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Administration of succinylcholine to patients with a variant in the butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) gene increases the risk of anesthesia emergence prior to recovery from neuromuscular blockade (NMB). Application of quantitative neuromuscular monitoring (NMM) can identify residual NMB. We present two patients with abnormal BChE gene variants. In the first case, quantitative monitoring was applied too late to prevent awareness, but allowed diagnosis and prevented admission to the intensive care unit. In the second case, monitoring was applied prior to NMB, which enabled early diagnosis and prevented premature awakening from anesthesia. These cases illustrate the importance of quantitative NMM, even in short cases and with short-acting depolarizing agents such as succinylcholine. The clinical implications of this report include a more consistent use of NMM to identify and manage patients with undiagnosed abnormal BChE and to prevent premature anesthesia emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anesthetic management of the patient with mitochondrial disease (MD) requires thoughtful preoperative planning and hypervigilant perioperative monitoring. MD affects 1 in 4,000 persons and is often an unfamiliar topic to the anesthesia provider. This review aims to inform the anesthetist on important considerations in perioperative management of MD. Patients with MD have impaired mitochondrial energy formation pathways affecting function of cardiac, central nervous, and musculoskeletal systems. All general anesthetics interfere with these mitochondrial bioenergetic pathways. MD patients exhibit hypersensitivity to volatile anesthetics. Propofol interferes with mitochondrial function via multiple pathways thus its use should be limited. MD is not at increased risk for malignant hyperthermia and should not be managed with prolonged propofol infusion. Succinylcholine is contraindicated due to hyperkalemia and myotonic risks. Nondepolarizing agents should be used with caution given unpredictable effects. No single anesthetic plan has been found to be safer than another in patients with MD. Intravenous and volatile anesthetics should be titrated incrementally while monitoring anesthetic depth clinically or via processed electroencephalogram (EEG). All MD patients should be optimized by minimizing fasting times, careful fluid selection to avoid lactate, and hypervigilant temperature management aimed at reducing the detrimental effects of catabolic stress during the perioperative period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic aortic rupture (TAR) is a highly fatal injury mechanism resulting from blunt deceleration forces against the descending aorta. The mechanism of TAR is directly attributed to the aorta suffering damage by indirect shearing forces. The descending aorta remains fixed to the posterior chest wall, while the heart and ascending aorta are exerted forward, thus causing the intimal tear. A characteristic triad presents as increased blood pressure in the upper extremities, decreased blood pressure in the lower extremities, and a wid- ened mediastinum on radiography. Early recognition of signs and symptoms of the mechanism of injury is key to initiating early damage control surgery and ultimately decreasing morbidity and mortality. This case report describes the intraoperative management of an elderly female patient with TAR following a motor vehicle collision in a remote location in rural Pennsylvania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laryngospasm is an exaggeration of a protective reflex that prevents aspiration of foreign objects into the lower airway (eg, during swallowing). This results in complete or partial closure of the glottis, and impedance or total obstruction of airflow to the trachea and lungs. Often, the resulting hypoxia will by itself break a laryngospasm; however, if the spasm continues without relief, it can lead to pulmonary edema, cardiac dysrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and ultimately death. This evidence-based literature review explores the pathophysiology of laryngospasm and covers mechanical and pharmacologic prevention and treatment modalities in pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare pathologic hypermetabolic pharmacogenetic disorder of skeletal muscle calcium regulation following exposure to depolarizing muscle relaxants and/or volatile anesthetics. Although its pathogenesis is relatively well understood, there is wide variability in both the time of onset and the presentation of clinical signs and symptoms. In some circumstances the delayed onset of the hypermetabolic state may hinder timely recognition and treatment. Differential diagnosis of an MH crisis can be particularly challenging in a trauma patient, especially in an austere environment. This case report describes the presentation and management of a suspected case of MH in an Afghan national who underwent surgery following lower extremity trauma resulting from an improvised explosive device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudocholinesterase abnormalities are a genetic cause of aberrant metabolism of the depolarizing muscle relaxant succlnylcholine. This article examines a case where succinylcholine was chosen to facilitate intubation due to its ultra short duration and the request of the surgeon to monitor motor evoked potentials. Following succinylcholine administration the neurophysiologist was unable to obtain motor evoked potentials. This case study highlights the intraoperative and postoperative management of an elderly patient with an unknown pseudocholinesterase deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares the severity of postoperative myalgia in patients receiving pretreatment with rocuronium or lidocaine. Measurement of myalgia using a 4-point ordinal scale; Incidence of fasciculations; Data indicating that pretreatment with lidocaine may provide better relief from myalgia than rocuronium at 48 hours after surgery.

Rapid sequence induction is necessary in emergency surgical operations to lessen the chance of aspiration of stomach contents. Succinylcholine usually is the relaxant of choice, because of its rapid onset. However, succinylcholine has side effects which may result in potentially life-threatening conditions. The purpose of this study was to compare two short-acting non-depolarizing muscle relaxants-vecuronium and atracurium, using the priming principle, with a depolarizing muscle relaxant, succinylcholine. The comparison may determine if a more suitable method for rapid sequence induction can be identified. Conditions at intubation and at the time to 80-90% neuromuscular blockade were evaluated. Subjects were intubated when the train of four revealed an 80-90% twitch depression. In Group I, the control group using succinylcholine, the mean time to 80-90% neuromuscular block was 74.8 seconds. In Group II subjects, who had received vecuronium, the mean time was 149.4 seconds. Subject in Group III, who received atracurium, had a mean time of 163.7 seconds. There was statistical significance within all three groups (ANOVA, p less than 0.01). Group I subjects showed a significantly faster time to 80-90% neuromuscular block when compared with subjects in Group II and III, but no difference in the time to 80-90% block was revealed between Group II and Group III subjects. Conditions for intubation at 80-90% neuromuscular blockade were the same for all three groups. It was concluded that the administration of vecuronium and atracurium using the priming principle did not allow onset times similar to succinylcholine and that the intubating conditions were similar among all three groups at 80-90% neuromuscular blockade.