Local anesthetics for spinal anesthesia in one-single injection are known to induce more severe hypotension than a fractionated dose in healthy obstetric patients. Hypotension in obstetric patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension, including preeclampsia, during spinal anesthesia, could compromise fetal well-being.This study aimed to compare the mean arterial pressure (MAP), the total dose of ephedrine required, and level of sensory blockade between the fractionated-dose and single-dose spinal anesthesia injection in obstetric patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension who underwent a cesarean section.This single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted from January to April 2018 after being approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Universitas Indonesia (No. 1174/UN2.F1/ETIK/2017) and recorded at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03693638). After obtaining informed consent, 42 parturients with hypertension in pregnancy (gestational hypertension or preeclampsia), ASA II-III, aged 18 - 40 years, and BMI of 18.5 - 35 kg/m2 with singleton pregnancy, who were planned for spinal anesthesia for emergency or semi-emergency cesarean section with hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% (MarcaineTM, Hospira) and fentanyl, were included in this study. All subjects were randomly divided into two groups including fractionated-dose (FD) and single-dose (SD).There was no significant difference between the two groups in MAP in the first 15 minutes after anesthesia (P > 0.05) and median total dose of ephedrine required (10 (0 - 25) mg in the FD group vs. 15 (0 - 30) mg in the SD group, P = 0.30). However, in the FD group, MAP tended to be higher in the first three minutes compared to the SD group. The level of sensory blockade was mostly at T4, which was not significantly different between the groups (52.4% in FD vs. 42.9% in SD, P = 0.59).In obstetric patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension who underwent a cesarean section, the mean arterial pressure after spinal anesthesia was not significantly different between the fractionated dose of spinal anesthesia injection and single-dose injection. Total ephedrine required and levels of sensory blockade were not significantly different between the groups.

Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

Background: In craniotomy tumor removal, brain relaxation after dura opening is essential. Lidocaine is known to have analgesic and antiinflammatory effects. It is excellent in decreasing cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, cerebral blood flow, and cerebral blood volume; and can potentially reduce intracranial pressure, resulting in exceptional brain relaxation after dura opening. However, no study has examined continuous intravenous lidocaine infusion on brain relaxation, intraoperative opioid consumption and surgeon’s satisfaction in adult patients undergoing craniotomy tumor removal. Methods: A total of 60 subjects scheduled for craniotomy tumor removal were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial with consecutive sampling. Patients received either an intravenous bolus of lidocaine (2%) 1.5 mg/kg before induction followed by 2 mg/kg/h continuous infusion up to skin closure (lidocaine group) or placebo with similar volume (NaCl 0.9%). Neurosurgeons evaluated brain relaxation and surgeon’s satisfaction with a 4-point scale, total intraoperative opioid consumption was recorded in μg and μg/kg/min. Results: All sixty subjects were included in the study. Lidocaine group showed better brain relaxation after dura opening (96.7% vs 70%; lidocaine vs placebo, P < .006), less intraoperative fentanyl consumption (369.2 μg vs 773.0 μg; P < .001, .0107 vs .0241 μg/kg/min; lidocaine vs placebo, P < .001). Higher surgeon’s satisfaction was found in lidocaine group (96.7% vs 70%, P = .006). No side effects were observed during this study. Conclusions: Continuous lidocaine intravenous infusion improves brain relaxation after dura opening, and decreases intraoperative opioid consumption, with good surgeon satisfaction in adult patients undergoing craniotomy tumor removal.

Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an impact on geriatric patients worldwide since geriatrics itself is an age group with a high risk due to declined physiological function and many comorbidities, especially for those who undergo surgery. In this study, we determine the association between perioperative factors with 30-day mortality and a survival rate of geriatric patients undergoing surgery during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at 14 central hospitals in Indonesia. The recorded variables were perioperative factors, 30-day mortality, and survival rate. Analyses of associations between variables and 30-day mortality were performed using univariate/multivariable logistic regression, and survival rates were determined with Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Results: We analyzed 1621 elderly patients. The total number of patients who survived within 30 days of observation was 4.3%. Several perioperative factors were associated with 30-day mortality (p < 0.05) is COVID-19 (OR, 4.34; 95% CI, 1.04–18.07; p = 0.04), CCI > 3 ( odds ratio [OR], 2.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–5.26; p = 0.04), emergency surgery (OR, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.96–7.00; p ≤ 0.01), postoperative ICU care (OR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.32–5.53; p = 0.01), and adverse events (AEs) in the ICU (OR, 3.43; 95% CI, 1.32–8.96; p = 0.01). Aligned with these findings, COVID-19, CCI > 3, and comorbidities have a log-rank p < 0.05. The six comorbidities that have log-rank p < 0.05 are moderate-to-severe renal disease (log-rank p ≤ 0.01), cerebrovascular disease (log-rank p ≤ 0.01), diabetes with chronic complications (log-rank p = 0.03), metastatic solid tumor (log-rank p = 0.02), dementia (log-rank p ≤ 0.01), and rheumatology disease (log-rank p = 0.03). Conclusions: Having at least one of these conditions, such as COVID-19, comorbidities, emergency surgery, postoperative ICU care, or an AE in the ICU were associated with increased mortality in geriatric patients undergoing surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.