Mohammad Reza Ghodraty, Alireza Pournajafian, Mohammad Niakan, Mohammad Zia Totonchi Ghorbani, Fatemeh Sadat Mazhari,
Volume 18, Issue 10 (1-2016)
Abstract
Background: Reducing the duration of the effect of sedatives and increasing their quality is one of the tasks of ICU staff. The aim of this study is to compare the sedative effects of these medications on neurosurgery patients under mechanical ventilation.
Materials and Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, 70 patients requiring mechanical ventilation in neurosurgery ICU were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to one of remifentanil or fentanyl groups. The first group received 0.05 µg/kg/min remifentanil and the second group received 1 µg/kg/hr fentanyl infusion for sedation and analgesia in the first 24 hours. Sedation score, Minogue scale and hemodynamic parameters were evaluated throughout the study and at regular intervals.
Results: There was no significant statistical difference in demographic variables such as age, sex, and body weight between two groups. The results of this study showed a significant difference in sedation score (p=0.0001) and Minogue scale (p=0.0001) and both variables were lower in remifentanil group. Also, heart rate (p=0.011) and mean arterial blood pressure (p=0.007) were significantly higher in fentanyl group.
Conclusion: Generally, sedative effect of remifentanil has several relative advantages over older medication of fentanyl and causes more effective sedation and better control of hemodynamic parameters in patients under mechanical ventilation.
Hesameddin Modir, Aidin Shakeri, Alireza Ghafouri, Gholamhassann Chaichi Nosrati, Shiva Alikhani, Ayda Khammari,
Volume 28, Issue 2 (4-2025)
Abstract
Introduction: Some intracranial surgeries must be performed while the patient is awake. Awake craniotomy is an intracranial surgical procedure in which the patient remains in a state of controlled consciousness while the surgery is performed. The aim of this study was to present a case of intracranial surgery to remove a tumor in the right frontal cortex using awake craniotomy.
Case Report: This report describes the anesthetic management of a 22-year-old male undergoing craniotomy with a fully awake technique. This was the first case of craniotomy performed entirely awake (from the beginning to the end of the operation) at Arak University of Medical Sciences and Valiasr Hospital in Arak, After preoperative preparation and evaluation, scalp nerve blocks targeting the cranial nerves innervating the scalp and head muscles were administered at specific sites. Mild sedation was provided using oxygen supplementation, followed by surgical incision. The lesion was examined intraoperatively while the patient remained awake, and the tumor was safely excised under full wakefulness. A combination of local and regional anesthesia and light intravenous sedation was utilized. Two types of local anesthetics, lidocaine 1.5% and bupivacaine 2.5%, were used for anesthesia, as well as intravenous sedatives and anesthetics such as propofol, remifentanil, and dexmedetomidine were administered for sedation. Throughout the operation, the patient was awake and breathing spontaneously, and the function of the brain nerves during the operation could be evaluated. Finally, the patient's surgery was performed without any complications and in stable condition, and the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit in good general condition, awake and fully alert.
Conclusions: Although maintaining analgesia and hemodynamic and adequate ventilation during fully awake craniotomy poses challenges, this technique is critical for intraoperative monitoring of cranial nerve function and preventing neurological deficits. By precisely administering scalp nerve blocks and carefully titrating sedatives (propofol, remifentanil, dexmedetomidine), we successfully performed the procedure under full wakefulness. With this method, potential surgical complications are prevented, and the patient also experiences satisfactory painlessness. Applying this technique was satisfactory for our patient.
