Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia

BACKGROUND: Intravenous (IV) ketamine is used for chronic neuropathic pain refractory to other treatments. Administration of such a medication requires high-cost services while the result is not always satisfactory with a significant percentage of failure. Success and failure are related to some factors. METHOD: In this study, we aim to point the most responsive disease category to IV ketamine and the predictive factors for successful and failed treatment. Two hundred and sixty-nine patients out of 371 were included...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Lutembacher's syndrome is a rare congenital cardiac syndrome comprising of a combination of an atrial septal defect complicated by congenital or acquired mitral stenosis. The applied physiology of the patient depends upon the severity and the interactions of the lesions. They pose certain difficulties to the administration of both general or neuraxial anesthesia. A preference of one form of anesthesia over the other should be based on the understanding of the physiology of the patient. There should not be an orthodox avoidance of neuraxial anesthesia in complex cardiac pathologies as general anesthesia can be associated with certain complications of its own...

Artificial intelligence (AI) broadly refers to machines that simulate intelligent human behavior, and research into this field is exponential and worldwide, with global players such as Microsoft battling with Google for supremacy and market share. This paper reviews the "good" aspects of AI in medicine for individuals who embrace the 4P model of medicine (Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, and Participatory) to medical assistants in diagnostics, surgery, and research. The "bad" aspects relate to the potential for errors, culpability, ethics, data loss and data breaches, and so on...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The present study was undertaken to compare the analgesic efficacy of erector spinae plane (ESP) block with serratus anterior muscle (SAM) block in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy (MRM). We hypothesized that ESP block would provide better postoperative pain relief than SAM block following MRM. METHODS: Eighty American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) I-II adult females, scheduled for MRM, were randomly allocated to receive either ultrasound-guided ipsilateral single-shot ESP or SAM block after induction in the respective planes, using 20 ml of 0...

Thoracic surgery is one of the most common surgeries that causes severe postoperative pain. Inadequate pain management results in longer hospital stays and recovery periods, as well as psychological changes, quality of life, and patient satisfaction. Ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) is a promising interfascial plane block that may provide adequate analgesia. We report three cases of suspected lung cancer patients who underwent thoracoscopic biopsy and postoperative chest drainage. The patients underwent SAPB with light sedation during the procedure...

BACKGROUND: Erector spinae plane (ESP) block provides postoperative analgesia in breast surgeries but has limited duration of action that restricts its efficacy to early postoperative period. This study aims to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and opioid sparing effect of ultrasound (US)-guided continuous erector spinae plane (CESP) block in perioperative period in breast cancer surgery. METHODS: Fifty ASA I/II patients aged more than 18 years, scheduled for elective breast cancer surgery were randomized to either Group B (Block group) or Group C (Control group)...

BACKGROUND: Pain relief is a basic aspect of anesthesia care. Optimal post-cesarean section analgesia should minimize postoperative complications, facilitate infant care, and prevent postoperative morbidity. Bilateral ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric (IIIH) nerve block has been considered as a part of the multimodal approach. This study was designed to explore the efficacy of adding magnesium sulfate as an adjunct to bupivacaine to provide analgesia following cesarean delivery, using bilateral IIIH nerve block...

Isopropyl alcohol (IA) is a colorless, flammable organic compound that has been used in the manufacturing process of a wide variety of industrial and household chemicals. Inhalation of its vapor has been noted to potentially have antiemetic effects, which may be useful in the treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). However, given the varied study protocols and endpoints assessing its efficacy as antiemetic, clinical trials have yielded mixed results. If effective, inhalation of IA may be a cost-effective, readily available, and inexpensive therapy that can be used for the treatment of PONV with a low risk of adverse effects...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is accompanied by transitory left ventricular dysfunction without substantial coronary artery disease. A history of acute physical or mental stress typically precedes such a presentation. We want to highlight a case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in the early postoperative period in a young female patient who underwent extensive surgery for buccal mucosal carcinoma. The onset of this cardiomyopathy can be ascribed to a fear of disfigurement and prolonged surgical stress.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

[This retracts the article on p. 6 in vol. 7, PMID: 23717223.].

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Brachial plexus injury (BPI) occurs commonly in young adults following trauma. This may result in the development of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) following injury, which is difficult to treat. We present a group of patients with CRPS secondary to BPI. These patients were managed with neuromodulation of the stellate ganglion (SG) with pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) and followed up for a period of 3 months to assess for pain relief and a decrease in the intake of medications after the intervention. PRF to SG was found to have significant pain relief lasting around three months...

Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) is a congenital disorder inherited autosomal recessively, caused by deficiency of platelet membrane glycoprotein IIb-IIIa complex leading to defective platelet aggregation, and manifesting as mucocutaneous bleeding. Parturients with GT requiring emergency cesarean section are at high risk for perioperative bleeding complications. The anesthetist should be prepared with the necessary measures to control bleeding. This paper presents the successful management of a 23-year-old primigravida with GT undergoing cesarean section in a resource-limited setup where thromboelastography and recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) are not available...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Regional anesthesia for cesarean delivery has become a popular choice due to with its immediate effect and high frequency of effective blockage. However, patient satisfaction is a critical indicator of anesthetic care quality. This research aimed to determine the mothers' satisfaction levels after they had an elective or emergency cesarean section under regional anesthesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This noninterventional, descriptive, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included 327 participants to evaluate patients' satisfaction with regional anesthesia for cesarean section in Saudi Arabia...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: The epidural injections used to treat lumbar radiculopathy are potentially associated with serious complications like neurological injuries and epidural abscess. The nociceptors have the unique property of being pseudo-unipolar, as its both ends are expected to be functionally same. We have hypothesized that peripheral nerve blocks given at the distal site should be able to provide pain relief. This prospective study was planned to assess the efficacy of peripheral nerve blocks in lumbar radiculopathy...