Epidural anaesthesia restores pancreatic microcirculation and decreases the severity of acute pancreatitis

Thoracic epidural analgesia in intensive care unit patients with acute pancreatitis: the EPIPAN multicenter randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Findings from preclinical studies and one pilot clinical trial suggest potential benefits of epidural analgesia in acute pancreatitis. We aimed to assess the efficacy of thoracic epidural analgesia, in addition to usual care, in improving clinical outcomes of intensive care unit patients with acute pancreatitis.

METHODS

A multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled trial including adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute pancreatitis upon admission to the intensive care unit. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to a strategy combining thoracic epidural analgesia and usual care (intervention group) or a strategy of usual care alone (control group). The primary outcome was the number of ventilator-free days from randomization until day 30.

RESULTS

Between June 2014 and January 2019, 148 patients were enrolled, and 135 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis, with 65 patients randomly assigned to the intervention group and 70 to the control group. The number of ventilator-free days did not differ significantly between the intervention and control groups (median [interquartile range], 30 days [15-30] and 30 days [18-30], respectively; median absolute difference of - 0.0 days, 95% CI - 3.3 to 3.3; p = 0.59). Epidural analgesia was significantly associated with longer duration of invasive ventilation (median [interquartile range], 14 days [5-28] versus 6 days [2-13], p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

In a population of intensive care unit adults with acute pancreatitis and low requirement for intubation, this first multicenter randomized trial did not show the hypothesized benefit of epidural analgesia in addition to usual care. Safety of epidural analgesia in this setting requires further investigation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT02126332 , April 30, 2014.

The safety and efficacy of epidural anaesthesia in acute pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Acute pancreatitis (AP) has variable clinical courses. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the safety, efficacy, and impact of epidural anaesthesia (EA) use in AP.

METHODS

The PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched between 1980 and 2022 using the PRISMA guidelines, to identify observational and comparative studies reporting on EA in AP. The meta-analysis was performed in R Foundation for Statistical Computing using the meta R Package for Meta-Analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 9 studies with 2006 patients of which 726 (36%) patients had EA were included. All studies demonstrated high safety and feasibility of EA in AP with no reported major local or neurological complications. One randomised controlled trial demonstrated an improvement in pain severity using a 0-10 visual analogue scale (VAS) at the outset (1.6 in EA vs 3.5 in non-EA, P = 0.02) and on day 10 (0.2 in EA vs 2.33 in non-EA, P = 0.034). There was also improvement in pancreatic perfusion with EA measured with computerised tomography 13 (43%) in EA vs 2 (7%) in non-EA, P = 0.003. The need for ventilatory support and overall mortality was lower in EA patients 40 (19%) vs 285 (24%) P = 0.025 (OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.28-0.84) and 16 (7%) vs 214 (20%), P = 0.050 (OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.15-1.00), respectively.

CONCLUSION

EA is infrequently used for pain management in AP and yet the available evidence suggests that it is safe and effective in reducing pain severity, improving pancreatic perfusion, and decreasing mortality.

Epidural Analgesia for Pain Management in Acute Pancreatitis during Pregnancy and Its Effect on Maternal and Fetal Outcome

Background

Acute pancreatitis (AP) during pregnancy is a rare presentation with an estimated incidence of 1 case per 1000 to 10,000 pregnancies. Severe epigastric and abdominal pain is the earliest and the most common symptom of AP, and adequate pain relief is an integral part of patient management. The aim of our study was to investigate the different pain relief modalities that are used in pregnant women with AP and the efficacy of each method used, in terms of better pain relief and maternal-fetal outcomes.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study over a period of 6 years conducted at a tertiary care hospital. Pregnant women with clinical and biochemical diagnoses of acute pancreatitis were included in the study. Patient's history and clinical and biochemical data were collected from the medical records of the hospital.

Results

A total of 12 patients were included in the study, 5 out of 12 patients had gall stones associated with AP, 2 patients had hypertriglyceridemia, and 1 each had preeclampsia and eclampsia. Epidural analgesia at the level of L1-L2 spinal level showed a reduction of VAS scores from 8 or 9 to 1 or 2, indicating excellent pain as compared to t intravenous (i/v) infusion of fentanyl or i/v boluses of injection tramadol, in whom VAS was never reduced below 3. With satisfactory results, labour analgesia and anesthesia for caesarean section was provided via the same catheter in 2 and 3 patients, respectively. Maternal and fetal outcomes were comparable in all the patients.

Conclusion

AP in pregnancy, when diagnosed early and managed accordingly, leads to better maternal and fetal outcomes. Epidural analgesia was better than intravenous analgesia in terms of pain management and better recovery of acute pancreatitis patients. In these patients, labour analgesia and anesthesia for caesarean section can be provided through the same catheter, making it a potential novel modality in the treatment of acute pancreatitis in pregnancy.

Impact of early thoracic epidural analgesia in patients with severe acute pancreatitis

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to assess the impact of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

METHODS

This is a single-centre retrospective study. In this study, the outcomes of SAP patients were compared between patients received TEA (TEA group) and without TEA (NTEA group). Early TEA was defined as TEA performed within 48 hours after onset. The main outcome was the mortality at 30 days after ICU admission, and secondary outcomes included the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the acute renal injury (AKI) and sepsis, the hospital stay and hospitalization expenses.

RESULTS

The mortality of SAP patients in TEA versus NTEA was 8.0% and 13.3% (p = .1520). Multivariate regression analysis showed significant difference in mortality between the TEA and NTEA groups (OR, 0.387; 95% CI, 0.168-0.892; p = .026). The incidence of ARDS in TEA versus NTEA was 46.0% and 62.4% (p = .0044); the proportion of patients requiring invasive ventilator assisted ventilation in TEA, and NTEA was 22.6% and 39.2% (p = .0016). The incidence of AKI in TEA versus NTEA was 27.7% and 45.3% (p = .0044); the proportion of patients needing for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in TEA and NTEA was 48.2% and 74.0% (p < .0001). The mortality of SAP patients in early TEA versus NTEA was 4.8% and 15.3% (p = .0263).

CONCLUSIONS

TEA was associated with low incidence of ARDS and AKI in patients with SAP. Early TEA may benefit mortality in SAP patients and is a possible protective factor for the mortality of SAP patients.

Efficacy and Safety of Thoracic Epidural Analgesia in Patients With Acute Pancreatitis: A Narrative Review

Patients admitted to the intensive care unit with moderate to severe acute pancreatitis carry significant morbidity and mortality. A few unfortunate patients in whom the initial line of treatment fails to show clinical improvement develop multiorgan dysfunction involving lungs (adult respiratory distress syndrome), renal failure, intra-abdominal infections, sepsis, and septic shock, which ultimately leads to prolonged hospitalization and a substantial cost of treatment. The acute abdominal pain experienced by these patients is excruciating and requires multimodal analgesia. Continuous epidural analgesia has been found to provide good quality, opioid-sparing analgesia in these patients. A few studies have also demonstrated that segmental sympathectomy resulting from epidural blockade could lead to lowering of serum amylase and lipase levels improve paralytic ileus, and thus hastens the process of recovery. The present paper aims to discuss the advantages of continuous epidural analgesia in patients with acute pancreatitis of varying severity and to review the existing literature using specific keywords.

Fentanyl but Not Morphine or Buprenorphine Improves the Severity of Necrotizing Acute Pancreatitis in Rats

Opioids are widely used for the pain management of acute pancreatitis (AP), but their impact on disease progression is unclear. Therefore, our aim was to study the effects of clinically relevant opioids on the severity of experimental AP. Various doses of fentanyl, morphine, or buprenorphine were administered as pre- and/or post-treatments in rats. Necrotizing AP was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of L-ornithine-HCl or intra-ductal injection of Na-taurocholate, while intraperitoneal caerulein administration caused edematous AP. Disease severity was determined by laboratory and histological measurements. Mu opioid receptor (MOR) expression and function was assessed in control and AP animals. MOR was expressed in both the pancreas and brain. The pancreatic expression and function of MOR were reduced in AP. Fentanyl post-treatment reduced necrotizing AP severity, whereas pre-treatment exacerbated it. Fentanyl did not affect the outcome of edematous AP. Morphine decreased vacuolization in edematous AP, while buprenorphine pre-treatment increased pancreatic edema during AP. The overall effects of morphine on disease severity were negligible. In conclusion, the type, dosing, administration route, and timing of opioid treatment can influence the effects of opioids on AP severity. Fentanyl post-treatment proved to be beneficial in AP. Clinical studies are needed to determine which opioids are best in AP.

Epidural catheters are associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism in trauma

Little is known about the association between epidural catheters (EC) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) in trauma. We sought to study this association and hypothesized that trauma patients with EC were more likely to develop VTE. Using the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcomes Study (PTOS) registry, we identified all adult trauma patients (age ≥ 18) admitted for at least 2 days between 1/2013 and 12/2017. Baseline characteristics and outcome variables were compared between patients who underwent EC placement and those who did not. The primary outcome was development of VTE. 147,721 patients met inclusion criteria; 2247 (1.5%) developed a VTE. Patients were mostly white (85%), male (56%), with blunt trauma (94%). 776 (0.5%) had an EC placed. Patients who underwent EC placement were more likely to develop a VTE (2.8% vs. 1.5%, p = 0.003). After adjusting for covariates, patients with EC were 1.6 times more likely to develop VTE (95% CI 1.1-2.5). The overall rate of VTE was low and associated with the use of EC. Future work should focus on determining the underlying mechanisms.

Early postoperative pancreatitis following pancreaticoduodenectomy: what is clinically relevant postoperative pancreatitis?

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Postoperative pancreatitis (POP) has recently been shown to be the cause of pancreatic fistula (POPF) following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). The aim of the present study was to document the perioperative outcome associated with POP and determine potential risk factors for POP.

METHODS

Patients undergoing PD between 2009 and 2015 were identified from the prospective data base at a single center. The previous suggested definition of POP by Connor was used. Complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification and by the grading proposed for POP. Risk factors for POP were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Of 190 patients, a total of 100 patients (53%) developed POP of whom 22 (12%) and 13 (7%) had grade B and grade C complications, respectively. Elevated serum CRP-levels on postoperative day (POD) 2 and elevated serum lipase on POD 1 were associated with onset of cr-POP.

CONCLUSION

The proposed definition of POP constitutes a valuable tool to assess a serious pancreatic-surgery associated complication. Routine serum CRP and serum lipase levels on the first two postoperative days enable sufficient discrimination of clinically relevant POP.

Thoracic Epidural Analgesia for Severe Acute Pancreatitis: Quo Vadis Intensivist?

How to cite this article: Govil D, Shafi M. Thoracic Epidural Analgesia for Severe Acute Pancreatitis: Quo Vadis Intensivist? Indian J of Crit Care Med 2019;23(2):59-60.

Effect of Segmental Thoracic Epidural Block on Pancreatitisinduced Organ Dysfunction: A Preliminary Study

BACKGROUND

This preliminary randomized controlled study evaluated effect of thoracic epidural block (TEB) on progression of acute pancreatitis induced organ dysfunction/failure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis, without contraindication to TEB were randomized to receive (group TE) or not receive a TEB (group NTE) (n = 16 each). For group TE, TEB was performed at T8-9 or T9-10 vertebral level, with infusion of ropivacaine (0.2%) along with fentanyl 2 µg/mL; in group NTE, intravenous morphine was used instead, both interventions titrated to NRS of <4. SOFA score was assessed daily till discharge from ICU, and aggregate SOFA calculated by summing worst scores for each of organ system during ICU stay as primary outcome measure. Other surrogate measures of patient outcome were recorded as secondary objectives.

RESULTS

Aggregate SOFA score was statistically similar between both groups (group NTE: 3 [2 - 4]; group TE: 5 [2 - 6]) (P = 0.379); but there was trend of improvement in SOFA score in group TE versus a worsening in group NTE. Duration of hospital stay, and number of patients requiring mechanical ventilation were statistically similar; mortality was insignificantly lesser for group TE (12.5% versus 6.6%; p = 1.000). Fall in serum procalcitonin was significantly greater for group TE.

CONCLUSION

Thoracic epidural was associated with insignificant clinical trend towards better organ functions and lesser mortality; along with significantly greater fall in serum procalcitonin. These are encouraging results that could guide future use of thoracic epidural in acute pancreatitis for its non-analgesic benefits.

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE

Tyagi A, Gupta YR et al. Effect of Segmental Thoracic Epidural Block on Pancreatitis Induced Organ Dysfunction: A Preliminary Study. Indian J of Crit Care Med 2019;23(2):89-94.

Thoracic epidural anaesthesia reduces insulin resistance and inflammatory response in experimental acute pancreatitis

AIMS

The activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is crucial at an early stage in the development of an inflammatory reaction. A study of metabolic events globally and locally in the early phase of acute pancreatitis (AP), implying hampered SNS activity, is lacking. We hypothesized that thoracic epidural anaesthesia (TEA) modulates the inflammatory response and alleviates the severity of AP in pigs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The taurocholate (TC) group (n = 8) had only TC AP. The TC + TEA group (n = 8) had AP and TEA. A control group (n = 8) underwent all the preparations, without having AP or TEA. Metabolic changes in the pancreas were evaluated by microdialysis and by histopathological examination.

RESULTS

The relative increase in serum lipase concentrations was more pronounced in the TC group than in TC + TEA and control groups. A decrease in relative tissue oxygen tension (PtiO₂) levels occurred one hour later in the TC + TEA group than in the TC group. The maintenance of normoglycaemia in the TC group required a higher glucose infusion rate than in the TC + TEA group. The relative decrease in serum insulin concentrations was most pronounced in the TC + TEA group.

CONCLUSION

TEA attenuates the development of AP, as indicated by changes observed in haemodynamic parameters and by the easier maintenance of glucose homeostasis. Further, TEA was associated with attenuated insulin resistance and fewer local pathophysiological events.

Acute Pancreatitis: Etiology, Pathology, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Acute pancreatitis is a fascinating disease. In the United States, the two most common etiologies of acute pancreatitis are gallstones and excessive alcohol consumption. The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is made with a combination of history, physical examination, computed tomography scan, and laboratory evaluation. Differentiating patients who will have a benign course of their pancreatitis from patients who will have severe pancreatitis is challenging to the clinician. C-reactive protein, pro-calcitonin, and the Bedside Index for Severity of Acute Pancreatitis appeared to be the best tools for the early and accurate diagnosis of severe pancreatitis. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy is indicated for patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis. For patients who are going to have a prolonged hospitalization, enteral nutrition is preferred. Total parenteral nutrition should be reserved for patients who cannot tolerate enteral nutrition. Prophylactic antibiotics are not indicated for patients with pancreatic necrosis. Surgical intervention for infected pancreatic necrosis should be delayed as long as possible to improve patient outcomes.

Serotonin, calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide in acute pancreatitis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate plasma levels of serotonin, calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the course of acute pancreatitis (AP) taking organ failure, etiology and severity into consideration.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sixty consecutive patients with alcohol- or gallstone-induced AP were included over a 15-month period. Patients were treated according to a standardized algorithm and monitored for organ specific morbidity and mortality. Organ functions and blood samples were assessed on days 0, 1, 2 and 14 after hospital admission. Twenty healthy volunteers, matched for age and gender, comprised the reference group.

RESULTS

Lower levels of serotonin were observed in patients at admission compared to healthy volunteers (p = .021). Serotonin levels increased from day 2 to 14 (p < .001), but with no relation to severity, etiology or organ failure. No difference in calcitonin levels was found in patients at admission compared to healthy volunteers. However, calcitonin levels decreased over time (p < .001) and higher levels were found in patients with respiratory failure (p = .039). No difference was observed in relation to severity or etiology. CGRP levels in patients at admission did not differ from healthy volunteers, nor did CGRP change over time or show any relationship to severity, etiology or organ failure.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest serotonin and calcitonin levels to be associated to time-course of AP, and calcitonin levels to organ dysfunction. We hypothesize that serotonin plays a pathogenic role in the compromised pancreatic microcirculation, and calcitonin a role as a biomarker of severity in AP.

Epidural analgesia in critically ill patients with acute pancreatitis: the multicentre randomised controlled EPIPAN study protocol

BACKGROUND

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is associated with high morbidity and mortality in its most severe forms. Most patients with severe AP require intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation, frequently for more than 7 days, which is associated with the worst outcome. Recent increasing evidence from preclinical and clinical studies support the beneficial effects of epidural analgesia (EA) in AP, such as increased gut barrier function and splanchnic, pancreatic and renal perfusion, decreased liver damage and inflammatory response, and reduced mortality. Because recent studies suggest that EA might be a safe procedure in the critically ill, we sought to determine whether EA reduced AP-associated respiratory failure and other major clinical outcomes in patients with AP.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The Epidural Analgesia for Pancreatitis (EPIPAN) trial is an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicentre, randomised controlled two-arm trial with assessor-blinded outcome assessment. The EPIPAN trial will randomise 148 patients with AP requiring admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) to receive EA (with patient-controlled epidural administration of ropivacaine and sufentanil) combined with standard care based on current recommendations on the treatment of AP (interventional group), or standard care alone (reference group). The primary outcome is the number of ventilator-free days at day 30. Secondary outcomes include main complications of AP (eg, organ failure and mortality, among others), levels of biological markers of systemic inflammation, epithelial lung injury, renal failure, and healthcare-associated costs.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study was approved by the appropriate ethics committee (CPP Sud-Est VI). Informed consent is required. If the combined application of EA and standard care proves superior to standard care alone in patients with AP in the ICU, the use of EA may become standard practice in experienced centres, thereby decreasing potential complications related to AP and its burden in critically ill patients. The results will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02126332.

Thoracic epidural analgesia: a new approach for the treatment of acute pancreatitis?

This review article analyzes, through a nonsystematic approach, the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis (AP) with a focus on the effects of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) on the disease. The benefit-risk balance is also discussed. AP has an overall mortality of 1 %, increasing to 30 % in its severe form. The systemic inflammation induces a strong activation of the sympathetic system, with a decrease in the blood flow supply to the gastrointestinal system that can lead to the development of pancreatic necrosis. The current treatment for severe AP is symptomatic and tries to correct the systemic inflammatory response syndrome or the multiorgan dysfunction. Besides the removal of gallstones in biliary pancreatitis, no satisfactory causal treatment exists. TEA is widely used, mainly for its analgesic effect. TEA also induces a targeted sympathectomy in the anesthetized region, which results in splanchnic vasodilatation and an improvement in local microcirculation. Increasing evidence shows benefits of TEA in animal AP: improved splanchnic and pancreatic perfusion, improved pancreatic microcirculation, reduced liver damage, and significantly reduced mortality. Until now, only few clinical studies have been performed on the use of TEA during AP with few available data regarding the effect of TEA on the splanchnic perfusion. Increasing evidence suggests that TEA is a safe procedure and could appear as a new treatment approach for human AP, based on the significant benefits observed in animal studies and safety of use for human. Further clinical studies are required to confirm the clinical benefits observed in animal studies.

Epidural anesthesia improves pancreatic perfusion and decreases the severity of acute pancreatitis

AIM: To study the safety of epidural anesthesia (EA), its effect on pancreatic perfusion and the outcome of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP).

METHODS: From 2005 to August 2010, patients with predicted severe AP [Ranson score ≥ 2, C-reactive protein > 100 or necrosis on computed tomography (CT)] were prospectively randomized to either a group receiving EA or a control group treated by patient controlled intravenous analgesia. Pain management was evaluated in the two groups every eight hours using the visual analog pain scale (VAS). Parameters for clinical severity such as length of hospital stay, use of antibiotics, admission to the intensive care unit, radiological/clinical complications and the need for surgical necrosectomy including biochemical data were recorded. A CT scan using a perfusion protocol was performed on admission and at 72 h to evaluate pancreatic blood flow. A significant variation in blood flow was defined as a 20% difference in pancreatic perfusion between admission and 72 h and was measured in the head, body and tail of the pancreas.

RESULTS: We enrolled 35 patients. Thirteen were randomized to the EA group and 22 to the control group. There were no differences in demographic characteristics between the two groups. The Balthazar radiological severity score on admission was higher in the EA group than in the control group (mean score 4.15 ± 2.54 vs 3.38 ± 1.75, respectively, P = 0.347) and the median Ranson scores were 3.4 and 2.7 respectively (P = NS). The median duration of EA was 5.7 d, and no complications of the epidural procedure were reported. An improvement in perfusion of the pancreas was observed in 13/30 (43%) of measurements in the EA group vs 2/27 (7%) in the control group (P = 0.0025). Necrosectomy was performed in 1/13 patients in the EA group vs 4/22 patients in the control group (P = 0.63). The VAS improved during the first ten days in the EA group compared to the control group (0.2 vs 2.33, P = 0.034 at 10 d). Length of stay and mortality were not statistically different between the 2 groups (26 d vs 30 d, P = 0.65, and 0% for both respectively).

CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that EA increases arterial perfusion of the pancreas and improves the clinical outcome of patients with AP.

Pathophysiological Effects of Pancreatic Sympathetic Denervation in Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis in Dogs

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the greater splanchnic nerve (GSN) transection on the pathophysiological process of acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP).

METHODS

The dogs were divided into a sham operation (SO) group, ANP group, and ANP with bilateral GSN transection (GSNT) group. Dogs in the GSNT group underwent bilateral GSNT immediately after ANP induction. The levels of serum pancreatic amylase (AMY), calcium, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HCRP), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 10 (IL-10), and neutrophile granulocyte (NEU) counts were monitored dynamically, and the pathological examinations of the pancreas was performed at postoperative day 7.

RESULTS

All the parameters among the 3 groups showed no differences before the experiment (P > 0.05). At different postoperative times, the NEU count and serum AMY, TNF-α, HCRP, and IL-10 were significantly increased; however, the serum calcium had decreased in the ANP group versus SO (P < 0.05). The postoperative serum IL-10 and calcium levels were higher, and TNF-α, HCRP, and NEU counts were lower in the GSNT group compared with those in the ANP group (P < 0.05); as for AMY, no significant difference was found between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). The pancreas pathological scoring of the GSNT group was lower versus the ANP group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Greater splanchnic nerve transection can alleviate development of pathophysiological processes in ANP.

Beneficial effect of splanchnic nerve transection and harmful effect of vagotomy on acute necrotizing pancreatitis in the dog

BACKGROUND

The nervous system interacts dynamically with the immune system to modulate inflammation through humoral and neural pathways. However, the influence of visceral nerve (VN) on acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) has drawn little attention.

AIM

To investigate the influence of VN on the pathophysiological process of ANP in dogs.

METHODS

The dogs were divided into a sham operation (SO) group, ANP group, ANP + vagal nerve trunk transection (VNTT) group, and ANP + greater splanchnic nerve transection (GSNT) group. The VNTT and GSNT groups underwent VNTT and GSNT respectively immediately after ANP induction. The levels of serum pancreatic amylase (AMY), calcium, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HCRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were monitored dynamically and the pathological examinations of the pancreas was performed at postoperative day 7.

RESULTS

All serum parameters among the four groups showed no differences before the experiment (p > 0.05). At different postoperative times, the serum TNF-α, IL-1β, HCRP, and AMY were significantly increased, however, the serum calcium and IL-10 had dropped in the ANP group versus SO group (p < 0.05); an alike variation trend occurred between the VNTT group and ANP group (p < 0.05); an opposite variation trend occurred between the GSNT group and the ANP group (p < 0.05). The pancreas pathological scoring of VNTT group was highest in the four groups (p < 0.05) and GSNT group was lower versus ANP group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The GSNT has been shown to alleviate development of ANP, however, VNTT may exacerbate the ANP.

No signs of inflammation during knee surgery with ischemia: a study involving inhaled nitric oxide

Nitric oxide donors and inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) may decrease ischemia/reperfusion injury as reported in animal and human models. We investigated whether the attenuation of reperfusion injury, seen by others, in patients undergoing knee arthroplasty could be reproduced when patients had spinal anesthesia. 45 consecutive patients were randomized into three groups (n = 15). Groups 1 and 3 were receiving iNO 80 ppm or placebo (nitrogen, N₂) throughout the entire operation, and group 2 only received iNO in the beginning and at the end of the operation. Blood samples were collected before surgery, at the end of the surgery, and 2 hours postoperatively. Muscle biopsies were taken from quadriceps femoris muscle before and after ischemia. There were no increases in plasma levels of soluble adhesion molecules: ICAM, VCAM, P-selectin, E-selectin, or of HMGB1, in any of the groups. There were low numbers of CD68+ macrophages and of endothelial cells expression of ICAM, VCAM, and P-selectin in the muscle analyzed by immunohistochemistry, prior to and after ischemia. No signs of endothelial cell activation or inflammatory response neither systemically nor locally could be detected. The absence of inflammatory response questions this model of ischemia/reperfusion, but may also be related to the choice of anesthetic method EudraCTnr.

Effects of thoracic epidural anesthesia on survival and microcirculation in severe acute pancreatitis: a randomized experimental trial

Introduction

Severe acute pancreatitis is still a potentially life threatening disease with high mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of thoracic epidural anaesthesia (TEA) on survival, microcirculation, tissue oxygenation and histopathologic damage in an experimental animal model of severe acute pancreatitis in a prospective animal study.

Methods

In this study, 34 pigs were randomly assigned into 2 treatment groups. After severe acute pancreatitis was induced by intraductal injection of glycodesoxycholic acid in Group 1 (n = 17) bupivacaine (0.5%; bolus injection 2 ml, continuous infusion 4 ml/h) was applied via TEA. In Group 2 (n = 17) no TEA was applied. During a period of 6 hours after induction, tissue oxygen tension (tpO₂) in the pancreas and pancreatic microcirculation was assessed. Thereafter animals were observed for 7 days followed by sacrification and histopathologic examination.

Results

Survival rate after 7 days was 82% in Group 1 (TEA) versus 29% in Group 2: (Control) (P <0.05). Group 1 (TEA) also showed a significantly superior microcirculation (1,608 ± 374 AU versus 1,121 ± 510 AU; P <0.05) and tissue oxygenation (215 ± 64 mmHg versus 138 ± 90 mmHG; P <0.05) as compared to Group 2 (Control). Consecutively, tissue damage in Group 1 was reduced in the histopathologic scoring (5.5 (3 to 8) versus 8 (5.5 to 10); P <0.05).

Conclusions

TEA led to improved survival, enhanced microcirculatory perfusion and tissue oxygenation and resulted in less histopathologic tissue-damage in an experimental animal model of severe acute pancreatitis.

Regional anesthesia and analgesia in critically ill patients: a systematic review

Regional anesthesia has become invaluable for the treatment of pain during and after a wide range of surgical procedures. However, its benefits in the nonsurgical setting have been less well studied. Regional anesthesia is an appealing modality for critically ill patients, providing focused and sustained pain control with beneficial systemic effect profiles. Indications for regional anesthesia in this patient group are not limited to surgical and postsurgical analgesia but expand to the management of trauma-related issues, medical conditions, and painful procedures at the bedside. Patients in the critical care unit present special challenges to the regional anesthesiologist, including coagulopathies, infections, immunocompromised states, sedation- and ventilation-associated problems, and factors potentially increasing the risk for systemic toxicity. This review is intended to evaluate the role of regional anesthesia in critically ill patients, to discuss potential benefits, and to provide a summary of the published evidence on the subject.

A comparison of the effects of epidural and spinal anesthesia with ischemia-reperfusion injury on the rat transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of spinal and epidural anesthesia on a rat transverse rectus abdominus myocutaneous flap ischemia-reperfusion injury model.Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 experimental groups: group I (n = 10), sham group; group II (n = 10), control group; group III (n = 10), epidural group; and group IV (n = 10), spinal group. After the elevation of the transverse rectus abdominus myocutaneous flaps, all groups except for the sham group were subjected to normothermic no-flow ischemia for 4 hours, followed by a reperfusion period of 2 hours. At the end of the reperfusion period, biochemical and histopathological evaluations were performed on tissue samples.Although there was no significant difference concerning the malonyldialdehyde, nitric oxide, and paraoxonase levels in the spinal and epidural groups, the total antioxidant state levels were significantly increased, and the total oxidative stress levels were significantly decreased in the epidural group in comparison to the spinal group. The pathological evaluation showed that findings related to inflammation, nuclear change rates and hyalinization were significantly higher in the spinal group compared with the epidural group.Epidural anesthesia can be considered as a more suitable method that enables a decrease in ischemia-reperfusion injuries in the muscle flaps.

[Gastrointestinal emergencies - acute pancreatitis]

The acute pancreatitis is a frequent event with an impressive clinical presentation. Specific treatment does not exist. The goals of the medical measures are to ameliorate complaints and to prevent complications. During recent years, insights into adequate treatment have significantly increased. Recommendations on volume therapy have now been specified. Moreover, progress has been made in the efficient employment of nutritional support, imaging and antibiotic treatment. In addition, the treatment of large or infected necrosis has significantly improved. The article reviews the current state-of-the-art care of acute pancreatitis.

Thoracic epidural anesthesia reverses sepsis-induced hepatic hyperperfusion and reduces leukocyte adhesion in septic rats

INTRODUCTION

Liver dysfunction is a common feature of severe sepsis and is associated with a poor outcome. Both liver perfusion and hepatic inflammatory response in sepsis might be affected by sympathetic nerve activity. However, the effects of thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA), which is associated with regional sympathetic block, on septic liver injury are unknown. Therefore, we investigated hepatic microcirculation and inflammatory response during TEA in septic rats.

METHODS

Forty-five male Sprague-Dawley-rats were instrumented with thoracic epidural catheters and randomized to receive a sham procedure (Sham), cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) without epidural anesthesia (Sepsis) and CLP with epidural infusion of 15 ul/h bupivacaine 0.5% (Sepsis + TEA). All animals received 2 ml/100 g/h NaCl 0.9%. In 24 (n = 8 in each group) rats, sinusoidal diameter, loss of sinusoidal perfusion and sinusoidal blood flow as well as temporary and permanent leukocyte adhesion to sinusoidal and venolar endothelium were recorded by intravital microscopy after 24 hours. In 21 (n = 7 in each group) separate rats, cardiac output was measured by thermodilution. Blood pressure, heart rate, serum transaminase activity, serum TNF-alpha concentration and histologic signs of tissue injury were recorded.

RESULTS

Whereas cardiac output remained constant in all groups, sinusoidal blood flow increased in the Sepsis group and was normalized in rats subjected to sepsis and TEA. Sepsis-induced sinusoidal vasoconstriction was not ameliorated by TEA. In the Sepsis + TEA group, the increase in temporary venolar leukocyte adherence was blunted. In contrast to this, sinusoidal leukocyte adherence was not ameliorated in the Sepsis + TEA group. Sepsis-related release of TNF-alpha and liver tissue injury were not affected by Sepsis + TEA.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that TEA reverses sepsis-induced alterations in hepatic perfusion and ameliorates hepatic leukocyte recruitment in sepsis.

Acute pancreatitis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review presents advances in our understanding of the pathobiologic responses of acute pancreatitis from studies using animal models of experimental pancreatitis as well as results of key clinical trials and observations.

RECENT FINDINGS

The reports during the past year show significant advances in our understanding of the pathobiology of acute pancreatitis. In particular, there are findings presented that are relevant to our further understanding of pancreatic intracellular digestive enzyme activation; the pancreatic inflammatory response; and cell death responses such as necrosis as apoptosis. Other reports add to understanding of the control of microcirculatory disturbances in acute pancreatitis, and of the role of the pancreatic neural system in regulating the microcirculation as well as the pain associated with the disorder. Finally, there are clinical trials showing benefits of enteral feeding on outcome of acute pancreatitis as well as the finding that diclofenac prevents endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-induced pancreatitis.

SUMMARY

Our understanding of the mechanistic processes that mediate the pathobiologic responses of pancreatitis is rapidly evolving. In addition, we now have initial evidence for potential treatment strategies for this disorder. Testing treatment strategies will lead to improved therapies and outcomes for patients with acute pancreatitis.