Background:Various analgesic modalities have been used for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery. In this randomized clinical trial, we have compared the analgesic efficacy of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block with that of ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric (IIIH) nerve block with wound infiltration in patients undergoing unilateral open inguinal hernia repair.Aim:The primary objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of postoperative analgesia of ultrasound-guided TAP block and IIIH block with wound infiltration (WI) in patients undergoing open inguinal hernia surgery.Settings and Design:This was a randomized clinical trial performed in a tertiary care hospital.Materials and Methods:Sixty patients scheduled for hernia repair were randomized into two groups, Group T and Group I. Postoperatively, under ultrasound guidance, Group T received 20 ml of 0.25% ropivacaine – TAP block and Group I received 10 ml of 0.25% ropivacaine – IIIH block + WI with 10 ml of 0.25% ropivacaine. The primary outcome measure was the time to rescue analgesia in the first 24 h postoperatively. Fentanyl along with diclofenac was given as first rescue analgesic when the patient complained of pain.Statistical Analysis:Statistical comparisons were performed using Student's t-test and Chi-square test.Results:Mean time to rescue analgesia was 5.900 ± 1.881 h and 3.766 ± 1.754 h (P < 0.001) and the mean pain scores were 5.73 ± 0.784 and 6.03 ± 0.850 for Group TAP and IIIH + WI, respectively. Hemodynamics were stable in both the groups. One-third of the patients received one dose of paracetamol in addition to the rescue analgesic in the first 24 h. There were no complications attributed to the block.Conclusion:As a multimodal analgesic regimen, definitely both TAP block and IIIH block with wound infiltration have a supporting role in providing analgesia in the postoperative period for adult inguinal hernia repair. In this study, ultrasound-guided TAP block provided longer pain control postoperatively than IIIH block with WI after inguinal hernia repair. There were no complications attributed to the blocks in either of the group.

Anesthesia for emergency cesarean section for the pregnant patient with surgically corrected scoliosis is associated with potential risks for both mother and the fetus due to alterations in maternal physiology and the pathological changes seen in scoliosis. The anesthetic management must address the well being of both mother and fetus. The need for anesthesia for obstetric delivery in pregnant women with scoliosis is much more than in the normal parturient. We report the successful use of spinal anesthesia in a patient with surgically corrected scoliosis for emergency cesarean section.

Anaesthetic management of patients with hepatic dysfunction can be quite challenging, as many anaesthetic agents are metabolized by liver. Heart disease on anti coagulation can pose additional challenge. Here we report a case of Gilbert's syndrome with rheumatic heart disease on anti coagulation posted for elective hernia repair.

Background:The analgesic benefit of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks for cesarean delivery remains controversial. In our study, we compared the analgesic efficacy of TAP block using local anesthetic bupivacaine and adjunct fentanyl with bupivacaine alone in patients undergoing elective cesarean section.Methods:Our study was a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial where sixty patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery under subarachanoid block (2 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine) were randomized into two groups, A and B. At the end of the surgical procedure, bilateral TAP block was performed guided by the ultrasound. Group A received 38 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine and 2 ml of 50 μg of fentanyl, whereas Group B received 38 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine + 2 ml of normal saline. The total volume was divided equally and administered bilaterally. Each patient was assessed for 24 h after TAP block, for time to rescue analgesia, pain using visual analog scale (VAS) score at rest and on movement, hemodynamic parameters (heart rate and blood pressure), nausea, vomiting, and sedation. Diclofenac 75 mg was given as rescue analgesia when the patient complained of pain or when VAS score >4.Results:Prolonged postoperative analgesia was noticed with both the groups, with a mean time to rescue analgesia of approximately 6.5 h. There was no significant difference in time to rescue analgesia (6.49 ± 0.477 vs. 6.5 ± 0.480) when both the groups were compared among themselves. The pain scores among the two groups when compared did not show any added benefit. Incidence of nausea, vomiting, and sedation when compared between both the groups showed no difference.Conclusion:The TAP block as a part of a multimodal analgesic regimen definitely has a role in providing superior analgesia in the postoperative period. However, adjunct fentanyl to local anesthetic bupivacaine was found to have no added advantage when quality and duration of analgesia was compared.

Interference of monitored electrocardiogram (ECG) is a common event in intensive care units and operation theaters. Artifacts in the ECG tracing can resemble serious arrhythmia, thus leading to unnecessary usage of antiarrhythmics or electrical defibrillation. In addition, ECG artifacts may lead to serious hemodynamic consequences secondary to intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) trigger failure. We report a rare event of IABP failure due to ECG artifact, which appeared on placement of the transthoracic echocardiography probe over the chest. Subsequent evaluation revealed potential current leakage from echocardiography machine secondary to earthing defect in the machine.