Acute post-operative pain can remain untreated if patients cannot express themselves. The perfusion index (PI) may decrease when pain activates sympathetic tone and may increase after analgesics are administered. We evaluated if the perfusion index is a feasible indicator for objectively assessing pain relief in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and calculated the changes in PI measurements at the time of discharge from the PACU relative to baseline PI measurements to examine if the PI is a useful criterion for discharging patients from the postanesthesia care unit. This retrospective observational study enrolled female patients who were admitted for gynecological or general surgery. The patients received general anesthesia and were admitted to the postanesthesia care unit. The PI, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, heart rate, and blood pressure were recorded before and after administration of intravenous morphine. Changes in these parameters before and after analgesics were administered and the difference of these parameters between age and BMI subgroups were compared. The correlation between the PI and VAS score, ΔPI and ΔVAS, and %ΔPI and %ΔVAS were also evaluated. The percentage change in ΔPI (P9-T0/T0) of the patients at the time of discharge from the postanesthesia care unit relative to baseline PI measurements was calculated. Eighty patients were enrolled, and there were 123 instances during which analgesia was required. Heart rate, PI, and VAS score were significantly different before and after analgesics were administered (p < 0.0001). The difference of parameters between age and BMI subgroups were not significant. The correlation between the PI and VAS score, ΔPI and ΔVAS, and the percentage change in ΔPI and ΔVAS showed weak correlations in age, BMI subgroups, and all measurements. The baseline PI and the PI when arriving at and when being discharged from the postanesthesia care unit were significantly different (p < 0.01). The mean percentage change in Δ PI at the time of discharge from the PACU was 66.2%, and the 99% confidence interval was 12.2%~120.3%. The perfusion index was increased, and the VAS score was decreased significantly after analgesics were administered, but the correlation was weak in each subgroup. The VAS score is a subjective and psychometric parameter. The PI increased when partial pain relief was achieved after morphine was administered but did not reflect pain intensity or changes in the VAS score regardless of age or BMI. A percentage change in ΔPI at the time of discharge from the PACU relative to baseline PI measurements of greater than 12% can be used as a supplemental objective discharge criterion for pain assessment in the postanesthesia care unit.

Elderly patients with aged physical status and increased underlying disease suffered from more postoperative complication and mortality. We design this retrospective cohort study to investigate the relationship between existing comorbidity of elder patients and 30 day post-anesthetic mortality by using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) from Health Insurance Database. Patients aged above 65 years old who received anesthesia between 2000 and 2010 were included from 1 million Longitudinal Health Insurance Database in (LHID) 2005 in Taiwan. We use age, sex, type of surgery to calculate propensity score and match death group and survival one with 1:4 ratio (death: survival = 1401: 5823). Multivariate logistic model with stepwise variable selection was employed to investigate the factors affecting death 30 days after anesthesia. Thirty seven comorbidities can independently predict the post-anesthetic mortality. In our study, the leading comorbidities predict post-anesthetic mortality is chronic renal disease (OR = 2.806), acute myocardial infarction (OR = 4.58), and intracranial hemorrhage (OR = 3.758). In this study, we present the leading comorbidity contributing to the postoperative mortality in elderly patients in Taiwan from National Health Insurance Database. Chronic renal failure is the leading contributing comorbidity of 30 days mortality after anesthesia in Taiwan which can be explained by the great number of hemodialysis and prolong life span under National Taiwan Health Insurance. Large scale database can offer enormous information which can help to improve quality of medical care.

The objective of this study was to test the effect of removal of a ureteral obstruction (renal calculus) from anesthetized patients on the perfusion index (PI), as measured by a pulse oximeter, and on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). This prospective study enrolled 113 patients with unilateral ureteral obstructions (kidney stones) who were scheduled for ureteroscopy (URS) laser lithotripsy. One urologist graded patient hydronephrosis before surgery. A pulse oximeter was affixed to each patient's index finger ipsilateral to the intravenous catheter, and a non-invasive blood pressure cuff was placed on the contralateral side. Ipsilateral double J stents and Foley catheters were inserted and left indwelling for 24 h. PI and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were determined at baseline, 5 min after anesthesia, and 10 min after surgery; eGFR was determined at admission, 1 day after surgery, and 14 days after surgery. Patients with different grades of hydronephrosis had similar age, eGFR, PI, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR). PI increased significantly in each hydronephrosis group after ureteral stone disintegration. None of the groups had significant post-URS changes in eGFR, although eGFR increased in the grade I hydronephrosis group after 14 days. The percent change of PI correlates significantly with the percent change of MAP, but not with that of eGFR. Our results demonstrate that release of a ureteral obstruction leads to a concurrent increase of PI during anesthesia. Measurement of PI may be a valuable tool to monitor the successful release of ureteral obstructions and changes of microcirculation during surgery. There were also increases in eGFR after 14 days, but not immediately after surgery.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening pharmacogenetic disease with only two known causative genes, RYR1 and CACNA1S. Both are huge genes containing numerous exons, and they reportedly only account for 50-70% of known MH patients. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and bioinformatics could help delineate the genetic diagnosis of MH and several MH-like clinical presentations. We established a capture-based targeted NGS sequencing framework to examine the whole genomic regions of RYR1, CACNA1S and the 16.6 Kb mitochondrial genome, as well as 12 other genes related to excitation-contraction coupling and/or skeletal muscle calcium homeostasis. We applied bioinformatics analyses to the variants identified in this study and also to the 48 documented RYR1 pathogenic variants. The causative variants were identified in seven of the eight (87.5%) MH families, but in none of the 10 individuals classified as either normal controls (N = 2) or patients displaying MH-like clinical features later found to be caused by other etiologies (N = 8). We showed that RYR1 c.1565A>G (p.Tyr522Cys)(rs118192162) could be a genetic hot spot in the Taiwanese population. Bioinformatics analyses demonstrated low population frequencies and predicted damaging effects from all known pathogenic RYR1 variants. We estimated that more than one in 1149 individuals worldwide carry MH pathogenic variants at RYR1. NGS and bioinformatics are sensitive and specific tools to examine RYR1 and CACNA1S for the genetic diagnosis of MH. Pathogenic variants in RYR1 can be found in the majority of MH patients in Taiwan.

Background: In this study, we applied a qualitative approach to explore patients’ subjective experiences of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs). Methods: Patients undergoing psychiatric treatment from the chronic ward or outpatient department of a medical center in northern Taiwan who had experience with LAI treatment were enrolled. Information was obtained through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded and then translated verbatim, and the data were collected and analyzed concurrently to develop major themes and categories. Result: In total, 14 participants (8 female) were interviewed. In a bio-psycho-social model, the participants used LAIs as a method to become “normal,” in order to achieve a balance between the “effects” and “side effects” that may influence their daily lives. Their past experiences constructed their concepts about and expectations regarding LAIs, and their relationships with their family members and co-workers also modeled their experiences. Conclusion: In our study, we sought to understand the experience of LAI in the daily life context of the patients. We attempted to use a bio-psycho-social model to evaluate the subjective experience of the patients; an improved understanding can help mental health specialists gain a closer insight into patient experience.

The pathophysiology of cardio-renal syndrome (CRS) is complex. Hydronephrosis caused by urolithiasis may cause cytokine release and lead to cardiac dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac function changes observed in patients who received double J placement using feasible biomarkers and echocardiography. This was a prospective, single-center study. Eighty-seven patients who presented with acute unilateral hydronephrosis and received ureteroscope stone manipulation were enrolled. Echocardiography and cytokines were measured on the day of the operation and 24 hours after the procedure. Changes before and after surgery were assessed by the paired t-test and Wilcoxon test. Correlation analyses between echocardiographic diastolic indices and cytokine levels were performed using Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Patients with hydronephrosis showed a higher left atrium volume index (LAVI), decreased E', and increased E/ E' ratio, which indicated diastolic dysfunction. Patients with hydronephrosis also exhibited decreased global strain rates during isovolumetric relaxation (SR_IVR) and E/ SR_IVR, which confirmed the diastolic dysfunction. Significant reductions in LAVI, increases in SR_IVR and decreases in E/ SR_IVR were observed after the operation. Biomarkers, such as TGF-β and serum NT-proBNP, were significantly decreased after surgery. In addition, a significant correlation was observed between the post-surgical decrease in TGF-β1 and increase in SR_IVR. Unilateral hydronephrosis causes cardiac diastolic dysfunction, and relieving hydronephrosis could improve diastolic function. Improvements in cardiac dysfunction can be evaluated by echocardiography and measuring cytokine levels. The results of this study will inform efforts to improve the early diagnosis of CRS and prevent further deterioration of cardiac function when treating patients with hydronephrosis.