Sedation-related complications in gastrointestinal endoscopy

Sedation practices for gastrointestinal endoscopic(GIE) procedures vary widely in different countries depending on health system regulations and local circumstances. The goal of procedural sedation is the safe and effective control of pain and anxiety, as well as to provide an appropriate degree of memory loss or decreased awareness. Sedation-related complications in gastrointestinal endoscopy, once occurred, can lead to significant morbidity and occasional mortality in patients. The risk factors of these complications include the type, dose and mode of administration of sedative agents, as well as the patient's age and underlying medical diseases. Complications attributed to moderate and deep sedation levels are more often associated with cardiovascular and respiratory systems. However, sedation-related complications during GIE procedures are commonly transient and of a mild degree. The risk for these complications while providing any level of sedation is greatest when caring for patients already medically compromised. Significant unwanted complications can generally be prevented by careful pre-procedure assessment and preparation, appropriate monitoring and support, as well as post-procedure management. Additionally, physicians must be prepared to manage these complications. This article will review sedation-related complications duringmoderate and deep sedation for GIE procedures and also address their appropriate management.

Anesthetic management for small bowel enteroscopy in a World Gastroenterology Organization Endoscopy Training Center

AIM:To study the anesthetic management of patients undergoing small bowel enteroscopy in the World Gastroenterology Organization(WGO) Endoscopy Training Center in Thailand.METHODS:Patients who underwent small bowel enteroscopy during the period of March 2005 to March 2011 in Siriraj Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Center were retrospectively analyzed.The patients' characteristics,pre-anesthetic problems,anesthetic techniques,anesthetic agents,anesthetic time,type and route of procedure and anesthesia-related complications were assessed.RESULTS:One hundred and forty-four patients underwent this procedure during the study period.The mean age of the patients was 57.6 ± 17.2 years,andmost were American Society of Anesthesiologists(ASA) class Ⅱ(53.2%).Indications for this procedure were gastrointestinal bleeding(59.7%),chronic diarrhea(14.3%),protein losing enteropathy(2.6%) and others(23.4%).Hematologic disease,hypertension,heart disease and electrolyte imbalance were the most common pre-anesthetic problems.General anesthesia with endotracheal tube was the anesthetic technique mainly employed(50.6%).The main anesthetic agents administered were fentanyl,propofol and midazolam.The mean anesthetic time was 94.0 ± 50.5 min.Single balloon and oral(antegrade) intubation was the most common type and route of enteroscopy.The anesthesia-related complication rate was relatively high.The overall and cardiovascular-related complication rates including hypotension in the older patient group(aged ≥ 60 years old) were significantly higher than those in the younger group.CONCLUSION:During anesthetic management for small bowel enteroscopy,special techniques and drugs are not routinely required.However,for safety reasons anesthetic personnel need to optimize the patient's condition.

Sedation and monitoring for gastrointestinal endoscopy

The safe sedation of patients for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures requires a combination of properly trained physicians and suitable facilities.Additionally,appropriate selection and preparation of patients,suitable sedative technique,application of drugs,adequate monitoring,and proper recovery of patients is essential.The goal of procedural sedation is the safe and effective control of pain and anxiety as well as to provide an appropriate degree of memory loss or decreased awareness.Sedation practices for gastrointestinal endoscopy(GIE) vary widely.The majority of GIE patients are ambulatory cases.Most of this procedure requires a short time.So,short acting,rapid onset drugs with little adverse effects and improved safety profiles are commonly used.The present review focuses on commonly used regimens and monitoring practices in GIE sedation.This article is to discuss the decision making process used to determine appropriate pre-sedation assessment,monitoring,drug selection,dose of sedative agents,sedation endpoint and post-sedation care.It also reviews the current status of sedation and monitoring for GIE procedures in Thailand.

Registered nurse-administered sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedure

The rising use of nonanesthesiologist-administered sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy has clinical significances. Most endoscopic patients require some forms of sedation and/or anesthesia. The goals of this sedation are to guard the patient's safety, minimize physical discomfort, to control behavior and to diminish psychological responses. Generally, moderate sedation for these procedures has been offered by the non-anesthesiologist by using benzodiazepines and/or opioids. Anesthesiologists and non-anesthesiologist personnel will need to work together for these challenges and for safety of the patients. The sedation training courses including clinical skills and knowledge are necessary for the registered nurses to facilitate the patient safety and the successful procedure. However, appropriate patient selection and preparation, adequate monitoring and regular training will ensure that the use of nurse-administered sedation is a feasible and safe technique for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures.

Dexmedetomidine in gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures

Gastrointestinal endoscopy is the gold standard in the examination and the treatment of the diseases of gastrointestinal system, but the disadvantage of being painful process. At this point the sedative and analgesic agents may be important. Dexmedetomidine is a new sedoanalgesic agent which is alternative to benzodiazepines and opioids. It has analgesia, amnesia, sedative and anxiolytic properties. The use of dexmedetomidine as the sole anesthetic agent and as the adjuvant analgesic agent has been published but has not been approved because of the inconsistency of efficacy and safety. The author has been collected the published papers in the literature. This article is aimed to describe the use of dexmedetomidine in various gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided interventions in specialsituations

Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS) was introduced in 1982 and has since become a popular advanced procedure for diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. Initially, EUS was most commonly used for the diagnosis of pancreatobiliary diseases and tissue acquisition. EUS was first used for guided cholangiography in 1996, followed by EUS-guided biliary drainage in 2001. Advancements in equipment and endoscopic accessories have led to an expansion of EUS-guided procedures, which now include EUS-guided drainage of intra-abdominal abscesses or collections, intravascular treatment of refractory variceal and nonvariceal bleeding, transmural pancreatic drainage, common bile duct stone clearance, enteral feeding tube placement and entero-enteric anastomosis. Patients with surgically altered upper gastrointestinal anatomies have greatly benefited from EUS also. This systematic review describes and discusses EUS procedures performed in uncommon diseases and conditions, as well as applications on more vulnerable patients such as young children and pregnant women. In these cases, routine approaches do not always apply, and thus may require the use of innovative and unconventional techniques. Increased knowledge of such special applications will help increase the success rates of these procedures and provide a foundation for additional advances and utilizations of the technique.

Chronic pancreatic pain successfully treated by endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreaticogastrostomy using fully covered self-expandable metallic stent

One of the most common symptoms presenting in patients with chronic pancreatitis is pancreatic-type pain.Obstruction of the main pancreatic duct in chronic pancreatitis can be treated by a multitude of therapeutic approaches,ranging from pharmacologic,endoscopic and radiologic treatments to surgical interventions.When the conservative treatment approaches fail to resolve symptomatic cases,however,endoscopic retrograde pancreatography with pancreatic duct drainage is the preferred second approach,despite its well-recognized drawbacks.When the conventional transpapillary approach fails to achieve the necessary drainage,the patients may benefit from application of the less invasive endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided pancreatic duct interventions.Here,we describe the case of a 42-year-old man who presented with severe abdominal pain that had lasted for 3 mo.Computed tomography scanning showed evidence of chronic obstructive pancreatitis with pancreatic duct stricture at genu.After conventional endoscopic retrograde pancreaticography failed to eliminate the symptoms,EUS-guided pancreaticogastrostomy(PGS)was applied using a fully covered,self-expandable,10-mm diameter metallic stent.The treatment resolved the case and the patient experienced no adverse events.EUS-guided PGS with a regular biliary fully covered,self-expandable metallic stent effectively and safely treated pancreatictype pain in chronic pancreatitis.

Unusual penetration of plastic biliary stent in a large ampullary carcinoma:A case report

Endoscopic biliary stenting is a well-established treatment of choice for many obstructive biliary disorders.Commonly used plastic endoprostheses have a higher risk of clogging and dislocation.Distal stent migration is an infrequent complication.Duodenum is the most common site of a migrated biliary stent.Intestinal perforation can occur during the initial insertion or endoscopic or percutaneous manipulation,or as a late consequence of stent placement.A 52-year-old male who presented with obstructive jaundice underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) with plastic stent placement.However,jaundice did not improve and he then underwent ERCP which revealed the plastic stent penetrating the ampullary tumor into the duodenal wall causing malfunction of the stent.A new plastic stent was inserted and the patient underwent Whipple’s operation.He is currently doing well after the operation.

Impact of alcohol consumption on treatment outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with viral hepatitis who underwent transarterial chemoembolization

BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)in patients with pre-existing liver disease,including viral hepatitis.However,studies on the impact of alcohol consumption on the outcomes of HCC are limited.We hypothesized that alcohol had an additional effect with chronic viral hepatitis infection on treatment outcomes after transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)in patients with intermediate-stage HCC(Barcelona Clinical Liver Cancer[BCLC]-B).AIM To evaluate the additional effect of alcohol on treatment outcomes of TACE among HCC patients with viral hepatitis.METHODS This study,conducted at Hatyai Hospital in Thailand,included HCC patients over 18 years of age with chronic viral hepatitis.Records of HCC patients with viral hepatitis classified as BCLC-B who underwent TACE as the first treatment modality between 2014 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed.Patients with chronic viral hepatitis only were categorized under group A,and those with chronic viral hepatitis and concurrent alcohol consumption were categorized under group B.Both groups were compared,and the Cox proportional-hazards model was used to identify the survival-influencing variables.RESULTS Of the 69 patients,53 were categorized in group A and 16 in group B.There were no statistically significant differences in tumor characteristics between the two patient groups.However,Group A had a statistically significantly higher proportion of complete response(24.5%vs 0%,P=0.030)and a higher median survival rate(26.2 mo vs 8.4 mo;log-rank P=0.012)compared to group B.Factors associated with decreased survival in the proportional-hazards model included alcohol consumption(hazards ratio[HR],2.377;95%confidence interval[CI],1.109-5.095;P=0.026),presence of portal hypertension(HR,2.578;95%CI,1.320–5.037;P=0.006),largest tumor size>5 cm(HR,3.558;95%CI,1.824-6.939;P<0.001),and serum alpha-fetoprotein level>100 ng/mL(HR,2.536;95%CI,1.377-4.670;P=0.003).CONCLUSION In HCC BCLC B patients with chronic viral hepatitis,alcohol consumption is an independent risk factor for increased mortality and decreases the rate of complete response and survival after TACE.