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Background: Anesthetic techniques can affect perioperative neuroendocrine function. The objective of this study was to compare 3-month post-operative neuroendocrine functional outcomes between sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia in patients undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETS) for removal of non-functional pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) retrospectively.Methods: Among 356 patients who underwent ETS for removal of NFPAs under sevoflurane-remifentanil anesthesia (sevoflurane group, n = 103) or propofol-remifentanil anesthesia (propofol group, n = 253), 92 patients in each group were selected and their 3-month post-operative neuroendocrine functional outcomes (primary outcome measure) were compared after propensity score matching.Results: Overall changes in post-operative 3-month neuroendocrine function compared to pre-operative baseline did not differ between the sevoflurane and propofol groups (worsened: 32.6% vs 29.3%, persistently decreased: 9.8% vs 12.0%, improved: 12.0% vs 20.7%, normalized: 9.8% vs 12.0%, persistently normal: 18.5% vs 19.6%; P = .400). The incidence of pituitary hormone deficiency at 3 months post-operatively did not differ between the sevoflurane and propofol groups (adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency: 18.5% vs 17.4%, P = 1.000; thyroid-stimulating hormone deficiency: 10.9% vs 3.3%, P = .081; gonadotropin deficiency: 54.3% vs 48.9%, P = .555; growth hormone deficiency: 45.7% vs 48.9%, P = .768; panhypopituitarism: 1.1% vs 1.1%, P = 1.000).Conclusion: In patients undergoing ETS for removal of NFPAs, the effects of both sevoflurane-remifentanil and propofol-remifentanil anesthetic techniques on post-operative 3-month neuroendocrine functional outcomes were similar, suggesting that propofol and sevoflurane can be freely used in such patients in terms of post-operative intermediate-term neuroendocrine functional outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A needle or an angiocath has been generally used as a route for inserting a guide wire during central venous catheterization. We compared the needle with the angiocath for ultrasound-guided central venous catheterization in pediatric patients concerning accuracy and easiness. Methods One hundred and thirty-two patients aged between 1 day and 5 years were randomized into the needle and the angiocath groups. The study was separately carried out in two age groups: newborns vs infants and children. The primary outcome was time to successful insertion of the guide wire. Secondary outcomes including other time variables (time to 1st successful puncture of the vein, time between 1st successful puncture of the vein and successful insertion of the guide wire, total time to successful central venous catheterization), frequency variables (number of the puncture attempts, number of the guide wire insertion attempts), success rates (1st successful puncture rate, 1st successful guide wire insertion rate), and complications. Results There were no statistically significant differences in time and frequency variables, success rates, and complications between both the age groups. Time to 1st successful puncture of the vein (36.8 ± 31.7 vs 19.8 ± 27.1 s; 95% CI of mean difference 2.2-31.8; P = 0.03) and number of puncture attempts (1.6 ± 0.7 vs 1.3 ± 0.8; P = 0.02) were significantly greater in newborns with the needle, whereas with the angiocath, the number of puncture attempts was larger in newborns than in infants and children (1.7 ± 1.2 vs 1.2 ± 0.7; P = 0.02). Conclusion The angiocath showed no superiority over the needle for ultrasound-guided central venous catheterization in pediatric patients. Regardless of the needle or the angiocath, puncture of the vein was more difficult in newborns than in infants and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical outcome after unplanned extubation (UE) in patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) has not been fully investigated. In this study we assessed in-hospital mortality of patients with UE and determined whether UE is a predictor of in-hospital mortality. Finally, we sought to identify predictors of reintubation after UE in mechanically ventilated patients in the SICU. Methods: Medical charts of patients ( n = 4,407) admitted to the SICU between October 2007 and December 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Eighty-five episodes of UE occurred in 81 patients. Patients with UE required emergency surgery more frequently and had higher ICU and hospital mortality rates, reintubation rate, and APACHE II scores and longer mechanical ventilation (MV) and ICU stay than patients without UE ( P < 0.05 for all associations). Multivariate analysis revealed that reintubation (odds ratio [95 % confidence interval]: 4.14 [2.58-6.67]; P < 0.001), APACHE II scores (1.14 [1.12-1.17]; P < 0.001), emergency surgery (1.73 [1.18-2.53]; P = 0.005), and chronic neurologic disease (2.11 [1.30-3.41]; P = 0.002) were associated with hospital mortality. Reintubation was necessary in 17 patients. On multivariate analysis, a score on the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS, 0.48 [0.31-0.76]; P = 0.001), PaO/FiO ratio (0.99 [0.99-1.00]; P = 0.048), and MV duration before UE (1.46 [1.08-1.98]; P = 0.014) were independently associated with reintubation after UE. Conclusions: Our results indicated that although patients with UE had high in-hospital mortality, UE was not directly associated with in-hospital mortality. Reintubation, chronic neurologic disease, emergency operation, and higher APACHE II score were related to increased in-hospital mortality. A low RASS score, a low PaO/FiO ratio, and long MV duration before UE were related to reintubation after UE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A response from the authors of the article "Clinical Outcomes After Unplanned Extubation in a Surgical Intensive Care Population" in a 2014 issue is presented.

The authors' response to A. K. Coskun, O. Mentes, and A. Harlak's commentary to their article "Clinical Outcomes After Unplanned Extubation in a Surgical Intensive Care Population," which appeared in a previous issue in 2014.