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Background Remifentanil is a short-acting drug with a rapid onset that is useful in general anesthesia. Recently, however, it has been suggested that the use of opioids during surgery may cause opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). Researchers have recently reported that esmolol, an ultra-short-acing β1 receptor antagonist, reduces the postoperative requirement for morphine and provides more effective analgesia than the administration of remifentanil and ketamine. Hence, this study was conducted to determine whether esmolol reduces early postoperative pain in patients who are continuously infused with remifentanil for anesthesia during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods Sixty patients scheduled to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly divided into three groups. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane and 4 ng/ml (target-controlled infusion) of remifentanil in all patients. Esmolol (0.5 mg/kg) was injected and followed with a continuous dosage of 10 µg/kg/min in the esmolol group (n = 20). Ketamine (0.3 mg/kg) was injected and followed with a continuous dosage of 3 µg/kg/min in the ketamine group (n = 20), while the control group was injected and infused with an equal amount of normal saline. Postoperative pain score (visual analog scale [VAS]) and analgesic requirements were compared for the first 6 hours of the postoperative period. Results The pain score (VAS) and fentanyl requirement for 15 minutes after surgery were lower in the esmolol and ketamine groups compared with the control group (P < 0.05). There were no differences between the esmolol and ketamine groups. Conclusions Intraoperative esmolol infusion during laparoscopic cholecystectomy reduced opioid requirement and pain score (VAS) during the early postoperative period after remifentanil-based anesthesia.

Background: Obstetric or non-obstetric surgery can be performed in pregnant women during the second trimester. We evaluated maximal sensory block level (MSBL), and other sensory block characteristics after spinal anesthesia in early and late second trimester pregnant women. Methods: Forty-four pregnant women scheduled for cervical cerclage under spinal anesthesia in the early second trimes ter (Group E) or in the late second trimester (Group L) were enrolled in this study. Spinal anesthesia was performed at the L3/4 and 7 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine was injected into the subarachnoid space. Hemodynamic variables, incidence of nausea/vomiting, ephedrine dose, and sensory block were recorded every 2.5 min during the first 15 min and 20 min after the injection. The MSBL, the time at which MSBL was achieved, and the time to the two-segment re gression of the sensory level were also recorded. Results: The maximum number of segments blocked was significantly greater in the Group L than in the Group E. The incidence of nausea/vomiting and hypotension, and dose of administrated ephedrine were significantly higher in the Group L than in the Group E. The mean arterial pressure during the 15 min after subarachnoid injection was significant ly lower compared to the baseline value in the Group L. Conclusions: The MSBL of spinal anesthesia with hyperbaric bupivacaine 7 mg were T9 in the early and T5 in the late second trimester groups. Pregnant women in the late second trimester exhibited increased incidence of hypotension and need for ephedrine than women in the early second trimester. (Korean J Anesthesiol 2013; 65: 322-326)

Background: The majority of anesthetic agents, including inhalation anesthetics, inhibit platelet function, but the effect of propofol on platelets is controversial. This study was designed to compare the effects of propofol-remifentanil total intravenous anesthesia and sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia on platelet function. Methods: Patients undergoing major hip surgery were divided into two groups: inhalation anesthesia with sevoflurane or total intravenous anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and platelet aggregation were measured 5 minutes before induction, the first hour intra-operatively, and the first hour postoperatively. Results: Total intravenous anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil significantly diminished collagen-induced platelet aggregation values intraoperatively compared with preoperative values. Also, intraoperative collagen- and adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation was significantly lower in anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil compared with sevoflurane anesthesia. Sevoflurane did not induce significant changes in collagen- or ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Conclusions: Total intravenous anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil significantly reduced collagen-induced platelet aggregation intraoperatively, while inhalation anesthesia with sevoflurane did not reduce collagen-or ADP-induced platelet aggregation at all. (Korean J Anesthesiol 2008; 54: 134～8)