The superiority of midazolam-pethidine combination in three different anesthetic methods applied in conscious sedation during transesophageal echocardiography procedure

Background: During the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) procedure, as in many other diagnostic semi-invasive applications, moderate sedation is preferred over deep sedation. Rarely, patients who cannot tolerate moderate sedation may require deep sedation when difficulties are encountered during TEE probe insertion. Although many different methods have been tried for the TEE procedure in clinical practice, the most appropriate sedation method is still controversial. Aims and Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the clinical effects of three different sedoanalgesia methods consisting of midazolam, propofol, and midazolam-pethidine combination protocols applied for conscious sedation in the patients undergoing a TEE procedure, and to evaluate the patient and doctor satisfaction during the procedure. Materials and Methods: One-hundred twenty five patients who underwent TEE for diagnostic purposes in our hospital were included consecutively in our prospective randomized trial. The patients were divided into three groups as those who were administered midazolam (group M), propofol (group Pr), and midazolam-pethidine (group MPe) during the TEE procedure. Results: In the MPe group, both patient and doctor satisfaction were significantly higher than the two groups. The rate of difficulty in probe placement was lower in the Pr and MPe groups compared to the M group (P<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, it has been observed that conscious sedation with the combination of midazolam-pethidine was significantly advantageous in terms of patient and physician satisfaction compared to the use of only midazolam and only propofol.

Development of a Novel Anesthesia Airway Management Robot

Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation has attracted increasing attention for air management in general anesthesia. This work proposes a novel robot equipped with two snake arms and a mask-fastening mechanism to facilitate trachea airway management for anesthesia as well as deep sedation and to improve surgical outcomes. The two snake arms with supporting terminals have been designed to lift a patient’s jaw with design optimization, and the mask-fastening mechanism has been utilized to fasten the mask onto a patient’s face. The control unit has been developed to implement lifting and fastening force control with safety and robustness. Loading experiments on the snake arm and tension experiments on the mask-fastening mechanism have been performed to investigate and validate the performances of the proposed anesthesia airway management robot. Experiments on a mock person have also been employed to further verify the effectiveness and reliability of the developed robot system. As an early study of an anesthesia airway management robot, it was verified as a valid attempt to perform mask non-invasive positive pressure ventilation technology by taking advantage of a robotic system.

Sedation-Led chEmotherapy Evades Pain (S.L.E.E.P.)

Chemotherapy and other invasive therapies are often limited by side effects, pain and negative experiences that can limit adherence to the therapy itself. Such negative components add to the patient's depressive state due to the disease. This research project proposes the use of deep sedation during chemotherapy sessions or other disabling therapies in the treatment of tumors or other severe diseases. The proposed protocol provides for an ad hoc hospitalization which could be during the night, during the day or limited to a few hours. Administration during sleep eliminates the memory and the negative impact the treatment has on the rest of the patient's daily life. This approach also agrees with the evidence of the circadian rhythm of cellular repair processes, which is greater at sunrise and sunset and linked to a good quantity and quality of sleep. In conclusion, this project aims to reduce the negative impact and increase the adherence to and efficacy of the therapy itself.

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy under Segmental Thoracic Spinal Anesthesia

Introduction: Cholelithiasis or gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that can form in gallbladder. The treatment of gallstones depends upon the stage of disease. Once gallstones become symptomatic, definitive surgical intervention with cholecystectomy is usually indicated (typically, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the first-line therapy). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy removes the gallbladder and gallstones through several small incisions in the abdomen. This case report aims to discuss the managent of segmental thoracic spinal anesthesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Case: We report on the cases of 2 patients who undego elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Female, 53 years old, will undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy, performed anesthesia with segmental thoracic spinal anesthesiatechnique using the anesthetic agent 3 ml of Levobupivacaine 0,5% + 25 mcg of Fentanyl, requiring a sensory block to at least T10-T11 dermatom. Patients received a 1,2 mcg target control infusion (TCI) propofol intravenous is administered as intermittent boluses to achieve deep sedation. The operation lasts 1 hour, with a bleeding 15 cc and urine output 100 cc, hemodynamically stable. Female, 42 years old, will undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy, performed anesthesia with segmental thoracic spinal anesthesia technique using the anesthetic agent 3 ml of Levobupivacaine 0,5% + 25 mcg of Fentanyl, requiring a sensory block to at least T10-T11 dermatom. Patients received a 3 mg of midazolam intravenous is administered as intermittent boluses to achieve deep sedation. The operation lasts 1 hour, with a bleeding 15 cc and urine output 150 cc, hemodynamically stable. The level and duration of sensory block, intensity and duration of motor block were recorded. A 20 % or more decrease in MAP compared to baseline was considered as hypotension, iv ephedrine 5 mgr bolus administreted. Conclusion: Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that uses minimally invasive surgical techniques (minimally invasive surgery) where the doctor uses a small telescope / camera that is inserted into the stomach and surgical instruments in mini form. This procedure has many advantages because it is not invasive, the amount of bleeding can be reduced, postoperative pain can be minimized. Regional anesthesia procedure in laparoscopic cholecystectomy based on several studies and case reports can be performed and is a safe procedure.