UNASSIGNED: As measured by a right heart catheterization, pulmonary hypertension is an increase in mean pulmonary arterial pressure of more than 25 mmHg at rest or more than 30 mmHg during exercise. Some of the cardiac heart conditions that may develop during pregnancy include severe mitral regurgitation and mild tricuspid regurgitation. Prior to delivery, pregnant patients with pulmonary hypertension and significant multivalvular heart disease need to undergo careful preoperative, multidisciplinary assessment, and anaesthetic planning to maximize cardiac function during the peripartum period and make informed decisions about the delivery mood and anaesthetic technique.
UNASSIGNED: A 30-year-old Para two Gravid three pregnant mother presented with chronic rheumatic heart disease, severe mitral regurgitation, moderate pulmonary hypertension, severe left atrial dilatation, mild aortic regurgitation, and mild tricuspid regurgitation scheduled for elective cesarean section. She had one previous cesarean section four years ago with an indication of fetal macrosomia. Her cardiac condition, however, was moderate mitral regurgitation, mild left atrial dilatation, mild pulmonary hypertension, and no tricuspid or aortic regurgitation. She had continuous follow-ups after diagnosis until now but has not taken any medication.
UNASSIGNED: Anaesthesia management in a patient with severe mitral regurgitation, moderate pulmonary hypertension, severe left atrial dilatation, mild aortic regurgitation, and mild tricuspid regurgitation was challenging in resource limited area. Even if spontaneous delivery is recommended for the patients with cardiac findings, a cesarean delivery will need in the area where limited access to support it. Goal-directed perioperative management with multidisciplinary involvement helps the patient to have a good outcome.

BACKGROUND: Opioids are widely used in conjunction with local anesthetics as they permit the use of lower dose of local anesthetics while providing adequate anesthesia and analgesia. It both provides adequate anesthesia as well as lower drug toxicity neuraxial administration of opioids in conjunction with local anesthetics improves the quality of intraoperative analgesia and prolongs the duration of postoperative analgesia. Bupivacaine is the most commonly used drug for subarachnoid block due to its lesser side effects. The present study was conducted to decrease the overall dose of local anesthetics with opioid combination for urological procedure with respect to quality of anesthesia and recovery with patient\'s satisfaction.
METHODS: The study population was randomly allocated by computer generated table into two groups; Group A: 5 mg 0.5% bupivacaine + 25 mcg and Group B: 5 mg 0.5% bupivacaine + 25 mg butorphanol.
RESULTS: Highest level of sensory block was T9 and T8 with the fentanyl group and butorphanol group, respectively. The onset of sensory block was early in fentanyl group than butorphanol group. Duration of both sensory and motor block was significantly higher in butorphanol group. There was no incidence of itching in both groups. There were two patients in fentanyl group and one in butorphanol with hypotension for which injection mephentermine was given. Two patients in fentanyl group complained of nausea and vomiting, for which injection ondansetron was given. One patient complained of pain in fentanyl group for which injection propofol with injection fentanyl was supplemented.
CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose bupivacaine with butorphanol group was devoid of any side effects in the present study but low dose bupivacaine in addition with fentanyl is superior in terms of early postoperative recovery resulting in early discharge and better outcome in comparison to bupivacaine and butorphanol group, which is beneficial in elderly patients with comorbidity.

OBJECTIVE: The potentiating effect of short acting lipophilic opioid fentanyl and a more selective α2 agonist dexmedetomidine is used to reduce the dose requirement of bupivacaine and its adverse effects and also to prolong analgesia. In this study, we aimed to find out whether quality of anaesthesia is better with low dose bupivacaine and fentanyl or with low dose bupivacaine and dexmedetomidine.
METHODS: This prospective randomised double-blinded study was carried out in a tertiary health care centre on 150 patients by randomly allocating them into two groups using a computer generated randomisation table. Group F (n = 75) received bupivacaine 0.5% heavy (0.8 ml)+fentanyl 25 μg (0.5 ml) + normal saline 0.3 ml and Group D (n = 75) received bupivacaine 0.5% heavy (0.8 ml) + dexmedetomidine 5 μg (0.05 ml) + normal saline 0.75 ml, aiming for a final concentration of 0.25% of bupivacaine (1.6 ml), administered intrathecally. Time to reach sensory blockade to T10 segment, peak sensory block level (PSBL), time to reach peak block, time to two segment regression (TTSR), the degree of motor block, side-effects, and the perioperative analgesic requirements were assessed.
RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups in the time to reach T10 segment block (P > 0.05) and TTSR (P > 0.05);time to reach PSBL (P < 0.05) and modified Bromage scales (P < 0.05) were significant. PSBL (P = 0.000) and time to first analgesic request (P = 0.000) were highly significant. All patients were haemodynamically stable and no significant difference in adverse effects was observed.
CONCLUSIONS: Both groups provided adequate anaesthesia for all lower abdominal surgeries with haemodynamic stability. Dexmedetomidine is superior to fentanyl since it facilitates the spread of the block and offers longer post-operative analgesic duration.