Acta Anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : Official Journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists

BACKGROUND: Opioids are crucial in cancer pain management. We examined the nationwide prescription patterns of opioids in Taiwan cancer patients to find the potential concerns. METHODS: We reviewed the claims database of the National Health Insurance of Taiwan for patients diagnosed with cancer from 2003 to 2011. The use and cost of analgesics were analyzed. Opioids were classified into recommended strong opioids (morphine and transdermal fentanyl), recommended weak opioids (tramadol, buprenorphine, and codeine), and unrecommended opioids (propoxyphene, nalbuphine, and meperidine)...

Solid organ transplantation has become the therapy of choice for patients with end-stage organ disease. The frequently transplanted organs in Taiwan include liver, kidney, heart, and lung, and the success rate has improved significantly worldwide for the past decades. However, organ recipients are known to be at a higher risk of post-transplant infections and de novo cancer due to immunosuppression and oncogenic viral infections. Organ recipients are known to be at a two- to fourfold increased risk of cancer and the risks are particularly high for malignancies caused by viral infections, including post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders via Epstein-Barr virus, Kaposi sarcoma via Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus, anogenital cancers via human papillomavirus, and hepatocellular carcinoma via hepatitis B and C virus...

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OBJECTIVE: The single-use LMA Supreme (Teleflex, Inc., Wayne, PA, USA) and the LMA ProSeal (Teleflex, Inc., Wayne, PA, USA) laryngeal mask airway (LMA) have similar characteristics. To date, studies have not achieved a consensus regarding the oropharyngeal leak pressure (OLP) of the LMA Supreme and LMA ProSeal, and there is little information on their efficacy in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This study compared the safety and efficacy of the LMA Supreme and LMA ProSeal devices in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy...

Pharmacogenomics aims to unravel the way that human genetic variation affects drug efficacy and toxicity. Genome-wide association studies and candidate gene findings suggest that genetic approaches may help choose the most appropriate drug and dosage while preventing adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Pain is an unpleasant feeling that usually results from tissue damage. The management of different types of pain (acute, chronic, inflammatory, neuropathic, or cancer) is challenging. Currently, drug intervention is the first-line therapy for resolving pain...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative psychological distress is associated with preoperative anxiety, depression, and postoperative pain. Mirtazapine is effective as an antidepressant, anxiolytic agent, and sleep enhancer. Moreover, mirtazapine can be made as orodispersible tablets with a fast onset for patients in nil per os status. This study is to determine whether mirtazapine can help psychologically distressed patients reduce perioperative anxiety, depression, and postoperative pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with preoperative psychological distress, undergoing major abdominal surgery, were inquired and assigned to two groups according to their own choice...

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVES: Limb ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) causes remote organ injury (e.g., liver injury). Oxidation and inflammation are crucial mechanisms. We investigated the effects of cepharanthine, a potent antioxidative and anti-inflammatory drug, on alleviating liver injury induced by limb I/R. METHODS: Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to receive sham operation (Sham), Sham plus cepharanthine, I/R, or I/R plus cepharanthine and designated as the Sham, Sham+Cep, I/R, or I/R+Cep group, respectively (n = 6 in each group)...

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BACKGROUND: High peak airway pressure (Ppeak) and high end-tidal carbon dioxide tension (PETCO2) are the common problems encountered in the obese patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopy with conventional volume-controlled ventilation. This study was designed to investigate whether volume-controlled inverse ratio ventilation (IRV) with inspiratory to expiratory (I:E) ratio of 2:1 could reduce Ppeak or the plateau pressure (Pplat), improve oxygenation, and alleviate lung injury in patients with normal lungs...

OBJECTIVES: Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) features massive oxidative stress of tissues and cytokine response. Propofol and sevoflurane, both of which are commonly used anesthetics, are thought to have different antioxidant activities. The aim of this study is to delineate the influence of these two drugs on the production of free radicals and proinflammatory cytokines in IR conditions via in vitro and in vivo models. METHODS: An in vitro IR model was performed by incubating porcine cells (including mononuclear cells, and coronary and aortic smooth muscle cells) with either propofol 25 μM or sevoflurane 2% in the hypoxia chamber (1% O2, 37°C) for 1 hour, followed by room temperature air for 2 hours...

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OBJECTIVE: Over-the-counter (OTC) anti-cough preparations, many of which contain codeine (an opioid) or dextromethorphan (an opioid-like), are widely available in Taiwan and thus susceptible to overuse or abuse. We aimed to investigate whether opioids in the form of OTC antitussives play a significant role in medication abuse in Taiwan. METHODS: Data on the consumption of codeine and dextromethorphan in antitussives and expectorants from 2011 through 2014 in Taiwan were provided by IMS Health (Intercontinental Marketing Services)...

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OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a procedure used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Most of the patients may feel pain, anxiety, and discomfort during this procedure, so conscious sedation is usually used during ERCP. General anesthesia would be considered if conscious sedation fails to achieve the requirement of the endoscopists. Several studies showed that propofol-based sedation could provide a better recovery profile. However, propofol has a narrow therapeutic window and complications may occur beyond this window...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Pregnancy can be rarely complicated with cerebral angioma. Such patients can pose a problem to the anesthesiologist and can present for caesarean section (CS). The main anesthetic challenge is prevention of rupture of angioma and subsequent bleed due to intraoperative surge of blood pressure. Both general anesthesia and regional anesthesia have been used in such patients. Spinal anesthesia has the advantage of safety, less hypertensive surge, and better analgesia as well as less blood loss. We hereby present successful anesthetic management of such a case presented for emergency CS done under spinal anesthesia...

OBJECTIVES: Dexmedetomidine, an α2 agonist, has been evaluated for its hypnotic, analgesic, and anxiolytic properties in the intraoperative period and critical care setting. However, data on the effect of dexmedetomidine on attenuation of pressor response to direct laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation are limited. We studied the effect of a single preinduction intravenous dose of dexmedetomidine of 0.5 μg/kg on hemodynamic responses to tracheal intubation, and dose requirements of anesthetics for induction and their adverse effects...