The Effect of Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia on Pulmonary Shunt Fraction and Arterial Oxygenation During One-Lung Ventilation

Impact of pharmacological interventions on intrapulmonary shunt during one-lung ventilation in adult thoracic surgery: a systematic review and component network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Intrapulmonary shunt is a major determinant of oxygenation in thoracic surgery under one-lung ventilation. We reviewed the effects of available treatments on shunt, Pao₂/FiO₂ and haemodynamics through systematic review and network meta-analysis.

METHODS

Online databases were searched for RCTs comparing pharmacological interventions and intrapulmonary shunt in thoracic surgery under one-lung ventilation up to March 30, 2022. Random-effects (component) network meta-analysis compared 24 treatments and 19 treatment components. The Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis (CINeMA) framework assessed evidence certainty. The primary outcome was intrapulmonary shunt fraction during one-lung ventilation.

RESULTS

A total of 55 RCTs were eligible for systematic review (2788 participants). The addition of N₂O (mean difference [MD]=-15%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -25 to -5; P=0.003) or almitrine (MD=-13%; 95% CI, -20 to -6; P<0.001) to propofol anaesthesia were efficient at decreasing shunt. Combined epidural anaesthesia (MD=3%; 95% CI, 1-5; P=0.005), sevoflurane (MD=5%; 95% CI, 2-8; P<0.001), isoflurane (MD=6%; 95% CI, 4-9; P<0.001), and desflurane (MD=9%; 95% CI, 4-14; P=0.001) increased shunt vs propofol. Almitrine (MD=147 mm Hg; 95% CI, 58-236; P=0.001), dopexamine (MD=88 mm Hg; 95% CI, 4-171; P=0.039), and iloprost (MD=81 mm Hg; 95% CI, 4-158; P=0.038) improved Pao₂/FiO₂. Certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate.

CONCLUSIONS

Adding N₂O or almitrine to propofol anaesthesia reduced intrapulmonary shunt during one-lung ventilation. Halogenated anaesthetics increased shunt in comparison with propofol. The effects of N₂O, iloprost, and dexmedetomidine should be investigated in future research. N₂O results constitute a research hypothesis currently not backed by any direct evidence. The clinical availability of almitrine is limited.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL

PROSPERO CRD42022310313.

ONE-LUNG VENTILATION PATIENTS: CLINICAL CONTEXT OF ADMINISTRATION OF DIFFERENT DOSES OF DEXMEDETOMIDINE

Background

Open and endoscopic thoracic surgeries improve surgical exposure by One-lung ventilation (OLV). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different doses of dexmedetomidine on inflammatory response, oxidative stress, cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (SctO2) and intrapulmonary shunt in patients undergoing one-lung ventilation (OLV).

Methods

Seventy-five patients undergoing open pulmonary lobectomy in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2017 were enrolled and randomly divided into high-dose dexmedetomidine group (group D1, 1 mg/kg, n=25), low-dose dexmedetomidine group (group D2, 0.5 mg/kg, n=25) and control group (group C, n=25). Then, arterial blood and internal jugular venous blood were taken before anesthesia induction (T0) and at 15 min after twolung ventilation (T1) and 5 min (T2) and 30 min (T3) after OLV for later use. Next, the changes in hemodynamic parameters [mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2)] of patients were observed in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was carried out to detect serum inflammatory factors such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and oxidative stress indicators [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA)]. The changes in SctO2, arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and intrapulmonary shunt Qs/Qt (a measurement of pulmonary shunt: right-to-left shunt fraction) were observed. Additionally, the changes in lung function indicators like lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn) and airway peak pressure (P_peak) were determined.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences in the MAP, HR and SpO2 among three groups at each observation time point (P>0.05). At T2 and T3, the levels of serum IL-6, TNF-α and IL-8 were obviously decreased in group D1 and D2 compared with those in group C (P<0.05), and the decreases in group D1 were overtly larger than those in group D2, and the decreases at T3 were markedly greater than those at T2 (P<0.05). In comparison with group C, group D1 and D2 had notably reduced levels of serum reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MDA (P<0.05) and remarkably increased SOD content (P<0.05) at T2 and T3, and the effects were markedly better in group D1 than those in group D2. Besides, they were significantly superior at T3 to those at T2 (P<0.05). The SctO2 in group D1 and D2 was evidently lowered at T2 and T3 compared with that at T0, and the decrease in group D1 was distinctly smaller than that in group D2 (P<0.05). The Qs/Qt was significantly lower in group D1 and D2 than that in group C at T2 and T3 (P<0.05), while the PaO2 content was notably raised (P<0.05), and the decrease and increase were significantly larger in group D1 than those in group D2, and they were obviously greater at T3 to those at T2 (P<0.05). At T0 and T1, no significant differences were detected in the Cdyn, Pplat and Ppeak among three groups. At T2 and T3, the Cdyn was significantly elevated, while the Pplat and Ppeak overtly declined (P<0.05), and group D1 had greater changes in comparison with group D2, and the changes were obviously more evident at T3 to those at T2 (P<0.05).

Conclusions

Dexmedetomidine effectively ameliorates inflammatory response and oxidative stress, lowers oxygenation, Qs/Qt and the decrease in SctO2 and improves lung function during OLV, with good efficacy.

The hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction: From physiology to clinical application in thoracic surgery

More than 70 years after its original report, the hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) response continues to spark scientific interest on its mechanisms and clinical implications, particularly for anesthesiologists involved in thoracic surgery. Selective airway intubation and one-lung ventilation (OLV) facilitates the surgical intervention on a collapsed lung while the HPV redirects blood flow from the "upper" non-ventilated hypoxic lung to the "dependent" ventilated lung. Therefore, by limiting intrapulmonary shunting and optimizing ventilation-to-perfusion (V/Q) ratio, the fall in arterial oxygen pressure (PaO₂) is attenuated during OLV. The HPV involves a biphasic response mobilizing calcium within pulmonary vascular smooth muscles, which is activated within seconds after exposure to low alveolar oxygen pressure and that gradually disappears upon re-oxygenation. Many factors including acid-base balance, the degree of lung expansion, circulatory volemia as well as lung diseases and patient age affect HPV. Anesthetic agents, analgesics and cardiovascular medications may also interfer with HPV during the perioperative period. Since HPV represents the homeostatic mechanism for regional ventilation-to-perfusion matching and in turn, for optimal pulmonary oxygen uptake, a clear understanding of HPV is clinically relevant for all anesthesiologists.

Comparison of Thoracic Epidural and Intravenous Analgesia from the Perspective of Recovery of Respiratory Function in the Early Post-Thoracotomy Period in Lung Cancer Surgery

OBJECTIVE

Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) reduces pulmonary complications after thoracotomy. Hypothetically, this advantage is partially because of the preserved pulmonary function, which is achieved by the reduction of postoperative pain and immobility. This study aimed to compare the principal methods of analgesia through early postoperative spirometric performance and gas exchange parameters after elective lung cancer surgery. TEA or intravenous analgesia (IVA) involving pethidine was used as the principal method in our sample population.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 62 patients operated via the posterolateral thoracotomy approach were enrolled. Postoperative analgesia was secured using multimodal analgesia with either TEA with 0.1% bupivacaine or IVA. Pain perception was assessed with the visual analog scale (VAS) while at rest and on coughing. Arterial blood samples were collected at 1, 24, and 72 hours postoperatively. Preoperative and third postoperative day spirometric measurements were recorded.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences among the groups in terms of demographic characteristics, properties of surgical technique, and disease-associated conditions. VAS scores of the TEA group were lower at the 72-hour follow-up, but a considerable fraction of these differences did not reach statistical significance. Reduction in the forced expiratory volume in the first second and forced vital capacities was more prominent in the IVA group on the third postoperative day, but these were not statistically significant either. Oxygenation parameters favored TEA but remained comparable. Finally, the pH values were significantly lower in the IVA group at 1 and 72 hours postoperatively (p=0.008 and p=0.02, respectively).

CONCLUSION

We believe that TEA is advantageous over IVA with alteration of respiratory volumes during the early postoperative period.

Effects of Nicorandil Versus Nitroglycerin on Arterial Oxygenation During Two-Lung Ventilation and One-Lung Ventilation in Patients With Risk Factors for Myocardial Ischemia: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effects of nicorandil and nitroglycerin on arterial oxygenation during two-lung ventilation (TLV) and one-lung ventilation (OLV) in patients with risk factors for myocardial ischemia.

DESIGN

A prospective, randomized, double-blind study.

SETTING

A tertiary care hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty-six patients scheduled for elective video-assisted thoracic surgery were assigned randomly to either the nicorandil group or the nitroglycerin group.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients in the nicorandil group received a bolus dose of nicorandil, 0.08 mg/kg during induction of anesthesia, followed by a continuous infusion at a rate of 0.08 mg/kg/h. Patients in the nitroglycerin group received a continuous infusion of nitroglycerin at a rate of 1 µg/kg/min from the induction of anesthesia.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Arterial blood gas analysis was performed at the following points: before induction of anesthesia; during TLV; at 5, 10, 20, and 30 minutes after the initiation of OLV. PaO₂ at TLV (479.7 ± 57.1 v 408.2 ± 70.9 mmHg, p < 0.001); and at 5 minutes (344.8 ± 85.1 v 282.6 ± 85.8 mmHg, p = 0.012), 20 minutes (215.7 ± 103.0 v 158.2 ± 74.5 mmHg, p = 0.027), and 30 minutes (198.8 ± 103.5 v 147.5 ± 64.1 mmHg, p = 0.039) after OLV was significantly higher in the nicorandil group than in the nitroglycerin group.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that oxygenation during TLV and OLV was significantly higher in patients receiving nicorandil than in those receiving nitroglycerin.

Effect of intercostal nerve block combined with general anesthesia on the stress response in patients undergoing minimally invasive mitral valve surgery

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of intercostal nerve block combined with general anesthesia on the stress response and postoperative recovery in patients undergoing minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIMVS). A total of 30 patients scheduled for MIMVS were randomly divided into two groups (n=15 each): Group A, which received intercostal nerve block combined with general anesthesia and group B, which received general anesthesia alone. Intercostal nerve block in group A was performed with 0.5% ropivacaine from T3 to T7 prior to anesthesia induction. In each group, general anesthesia was induced using midazolam, sufentanil, propofol and vecuronium. Central venous blood samples were collected to determine the concentrations of cortisol, glucose, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) at the following time points: During central venous catheterization (T₁), 5 min prior to cardiopulmonary bypass (T₂), perioperative (T₃) and 24 h following surgery (T₄). Clinical data, including parameters of opioid (sufentanil) consumption, time of mechanical ventilation, duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, visual analog scale scores and any complications arising from intercostal nerve block, were recorded. Levels of cortisol, glucose, IL-6 and TNF-α in group A were significantly lower than those in group B at T₂ (all P<0.001; cortisol, P<0.05), T₃ (all P<0.001) and T₄ (all P<0.001; glucose, P<0.05), suggesting that intercostal nerve block combined with general anesthesia may inhibit the stress response to MIMVS. Additionally, intercostal nerve block combined with general anesthesia may significantly reduce sufentanil consumption (P<0.001), promote early tracheal extubation (P<0.001), shorten the duration of ICU stay (P<0.01) and attenuate postoperative pain (P<0.001), compared with general anesthesia alone. Thus, these results suggest that intercostal nerve block combined with general anesthesia conforms to the concept of rapid rehabilitation surgery and may be suitable for clinical practice.

The effect of epidural dexmedetomidine on oxygenation and shunt fraction in patients undergoing thoracotomy and one lung ventilation: A randomized controlled study

Background and Aims:

Role of epidural dexmedetomidine in providing analgesia is well documented, but its effect on oxygenation and shunt fraction is not well established. We studied the hypothesis that epidural dexmedetomidine may improve oxygenation and shunt fraction during one-lung ventilation (OLV).

Material and Methods:

After taking Institutional Ethics Committee approval, sixty patients undergoing thoracotomy and OLV were randomized to receive epidural ropivacaine with saline (RS group) or epidural ropivacaine with dexmedetomidine (RD group). Group RS received 7 ml of ropivacaine 0.5% with 1.5 ml normal saline (NS) bolus while RD group received 7 ml of 0.5% ropivacaine with 1 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine reconstituted in 1.5 ml NS. This was followed by infusion of 5 ml/h of 0.5% ropivacaine in RS group and 5 ml/h of 0.5% ropivacaine containing 0.2 mcg/kg of dexmedetomidine in RD group. Arterial and central venous blood gas parameters were obtained 15 minutes after intubation during two lung ventilation (TLV15), 15 and 45 min after OLV (OLV15, OLV45) and 15 minutes after reinstitution of two lung ventilation (ReTLV).

Results:

RD group had better oxygenation (254.2 ± 72.3 mmHg, 240.60 ± 59.26 mmHg) as compared to RS group (215.2 ± 64.3 mmHg, 190.7 ± 61.48 mmHg) at OLV15 (P – 0.04) and OLV45 (P – 0.004) respectively. Shunt fraction in RD group was (30.31 ± 7.89%, 33.76 ± 8.89%) and (35.14 ± 7.58%, 39.57 ± 13.03%) in RS group at OLV15 and OLV45, respectively. The increase in the shunt fraction from TLV15 was significantly greater in RS group than RD group both at OLV15 (P – 0.03) and OLV45 (P – 0.03). The sevoflurane and fentanyl requirement was lower in RD group.

Conclusion:

Epidural dexmedetomidine improves oxygenation and reduces shunt fraction during OLV, in patients undergoing thoracotomy. It also reduces intraoperative anesthetic and analgesic requirement.

The effects of thoracic epidural analgesia on oxygenation and pulmonary shunt fraction during one-lung ventilation: an meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The aim of our study is to compare the effects of thoracic epidural analgesia combined with general anesthesia (GA) vs. general anesthesia on oxygenation and pulmonary shunt fraction during one-lung ventilation (OLV).

METHODS

Literature research was firstly conducted for studies related to comparison of epidural anesthesia combined with GA vs. GA with reporting of hemodynamic and oxygenation variables and published from Jan 1990 to Jan 2014 in EMBAS, MEDLINE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. The studies were reviewed and data were extracted and analyzed using fixed-effect and random-effect models.

RESULTS

There are 14 trials with 60 separate comparisons enrolling 653 patients for analysis. Regarding systemic hemodynamics, thoracic epidural analgesia decreased the mean arterial pressure and mean pulmonary arterial pressure with weighted mean difference 95% confidence interval (-6.64 [-9.57 to -3.71] vs. -6.33 [-9.25 to -3.41] and -3.18 [-5.07 to -1.28] vs. -2.05 [-3.35 to -0.75]) respectively at the two measurements time, however, only decreasing heart rate and systemic vascular resistance (-3.28 [-5.98 to -0.67] and -319.99 [-447.05 to -192.94]) over the first 30 min after OLV. For oxygenation variables, thoracic epidural analgesia is associated with significant reduction in partial arterial oxygen pressure, mixed arterial saturation of oxygenation and increased pulmonary venous admixture fraction compared to general anesthesia with weighted mean difference 95% confidence interval (-16.52 [-21.98 to - 11.05] vs. - 14.23 [-20.81 to - 7.65]), (0.74 [0.33 to 1.15] vs. - 0.63 [-1.23 to -0.04]) and (2.53 [1.35 to 3.72] vs. 2.77 [1.81 to 3.74]) respectively before and after 30 min of one-lung ventilation. A decrease in mixed venous saturation of oxygenation occurred after 30 min of OLV (-2.39 [-3.73 to -0.99]). Besides, a higher mean value of airway pressure was found in the thoracic epidural analgesia with weighted mean difference 95% confidence interval (1.95 [1.61 to 2.28] vs. 0.87 [0.54 to 1.20]) at the measurements.

CONCLUSION

Based on the existing limited data puts forward recommendations for cautious usage of thoracic epidural analgesia in case of underlying risks in lower systemic hemodynamics, decreased partial arterial oxygen pressure but increases pulmonary shunt during one-lung ventilation.

One-lung ventilation and arterial oxygenation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Hypoxemia during one-lung ventilation (OLV) has become less common; however, it may still occur in about 10% of cases. We review recent developments which may affect the incidence and treatment of hypoxemia during OLV.

RECENT FINDINGS

Changes in surgical techniques are affecting oxygenation during OLV. The increased use of the supine position may adversely affect the prevalence of hypoxemia, whereas the increased application of thoracoscopic techniques is limiting the treatment options. Treatment options such as global or selective recruitment maneuvers and drug effects of dexmedetomidine and epoprostenol on arterial oxygenation during OLV are discussed. Capnometry prior to, or early during OLV, may in fact be able to predict the degree of hypoxemia during OLV. Persistent controversies surrounding the effect of epidural anesthesia, ventilatory modalities and gravity are reviewed.

SUMMARY

Interesting concepts have emerged from case reports and small studies on the treatment and prediction of hypoxemia during OLV. Definitive studies on the most effective ventilatory mode remain elusive. End-organ effects of OLV are an exciting new concept that may shape clinical practice and research going forward.