Aim To investigate the efficacy of 0.2 mL vs. 0.6 mL of 2% lidocaine when given as a supplementary intraligamentary injection after a failed inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB). Methodology Ninety-seven adult patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpits received an IANB and root canal treatment was initiated. Pain during treatment was recorded using a visual analogue scale (Heft-Parker VAS). Patients with unsuccessful anaesthesia (n = 78) randomly received intraligamentary injection of either 0.2 mL or 0.6 mL of 2% lidocaine with 1 : 80 000 epinephrine. Root canal treatment was reinitiated. Success after primary injection or supplementary injection was defined as no or mild pain (HP VAS score ≤54 mm) during access preparation and root canal instrumentation. Heart rate was monitored using a finger pulse oximeter. The anaesthetic success rates were analysed with Pearson chisquare test at 5% significance levels. The heart rate changes were analysed using t-tests.Results The intraligamentary injections with 0.2 mL solution gave an anaesthetic success rate of 64%, whilst the 0.6 mL was successful in 84% of cases with failed primary IANB. (v 2 = 4.3, P = 0.03). There was no significant effect of the volume of intraligamentary injection on the change in heart rate.Conclusions Increasing the volume of intraligamentary injection improved the success rates after a failed primary anaesthetic injection.

Background and Aims:Sildenafil is known to reduce pulmonary artery pressure but its role in the perioperative period has not been well studied. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of sildenafil in controlling post-operative pulmonary hypertension in children with pulmonary hypertension undergoing surgeries for correction of ventricular septal defect.Methods:The patients were divided randomly into two groups of thirty each. Group 1 (placebo) received pre-operative placebo and post-operative sildenafil (0.5mg/kg every 6 hrs) while Group 2 (sildenafil) received pre- and post-operative sildenafil (0.5mg/kg every 6 hrs)Results:In the Group 1, systolic pulmonary artery pressure reduced from 81.63 (±12.1) mmHg preoperatively to 79.26 (±11.29) mmHg pre-cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and 56.76 (±11) mmHg (with 10 minutes post-CPB), whereas in Group 2, it reduced from 83.3 (±12.1) before surgery to 68.9 (±11.3) mmHg pre-CPB and after CPB, to 42.2 (±7.6) mmHg (P = 0.001). The mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased from 60.63 (±10.5) mmHg to 42.13 (±8.3) mmHg in the Group 1 whereas it reduced from 54.36 (±10) mmHg to 31.36 (±6.5) mmHg in Group 2 (P = 0.001). The reductions in pulmonary artery/aortic ratio and Intensive Care Unit stay were statistically significant No adverse effects were recorded.Conclusion:The use of perioperative sildenafil has a statistically significant reduction in the mean pulmonary artery pressure without any adverse effects.

Background:Epidural analgesia has become the standard of care for knee replacement surgeries worldwide. Bupivacaine has been used successfully for many years. Epidural ropivacaine is now being used increasingly and seems to have benefits other than just pain relief, in terms of a better safety profile.Aim:To compare the efficacy of bupivacaine 0.125% (Group B) versus two concentrations of ropivacaine 0.1% (Group R1) and 0.2% (Group R2), in terms of pain scores, requirement of rescue analgesia, related adverse effects, and duration of postoperative (PO) hospital stay.Materials and Methods:A retrospective study was conducted from the acute pain service data of patients who underwent joint replacement surgeries in one or both limbs, over a span of 6 months. Patients were allocated to and analyzed under one of the three groups based on the drug concentration used postoperatively by epidural infusion. Data retrieved were demographic data, daily average visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, rescue analgesia given, adverse effects, and PO hospital stay days for all three groups.Results:Demographic data were comparable between the three groups. Daily average VAS pain scores on days 1 and 2 were significantly higher in Group R1. Groups B and R2 were comparable. There was significantly more requirement of rescue analgesia in Group R1 on day 1. Day 2 showed no significant difference in rescue analgesic requirement in all three groups. Days of PO hospital stay were significantly higher in Group R1. Adverse effects such as hypotension and delayed motor block were higher in Group B.Conclusion:Ropivacaine 0.2% and bupivacaine 0.125% were equally efficacious in terms of VAS pain scores, rescue analgesic requirement, and duration of PO hospital stay, but ropivacaine had a better safety profile in terms of less hypotension and lesser motor block.

Background:“Code blue” (CB) is a popular hospital emergency code, which is used by hospitals to alert their emergency response team of any cardiorespiratory arrest. The factors affecting the outcomes of emergencies are related to both the patient and the nature of the event. The primary objective was to analyze the survival rate and factors associated with survival and also practical problems related to functioning of a CB system (CBS).Materials and Methods:After the approval of hospital ethics committee, an analysis and audit was conducted of all patients on whom a CB had been called in our tertiary care hospital over 24 months. Data collected were demographic data, diagnosis, time of cardiac arrest and activation of CBS, time taken by CBS to reach the patient, presenting rhythm on arrival of CB team, details of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) such as duration and drugs given, and finally, events and outcomes. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data.Results:A total of 720 CB calls were initiated during the period. After excluding 24 patients, 694 calls were studied and analyzed. Six hundred and twenty were true calls and 74 were falls calls. Of the 620, 422 were cardiac arrests and 198 were medical emergencies. Overall survival was 26%. Survival in patients with cardiac arrests was 11.13%. Factors such as age, presenting rhythm, and duration of CPR were found to have a significant effect on survival. Problems encountered were personnel and equipment related.Conclusion:A CBS is effective in improving the resuscitation efforts and survival rates after inhospital cardiac arrests. Age, presenting rhythm at the time of arrest, and duration of CPR have significant effect on survival of the patient after a cardiac arrest. Technical and staff-related problems need to be considered and improved upon.