Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) is used widely in spinal surgery because inhalational anesthetics are known to decrease the amplitude of motor evoked potentials. Presently, dexmedetomidine is used as an adjuvant for propofol-based TIVA. We compared the effects of remifentanil and dexmedetomidine on pain intensity as well as the analgesic requirements after post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) discharge in patients undergoing spinal surgery. Forty patients scheduled for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery under general anesthesia were enrolled. Anesthesia was maintained using propofol at 3–12 mg/kg/h and remifentanil at 0.01–0.2 μg/kg/min in Remifentanil group or dexmedetomidine at 0.01–0.02 μg/kg/min in Dexmedetomidine group, keeping the bispectral index between 40 and 60. Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) made of hydromophone was applied once the patients opened their eyes in the PACU. The visual analog scale (VAS) score, PCA dosage administered, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were recorded at the time of discharge from the PACU (T1) and at 2 (T2), 8 (T3), 24 (T4), and 48 hours (T5) after surgery. The VAS score in Remifentanil group was significantly higher than that in Dexmedetomidine group at immediate and late postoperative period (4.1 ± 2.0 vs. 2.3 ± 2.2 at T1, and 4.0 ± 2.2 vs. 2.6 ± 1.7 at T5; P < 0.05). Dexmedtomidine group had a statistically significantly lower PCA requirement at every time point after surgery except directly before discharge from the PACU (3.0 ± 1.2 ml vs. 2.3 ± 1.4 ml at T1; P > 0.05, but 69.7 ± 21.4 ml vs. 52.8 ± 10.8 ml at T5; P < 0.05). Patients in Remifentanil group displayed more PONV until 24 hours post-surgery. Dexmedetomidine displayed superior efficacy in alleviating pain and in postoperative pain management for 48 hours after PLIF. Therefore, dexmedetomidine may be used instead of remifentanil as an adjuvant in propofol-based TIVA. Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS) Identifier: KCT0001041 .

Joo J, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2016 Jun;31(6):989-996. http://dx.doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2016.31.6.989

Low-dose haloperidol is known to be effective for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). However, precise dose-response studies have not been completed, especially in patients at high risk for PONV who require combination therapy. This study sought to identify which dose of haloperidol 1mg or 2mg could be combined with dexamethasone without adverse effects in high-risk patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery. Female adults (n = 150) with three established PONV risk factors based on Apfel’s score were randomized into one of three study groups. At the end of anesthesia, groups H0, H1, and H2 were given intravenous (IV) saline, haloperidol 1 mg, and haloperidol 2 mg, respectively. All patients were given dexamethasone 5 mg during the induction of anesthesia. The overall early (0–2 h) and late (2–24 h) incidences of nausea, vomiting, rescue anti-emetic administration, pain, and adverse effects (cardiac arrhythmias and extrapyramidal effects) were assessed postoperatively. The sedation score was recorded in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). The total incidence of PONV over 24 h was significantly lower in groups H1 (29 %) and H2 (24 %) than in group H0 (54 %; P = 0.003), but there was no significant difference between groups H1 and H2. In the PACU, group H2 had a higher sedation score than groups H1 and H0 (P < 0.001). For high-risk PONV patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery, when used with dexamethasone, 1-mg haloperidol was equally effective as 2 mg in terms of preventing PONV with the less sedative effect. ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT01639599 ).

Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PNDs), including postoperative delirium, delayed neurocognitive recovery, and long-term postoperative neurocognitive disorders, present significant challenges for older patients undergoing surgery. Inflammation is a protective mechanism triggered in response to external pathogens or cellular damage. Historically, the central nervous system (CNS) was considered immunoprivileged due to the presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which serves as a physical barrier preventing systemic inflammatory changes from influencing the CNS. However, aseptic surgical trauma is now recognized to induce localized inflammation at the surgical site, further exacerbated by the release of peripheral pro-inflammatory cytokines, which can compromise BBB integrity. This breakdown of the BBB facilitates the activation of microglia, initiating a cascade of neuroinflammatory responses that may contribute to the onset of PNDs. This review explores the mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation, with a particular focus on the pivotal role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of PNDs.

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the most common adverse outcomes after strabismus surgery. The primary outcome of this prospective, randomized, double-blind study was to compare the incidences of nausea or vomiting, and patient satisfaction of ondansetron and ramosetron after strabismus surgery under general anesthesia. The secondary outcome was to investigate whether the number of involved extraocular muscles (EOMs) in strabismus surgery was related to PONV. One hundred and five patients (aged 18–60 years) undergoing strabismus surgery were allocated randomly to one of the three groups: placebo, ondansetron, or ramosetron. Patients received 2 ml placebo, 4 mg ondansetron, or 0.3 mg ramosetron at the end of surgery. Each of the three groups was subdivided into two subgroups according to the number of EOMs involved in the surgery: subgroup S, single-muscle correction; subgroup M, multiple-muscle correction. The incidences of nausea or vomiting, and patient satisfaction at 2, 24 and 48 h after surgery were analyzed as primary outcome. With regard to subgroups S and M in the placebo, ondansetron and ramosetron groups, incidences of nausea or vomiting, and patient satisfaction at 2, 24 and 48 h after surgery were analyzed as seconadary outcome. The incidence of nausea was significantly lower in the ramosetron group at 2 h (9.4 %) than in the placebo (45.2 %) and ondansetron (34.7 %) groups (P < 0.05). The incidence of nausea was also significantly lower in the ramosetron group at 24 h than in the other groups (P < 0.05). Patients in the ramosetron group were more satisfied at 2 h (8.11 ± 0.98) and 24 h (8.50 ± 0.67) after surgery than those in the other groups (P < 0.05). With regard to subgroups S and M in the placebo, ondansetron and ramosetron groups, there were no significant differences in either the incidence of nausea or patient satisfaction. Ramosetron has superior antiemetic activity to ondansetron in adult strabismus surgery patients. The number of EOMs involved in strabismus surgery was not related to the incidence of PONV. Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS) Identifier: KCT0000688 . Date of registration: 27 February 2013.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common inflammatory neurodegenerative disorder after dementia. Preclinical and epidemiological data strongly suggest that chronic neuroinflammation slowly induces neuronal dysfunction. Activated microglia secrete several neurotoxic substances, such as chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines, which may promote blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeabilization. CD4⁺ T cells comprise proinflammatory cells such as T helper (Th) 1 and Th17 cells, as well as anti-inflammatory cells such as Th2 and T regulatory cells (Tregs). Th1 and Th17 cells can be detrimental to dopamine neurons, whereas Th2 and Tregs are neuroprotective. The results of studies on the serum levels of cytokines such as IFN-γ and TNF-α secreted by Th1 T cells, IL-8 and IL-10 secreted by Th2 T cells, and IL-17 secreted by Th17 cells in PD patients are not uniform. In addition, the relationships between serum cytokine levels and motor and non-motor symptoms of PD are controversial. Surgical stress and anesthesia induce inflammatory responses by disturbing the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, which may exacerbate the neuroinflammatory response in PD patients. Here we review studies on blood inflammatory biomarkers in PD patients and discuss the roles of surgery and anesthesia in PD progression.