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Hey-Ran Choi,1 In-Ae Song,2 Tak Kyu Oh,2 Young-Tae Jeon21Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; 2Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South KoreaPurpose: This study is aimed to investigate an association between perioperative C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and both opioid consumption and postoperative pain scores in postoperative days (PODs) in patients who underwent laparoscopic major abdominal surgery. We hypothesized that postoperative opioid requirements and numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores would be positively associated with perioperative CRP levels.Patients and method: Medical records from 4,653 patients who underwent a laparoscopic major abdominal surgery from January 2010 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Generalized linear regression analysis was used to identify the association of preoperative and postoperative CRP levels, and increase in CRP level (postoperative CRP level – preoperative CRP level) with postoperative pain outcomes during POD 0–3.Results: An increase of 1 mg dL−1 of postoperative CRP level was significantly associated with 1.4% increase morphine equivalent consumption [exponentiated regression (Exp) coefficient: 0.014, 95% CI (0.011, 0.016), P

Tak Kyu Oh,1 Kwhanmien Kim,2 Sanghoon Jheon,2 Sang-Hwan Do,1 Jung-Won Hwang,1 Jin Hee Kim,1 Young-Tae Jeon,1 In-Ae Song1 1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea; 2Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea Purpose: The relationship between chronic smoking history and postoperative pain remains controversial. This study aimed to elucidate this relationship in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy.Patients and methods: This retrospective observational study included NSCLC patients treated with VATS lobectomy between January 2011 and July 2017. Demographic and clinical information, including preoperative smoking history, was collected. The primary goal was to investigate the relationship between smoking history and postoperative pain outcomes (oral morphine equivalent [OME] consumption and pain score). Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed, and P0.05). However, patients who had never smoked consumed less morphine equivalent analgesics (mg) on postoperative days 0–2 (coefficient: −17.48, 95% CI [−33.83, −1.13], P=0.036) compared to patients who had a history of smoking.Conclusion: Patients who had never smoked had lower opioid analgesics consumption on the days immediately following surgery, while being a current smoker or the total amount of smoking in packs did not affect postoperative pain outcomes after VATS lung lobectomy. Keywords: anesthesia, analgesia, opioid, postoperative pain, smoking

Background: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind study, we evaluated and compared the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after paediatric strabismus surgery with two different anaesthetic methods, sevoflurane or remifentanil-sevoflurane.Methods: In total, 78 paediatric patients (aged 6-11 yr) undergoing strabismus surgery were enrolled and randomly assigned to two groups, sevoflurane (Group S) and remifentanil-sevoflurane (Group R). Anaesthesia was maintained with 2-3% sevoflurane in Group S (n=39) or with a continuous infusion of remifentanil combined with 1% sevoflurane in Group R (n=39), both using 50% N(2)O/O(2). Arterial pressure and heart rate before induction, after tracheal intubation, after skin incision, and at the end of surgery were recorded. The incidence of PONV in the post-anaesthesia care unit, the day surgery care unit, and at home 24 h after surgery was recorded.Results: Arterial pressure and heart rate were stable throughout the surgery, but were significantly lower in Group R than in Group S after tracheal intubation and skin incision. The incidence of PONV and postoperative vomiting was 17.9%/17.9% and 12.8%/10.2% (Group S/Group R) at the respective time points; values were comparable between the groups.Conclusions: The incidence of PONV after paediatric strabismus surgery under sevoflurane anaesthesia was relatively low, and combining remifentanil with sevoflurane did not further increase the incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maintenance of stable blood pressure (BP) during cerebrovascular bypass surgery is crucial to prevent cerebral ischemia. We compared the effect of remimazolam anesthesia with that of propofol-induced and desflurane-maintained anesthesia on intraoperative hemodynamic stability and the need for vasoactive agents in patients undergoing cerebrovascular bypass surgery., Methods: Sixty-five patients were randomized into remimazolam (n = 31, remimazolam-based intravenous anesthesia) and control groups (n = 34, propofol-induced and desflurane-maintained anesthesia). The primary outcome was the occurrence of intraoperative hypotension. The secondary outcomes included hypotension duration, lowest mean BP (MBP), generalized average real variability (ARV) of MBP, and consumption of phenylephrine, norepinephrine, or remifentanil., Results: Occurrence rate and duration of hypotension were significantly lower in the remimazolam group (38.7% vs. 73.5%, P = 0.005; 0 [0, 10] vs. 7.5 [1.25, 25] min, P = 0.008). Remimazolam also showed better outcomes for lowest MBP (78 [73, 84] vs. 69.5 [66.25, 75.8] mmHg, P < 0.001) and generalized ARV of MBP (1.42 ± 0.49 vs. 1.66 ± 0.52 mmHg/min, P = 0.036). The remimazolam group required less phenylephrine (20 [0, 65] vs. 100 [60, 130] μg, P < 0.001), less norepinephrine (162 [0, 365.5] vs. 1335 [998.5, 1637.5] μg, P < 0.001), and more remifentanil (1750 [1454.5, 2184.5] vs. 531 [431, 746.5] μg, P < 0.001) than the control group., Conclusions: Remimazolam anesthesia may provide better hemodynamic stability during cerebrovascular bypass surgery than propofol-induced and desflurane-maintained anesthesia.

Background: We aimed to determine whether propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) is associated with mortality and morbidity following cranial neurosurgery compared with inhalation anesthesia., Methods: This nationwide, retrospective, population-based cohort study included patients who underwent cranial neurosurgery under general anesthesia between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021. The two study endpoints were 90-day mortality and postoperative complications., Results: In total, 144,506 adult patients were included: 65,442 patients (45.3%) who received TIVA (TIVA group) and 79,064 (54.7%) who received inhalation anesthesia (inhalation anesthesia group). After propensity score (PS) matching, 97,156 patients (48,578 in each group) were included. The 90-day mortality rates after cranial neurosurgery were 14.0% (6,660/48,578) in the TIVA group and 14.2% (6,779/48,578) in the inhalation anesthesia group. Moreover, the postoperative complication rates following cranial neurosurgery were 47.1% (22,411/48,578) and 50.3% (23,912/48,578) in the TIVA and inhalation anesthesia groups, respectively. Based on the logistic regression analysis, TIVA was not associated with 90-day mortality compared with inhalation anesthesia (odds ratio [OR]: 0.97, 95% CI [0.94, 1.01], P = 0.188) in the PS-matched cohort. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the TIVA group had a 12% (OR: 0.88, 95% CI [0.86, 0.90], P < 0.001) lower postoperative complication rate than the inhalation anesthesia group., Conclusions: There was no significant association between the type of anesthesia and postoperative 90-day mortality in patients who underwent cranial neurosurgery in South Korea. However, propofol-based TIVA was associated with a lower incidence of postoperative complications than inhalation anesthesia.

Objective: We aimed to examine trends in critically ill neurology-neurosurgery (NNS) patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in South Korea and identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality after ICU admission in NNS patients., Methods: This nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study enrolled adult NNS adult patients admitted to the ICU from 2010 to 2019 extracted from the National Health Insurance Service in South Korea. The critically ill NNS patients were defined as those whose main admission departments were neurology or neurosurgery at ICU admission. The number of ICU admission, age, and total cost for hospitalization from 2010 to 2019 in critically ill NNS patients were examined as trend information. Moreover, multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality among critically ill NNS patients., Results: We included 845474 ICU admission cases for 679376 critically ill NNS patients in South Korea between January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019. The total number of ICU admissions among NNS patients was 79522 in 2010, which increased to 91502 in 2019. The mean age rose from 62.8 years (standard deviation [SD], 15.6) in 2010 to 66.6 years (SD, 15.2) in 2019, and the average total cost for hospitalization per each patient consistently increased from 6206.1 USD (SD, 5218.5) in 2010 to 10745.4 USD (SD, 10917.4) in 2019. In-hospital mortality occurred in 75455 patients (8.9%). Risk factors strongly associated with increased in-hospital mortality were the usage of mechanical ventilator (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 19.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 19.42-20.26; p<0.001), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (aOR, 3.49; 95% CI, 2.42-5.02; p<0.001), and continuous renal replacement therapy (aOR, 6.47; 95% CI, 6.02-6.96; p<0.001). In addition, direct admission to ICU from the emergency room (aOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.36-1.41; p<0.001) and brain cancer as the main diagnosis (aOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.22-1.39; p<0.001) are also potential risk factors for increased in-hospital mortality., Conclusion: In South Korea, the number of ICU admissions increased among critically ill NNS patients from 2010 to 2019. The average age and total costs for hospitalization also increased. Some potential risk factors are found to increase in-hospital mortality among critically ill NNS patients.

Background: The precise underlying mechanism of antioxidant effects of dexmedetomidine-induced neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia has not yet been fully elucidated. Activation of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) and Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) represents a major antioxidant-defense mechanism. Therefore, we determined whether dexmedetomidine increases Nrf2/HO-1 expression after global transient cerebral ischemia and assessed the involvement of Protein Kinase C (PKC) in the dexmedetomidine-related antioxidant mechanism., Methods: Thirty-eight rats were randomly assigned to five groups: sham (n...=...6), ischemic (n...=...8), chelerythrine (a PKC inhibitor; 5...mg.kg -1 IV administered 30...min before cerebral ischemia) (n...=...8), dexmedetomidine (100.....g.kg -1 IP administered 30...min before cerebral ischemia (n...=...8), and dexmedetomidine...+...chelerythrine (n...=...8). Global transient cerebral ischemia (10...min) was applied in all groups, except the sham group; histopathologic changes and levels of nuclear Nrf2 and cytoplasmic HO-1 were examined 24...hours after ischemia insult., Results: We found fewer necrotic and apoptotic cells in the dexmedetomidine group relative to the ischemic group (p...<...0.01) and significantly higher Nrf2 and HO-1 levels in the dexmedetomidine group than in the ischemic group (p...<...0.01). Additionally, chelerythrine co-administration with dexmedetomidine attenuated the dexmedetomidine-induced increases in Nrf2 and HO-1 levels (p...<...0.05 and p...<...0.01, respectively) and diminished its beneficial neuroprotective effects., Conclusion: Preischemic dexmedetomidine administration elicited neuroprotection against global transient cerebral ischemia in rats by increasing Nrf2/HO-1 expression partly via PKC signaling, suggesting that this is the antioxidant mechanism underlying dexmedetomidine-mediated neuroprotection., (Copyright © 2021 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic ramosetron administration against postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients undergoing microvascular decompression (MVD)., Methods: In this study, 100 patients undergoing MVD were randomly allocated to the control (normal saline, 2 mL) or ramosetron (ramosetron, 0.3 mg) groups at the end of surgery. The incidence and severity of PONV, need for rescue antiemetics, patient satisfaction score, duration of hospital stay, and the occurrence of adverse events were evaluated 48 hours post-surgery., Results: Data obtained from 97 patients were included in the final analysis. The incidence of PONV was significantly lower in the ramosetron group than in the control group throughout the 48-hour postoperative period (29.2% vs. 51.0%, p=0.028). A similar trend was observed with regard to PONV severity (p=0.041). The need for rescue antiemetics, satisfaction score, duration of hospital stays, and the occurrence of adverse events did not significantly differ between the groups., Conclusion: Prophylactic ramosetron administration reduced the incidence and severity of PONV in patients undergoing MVD without causing serious adverse events. Thus, ramosetron use may improve patient recovery following MVD.

Background: Prompt insertion and placement of supraglottic airway (SGA) devices in the correct position are required to secure the airway. This meta-analysis was performed to validate the usefulness of the 90° rotation technique as compared with the standard digit-based technique for the insertion of SGA devices in anesthetized patients in terms of insertion success rate, insertion time, and postoperative complications., Methods: A literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted. Randomized controlled trials, without limitations on publication period, language, journal, or region, until July 2021, that compared the 90° rotation and the standard digit-based techniques for insertion of SGA devices in anesthetized patients were included., Results: The first-attempt (risk ratio [RR]: 1.16, 95% CI [1.09, 1.25], P < 0.001) and overall success rates (RR: 1.06, 95% CI [1.03, 1.09], P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the 90° rotation group. The insertion time was shorter in the 90° rotation group (mean difference: -4.42 s, 95% CI [-6.70, -2.15 s], P < 0.001). The incidences of postoperative sore throat (RR: 0.63, 95% CI [0.49, 0.83], P < 0.001) and blood staining (RR: 0.28, 95% CI [0.20, 0.39], P < 0.001) were lower in the 90° rotation group., Conclusions: The use of the 90° rotation technique increases the success rate of SGA device insertion and decreases postoperative complications as compared with that of the standard digit-based technique in anesthetized patients.

This study evaluated the relationship between the preoperative alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level and major postoperative neurological complications in patients undergoing cerebral bypass surgery. This was a retrospective analysis of a prospective database of all patients undergoing cerebral bypass surgery after a diagnosis of cerebrovascular stenosis or occlusion between May 2003 and August 2017. The patients were divided into tertiles based on serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (low: <63, intermediate: 63~79, and high: ALP > 79 IU/mL). The incidence of neurological events according to ALP level was analyzed. The study analyzed 211 cases. The incidence of acute infarction was highest in the third serum ALP tertile (5.7% vs. 2.9% vs. 16.9% in the first, second, and third tertile, respectively, p = 0.007). Logistic regression analysis showed that the third tertile of serum ALP was an independent predictor of acute cerebral infarction (odds ratio 3.346, 95% confidence interval 1.026−10.984, p = 0.045). On Kaplan−Meier time-to-event curves, the incidence of acute infarction increased significantly with ALP (log rank = 0.048). Preoperative serum ALP level can be used as a biomarker to predict acute cerebral infarction in patients undergoing cerebral bypass surgery for vascular stenosis or occlusion.

The effects of anesthetics on acute kidney injury (AKI) after spine surgery have not been evaluated fully. This study compared propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) and volatile anesthetics in the development of AKI after spine surgery. This retrospective study reviewed patients who underwent spine surgery between 2015 and 2019. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for AKI. Additionally, after propensity score matching, the incidence of AKI was compared between TIVA and volatile groups. Of the 4473 patients, 709 were excluded and 3764 were included in the logistic regression. After propensity score matching, 766 patients from each group were compared, and we found that the incidence of AKI was significantly lower in the TIVA group (1% vs. 4.2%, p < 0.001). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the risk factors for postoperative AKI were male sex (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.18-3.06), hypertension (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.56-3.94), anemia (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.76-4.04), and volatile anesthetics (OR 4.69, 95% CI 2.24-9.84). Compared with volatile anesthetics, TIVA is associated with a reduced risk of AKI for patients who have undergone spine surgery.

Background: Although red blood cells (RBC) transfusion is known to be significantly associated with biochemical recurrence in patients undergoing open prostatectomy, its influence on biochemical recurrence after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to validate the effect of RBC transfusion on the 5-year biochemical recurrence in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy., Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy at single tertiary academic hospital between October 2007 and December 2014. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to identify any potential variables associated with 5-year biochemical recurrence., Results: A total of 1311 patients were included in the final analysis. Of these, 30 patients (2.3%) were transfused with RBC either during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy or during their hospital stay, which corresponded to 5-year biochemical recurrence of 15.7%. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that RBC transfusion had no influence on the 5-year biochemical recurrence. Variables including pathologic T stage (Hazard ratio [HR] 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.4-5.1 p < 0.001), N stage (HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.5-3.7, p < 0.001), Gleason score (HR 2.4, 95% CI 1.8-3.2, p < 0.001), and surgical margin (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.5-2.8, p < 0.001) were independently associated with the 5-year biochemical recurrence., Conclusions: RBC transfusion had no significant influence on the 5-year biochemical recurrence in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Spine surgery is painful despite the balanced techniques including intraoperative and postoperative opioids use. We investigated the effect of intraoperative magnesium sulfate (MgSO 4 ) on acute pain intensity, analgesic consumption and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IOM) during spine surgery. Seventy-two patients were randomly allocated to two groups: the Mg group or the control group. The pain intensity was significantly alleviated in the Mg group at 24 h (3.2 ± 1.7 vs. 4.4 ± 1.8, p = 0.009) and 48 h (3.0 ± 1.2 vs. 3.8 ± 1.6, p = 0.018) after surgery compared to the control group. Total opioid consumption was reduced by 30% in the Mg group during the same period ( p = 0.024 and 0.038, respectively). Patients in the Mg group required less additional doses of rocuronium (0 vs. 6 doses, p = 0.025). Adequate IOM recordings were successfully obtained for all patients, and abnormal IOM results denoting warning criteria (amplitude decrement >50%) were similar. Total intravenous anesthesia with MgSO 4 combined with opioid-based conventional pain control enables intraoperative patient immobilization without the need for additional neuromuscular blocking drugs and reduces pain intensity and analgesic requirements for 48 h after spine surgery, which is not achieved with only opioid-based protocol.

We aimed to investigate whether comorbid musculoskeletal disorders (MSD)s and pain medication use was associated with in-hospital mortality among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Adult patients (≥20 years old) with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis until 5 June 2020 were included in this study, based on the National Health Insurance COVID-19 database in South Korea. MSDs included osteoarthritis, neck pain, lower back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and others, while pain medication included paracetamol, gabapentin, pregabalin, glucocorticoid, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids (strong and weak opioids), and benzodiazepine. Primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. A total of 7713 patients with COVID-19 were included, and in-hospital mortality was observed in 248 (3.2%) patients. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, no MSDs ( p > 0.05) were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. However, in-hospital mortality was 12.73 times higher in users of strong opioids (odds ratio: 12.73, 95% confidence interval: 2.44-16.64; p = 0.002), while use of paracetamol ( p = 0.973), gabapentin or pregabalin ( p = 0.424), glucocorticoid ( p = 0.673), NSAIDs ( p = 0.979), weak opioids ( p = 0.876), and benzodiazepine ( p = 0.324) was not associated with in-hospital mortality. In South Korea, underlying MSDs were not associated with increased in-hospital mortality among patients with COVID-19. However, use of strong opioids was significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality among the patients.

We investigated whether intraoperative systolic blood pressure (ISBP) is associated with the risk of transient neurologic deficits (TND) following superficial temporal-to-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis in adult patients with moyamoya disease (MMD). In this retrospective observational study, data from adult patients with MMD who had undergone STA-MCA anastomosis at a single tertiary academic hospital during May 2003-April 2014 were examined. Data on patient characteristics were obtained from electronic medical records, including the details of comorbidities and laboratory findings. TND was the primary outcome of interest. Out of 192 patients (228 hemispheres), 66 (29%) hemispheres had TND after surgery. There were significant differences in ISBP between patients with and without TND. The lowest ISBP quartile was independently associated with TND (odds ratio: 5.50; 95% confidence interval: 1.96-15.46). Low ISBP might lead to TND after STA-MCA anastomosis in adult patients with MMD. In patients with poor perfusion status, low ISBP was associated with an increased risk of TND. Our findings suggest that strict ISBP control might be required to prevent TND after anastomosis in patients with MMD, in particular, in patients with poor perfusion status. Given limitations due to the retrospective design, further studies are needed to clarify these findings.

Although thiopental improved neurological outcomes in several animal studies, there are still insufficient clinical data examining the efficacy of thiopental for patients undergoing surgical clipping of unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA). This study validated the effect of thiopental and investigated risk factors associated with postoperative neurological complications in patients undergoing surgical clipping of UIA. In total, 491 patients who underwent aneurysm clipping were included in this retrospective cohort study. Data regarding demographics, aneurysm characteristics, and use of thiopental were collected from electronic medical records. Propensity score matching and logistic regression analysis were used. After propensity score matching, the thiopental group showed a lower incidence of the postoperative neurological complications than non-thiopental group (5.5% vs. 17.1%, p = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, thiopental reduced the risk of postoperative neurological complications (odds ratio (OR) 0.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.13 to 0.51, p < 0.001) while aneurysm size ≥ 10 mm (OR 4.48, 95% CI 1.69 to 11.87, p = 0.003), and hyperlipidemia (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.16 to 4.32, p = 0.02) increased the risk of postoperative neurological complications. This study showed that thiopental was associated with the lower risk of neurological complications after clipping of UIA.

The risk of neuromuscular blockade is certainly minimized by sugammadex in combination with monitoring. However, the effect of sugammadex-aided recovery on patients' satisfaction is unclear. This study compared the Quality of Recovery (QoR)-15 score, which is a patient-reported outcome, in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Eighty patients were randomly assigned to the neostigmine or sugammadex groups. At the end of surgery, neostigmine or sugammadex was administered, and tracheal extubation was performed after confirmation of a train of four ratio ≥ 0.9. The QoR-15 questionnaire was administered at 1 day before surgery and on post-operative days (POD) 1 and 2. The primary outcome was the QoR-15 score on POD 1. The secondary outcomes were the QoR-15 score on POD 2, modified Aldrete score, length of post-anesthetic care unit stay, post-operative pain, administration of anti-emetics, urinary retention, and length of hospital stay. No significant differences were found in QoR-15 scores on POD 1 (94.4 vs. 95.5, p = 0.87) or 2 (116.3 vs. 122, p = 0.33). Secondary outcomes were also comparable, with the exception of urinary retention (15.8% neostigmine vs. 2.6% sugammadex, p = 0.04). This study demonstrated that the quality of recovery was comparable between the neostigmine and sugammadex groups when reversal and tracheal extubation were performed in accordance with the current guidelines.

We aimed to investigate whether statin therapy is associated with the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among the South Korean population. In addition, we examined whether statin therapy affects hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients. The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS)-COVID-19 database in South Korea was used for data extraction for this population-based cohort study. A total of 122,040 adult individuals, with 22,633 (18.5%) in the statin therapy group and 101,697 (91.5%) in the control group, were included in the analysis. Among them, 7780 (6.4%) individuals were diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospital mortality occurred in 251 (3.2%) COVID-19 cases. After propensity score matching, logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of developing COVID-19 were 35% lower in the statin therapy group than in the control group (odds ratio: 0.65, 95% confidence interval: 0.60 to 0.71; p < 0.001). Regarding hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients, the multivariable model indicated that there were no differences between the statin therapy and control groups (odds ratio: 0.74, 95% confidence interval: 0.52 to 1.05; p = 0.094). Statin therapy may have potential benefits for the prevention of COVID-19 in South Korea. However, we found that statin therapy does not affect the hospital mortality of patients who are diagnosed with COVID-19.

Background: We compared all-cause mortality between individuals in South Korea with and without coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using propensity score (PS) matching., Methods: This population-based cohort study used data from the National Health Insurance Service COVID-19 cohort database. In the database, we included individuals (COVID-19 patients, control population, and test-negative individuals) aged 20 years or older, regardless of hospitalization. The primary end point was all-cause mortality between January 1, 2020, and August 27, 2020., Results: A total of 328 374 adults were included in the study: 7713 and 320 660 in the COVID-19 group and the control group. After PS matching, a total of 15 426 individuals (7713 per group) were included in the analysis. All-cause mortality was 3.2% (248/7713) and 1.6% (126/7713) in the COVID-19 group and the control group, respectively. In Cox regression analysis after PS matching, the risk of death in the COVID-19 group was twice as high (hazard ratio, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.61-2.48; P  < .001) as that in the control group. Among patients aged ≥60 years, the COVID-19 group had a 2.32-fold higher all-cause mortality compared with the control group, while statistically significant differences were not observed in the age groups 20-39 years ( P  = .339) and 40-59 years ( P  = .562)., Conclusions: In South Korea, all-cause mortality was twice as high among individuals with COVID-19 as among those with similar underlying risks, primarily because of the elevated COVID-19-associated mortality in those aged ≥60 years. Our results highlight the need for prevention of COVID-19 with respect to mortality as a public health outcome., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Abstract: Motor-evoked potential (MEP) monitoring is an essential monitoring for clinicians to improve outcomes. Although unacceptable movement during MEP is a rare complication but it can lead to terrible results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with unacceptable movements in patients undergoing brain surgery with MEP monitoring.We performed a retrospective observational study of patients who underwent brain surgery with MEP monitoring under general anesthesia while using a partial neuromuscular blocker in a tertiary care hospital from January 2014 to August 2017. Unacceptable movement was defined as a condition in which MEP stimulation induced vigorous movement of patient hindered the smooth progress of the operation. We compared the baseline patient characteristics and laboratory results according to unacceptable movements during surgery to identify factors associated with unacceptable movement during MEP monitoring.768 patients were included in this analysis, and unacceptable movements were observed in 278 patients (36.2%). A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that an increase in ionized calcium was associated with the most strongly unpredictable movement during surgery [odds ratio (OR): 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.37-2.36, P < .001]. In addition, age (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99; P = .001), male sex (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.09-2.33; P = .017), and body mass index (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.86-0.95; P <0.0010) were also associated with unacceptable movement. Serum ionized calcium concentration was the best predictor associated with unacceptable movement with MEP monitoring under general anesthesia.Serum ionized calcium concentration was the best predictor associated with unacceptable movement with MEP monitoring under general anesthesia., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative disease that most frequently involves the hand. The objective was to compare clinical functional outcome measures including hand grip, pinch strength, and dexterity with various electrophysiological measures in patients of different ages with hand osteoarthritis with or without the presence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Patients with hand osteoarthritis (208 patients, 404 hands) who underwent hand-function tests and motor and sensory nerve conduction studies (NCS) between June 2015 and June 2016 were enrolled. The patients' hands were assigned to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) (206 hands; mean age, 56.37 ± 10.52; male:female, 46:160) or control groups (198 hands; mean age, 57.88 ± 9.68; male:female, 55:143). The strength of hand grip and lateral pinch, the time required to complete the nine-hole pegboard test (9HPT), and motor and sensory nerve conduction parameters were measured and compared across age groups and between hands with or without CTS. The CTS group showed significantly lower hand grip and lateral pinch strength, and a longer time to complete the 9HPT in comparison with the control group. Female patients showed significantly lower hand grip and lateral pinch strength than male patients. However, there was no difference in the 9HPT completion time between genders. Multivariate regression analysis identified the amplitude of the median compound muscle action potential (CMAP), age, and male gender as independent predictors of grip strength (adjusted R 2  = 0.679), and amplitude of median CMAP and male gender as independent predictors of KP strength (adjusted R 2  = 0.603). Velocity of median CMAP, amplitude of median sensory nerve action potential, and age were identified as independent predictors of 9HPT time (adjusted R 2  = 0.329). Nerve conduction measurements were significantly related to hand-function test results, and CTS induced significant deficits in strength and performance of the affected hand.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be used as opioid alternatives for patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). However, their use after nephrectomy has raised concerns regarding possible nephrotoxicity. This study compared postoperative renal function and postoperative outcomes between patients using NSAID and patients using opioids for PCA in nephrectomy. In this retrospective observational study, records were reviewed for 913 patients who underwent laparoscopic or robot-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy from 2015 to 2017. After propensity score matching, 247 patients per group were analyzed. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) percentages (postoperative value divided by preoperative value), blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratios, and serum creatinine percentages were compared at 2 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery between users of NSAID and users of opioids for PCA. Additionally, postoperative complication rates, postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) incidences, postoperative pain scores, and lengths of hospital stay were compared between groups. Postoperative GFR percentages, BUN/creatinine ratios, and serum creatinine percentages were similar between the two groups. There were no significant differences in the rates of postoperative complications, incidences of AKI, and pain scores at 30 min, 6 h, 48 h, or 7 days postoperatively. The length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the NSAID group than in the opioid group. This study showed no association between the use of NSAID for PCA after laparoscopic nephrectomy and the incidence of postoperative renal dysfunction.

Background: Sugammadex reduces postoperative complications. We sought to determine whether it could reduce the length of hospital stay, post-anesthetic recovery time, unplanned readmission, and charges for patients who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) when compared to neostigmine., Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of patients who underwent RALP between July 2012 and July 2017, in whom rocuronium was used as a neuromuscular blocker. The primary outcome was the length of hospital stay after surgery in patients who underwent reversal with sugammadex when compared to those who underwent reversal with neostigmine. The secondary outcomes were post-anesthetic recovery time, hospital charges, and unplanned readmission within 30 days after RALP., Results: In total, 1430 patients were enrolled. Using a generalized linear model in a propensity score-matched cohort, sugammadex use was associated with a 6% decrease in the length of hospital stay (mean: sugammadex 7.7 days vs. neostigmine 8.2 days; odds ratio [OR] 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.89, 0.98], P = 0.008) and an 8% decrease in post-anesthetic recovery time (mean: sugammadex 36.7 min vs. neostigmine 40.2 min; OR 0.92, 95% CI [0.90, 0.94], P < 0.001) as compared to neostigmine use; however, it did not reduce the 30-day unplanned readmission rate (P = 0.288). The anesthesia charges were higher in the sugammadex group than in the neostigmine group (P < 0.001); however, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of postoperative net charges (P = 0.061) and total charges (P = 0.100)., Conclusions: Compared to the reversal of rocuronium effects with neostigmine, reversal with sugammadex after RALP was associated with a shorter hospital stay and post-anesthetic recovery time, and was not associated with 30-day unplanned readmission rates and net charges.

To investigate the effects of body weight support (BWS) and gait velocity on cardiovascular responses during walking on an antigravity treadmill early after unilateral and bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA).This study was a cross-sectional study design. Fifty patients (7 males and 43 females; average age, 72.0 ± 5.1 years) at 4 weeks after unilateral (n = 25) and bilateral (n = 25) primary TKA were enrolled in the study. Subjects walked on an antigravity treadmill at speeds of 2.5 km/hour and 3.5 km/hour with 3 levels (50%, 25%, and 0%) of BWS. Cardiovascular responses were monitored by measuring oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP), the respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and rate pressure product (RPP). Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and a visual analog scale (VAS) of knee pain were recorded immediately after each trial.There were no significant differences in cardiovascular responses between the unilateral and bilateral TKA groups. In the repeated measures Analysis of Variance, VO2 levels, HR, RPP, RPE, RER, and VAS were significantly increased in proportion to 3 levels (50%, 25%, and 0%) of BWS for unilateral and bilateral TKA groups, respectively. Meanwhile, SBP and DBP were unaffected by differences in BWS. At 3.5 km/hour, VO2, RPE, and RER values were statistically greater than those at 2.5 km/hour under the same BWS conditions.We found that the reduction in the metabolic demand of activity, coupled with positive pressure on the lower extremities, reduced VO2 and HR values as BWS increased.Cardiovascular responses vary according to BWS and gait velocity during antigravity treadmill walking. BWS rather than gait velocity had the greatest effect on cardiovascular responses and knee pain.

Background: We performed this prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial to identify the effect of a preoperative prophylactic transdermal scopolamine (TDS) patch on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after retromastoid craniectomy with microvascular decompression (RMC-MVD). Methods: We recruited 38 patients undergoing RMC-MVD and randomized them into two groups: the TDS group ( n = 19, application of the TDS patch) and placebo group ( n = 19, application of a sham patch). Nausea (as a self-reported 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) score; range, 0 (no nausea) to 10 (worst nausea)), vomiting, and the use of antiemetics were the primary endpoints. Results: There was no significant difference in terms of the incidence of PONV (73.7% in the TDS group and 78.9% in the placebo group; p = 1.00) between the groups. However, the mean nausea VAS score was significantly different at arrival to the general ward (0.93 ± 1.71 in the TDS group vs. 2.52 ± 2.85 in the placebo group; p = 0.046), and throughout the study period (0.03 ± 0.07 in the TDS group vs. 0.44 ± 0.71 in the placebo group; p = 0.029). Rescue antiemetics were more frequently used in the placebo group than in the TDS group (9 (47.4%) vs. 2 (10.5%), respectively; p = 0.029). The mean number of antiemetics used throughout the study period was significantly higher in the placebo group than in the TDS group (1.37 ± 2.19 vs. 0.16 ± 0.50, respectively; p = 0.029). Conclusions: The preoperative prophylactic use of a TDS patch was safe and effective in the management of PONV after RMC-MVD in terms of the severity of PONV and the use of rescue antiemetics.

Background: Postoperative hyperchloremia is known to be related to increases in mortality and morbidity after surgery. However, the relationship between preoperative hyperchloremia and hypochloremia and postoperative mortality and morbidity is not well established. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between preoperative hyperchloremia or hypochloremia, as assessed using preoperative serum chloride tests, and 90-day mortality and morbidity after noncardiac surgery., Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the medical records of patients >20 years of age who underwent noncardiac surgery between January 2010 and December 2016. Patients were categorized into one of the following groups on the basis of the results of serum chloride testing performed within 1 month before surgery: normochloremia, 97-110 mmol·L; hyperchloremia, >110 mmol·L; and hypochloremia, <97 mmol·L. The primary end point of this study was the difference in postoperative 90-day mortality among the preoperative serum chloride groups. The secondary end point was the difference in postoperative acute kidney injury incidence among the preoperative serum chloride groups., Results: A total of 106,505 patients were included in the final analysis (2147 were allocated to the preoperative hypochloremia group and 617 to the hyperchloremia group). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed significantly increased 90-day mortality in the hypochloremia (hazard ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.16-1.84; P = .001) and hyperchloremia (hazard ratio, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.13-2.73; P = .013) groups when compared with the normochloremia group. In addition, multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed a 1.83-fold increased odds of acute kidney injury in the preoperative hypochloremia group when compared with the normochloremia group (odds ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.53-2.19; P < .001)., Conclusions: Preoperative hypochloremia and hyperchloremia were related to increased 90-day mortality after noncardiac surgery. In addition, preoperative hypochloremia was related to an increased risk for postoperative acute kidney injury.

Background: The Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) was developed to provide population data for medical research. The aim of this study was to estimate trends in prescription opioid use in South Korea, and to determine the association between chronic opioid use and 5-yr mortality in cancer and non-cancer patients., Methods: A population-based cohort study was conducted amongst the South Korean adult population using data from the NHIS. Those prescribed a continuous supply of opioids for ≥90 days were defined as chronic opioid users. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to assess the association between chronic opioid use and 5-yr mortality., Results: The proportion of chronic weak opioid users increased from 1.03% in 2002 to 9.62% in 2015. The proportion of chronic strong opioid users increased from 0.04% in 2002 to 0.24% in 2015. In the 2010 cohort (n=822 214), compared with non-users, chronic weak opioid users had a significantly lower 5-yr mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89-0.96; P<0.001), and chronic strong opioid users had a significantly higher 5-yr mortality (HR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.28-1.63; P<0.001). Similar results were observed in non-cancer patients, but chronic weak opioid users were not significantly associated with 5-yr mortality in cancer patients (P=0.063)., Conclusions: In South Korea, chronic opioid use has increased since 2002. Chronic strong opioid use was associated with a higher 5-yr mortality, and chronic weak opioid use was associated with a slightly lower 5-yr mortality. However, the findings regarding chronic weak opioid users should be interpreted carefully because there might be residual confounders in this study. Further study is needed to confirm these retrospective findings., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Scarless remote access endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy has been recently performed as a safe and feasible method. However, little is known about the laryngo-pharyngeal complications after surgery and the effect of adjusting the endotracheal tube cuff pressure during surgery on laryngo-pharyngeal complications. Patients were randomized into two groups: the control group ( n = 52) and adjusted group ( n = 52). The initial cuff pressure was set to 25 mmHg and then monitored without adjustment (control group) or with adjustment at approximately 25 mmHg (adjusted group) throughout surgery. The incidences and severity of postoperative sore throat (POST), hoarseness, dysphagia, and cough were recorded at 1, 6, 24, and 48 h after surgery. Cuff pressures of the control group changed significantly over time and were higher than those of the adjusted group. The incidence of POST was lower in the adjusted group at 24 h postoperatively ( p = 0.035), and there was a significant difference in the severity of POST at 6 and 24 h postoperatively between the two groups. There were no differences in the incidence of hoarseness, dysphagia, and cough between the two groups, except dysphagia and cough at 6 h postoperatively. Therefore, intraoperative monitoring and adjustment of the cuff pressure can reduce the incidence of laryngo-pharyngeal complications.

Treatment of metastatic carcinoma of the oral cavity can be a challenge due to its rarity. The current case report details metastatic carcinoma of the mandible originating from follicular thyroid carcinoma, which is the second most prevalent tumor of the thyroid. As the mandibular lesion developed, the primary thyroid lesion of thyroid. Here, we report a case of metastatic carcinoma of the mandible in a 67-year-old female that was treated with partial mandibulectomy and fibular free flap., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (Copyright © 2019 The Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.)

Objective: To determine post-operative physical performance factors associated with gait speed in patients surgically treated for hip fracture., Methods: Cross-sectional data from 59 patients (16 males and 43 females; mean age, 79.2±9.1 years) who underwent hip fracture surgery were enrolled. Patients completed a 10-meter walk test (10MWT) to assess gait speed. Additional physical performance tests included the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the knee extensors and flexors on the operated and non-operated sides as well as of the hip abductors (all tested using air-resistance weight machines), and analysis of spatio-temporal gait parameters at about 6 weeks after hip surgery., Results: Bivariate analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between the post-operative 10MWT and the post-operative TUG, age, swing phase duration, and gait cycle duration along with a significant negative correlation between post-operative BBS score, MVIC of the knee extensors and flexors on the operated and non-operated sides, MVIC of the hip abductors, and cadence and stance phase duration. Linear regression analyses revealed that the post-operative TUG (β=0.85, p<0.01), gait cycle duration (β=0.17, p=0.02), and osteoporosis (β=-0.18, p=0.02) were associated with the post-operative 10MWT., Conclusion: The presence of osteoporosis, post-operative balance, and isometric muscle strength in the operated and non-operated legs were statistically associated with post-operative gait speed early after hip fracture surgery.

Background: Physiological instability at discharge from intensive care units (ICU) is known to increase readmission rates among critically ill patients. However, associations between consciousness levels at discharge and readmission rates remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at discharge and unplanned ICU readmissions in surgical patients., Methods: This retrospective cohort study in a single tertiary academic hospital analyzed the electronic health records of adults aged 18 years or older, who were discharged from the ICU between January 2012 and December 2018. The primary endpoint was unplanned readmission within 48 hours after discharge. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed., Results: Among 9,512 patients, unplanned readmissions occurred in 161 (1.7%). At discharge, GCS and verbal response scores of ≤13 ( vs. ≥14) were associated with 2.28-fold higher unplanned readmissions within 48 hours [odds ratio (OR): 2.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.51-3.65, P<0.001]. Sensitivity analysis showed that verbal response scores of ≤4 ( vs. 5) at ICU discharge were associated with 2.21-fold higher unplanned readmissions within 48 hours (OR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.49-3.29, P<0.001), whereas eye or motor responses at time of ICU discharge were not significantly associated with unplanned readmissions (P>0.05)., Conclusions: In this surgical ICU population cohort, GCS scores at ICU discharge were significantly associated with unplanned readmissions within 48 hours. This association was stronger with GCS scores of ≤13 and with verbal response scores of ≤4 at time of discharge. These findings suggest that surgical ICU patients with GCS scores of ≤13 or verbal response scores of ≤4 should be monitored carefully for discharge in order to avoid unplanned ICU readmissions., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2019 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study aimed to examine the association between preadmission statin use and 90-day mortality in critically ill patients and to investigate whether this association differed according to statin type and dose. We hypothesized that preadmission statin use was associated with lower 90-day mortality., Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed the medical records of all adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit in a single tertiary academic hospital between January 2012 and December 2017. Data including preadmission statin use, statin subtype, and daily dosage were collected, and the associations between these variables and 90-day mortality after intensive care unit admission were examined. The primary endpoint was 90-day mortality., Results: A total of 24,928 patients (7,396 statin users and 17,532 non-statin users) were included. After propensity score matching, 5,354 statin users and 7,758 non-statin users were finally included. The 90-day mortality rate was significantly higher in non-statin users (918 of 7,758; 11.8%) than in statin users (455 of 5,354; 8.5%; P < 0.001). In Cox regression analysis, the 90-day mortality rate was lower among statin users than among non-statin users (hazard ratio: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.63 to 0.79; P < 0.001). Rosuvastatin use was associated with 42% lower 90-day mortality (hazard ratio: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.72; P < 0.001). There were no specific significant differences in the association between daily statin dose and 90-day mortality. In competing risk analysis, the risk of noncardiovascular 90-day mortality in statin users was 32% lower than that in non-statin users (hazard ratio: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.60 to 0.78; P < 0.001). Meanwhile, cardiovascular 90-day mortality was not significantly associated with statin use., Conclusions: Preadmission statin use was associated with a lower 90-day mortality. This association was more evident in the rosuvastatin group and with noncardiovascular 90-day mortality; no differences were seen according to daily dosage intensity.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of chronic opioid usage with 90-day mortality in critically ill patients after admission to the ICU., Methods: This retrospective cohort study analysed the medical records of adult patients admitted to ICUs in a tertiary academic hospital between January 2012 and December 2017. Patients taking opioids regularly for more than 4 weeks before ICU admission were defined as chronic opioid users, whereas the others were defined as opioid-naïve patients., Results: We selected 18 409 patients for this study, including 757 (4.1%) chronic opioid users. After propensity matching, 2990 patients (chronic opioid users, 757; opioid-naïve, patient: 2233) were included in the analysis. The odds of 90-day mortality were higher in chronic opioid users than in opioid-naïve patients using both the generalised estimating equation model for the propensity-matched cohort (odds ratio=1.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.57-2.31; P<0.001) and the multivariable logistic regression model for the entire cohort (odds ratio=2.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.81-2.66; P<0.001). Additionally, this association was significant in cancer patients and non-chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and was not significant in non-cancer and CKD patients., Conclusions: Our results suggest that in a cohort of critically ill adult patients, chronic opioid use is associated with an increase in 90-day mortality. This association was more evident in cancer patients and non-CKD patients., (Copyright © 2019 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis is the most commonly used treatment for Moyamoya disease. During the perioperative period, however, these patients are vulnerable to ischemic injury or hyperperfusion syndrome. This study investigated the ability of combined remote ischemic pre-conditioning (RIPC) and remote ischemic post-conditioning (RIPostC) to reduce the occurrence of major neurologic complications in Moyamoya patients undergoing STA-MCA anastomosis. The 108 patients were randomly assigned to a RIPC with RIPostC group ( n = 54) or a control group ( n = 54). Patients in the RIPC with RIPostC group were treated with four cycles of 5-min ischemia and 5-min reperfusion before craniotomy and after STA-MCA anastomosis (RIPostC). The incidence of postoperative neurologic complications and the duration of hospital stay were determined. The overall incidence of neurologic complication was significantly higher in the control group than in the RIPC with RIPostC group (13 vs. 3, p = 0.013). The duration of hospital stay was significantly longer in the control group than in the RIPC with RIPostC group (17.8 (11.3) vs. 13.8 (5.9) days, p = 0.023). Combined remote ischemic pre- and post-conditioning can be effective in reducing neurologic complications and the duration of hospitalization in Moyamoya patients undergoing STA-MCA anastomosis.

Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) is one of the most difficult symptoms during the postoperative period. Nefopam is a non-narcotic analgesic agent, which also has anticholinergic action. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of nefopam on CRBD in male patients undergoing robotic nephrectomy. A total of 109 male patients were randomly divided into two groups: the control group ( n = 55) received 20 mL of normal saline, and the nefopam group ( n = 54) received 20 mg of nefopam 1 h before the end of the operation. At postoperative times of 20 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 6 h, the severity of CRBD was measured using an 11-point numeric rating scale, respectively. The severity of CRBD in the nefopam group was significantly lower than that in the control group at 20 min (4.8 ± 1.3 vs. 2.3 ± 1.0, respectively, p = 0.012) and at 1, 2, and 6 h (3.5 ± 1.2, 2.7 ± 0.9, and 2.5 ± 1.0 vs. 4.1 ± 0.8, 1.6 ± 0.8, and 1.3 ± 0.6, respectively, p < 0001). Intraoperative nefopam administration reduced the severity of CRBD in patients undergoing robotic nephrectomy.

Exposure to dyschloremia among critically ill patients is associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). We aimed to investigate how fluctuations in serum chloride (Cl - ) are associated with the development of AKI in critically ill patients. We retrospectively analyzed medical records of adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) between January 2012 and December 2017. Positive and negative fluctuations in Cl - were defined as the difference between the baseline Cl- and maximum Cl- levels and the difference between the baseline Cl - and minimum Cl - levels measured within 72 h after ICU admission, respectively. In total, 19,707 patients were included. The odds of developing AKI increased 1.06-fold for every 1 mmol L -1 increase in the positive fluctuations in Cl - (odds ratio: 1.06; 95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 1.08; p < 0.001) and 1.04-fold for every 1 mmol L -1 increase in the negative fluctuations in Cl - (odds ratio: 1.04; 95% confidence interval: 1.02 to 1.06; p < 0.001). Increases in both the positive and negative fluctuations in Cl- after ICU admission were associated with an increased risk of AKI. Furthermore, these associations differed based on the functional status of the kidneys at ICU admission or postoperative ICU admission., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

The amount of reduction in opioid doses and its effect on postoperative pain outcomes in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in the perioperative setting remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate differences in postoperative pain outcomes after major laparoscopic surgery between patients with CKD and those with normal preoperative kidney function. Medical records of patients who underwent laparoscopic major abdominal surgery from January 2010 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed, and 6,612 patients were finally included. During postoperative day (POD) 0-3, patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 30 mL min -1 1.73 m -2 had 3.5% lower morphine equivalent consumption than those with an eGFR ≥ 90 mL min -1 1.73 m -2 (P = 0.023), whereas patients with preoperative eGFR between 60-90 mL min -1 1.73 m -2 and 30-60 mL min -1 1.73 m -2 showed no significant differences in morphine equivalent consumption. Additionally, pain scores at rest during POD 0-3 were not significantly associated with preoperative kidney function. In conclusion, our results suggest that patients with mild to moderate CKD (stage 2-3) did not require reduction of opioid analgesics during POD 0-3, compared to patients with normal preoperative kidney function. Only patients with severe CKD (stage ≥ 4) might require a slight reduction of opioid analgesics.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between preadmission glucocorticoid (GC) therapy and 30-day mortality in critically ill patients following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). We aimed to determine whether this association differed according to daily GC dosage and type. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted to a single tertiary academic hospital ICU from January 2012 to December 2017. We classified the patients regularly undergoing oral GC therapy as preadmission GC users, and those with no history of GC use were classified as non-GC users., Results: The study included 24,929 patients, of whom 816 (3.3%) were preadmission GC users. Thirty-day mortality in preadmission GC users (173 of 816 patients) was 21.2% compared to 8.8% (2113 of 24,113 patients) in non-GC users. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that preadmission GC users had a 1.62-fold increase in 30-day mortality compared to non-GC users [hazard ratio (HR) 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-2.03, P < 0.001]. When comparing preadmission GC users with diabetes mellitus to non-GC users, a 2.29-fold increase in 30-day mortality was noted (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.08-4.86, P = 0.031). In the sensitivity analysis, compared to non-GC users, daily dosages of ≤ 5 and > 5 mg of prednisolone in preadmission GC users showed 1.45-fold (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.03-2.03, P = 0.033) and 1.67-fold (HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.25-2.24, P = 0.001) increases, respectively, in 30-day mortality after ICU admission. Moreover, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, and dexamethasone users in the preadmission GC users group showed 1.56-fold (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.21-2.01, P = 0.001), 1.90-fold (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.12-3.25, P = 0.018), and 1.30-fold (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.05-1.50, P = 0.042) increases, respectively, in 30-day mortality compared to non-GC users., Conclusion: Preadmission GC use among critically ill patients was associated with an increased 30-day mortality after ICU admission compared to non-GC use. This association was more prevalent in preadmission GC users with diabetes mellitus and in preadmission GC users who took > 5 mg/day of prednisolone and methylprednisolone.

This study aimed to investigate the association between preadmission statin use and acute kidney injury (AKI) incidence among critically ill patients who needed admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) for medical care. Medical records of patients admitted to the ICU were reviewed. Patients who continuously took statin for >1 month prior to ICU admission were defined as statin users. We investigated whether preadmission statin use was associated with AKI incidence within 72 h after ICU admission and whether the association differs according to preadmission estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; in mL min -1 1.73 m -2 ). Among 21,236 patients examined, 5756 (27.1%) were preadmission statin users and 15,480 (72.9%) were non-statin users. Total AKI incidence within 72 h after ICU admission was 31% lower in preadmission statin users than in non-statin users [odds ratio (OR), 0.69; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.61⁻0.79; p < 0.001]. This association was insignificant among individuals with eGFR <30 mL min -1 1.73 m -2 ( p > 0.05). Our results suggested that preadmission statin therapy is associated with a lower incidence of AKI among critically ill patients; however, this effect might not be applicable for patients with eGFR <30 mL min -1 1.73 m -2 .

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is closely associated with health outcomes, including mortality in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). However, research regarding this issue is lacking, especially in countries where the National Health Insurance System is mainly responsible for health care. This study aimed to investigate how the SES of ICU patients in South Korea is associated with mortality., Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of adult patients aged ≥20 years admitted to ICU. Associations between SES-related factors recorded at the time of ICU admission and 30-day and 1-year mortalities were analyzed using univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses., Results: A total of 6,008 patients were included. Of these, 394 (6.6%) died within 30 days of ICU admission, and 1,125 (18.7%) died within 1 year. Multivariable Cox regression analysis found no significant associations between 30-day mortality after ICU admission and SES factors (P>0.05). However, occupation was significantly associated with 1-year mortality after ICU admission., Conclusions: Our study shows that 30-day mortality after ICU admission is not associated with SES in the National Health Insurance coverage setting. However, occupation was associated with 1-year mortality after ICU admission., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (Copyright © 2018 The Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine.)

Background: Whether perioperative hyperchloremia can induce postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) is controversial. We investigated the association between perioperative hyperchloremia and postoperative AKI in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after surgery., Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study of patients admitted to the surgical ICU at a single tertiary care hospital between January 2011 and June 2016. Our primary objective was to determine whether hyperchloremia or an increase in serum chloride levels was associated with postoperative AKI. Perioperative hyperchloremia was defined as serum chloride levels ≥ 110 mmol·L - 1 during postoperative days (PODs) 0-3. The increase in serum chloride levels was defined as the difference between preoperative and maximum postoperative serum chloride levels during the first 3 days after surgery., Results: Of the 7991 patients included in the final analysis, 1876 (23.5%) developed hyperchloremia during PODs 0-3, and 1187 (14.9%) developed postoperative AKI. Exposure to hyperchloremia during the first 3 days after surgery was not associated with postoperative AKI (odds ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-1.49; P = 0.571). However, among patients with preoperative chronic kidney disease stage ≥ 3 (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL·min - 1 ·1.73·m - 2 ), the incidence of postoperative AKI was higher in patients with an increase > 6 mmol·L - 1 in serum chloride levels than in patients with an increase ≤ 1 mmol·L - 1 (odds ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.84; P = 0.009). In addition, the incidence of postoperative AKI stage ≥ 2 was not associated with exposure to hyperchloremia or with the increase in serum chloride levels during PODs 0-3, regardless of preoperative kidney function., Conclusions: Exposure to perioperative hyperchloremia is not associated with postoperative AKI in surgical ICU patients. However, in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease (stage ≥ 3), a substantial perioperative increase in serum chloride levels may reflect a higher risk of AKI.

Background: Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) is a well-known surrogate marker for intracranial pressure during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomies (RALP). ONSD during RALP is known to increase due to elevated intracranial pressure as a result of the steep Trendelenburg position and carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum. We aimed to compare the effects of total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) and desflurane anesthesia (DES) on ONSD during RALP., Methods: Patients scheduled for RALP were enrolled and randomly assigned to the TIVA (propofol and remifentanil) or DES (desflurane and remifentanil) group in this randomized trial. Ultrasonographic measurements of ONSD were conducted before administration of anesthesia (T0), 10 minutes after the Trendelenburg position (T1), 1 hour after the Trendelenburg position (T2), 2 hours after the Trendelenburg position (T3), 10 minutes after resuming the supine position (T4), and at the time of arrival in the post-anaesthetic care unit (T5). The primary outcome measure was the mean ONSD at T2 of the TIVA and DES group during RALP., Results: A total of 56 patients were analysed in this study. The mean ONSD at T1, T2, T3, and T4 were significantly lower for patients in the TIVA group compared with those in the DES group (P = .023, .000, .000, and .003, respectively)., Conclusion: The mean ONSD for patients in the TIVA group was significantly lower than that in the DES group during the RALP procedure. Our findings suggest that TIVA may be a more suitable anesthetic option for patients at risk of cerebral hypoperfusion.

The use of gamification in healthcare has been gaining popularity. This prospective, randomized, clinical trial was designed to evaluate whether gamification of the preoperative process-via virtual reality (VR) gaming that provides a vivid, immersive and realistic experience-could reduce preoperative anxiety in children. Seventy children scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia were randomly divided into either the control or gamification group. Children in the control group received conventional education regarding the preoperative process, whereas those in the gamification group played a 5 min VR game experiencing the preoperative experience. Preoperative anxiety, induction compliance checklist (ICC), and procedural behavior rating scale (PBRS) were measured. Sixty-nine children were included in the final analysis (control group = 35, gamification = 34). Preoperative anxiety (28.3 [23.3⁻36.7] vs. 46.7 [31.7⁻51.7]; p < 0.001) and intraoperative compliance measured using ICC ( p = 0.038) were lower in the gamification group than in the control group. However, PBRS ( p = 0.092) and parent/guardian satisfaction ( p = 0.268) were comparable between the two groups. VR experience of the preoperative process could reduce preoperative anxiety and improve compliance during anesthetic induction in children undergoing elective surgery and general anesthesia.

Positive fluid balance (FB) during the perioperative period may increase the incidence of postoperative complications, which may lead to longer hospitalization and higher hospital costs. However, a definitive association between positive FB and hospital costs has not yet been established. This retrospective observational study examined the association between perioperative FB and hospital costs of patients who underwent major surgical procedures. Medical records of patients who underwent major surgery (surgery time >2 h, estimated blood loss >500 mL) from January 2010 to December 2017 were analyzed to determine the associations between calculated FB (%, total input fluid-output fluid in liter/weight (kg) at admission) and total hospital cost ($). The analysis included medical data of 7010 patients. Multivariable linear regression analyses showed that a 1% increase in FB in postoperative day (POD) 0 (24 h), 0⁻1 (48 h), 0⁻2 (72 h), and 0⁻3 (96 h) significantly increased the total cost by $967.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 803.4⁻1132.1), $688.8 (95% CI: 566.3⁻811.2), $591 (95% CI: 485.7⁻696.4), and $434.2 (95% CI: 349.4⁻519.1), respectively (all p < 0.001). Perioperative cumulative FB was positively associated with hospital costs of patients who underwent major surgery.

Background: The preemptive multimodal pain protocols used in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) often cause emesis postoperatively. We investigated whether palonosetron prophylaxis reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in high-risk patients after TKA., Methods: We randomized 120 female patients undergoing TKA to receive either palonosetron (0.075 mg, intravenous) or no antiemetic prophylaxis (0.9% saline, control group). All patients were given spinal anesthesia, a continuous femoral nerve block, and fentanyl-based intravenous patient controlled analgesia. Patients undergoing staged bilateral TKA were assigned to one group for the first knee and the other group for the second knee. The overall incidence of PONV, the incidences of both nausea and vomiting, severity of nausea, complete response, requirement for rescue antiemetics, pain level, opioid consumption, and satisfaction scores were evaluated during three periods: 0-2, 2-24, and 24-48 h postoperatively. We also compared PONV and pain between the first and second TKA., Results: The incidence of PONV during the first 48 h was lower in the palonosetron group compared with the controls (22 vs. 41%, p = 0.028), especially 2-24 h after surgery, as was the nausea and vomiting respectively. The severity of nausea was lower in the palonosetron group (p = 0.010). The complete response rate (93 vs. 73%, p = 0.016) and satisfaction score (84 ± 12 vs. 79 ± 15, p = 0.032) were higher in the palonosetron group during 2-24 h after surgery. Patients who underwent a second operation complained of more severe pain, and consumed more opioids than those of the first operation. There was no difference in the incidence of PONV between the first and second operations., Conclusions: Palonosetron prophylaxis reduced the incidence and severity of PONV in high-risk patients managed with multimodal pain protocol for 48 h, notably 2-24 h after TKA.

Because conventional body mass index (cBMI) does not reflect fluid accumulation, modified BMI (mBMI, serum albumin multiplied by cBMI) is a more accurate measure of malnutrition status. This study aimed to determine whether mortality after intensive care unit (ICU) admission was associated with cBMI, mBMI, and/or serum albumin levels. The medical records of patients who were admitted to a tertiary hospital ICU between 1 January 2012 and 31 July 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. In total, 6169 ICU-admitted patients were included in the analyses. Multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that low cBMI, mBMI and albumin level were significantly associated with 30-day and 1-year mortality after ICU admission (hazard ratio < 1.0, p < 0.05). The adjusted area under the curve (AUC) of mBMI for 1-year mortality was significantly higher than that of cBMI ( p < 0.001), but not significantly different from that of albumin level ( p = 0.098). Low values of mBMI, cBMI and albumin were independently associated with 30-day and 1-year mortality after ICU admission. Combining cBMI and albumin (mBMI) did not increase the validity of the AUC of albumin for 1-year mortality after ICU admission. Our study showed that serum albumin alone, rather than mBMI (combining cBMI), is recommended in predicting mortality among ICU patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Serum albumin and conventional BMI (cBMI) are commonly used indices of malnutrition status. Because cBMI does not reflect fluid accumulation, modified body mass index (mBMI, serum albumin × cBMI) is a more accurate measure of malnutrition status. This study investigated the association between preoperative mBMI and postoperative 1-year mortality, in comparison with serum albumin and cBMI. Medical records of 80,969 adult patients who underwent surgical procedures in a tertiary care hospital between 1 January, 2011 and 31 December, 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative 1-year mortality increased with reduction in cBMI, mBMI, and albumin separately (P < 0.001). When considering interaction between cBMI and albumin, albumin was the only significant factor of postoperative 1-year mortality [odds ratio: 0.377, 95% confidence interval (0.245-0.579), P < 0.001], while cBMI or interaction (cBMI * albumin) was not significant (P > 0.05). Adjusted area under the curve (AUC) was highest (0.885) in the overall model (cBMI + albumin + cBMI * albumin); adjusted AUC between mBMI and albumin did not differ significantly (P = 0.558). Low albumin is the strongest independent predictor of postoperative 1-year mortality among the three variables (albumin, cBMI, mBMI). Adding cBMI to albumin does not increase the validity of the AUC of albumin.