Anesthetic management of a case of Sanjad-Sakati syndrome

Sanjad-Sakati syndrome is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder first described in Saudi Arabia. Anesthetic management of these patients is challenging due to airway difficulties, electrolyte imbalance, growth and mental retardation, and seizures. The anesthetic management of the syndrome is described in this case report.

Perioperative pain management in COVID-19 patients: Considerations and recommendations by the Saudi Anesthesia Society (SAS) and Saudi Society of Pain Medicine (SSPM)

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept across the world over the past few months. Many articles have been published on the safety of anesthetic medications and procedures used in COVID-19 positive patients presenting for surgery. Several other articles covered the chronic pain management aspect during the pandemic. Our review aimed to focus on perioperative pain management for COVID-19 patients. We conducted a literature search for pertinent recent articles that cover considerations and recommendations concerning perioperative pain management in COVID-19 patients. We also searched the literature for the relevant adverse effects of the commonly used medications in the treatment of COVID-19, and their potential drug-drug interactions with the common medications used in perioperative pain management. Professional societies recommend prioritizing regional anesthesia techniques, which have many benefits over other perioperative pain management options. When neuraxial and continuous peripheral nerve block catheters are not an option, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) should be considered if applicable. Many of the medications used for the treatment of COVID-19 and its symptoms can interfere with the metabolism of medications used in perioperative pain management. We formulated an up-to-date guide for anesthesia providers to help them manage perioperative pain in COVID-19 patients presenting for surgery.

Saudi clinical practice guidelines for the treatment and prevention of migraine headache

OBJECTIVE

To develop clinical practice guidelines based on evidence based medicine on the use of abortive and preventive therapies for managing migraine headaches. We formulated these guidelines to offer evidence-based recommendations to improve the knowledge of physicians, healthcare professionals, and policymakers in migraine headache management.

METHOD

A panel of 11 experts from different sectors in Saudi Arabia approved 26 questions on abortive and preventive therapies for migraines. To develop each question, we searched "PubMed" and "Cochrane Library" databases for recent relevant systematic reviews published between 2013 and 2024. We employed the Grading Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodological approach to ensure the certainty of the collated evidence and to formulate the recommendations. The expert panel voted electronically on each recommendation, and a consensus was defined as >70% agreement.

RESULTS

We formulated a total of 26 recommendations. Of these, 14 are focused on abortive therapy for acute migraine attacks, whereas 12 are focused on the prevention of episodic or chronic migraines. These guidelines strongly recommend the use of paracetamol and ibuprofen as the first-line treatment for mild to moderate migraine. Furthermore, we concluded that propranolol should be considered as the first-line preventive intervention for migraine.

CONCLUSION

The Saudi clinical practice guidelines offer systematically validated recommendations of migraine headaches in adults. The recommendations are potentially beneficial for all healthcare professionals managing patients with migraine headaches.