Background The pathophysiology of delirium is incompletely understood, including what molecular pathways are involved in brain vulnerability to delirium. This study examined whether preoperative plasma neurodegeneration markers were elevated in patients who subsequently developed postoperative delirium through a retrospective case-control study. Methods Inclusion criteria were patients of 65 yr of age or older, undergoing elective noncardiac surgery with a hospital stay of 2 days or more. Concentrations of preoperative plasma P-Tau181, neurofilament light chain, amyloid β1-42 (Aβ42), and glial fibrillary acidic protein were measured with a digital immunoassay platform. The primary outcome was postoperative delirium measured by the Confusion Assessment Method. The study included propensity score matching by age and sex with nearest neighbor, such that each patient in the delirium group was matched by age and sex with a patient in the no-delirium group. Results The initial cohort consists of 189 patients with no delirium and 102 patients who developed postoperative delirium. Of 291 patients aged 72.5 ± 5.8 yr, 50.5% were women, and 102 (35%) developed postoperative delirium. The final cohort in the analysis consisted of a no-delirium group (n = 102) and a delirium group (n = 102) matched by age and sex using the propensity score method. Of the four biomarkers assayed, the median value for neurofilament light chain was 32.05 pg/ml for the delirium group versus 23.7 pg/ml in the no-delirium group. The distribution of biomarker values significantly differed between the delirium and no-delirium groups (P = 0.02 by the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test) with the largest cumulative probability difference appearing at the biomarker value of 32.05 pg/ml. Conclusions These results suggest that patients who subsequently developed delirium are more likely to be experiencing clinically silent neurodegenerative changes before surgery, reflected by changes in plasma neurofilament light chain biomarker concentrations, which may identify individuals with a preoperative vulnerability to subsequent cognitive decline. Editor’s Perspective What We Already Know about This Topic What This Article Tells Us That Is New
BACKGROUND: Recent limited evidence suggests that the use of a processed electroencephalographic (EEG) monitor to guide anesthetic management may influence postoperative cognitive outcomes; however, the mechanism is unclear. METHODS: This exploratory, single-center, randomized clinical trial included patients who were ≥65 years of age undergoing elective noncardiac surgery. The study aimed to determine whether monitoring the brain using a processed EEG monitor reduced EEG suppression and subsequent postoperative delirium. The interventional group received processed EEG-guided anesthetic management to keep the Patient State Index (PSI) above 35 computed by the SEDline Brain Function Monitor (Masimo, Inc, Irvine, CA), while the standard care group was also monitored, but the EEG data were blinded from the clinicians. The primary outcome was intraoperative EEG suppression. A secondary outcome was incident postoperative delirium during the first 3 days after surgery. RESULTS: All outcomes were analyzed using the intention-to-treat paradigm. Two hundred and four patients with a mean age of 72 ± 5 years were studied. Minutes of EEG suppression adjusted by the length of surgery was found to be less for the interventional group than the standard care group (median [interquartile range], 1.4% [5.0%] and 2.5% [10.4%]; Hodges-Lehmann estimated median difference [95% confidence interval {CI}] of −0.8% [−2.1 to −0.000009]). The effect of the intervention on EEG suppression differed for those with and without preoperative cognitive impairment (interaction P = .01), with the estimated incidence rate ratio (95% CI) of 0.39 (0.33–0.44) for those with preoperative cognitive impairment and 0.48 (0.44–0.51) for those without preoperative cognitive impairment. The incidence of delirium was not found to be different between the interventional (17%) and the standard care groups (20%), risk ratio = 0.85 (95% CI, 0.47–1.5). CONCLUSIONS: The use of processed EEG to maintain the PSI >35 was associated with less time spent in intraoperative EEG suppression. Preoperative cognitive impairment was associated with a greater percent of surgical time spent in EEG suppression. A larger prospective cohort study to include more cognitively vulnerable patients is necessary to show whether an intervention to reduce EEG suppression is efficacious in reducing postoperative delirium.
Introduction: Multimodal analgesia regime in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol is associated with fewer perioperative complications, shorter hospital stays, and reduced opioid dependence. Although ERAS strategies have been widely accepted and implemented in current practice, there is limited data regarding its application and outcomes in the Malaysian population, particularly in colorectal surgeries. Hence, this study was conducted to examine postoperative pain scores after implementing a multimodal analgesia regime as per ERAS anaesthesia protocol. Methods: This is a retrospective study using data collection forms. Data were collected from the case notes of patients who underwent colorectal surgery complying with the ERAS anaesthesia protocol from January 2022 to December 2023. Pain score was assessed when the patient arrived at recovery bay, subsequently reassessed at 2 hours postoperative, 6 hours postoperative, 12 hours postoperative, 1 day postoperative, and finally on postoperative day 2. Results: A total of 139 samples were recruited in this retrospective study. The median postoperative pain scores at rest were consistently 0 from arrival at recovery bay to postoperative day 2. On the other hand, the median pain score upon movement was 1 (range 0–3) when patients reached the recovery bay, and persistently 3 duringpostoperative 2 hours, 6 hours, and 12 hours, after which the median pain score upon movement became 2 on postoperative day 1 and day 2. Conclusions: Multimodal analgesia in line with the ERAS protocol in colorectal surgeries is feasible, safe and efficient.
Closed reduction of upper limb fractures and/or dislocations are common in the emergency department (ED), which involves physically re-aligning the injured part prior to immobilisation. As this is painful, numerous techniques are available to provide regional anaesthesia to ensure patient tolerance. A Bier block (BB) is typically performed as part of routine care. An alternative technique gaining interest in the ED is ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block (UGSCB), which involves injecting local anaesthetic around the brachial plexus at the supraclavicular fossa under ultrasound guidance. It is unclear whether UGSCB is effective and safe when performed in the ED.
Skeletal metastatic disease accounts for significant overall morbidity in cancer patients. Accurate and accessible imaging forms an integral part of the investigation for patients with suspected or known skeletal metastatic disease; it is considered indispensable in making appropriate oncological treatment decisions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a contemporary imaging modality that provides excellent spatial and contrast resolution for bone and soft tissues. Therefore, it is particularly useful for imaging patients suffering from metastatic skeletal disease. This review provides a fundamental overview of the physics and image generation of MRI. The most commonly used MRI sequences in the investigation of metastatic skeletal disease are also discussed. Additionally, a review of the pathophysiological basis of metastatic bone disease is presented, along with an introduction to the interpretation of MRI sequences obtained for metastatic bone disease. Finally, the strengths and drawbacks of MRI are considered in comparison to alternative imaging modalities for the investigation of this common and important oncological complication.
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