Ketamine - A Multifaceted Drug.

There is a petition for tight control of ketamine from the Chinese government to classify ketamine as a Schedule I drug, which is defined as a drug with no currently accepted medical use but a high potential for abuse. However, ketamine has unique properties that can benefit different patient populations. Scholars from the Translational Perioperative and Pain Medicine and the International Chinese Academy of Anesthesiology WeChat groups had an interactive discussion on ketamine, including its current medical applications, future research priorities, and benefits versus risks.

[Changes of IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 in the patient with cardiac surgery under combined acupuncture anesthesia].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on cytokines in the cardiac surgical patient and to evaluate the application of combined acupuncture anesthesia to cardiac surgery.

Methods: Thirty patients with atrial septal defect were divided into 3 groups, general anesthesia group (A), acupuncture anesthesia group (B) and combined general anesthesia and EA group (C). Peripheral blood samples were collected before anesthesia, before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), 30 min after CPB and 24 h after operation to determine the levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6 and IL-10.

Myocardial protective effects of electroacupuncture and hypothermia on porcine heart after ischemia/reperfusion.

The study was carried out in order to observe the protective effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and hypothermia on myocardial ischemic and reperfusion injury in pigs. Blood superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and its isoenzyme (CK-MB), coronary artery flow (CAF) and myocardial heat-shock protein (HSP) mRNA expression were detected. It was observed that the MDA content increased and SOD activities decreased more significantly in control group compared with EA and EA+ hypothermia groups.

[Effect of acupuncture-drug compound anesthesia on alteration of immune function in patients undergoing open-heart surgery].

Objective: To observe the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on alteration of immune function of patients undergoing open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and to appraise the value of acupuncture-drug compound anesthesia in the operation.

Methods: Thirty patients undergoing atrial septal defect repairing operation were selected and divided into three groups, Group A was the general anesthesia group; Group B, the acupuncture anesthesia group and Group C, the general anesthesia plus EA group. Peripheral venous blood of patients was collected at different time points, i.