treatments (phlebectomy or foam sclerotherapy) were performed in the standard fashion. After the procedures, a visual analogue pain scale (1-10) was used for pain assessment. After the blocks, pain scores were 0 or 1 (no pain) in 240 legs, 2 or 3 (uncomfortable) in 225 legs, and 4 or 5 (annoying) in 41 legs. Patients never experienced any pain higher than score 5. The statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between the pain scores of the right leg versus the left leg (p=0.321) and between the pain scores after the femoral versus sciatic block (p=0.7). Ultrasound-guided femoral and sciatic nerve blocks may provide considerable reduction of pain during endovenous laser and other treatments, such as ambulatory phlebectomy and foam sclerotherapy. They may make these procedures more comfortable for the patient and easier for the operator.

The surgical rectus sheath block for post-operative analgesia: a modern approach to an established technique

ObjectiveTo describe the surgical rectus sheath block for post-operative pain relief following major gynaecological surgery. TechniqueLocal anaesthetic (20ml 0.25% bupivacaine bilaterally) is administered under direct vision to the rectus sheath space at the time of closure of the anterior abdominal wall. Study designWe conducted a retrospective case note review of 98 consecutive patients undergoing major gynaecological surgery for benign or malignant disease who received either standard subcutaneous infiltration of the wound with local anaesthetic (LA, n=51) or the surgical rectus sheath block (n=47) for post-operative pain relief. Main outcome measures(1) Pain scores on waking, (2) duration of morphine-based patient controlled analgesia (PCA), (3) quantity of morphine used during the first 48 post-operative hours and (4) length of post-operative stay. ResultsThe groups were similar in age, the range of procedures performed and the type of pathology observed. Patients who received the surgical rectus sheath block had lower pain scores on waking [0 (0–1) vs. 2 (1–3), p<0.001], required less morphine post-operatively [12mg (9–26) vs. 36mg (30–48), p<0.001], had their PCAs discontinued earlier [24h (18–34) vs. 37h (28–48), p<0.001] and went home earlier [4 days (3–4) vs. 5 days post-op (4–8), p<0.001] [median (interquartile range)] than patients receiving standard subcutaneous local anaesthetic into the wound. ConclusionsThe surgical rectus sheath block appears to provide effective post-operative analgesia for patients undergoing major gynaecological surgery. A randomised controlled clinical trial is required to assess its efficacy further.

Assessing the Local Anesthetic Effect of Five Essential Oil Constituents

We studied the effects of five monoterpenoids, viz. 1,8-cineole, fenchone, linalool, p-cymene and α-pinene, on the sciatic nerve fibers of the frog Rana ridibunda (Pallas, 1771) and compared them to that of lidocaine, a standard local anesthetic. The isolated sciatic nerve, with its perineurium intact, was placed in a three-chambered recording bath, which allowed us to monitor the compound action potentials (CAP), stable in amplitude, for over 2 days. The half-vitality time (IT(50)), which is the time required for the amplitude of the CAP to decrease to 50% of its control value, was 53.5 ± 0.9 h for a nerve incubated in normal saline at 26.0 °C. The IT(50) values for nerves incubated in saline with p-cymene, 1,8-cineole, or α-pinene, at 30.0 mM, were 19.9 ± 0.4, 32.9 ± 0.5, and 31.0 ± 0.3 hours, respectively. As the IT(50) value for 30.0 mM lidocaine, a standard local anesthetic, was 1.6 ± 0.3 min under the same conditions, these three compounds cannot be considered as having a local anesthetic effect. The IT(50) values for 30.0 mM linalool and fenchone were 5.7 ± 0.6 and 15.4 ± 1.1 min, respectively; they were significantly, but not markedly different from the respective value for lidocaine. These results combined with the fast inhibition of the CAP and its fast recovery after the removal of either linalool or fenchone indicate a local anesthetic activity of the two compounds. Linalool retained this activity even at lower concentrations of 15.0 and 7.5 mM. The local anesthetic effects of lidocaine and linalool were concentration-dependent; this was not the case for fenchone, which had a relatively strong local anesthetic activity at 30.0 mM, but was entirely inactive at 25.0 mM. On the basis of the effects of the five monoterpenoids on the electrophysiological properties of the sciatic nerve fibers of the frog, we conclude that, whereas 1,8-cineole, p-cymene and α-pinene cause only minor effects, linalool and fenchone exhibit acute local anesthetic activity.

Factors Prompting Sneezing in Intravenously Sedated Patients Receiving Local Anesthetic Injections to the Eyelids

To investigate the frequency of sneezing among patients receiving intravenous sedation and periocular local anesthetic for oculoplastic procedures in a single center. To identify potential risk factors involved. Prospective, consecutive, interventional case series in a single tertiary-referral oculoplastic unit. A total of 294 patients undergoing 314 isolated oculoplastic procedures, performed under intravenous sedation with periocular local anesthetic from November 2007 to November 2008. Prospective data collection on patient demographics, history of photic sneezing, intravenous sedative, depth of sedation, nasal oxygen, and periocular infiltration site. Standard local anesthetic was used in all cases, but the intravenous sedation was at the discretion of the attending anesthesiologist (7 in total). Sneezing or attempted sneezing within 5 minutes of injection of the local anesthetic, as determined by agreed observation between attending staff. Sneezing was observed in 16% of cases. No association was found between sneezing and patient age or presence of nasal oxygen. A weakly positive association was observed with male gender (55% sneezers vs. 37% non-sneezers, P = 0.03, relative risk [RR] = 1.5, confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.0), bilateral infiltration (65% vs. 40%, P = 0.005, RR = 1.6, CI, 1.2-2.1), and upper eyelid infiltration (73% vs. 54%, P = 0.01, RR = 1.4, CI, 1.1-1.7). Photic sneezing was described in 47% of sneezers and 19% of non-sneezers (P = 0.0004, RR = 2.6, CI, 1.6-4.0). Because propofol was given to 95% of patients, no association with sneezing could be ascertained. However, opioid derivatives were found to be protective (12% vs. 43%, P<0.0001, RR = 0.3, CI, 0.1-0.6), whereas midazolam doubled the risk of sneezing (45% vs. 22%, P = 0.0008, RR = 2.1, CI, 1.4-3.0). Deep sedation (Ramsay score 5-6) also strongly increased the sneeze risk (65% vs. 23%, P<0.0001, RR = 2.8, CI, 2.1-3.8). Propofol-based intravenous sedation, in combination with periocular local anesthetic injections, induces sneezing in approximately one sixth of general oculoplastic cases. Male gender, a history of photic sneezing, bilateral or upper eyelid infiltration, deep sedation, and the concurrent administration of midazolam all increased the risk, whereas adjunctive opioid use reduced the risk.

Anesthesia for Carotid Endarterectomy: The Third Option. Patient Cooperation During General Anesthesia

Carotid endarterectomy is typically performed using either regional or general anesthesia techniques, which exhibit several differences, especially regarding the intraoperative neurological monitoring of patients. In this study, we introduce a technique of general anesthesia (cooperative patient general anesthesia), which allows neurological monitoring of the awake patient during surgery. We prospectively enrolled 181 consecutive adult patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy. Patients were anesthetized with a total i.v. anesthesia technique. During carotid clamping, anesthesia was reduced and maintained only with high-dose remifentanil, such that the patient was able to respond to verbal statements and neurological monitoring could be performed. The technique is described in detail. Patient neurological and cardiac outcomes were investigated. Patient and surgeon satisfaction with the technique were also evaluated. General anesthesia with a cooperative patient was achieved in 179 patients. No postoperative neurological events were observed. Two (1.1%) nonfatal myocardial infarctions occurred in the early postoperative period in two patients. Eighty-one percent of patients described the operation duration as brief, whereas 19.3% accurately perceived the time they were conscious. Both patients and surgeons were highly satisfied with the technique. In our series, cooperative patient general anesthesia proved to be a safe and satisfactory anesthetic technique for both the patient and surgeon. The technique was characterized by hemodynamic stability, excellent control of ventilatory pattern, continuous neurological monitoring, and immediate and safe conversion to general anesthesia whenever required. Further studies are needed to highlight the advantages of this technique compared with standard general and local anesthesia.

Evaluation of pain experienced during breast ductal endoscopy

Ductal endoscopy is valuable for the differential diagnosis of bloody nipple discharge; however, the pain associated with this procedure has not been evaluated. This study aims to assess the pain experienced by patients during ductal endoscopy. We studied a consecutive series of women who underwent ductal endoscopy, to investigate the cause of bloody nipple discharge. The procedure was performed using standard local anesthesia (lidocaine 1% 10 ml without epinephrine, involving nipple block and periaureolar administration). Patients were asked to score the level of pain with a visual analog scale, 1, 4, 7, 12, 17, 22, 27, and 32 min after the procedure, and describe their overall and maximum pain. This series comprised 20 women aged from 27 to 68 years old. The overall pain (mean +/- SE) score was equal to 5.8 +/-0.3, and the maximum pain score was 8.3 +/- 0.2. The peak of pain corresponded with when the dilator was inserted through the sphincter. The group in which the dilator was inserted after 4 min experienced more intense maximum and overall pain after 7, 12, 17 and 22 min. Pain is an important factor in ductal endoscopy, and peaks relatively early. A standard, baseline local lidocaine dose of greater than 10 ml may be necessary at the beginning of the procedure. Late insertion of the dilator seems to be an indicator of the force of the procedure.

Combined Periprostatic and Intraprostatic Local Anesthesia for Prostate Biopsy: A Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled, Randomized Trial

Transrectal ultrasonography guided prostate biopsy is the principle procedure in the histological diagnosis of prostate cancer. Recently a trend toward increasing the number of cores has been popularized. This practice further increases the need for a proper anesthetic application. However, there is no consensus on a standard local anesthetic strategy, while groups at most institutions currently prefer periprostatic anesthesia. We prospectively evaluated the contribution of intraprostatic anesthesia for transrectal prostate biopsies even when the sampling number was doubled to 12 cores. A total of 200 patients who underwent prostate biopsy with transrectal ultrasound guidance were included. The 2 groups received the usual periprostatic anesthesia. Consequently patients were prospectively randomized into 2 groups. Group 1 received additional intraprostatic lidocaine injection, while group 2 received the same amount of injection of 0.9% NaCl. The efficiency of applied local anesthesia was assessed by a visual analog pain scale. The study groups were comparable regarding patient age, prostate size and cancer rate. Pain scores revealed that the combination of intraprostatic and periprostatic local anesthesia provided significantly better pain control than periprostatic infiltration alone. No difference was observed regarding the morbidity rate in the 2 groups. The current study suggested that adding intraprostatic local anesthesia provides a significantly efficient strategy during transrectal ultrasound prostate biopsy, even in cases of 12-core sampling. Subsequent trials are needed to establish a standard analgesia policy for prostate biopsy.

Assessment of the effectiveness of peripheral administration of morphine with local articaine anaesthesia for surgery in inflamed oral and maxillofacial tissues

The controversy surrounding clinical trials of peripherally applied morphine with local anaesthetic and the attendant ambiguous results led to a study of our own clinical material. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of peripheral administration of morphine with local articaine anaesthesia in inflamed oral and maxillofacial tissues. Sixty patients who qualified for the randomized, double-blinded study were randomly divided into two groups. Group ‘LA’ received a standard local anaesthetic solution (articaine plus epinephrine) while group ‘LA-Mo’ received the standard solution with an addition of 1 mg of morphine. Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale, before and directly after surgery as well as at 1, 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after completion of surgery. Furthermore, supplemental consumption of the prescribed analgesic was recorded. Despite a very similar average level of initial pain, there was a marked difference between the groups in the pain level during surgery. Moreover, during the next 12 h, there were significant differences observed in the level of pain between both groups. There was also considerable difference between both groups in the time of first analgesic intake and the total amount of analgesic. Our results show that modified local anaesthesia may be of benefit for the relief of operative and post-operative pain and may also help reduce analgesic intake after oral surgery.

Intra-articular ropivacaine 0.75% and bupivacaine 0.50% for analgesia after arthroscopic knee surgery: A randomized prospective study

Intra-articular administration of local anesthetic solution provides analgesia after arthroscopic knee surgery. Bupivacaine is considered the gold standard local anesthetic in this indication, but ropivacaine, which is less toxic than bupivacaine, can consequently be administered in higher doses, potentially increasing the duration of analgesia. We compared the analgesic effect of intra-articular injection of ropivacaine 225 mg and bupivacaine 150 mg in patients undergoing arthroscopic surgery. Double-blind, randomized prospective clinical study. The study included 45 patients scheduled for knee meniscus repair under arthroscopy, who were allocated randomly into 3 groups to receive, intra-articularly, 30 mL of isotonic saline, bupivacaine 0.5%, or ropivacaine 0.75% solutions at the end of surgery. Postoperatively, pain was measured using a visual analog scale (VAS) at rest and on mobilization. Propacetamol was given when patients complained of pain. VAS scores at rest and on mobilization were higher in the saline group compared with the ropivacaine group (P = .006 and P = .01, respectively). No difference in VAS scores was documented between bupivacaine and the saline groups. The median delay between the intra-articular administration and propacetamol administration was shorter in the saline group (15 minutes; range, 15 to 120 minutes) compared with the ropivacaine group (240 minutes; range 15 to 720 minutes) but no difference was documented between the bupivacaine group (30 minutes; range, 15 to 360 minutes) and the other 2 groups. This level I study documents that intra-articular ropivacaine 0.75% provides better analgesia than bupivacaine 0.5% after knee arthroscopic surgery. Level I.

Comparison of different local anesthesia techniques during TRUS-guided biopsies: A prospective pilot study

To introduce two forms of anesthesia and compare them with standard local anesthesia techniques. A total of 114 consecutive patients underwent prostate needle biopsy. The patients were sequentially randomized to receive different kinds of anesthesia: 2% rectal lidocaine gel, 40% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with lidocaine, perianal injection of 1% lidocaine, or periprostatic nerve block. Pain perception was separately assessed for probe insertion and biopsies using a visual pain analog score. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the data scale among the four groups. A linear regression model was used to define the independent variables that predicted the level of pain. The groups were similar in terms of age, prostate-specific antigen levels, digital rectal examination findings, prostate volume, pain tolerance, biopsy time, and number of cores taken. The lowest pain scores for probe insertion were for the perianal injection and DMSO/lidocaine groups (0.89 and 1.38, respectively). The difference between these scores and those for the other two groups was statistically significant (P <0.001). Pain perception during biopsy did not differ significantly among the DMSO/lidocaine, perianal, or periprostatic groups and was greatest in the lidocaine gel group (4.147; P <0.001). We did not observe any statistically significant correlation between the pain level during probe insertion and biopsy and pain tolerance (P = 0.514 and P = 0.788, respectively). The anesthesia type was the strongest single predictor of the pain level during biopsy (P <0.001). The use of 40% DMSO with lidocaine instilled into the rectal vault for 10 minutes avoids any need for injection and is capable of decreasing the discomfort or pain experienced during probe insertion and prostate biopsy comparable to the perianal and periprostatic protocols.