OBJECTIVE: Nitrous oxide affects memory and recall. We aimed to determine if using nitrous oxide during labor affected patients\' ability to learn and recall the risks and benefits of neuraxial analgesia.
METHODS: Single-center, prospective cohort study.
METHODS: Labor and delivery unit in a large academic medical center.
METHODS: Nulliparous patients with spontaneous or planned induction of labor.
METHODS: Parturients chose whether to use nitrous oxide during labor. At the discussion for epidural consent, 4 risks were described: headache, infection, nerve damage, bleeding.
METHODS: Labor pain score, time from nitrous oxide discontinuation, and cervical dilation were documented at the discussion of epidural risks. Patients were assessed for unprompted recall and prompted recall of epidural risks on postpartum day 1 and unprompted recall at postpartum week 6. The number and proportion of patients who indicated each true risk (unprompted and prompted recall) or distractor (prompted recall only) were summarized by treatment group and results compared using Pearson χ2 tests.
RESULTS: Of the 403 enrolled patients, 294 (73%) did not use nitrous oxide, and 109 (27%) did. The 2 groups were similar except women who used nitrous oxide were more likely to be cared for by midwives and had higher pain scores at their epidural request. Scores for unprompted or prompted recall of epidural risks were not different between women who received or did not receive nitrous oxide. All 4 risks were recalled unprompted by only 3% in the nitrous oxide group and by 6% in the group not receiving nitrous oxide (P = .18).
CONCLUSIONS: The use of nitrous oxide for labor analgesia does not adversely influence a parturient\'s ability to recall the risks of epidural placement. Patients who receive nitrous oxide for labor analgesia should be considered eligible to provide consent for subsequent procedures.

UNASSIGNED: The optimal length of epidural use following open pancreaticoduodenectomy has not been defined. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the length of patient-controlled epidural analgesia affected pain and ability to mobilise on epidural termination following open pancreaticoduodenectomy in the context of enhanced recovery after surgery.
UNASSIGNED: A retrospective single-centre cohort analysis was performed between November 2015 and December 2021 on patients who underwent open pancreaticoduodenectomy. As part of a continual review process of the enhanced recovery after surgery protocol, patient-controlled epidural analgesia duration changed allowing stratification of patients into either three- or five-day patient-controlled epidural analgesia groups.
UNASSIGNED: Of the 196 patients identified, 157 were included with 80 (50.9%) and 77 (49.1%) allocated to the three-day and five-day patient-controlled epidural analgesia groups, respectively. Patient-controlled epidural analgesia termination on postoperative day 3 was associated with transiently higher pain and less mobilisation, although no greater rescue analgesia requirement. Conversely, longer patient-controlled epidural analgesia usage following open pancreaticoduodenectomy was associated with less pain and greater mobilisation in the immediate postoperative period.
UNASSIGNED: Earlier patient-controlled epidural analgesia termination transiently leads to increased pain and decreased mobilisation following open pancreaticoduodenectomy. Ensuring appropriate analgesia requirements or longer patient-controlled epidural analgesia usage should be considered to avoid patient discomfort and enhance recovery.

Objective The gold standard for pain management during labor is epidural analgesia, which can be administered in two different ways to the parturients, either by bolus doses or continuous infusions of local anesthetic solutions with opioids. Recently, programmed intermittent epidural boluses (PIEBs) via a pump are gaining popularity as a very effective method with minimal side effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the optimum ropivacaine concentration between two different regimens (0.1% or 0.2% both with fentanyl 2 μg/ml) that can provide satisfactory analgesia with the minimum degree of motor blockade, using PIEBs. Methods A prospective randomized controlled study was performed from March 2020 to March 2022. Two different concentrations of ropivacaine 0.1% and 0.2% via PIEBs were equally allocated to two groups of parturients with an additional patient control epidural rescue bolus if needed. Our primary endpoint was motor blockade, as assessed by the modified Bromage scale (MBS). We also recorded visual analog scale (VAS) scores, heart rate, blood pressure, total local anesthetic consumption, labor duration and method of delivery, and APGAR score of the newborns. Results All patients presented Bromage scores equal to 6, and the total consumption of the anesthetic solution was comparable between the two groups. Women in the 0.2% group showed higher pain relief and satisfaction compared to the 0.1% group. Concerning the 0,2% group, diastolic blood pressure and APGAR scores were lower alongside with a lower satisfactory extrusion stage observed by the obstetrician. Conclusion Both ropivacaine regimens provide satisfactory labor epidural analgesia for the expectant mother without any motor blockade.

Subdural hematoma is an uncommon complication of epidural analgesia or diagnostic lumbar puncture. Headache is a common complaint for patients with either a subdural hematoma or a post-dural puncture headache. Because post-dural puncture headaches are commonly seen in the Emergency Department, the potential to miss more serious pathology arises. We present the case of a young female who suffered bilateral subdural hematomas following epidural analgesia during childbirth. She presented twice to the Emergency Department and was treated for a post-dural puncture headache before computed tomography imaging revealed the diagnosis on the third Emergency Department encounter. This case highlights the importance of exploring all potential diagnoses when a patient presents with a headache after either epidural analgesia or a diagnostic lumbar puncture, especially if the patient returns after unsuccessful treatment for a presumptive post-dural puncture headache.

BACKGROUND: 3% chloroprocaine (CP) has been reported as the common local anesthetic used in pregnant women undergoing urgent cesarean delivery during labor analgesia period. However, 0.75% ropivacaine is considered a promising and effective alternative. Therefore, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness and safety of 0.75% ropivacaine with 3% chloroprocaine for extended epidural anesthesia in pregnant women.
METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, controlled, single-center study from November 1, 2022, to April 30, 2023. We selected forty-five pregnant women undergoing urgent cesarean delivery during labor analgesia period and randomized them to receive either 0.75% ropivacaine or 3% chloroprocaine in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome was the time to loss of cold sensation at the T4 level.
RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the two groups in the time to achieve loss of cold sensation (303, 95%CI 255 to 402 S vs. 372, 95%CI 297 to 630 S, p = 0.024). There was no significant difference the degree of motor block (p = 0.185) at the Th4 level. Fewer pregnant women required additional local anesthetics in the ropivacaine group compared to the chloroprocaine group (4.5% VS. 34.8%, p = 0.011). The ropivacaine group had lower intraoperative VAS scores (p = 0.023) and higher patient satisfaction scores (p = 0.040) than the chloroprocaine group. The incidence of intraoperative complications was similar between the two groups, and no serious complications were observed.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that 0.75% ropivacaine was associated with less intraoperative pain treatment, higher patient satisfaction and reduced the onset time compared to 3% chloroprocaine in pregnant women undergoing urgent cesarean delivery during labor analgesia period. Therefore, 0.75% ropivacaine may be a suitable drug in pregnant women undergoing urgent cesarean delivery during labor analgesia period.
BACKGROUND: The registration number: ChiCTR2200065201; http://www.chictr.org.cn , Principal investigator: MEN, Date of registration: 31/10/2022.

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Effective analgesic therapy in neonates continues to be fundamental for improving quality of life and decreasing the need for further medical intervention. When pain is not well controlled in the neonatal intensive care setting, we see an increased use of sedation pharmaceuticals, mechanical ventilation, and altered somatosensory development, among other complications. Currently, there is no standardized protocol addressing effective pain management while decreasing the need for further sedation. In this article, we seek to demonstrate how our institution standardized and implemented the utilization of epidural analgesia in neonates as the preferred method of pain management for open thoracic and abdominal surgeries.

Robotic thoracic surgery is a prominent minimally invasive approach for the treatment of various thoracic diseases. While this technique offers numerous benefits including reduced blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and less postoperative pain, effective pain management remains crucial to enhance recovery and minimize complications. This review focuses on the application of various loco-regional anesthesia techniques in robotic thoracic surgery, particularly emphasizing their role in pain management. Techniques such as local infiltration anesthesia (LIA), thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA), paravertebral block (PVB), intercostal nerve block (INB), and erector spinae plane block (ESPB) are explored in detail regarding their methodologies, benefits, and potential limitations. The review also discusses the imperative of integrating these anesthesia methods with robotic surgery to optimize patient outcomes. The findings suggest that while each technique has unique advantages, the choice of anesthesia should be tailored to the patient\'s clinical status, the complexity of the surgery, and the specific requirements of robotic thoracic procedures. The review concludes that a multimodal analgesia strategy, potentially incorporating several of these techniques, may offer the most effective approach for managing perioperative pain in robotic thoracic surgery. Future directions include refining these techniques through technological advancements like ultrasound guidance and exploring the long-term impacts of loco-regional anesthesia on patient recovery and surgical outcomes in the context of robotic thoracic surgery.

Caudal epidural blockade is one of the most frequently administered regional anesthesia techniques in children. It is a supplement during general anesthesia and for providing postoperative analgesia in pediatrics for sub-umbilical surgeries, especially for genitourinary surgeries. However, the duration of the analgesic effect is occasionally unsatisfactory. In this review, we discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of different techniques to prolong postoperative analgesia for single-injection caudal blockade in children. A literature search of the keywords \"caudal\", \"analgesia\", \"pediatric\", and \"children\" was performed using PubMed and Web of Science databases. We highlight that analgesic quality correlates substantially with the local anesthetic\'s type, dose, the timing relationship between caudal block and surgery, caudal catheterization, and administration of epidural opioids or other adjuvant drugs.

Introduction Persistent postoperative pain leads to impaired patient recovery and delays in discharge of patients. The aim was to compare the efficacy of 0.5% bupivacaine to two varying concentrations of ropivacaine, specifically 0.5% and 0.75%, along with fentanyl as a continuous epidural infusion in providing adequate pain relief for patients subjected to infraumbilical surgeries. Materials and methods A prospective randomized comparative study was carried out on 150 patients and was divided into three groups, namely group B, group R, and group RP. Group B indicates (0.5% bupivacaine), group R means (0.5% ropivacaine), and finally, group RP means (0.75% ropivacaine); the three groups had 50 patients each. Group B was administered an epidural infusion of bupivacaine at a concentration of 0.5%, group R was given 0.5% ropivacaine, and group RP was treated with 0.75% ropivacaine; all three groups included 40 mcg fentanyl. The duration of the motor and sensory blockade and the time needed for the first rescue analgesia after the stoppage of epidural infusion were assessed in all three groups. The data were statistically analyzed using the ANOVA, \"post hoc Tukey,\" and chi-square tests. Results Comparison of the duration of motor and sensory blockade among all three groups showed that group RP (0.75% ropivacaine with 2 mcg/cc fentanyl) had the longest duration of 328.8 and 406 minutes, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Comparison of the time of stoppage of epidural infusion to the requirement of first rescue analgesia showed that the group that received 0.75% ropivacaine with 40 mcg fentanyl had the highest value of 258.6 minutes and was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusion Epidural intraoperative infusion of 0.75% ropivacaine with fentanyl offers better postoperative pain relief as compared to both 0.5% bupivacaine and 0.5% ropivacaine with fentanyl.