Objective: Postoperative pain after craniotomy is a significant clinical problem that is sometimes underestimated, although moderate or severe pain in early postoperative period complicates up to 60% of cases. The purpose of this prospective randomized multicenter trial was to determine the optimal timing for selective scalp block in patients undergoing general anesthesia for supratentorial craniotomy. Materials and Methods: After ethics committee approval and informed consent, 56 adult patients were enrolled, and randomly assigned to receive a selective scalp block combined with incision line infiltration preoperatively or postoperatively. Results: Postoperative pain at 24 hours after the procedure was recorded in all 56 enrolled patients. In patients assigned to receive a scalp block preoperatively, median VAS score at 24 hours after surgery was 0 (0 to 2), and in patients assigned to receive a scalp block postoperatively it was 0 (0 to 3) (P>0.05). There was no difference in severity of pain at 24, 12, 6, and 2 hours after surgery between the 2 study groups, but the amount of fentanyl administered intraoperatively was lower in patients assigned to the preoperative scalp block group (1.6±0.7 vs. 2.4±0.7 mkg/kg/h, P=0.01). Discussion: This study confirms and extends available clinical evidence on the safety and efficacy of selective scalp blocks for the prevention of postoperative pain. Recorded data suggest that there is no difference in terms of occurrence and severity of postoperative pain regardless of whether the scalp block is performed preoperatively (after general anesthesia induction) or postoperatively (before extubation). Patients assigned to receive a scalp block combined with incision line infiltration preoperatively needed less intraoperative opioids than those assigned to postoperative scalp block.

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'Scheduled' analgesia with lornoxicam was more effective for treating post-craniotomy pain than 'on request' analgesia with lornoxicam.

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Chronic disorders of consciousness (DOC) develop after severe traumatic and non-traumatic brain damage and are characterized by the restoration of wakefulness in a patient after a coma without the recovery of consciousness. To optimize the diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic DOC, a Russian working group on the problems of chronic DOC was organized, which included specialists in various areas, primarily anesthesiologists, critical care physicians and neurologists. While discussing the terminology of chronic DOC, the group identified that currently there is no definition for the state that falls into the period from the recovery of wakefulness and until 28 days after the brain damage when vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) or minimally conscious state (MCS) may be diagnosed. In the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, there is often no consultant to provide critical care physicians with the correct diagnosis of the latter clinical syndromes, and neurophysiological tests are not feasible either. Therefore, there is a need to create a set of simple, understandable and easily reproducible strategies for managing this category of patients in the ICU. Thus, the working group proposed the term “prolonged disorders of consciousness” to be used for the patients with the signs of VS/UWS or MCS syndromes during their stay in the ICU until 28 days after initial brain damage and/or until the correct differential diagnosis of a type of chronic DOC is made. With the introduction of prolonged disorders of consciousness definition, the regular ICU staff will better understand how to provide an optimal set of supportive therapy and early rehabilitation activities in the lack of specific diagnostics techniques and dedicated specialists. Allocation of this category of patients allows us to create an algorithm for their better diagnosis and management and ensures consistent and effective interdisciplinary care at various levels. On the one hand, this approach will help us allow to free up ICU beds that are in high demand, while on the other, it will maximize the opportunity to realize the rehabilitation potential of DOC patients due to timely transfer to specialized centers. Conclusions. If the term “prolonged disorder of consciousness” is accepted by professional communities of specialists (critical care physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons, etc.), it will be used in guidelines for the management of DOC patients.