Background: A variety of spinal surgery procedures are performed on patients with different cardiac, vascular, and respiratory comorbidities. Postoperative pain management is a major determinant of hemodynamic and respiratory status in these patients and promotes clinical results, prevents complications, saves health services, and improves the quality of life of patients. Objectives: We compared the effects of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil on pain control after spinal surgery. Methods: Sixty patients aged 18 - 65 years undergoing spinal surgery were randomized into the two groups of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil. The dexmedetomidine group (group D, n = 30) received dexmedetomidine infusion (0.6 mcg/kg/h), and the remifentanil group (group R, n = 30) received remifentanil infusion (0.1 mcg/kg/min) from induction of anesthesia until extubation. Propofol (1.5 mg/kg) and fentanyl (2mcg/kg) were used to initiate anesthesia, and propofol (100 - 150 mcg/kg/min) was infused to maintain anesthesia. Postoperative pain, hemodynamic parameters, and recovery characteristics were evaluated after surgery. Results: The mean pain intensity in the dexmedetomidine group was significantly lower than in the remifentanil group (2.98 ± 1.29 vs. 3.80 ± 1.1; P < 0.001). Hemodynamic changes in the dexmedetomidine group (MAP: 92.60 ± 5.56, HR: 73.07 ± 7) were less, and their condition was significantly more stable than in the remifentanil group (MAP: 93.85 ± 4.78, HR: 79.15 ± 7.03; P < 0.05). The mean arterial oxygen saturation (O2 sat) in the dexmedetomidine group was significantly higher and more stable than in the remifentanil group (98.87 ± 0.51 vs. 97.92 ± 0.46; P < 0.05). The incidence of nausea and vomiting was significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group compared to the remifentanil group (P < 0.05). The administration of analgesics in the post-anesthetic care unit (PACU) was significantly higher in the remifentanil group than the dexmedetomidine group (P = 0.016). Conclusions: Anesthetic maintenance with either dexmedetomidine or remifentanil infusion until extubation provided more smooth and hemodynamically stable conditions, without complications. However, dexmedetomidine provides better analgesia, causes a more stable hemodynamic state, and reduces postoperative nausea-vomiting, shivering, and the need for analgesics.

Background: Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) is a major adverse effect of cardiac surgery. The early detection of this complication can improve the quality of postoperative care and help prevent this phenomenon. Methods: In this prospective descriptive-analytical study, 148 patients were enrolled, 107 of whom were selected for analysis between February and September 2019 in the Cardiac Surgery Unit of Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran. Kidney tissue oxygen saturation was measured at multiple definite times during surgery. Hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and lactate were measured during and 48 hours after the surgery. Results: Forty-one patients were diagnosed with CSA-AKI according to the KDIGO criteria. Parametric and non-parametric analyses showed no significant difference between the CSA-AKI and non-CSA-AKI groups in the demographic parameters. Repeated measures ANOVA showed no significant difference in parameters, except for BUN. Repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant difference between both groups and time factors (P < 0.001, P = 0.0006, respectively). The ROC curve analyses showed that in a single point of time, the difference in the middle of CPB time from baseline had a high value in the prediction of AKI (AUC: 0.764; CI: 0.57 - 0.951). Conclusions: Kidney saturation monitoring could be considered in cardiac surgery for the rapid detection of CSA-AKI. Although kidney tissue saturation is not correlated directly to the arterial oxygen saturation, the physician and the surgery team can predict the chance of acute kidney injury.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of intra-articular injection of fibrinogen on postoperative bleeding following total knee arthroplasty. Methods: A double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 40 patients aged 40 - 70 years under spinal anesthesia candidate for total knee arthroplasty in Golestan hospital, Ahwaz, Iran, in 2017-2018. Patients were divided into fibrinogen intra-articular injection (n = 20) and control (n = 20) groups. The amounts of blood loss and blood transfusion requirement were recorded. Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), international normalized ratio (INR), platelet (PLT), prothrombin time (PT), and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) were recorded before and after the surgery. Results: There was no significant difference in the average amount of intraoperative blood loss between the groups (P > 0.05). The average amount of blood loss 24 hours after the surgery was significantly lower in the fibrinogen group than in the control group (fibrinogen group 350.61 ± 120.32 cc; control group 540.00 ± 170.21 cc; P = 0.0002). There were significant differences in transfusion between the groups (fibrinogen group 250 ± 20 cc; control group 350 ± 50 cc; P < 0.0001). There was a significant difference between the two groups in 24 h postoperative Hb and HCT (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Intra-articular fibrinogen administration may reduce acute bleeding and can be used as an effective intervention to prevent further bleeding and the need for transfusion in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.

Background. Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA –AKI), is a major complication of cardiac surgery. Early detection of this complication can improve the quality of post-operative care and help to prevent this phenomenon.Materials and Methods: 148 patients were enrolled to study and 107 patients were selected for analysis between February and September 2019 in the cardiac surgery unit of Golestan Hospital. Ahvaz. Iran. Kidney tissue oxygen saturation was measured in multiple definite times during surgery. Hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and lactate were measured during and 48 hours after surgery.Results: Forty-one patients were diagnosed of CSA-AKI according to KDIGO criteria. Parametric and non-parametric analyzes significant difference was not detected between CSA-AKI and NON CSA-AKI group in the demographic parameter. Repeated measurement of ANOVA Analysis did not show any significant difference in parameters except for BUN. Repeated measurement of ANOVA showed a significant difference in both groups and time factors (p<0.001, p=0.0006 respectively). ROC curve analyzes showed in a single point of time, difference the middle of CPB time from baseline high-value in the prediction of AKI 0.764 (0.57 to 0.951) (AUC-CI). Conclusion; Kidney saturation monitoring could be considered as routine monitoring in cardiac surgery for the rapid detection of CSA -AKI. Although kidney tissue saturation is not correlated directly to the arterial saturation of oxygen, physician and surgery team could predict the chance of acute kidney injury exposure.