The clinical benefits to be expected from intraoperative nociception monitors are currently under investigation. Among these devices, the Analgesia Nociception-Index (ANI) has shown promising results under sevoflurane anesthesia. Our study investigated ANI-guided remifentanil administration under propofol anesthesia. We hypothesized that ANI guidance would result in reduced remifentanil consumption compared with standard management. This prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blinded, bi-centric study included women undergoing elective gynecologic surgery under target-controlled infusion of propofol and remifentanil. Patients were randomly assigned to an ANI or Standard group. In the ANI group, remifentanil target concentration was adjusted by 0.5 ng mL−1 steps every 5 min according to the ANI value. In the Standard group, remifentanil was managed according to standard practice. Our primary objective was to compare remifentanil consumption between the groups. Our secondary objectives were to compare the quality of anesthesia, postoperative analgesia and the incidence of chronic pain. Eighty patients were included. Remifentanil consumption was lower in the ANI group: 4.4 (3.3; 5.7) vs. 5.8 (4.9; 7.1) µg kg−1 h−1 (difference = −1.4 (95% CI, −2.6 to −0.2), p = 0.0026). Propofol consumption was not different between the groups. Postoperative pain scores were low in both groups. There was no difference in morphine consumption 24 h after surgery. The proportion of patients reporting pain 3 months after surgery was 18.8% in the ANI group and 30.8% in the Standard group (difference = −12.0 (95% CI, −32.2 to 9.2)). ANI guidance resulted in lower remifentanil consumption compared with standard practice under propofol anesthesia. There was no difference in short- or long-term postoperative analgesia.

Background There is no defined gold standard for pain management after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for pneumothorax. In addition to systemic analgesia, various loco-regional analgesic techniques have been proposed but remain poorly evaluated in this context. We aimed to assess the analgesic efficacy of several of these techniques for the management of postoperative pain. Methods We conducted a monocentric prospective observational cohort study from February 2017 to April 2018 in patients suffering from spontaneous pneumothorax and scheduled for VATS ( n = 59). Patients received systemic analgesia (i) alone ( n = 15); (ii) combined with a continuous paravertebral block ( n = 9); (iii) combined with a continuous serratus plane block ( n = 19); or (iv) single-shot serratus plane block ( n = 16) as decided by the attending physician. Pain scores and analgesic-related side effects were prospectively collected by an independent observer during the first postoperative 72 h. The primary endpoint criterion was the cumulative oral morphine consumption at the end of the third postoperative day. Statistical analysis used univariate and multivariate step-by-step forward logistic regression models to determine risk factors associated with the main criteria. Results Mean pain scores and morphine consumption were not significantly different between the 4 groups. In the multivariate analysis, the use of a continuous serratus plane block through a catheter was the only technique associated with a reduced incidence of high-dose oral morphine consumption (OR 0.09–95%CI [0.01–0.79], p = 0.03). Conclusion This study suggests that serratus plane block combined with continuous infusion through a catheter may have some benefits, although further studies are needed to confirm these results and determine the true place of the serratus plane block in pain management after VATS for pneumothorax.

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Background: The respiratory consequences of daily nursing care interventions in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are not clearly established. Aims and objectives:The main objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of alveolar collapse analysis by the measurement of lung impedance distribution technique during nursing care in patients with ARDS.Design: Prospective observational pilot physiologic study in a surgical intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital including adult intubated patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS.Methods: Each patient was monitored for 12 hours using a chest impedance device.Daily care interventions studied were as follows: endotracheal suctioning, mouth care, bed-bathing, and blood sampling. The primary endpoint was the variation in end-expiratory lung impedance (reflecting functional residual capacity) before and 1, 5, 15, and 30 minutes after nursing care interventions. Data are presented as median (interquartile-range).Results: One hundred and eight events were collected in 18 patients. Endotracheal suctioning (n = 42), mouth care (n = 26), and bed-bathing (n = 23