Publications by authors named "Giuseppe Pascarella"

Background: Locoregional anesthesia is commonly used in orthopedic trauma surgery, particularly in elderly patients. We conducted a prospective, monocentric, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the anesthetic and analgesic efficacy of pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block in patients on antithrombotic drugs undergoing hip fracture surgery, comparing it with femoral and obturator nerve block (FNB+ONB).

Methods: Forty patients were randomly allocated to receive a PENG block or FNB and ONB, both combined with wound infiltration (WI).

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Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been widely used as a life support technique in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The use of anticoagulation during ECMO support remains a topic of debate. The primary aim of this study is to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of using argatroban as an anticoagulant instead of heparin in patients with heparin-associated thrombocytopenia.

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Article Synopsis
  • Multiple-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are highly resistant pathogens that lead to increased health risks and healthcare costs, making it important to monitor and prevent these infections, especially in hospital settings.
  • A study focused on patients over 18 who tested positive for MDR intestinal colonization before cardiac surgery showed no significant impact on postoperative outcomes related to ICU stay, readmissions, or infection rates.
  • The findings suggest that having a positive MDR rectal sample does not elevate the risk for patients undergoing cardiac surgery, indicating that pre-surgical antibiotic protocols may not need modification for these patients.
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Background: Following surgical procedures, over 80% of patients experience acute pain, with half of them expressing dissatisfaction with pain relief. The modern approach to surgical treatment and pain management increasingly relies on implementing multimodal analgesia, which includes the use of adjuvants in addition to long-acting local anesthetics (such as ropivacaine). This double-blind randomized study evaluated the analgesic effect of magnesium sulfate added to ropivacaine in the sciatic nerve block at the popliteal level for bunion correction surgery.

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Background: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive procedure that has become an important tool in the diagnosis and staging of mediastinal lymph node lesions in lung cancer. Adequate sedation is an important part of the procedure as it provides patient comfort and potentially increases diagnostic yield. The sedation modality varies among centers and includes moderate sedation/conscious sedation, deep sedation, and general anesthesia.

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Introduction: The need for a standardized core curriculum in regional anesthesia has become essential, particularly with the integration of ultrasound revolutionizing and exponentially increasing clinical practice and possibilities. In fact, numerous novel techniques, often overlapping, can confuse practitioners. This study aims to establish a core curriculum for upper limb, lower limb, paraspinal and fascial plane blocks for residency training, addressing potential educational gaps caused by the multitude of techniques, through a Delphi consensus process involving recognized Italian regional anesthesia experts.

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Introduction: Spinal anesthesia is a common anesthetic technique for lower limb and abdominal surgery. Despite its efficacy, its use is limited because of its duration and potential severe side effects, especially in high-risk patients undergoing major surgery. Adjuvants such as dexamethasone offer the potential to prolong the anesthetic effect and reduce the need for local anesthetics while reducing the incidence of serious adverse events.

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Tracheobronchial foreign body (TFB) aspiration is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening event. This case report discusses the successful extraction of a metallic screw aspirated by a 48-year-old woman with intellectual disability, using flexible bronchoscopy through the i-gel® laryngeal mask under general anesthesia. The i-gel® device proved effective in maintaining airway access and facilitating bronchoscopy, emphasizing its utility in challenging cases.

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Background: The population undergoing cardiac surgery confronts challenges from uncontrolled post-sternotomy pain, with possible adverse effects on outcome. While the parasternal block can improve analgesia, its coverage may be insufficient to cover epigastric area. In this non-blinded randomized controlled study, we evaluated the analgesic and respiratory effect of adding a rectus sheath block to a parasternal block.

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The unprecedented challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic have magnified the significance of managing intensive care patients in prone positions, particularly those requiring mechanical ventilation. Central venous access is crucial for delivering essential therapies to patients, particularly in intensive care settings. However, the shift in patient management during the pandemic, necessitating prone positioning for improved oxygenation, presented unique hurdles in maintaining and establishing central venous access.

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Purpose: Patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) commonly experience moderate to severe postoperative pain. We conducted a randomized, prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study to evaluate the analgesic effect of laparoscopic-guided TAP (LG-TAP) block after LSG in a high-volume bariatric center, applying an enhanced recovery after bariatric surgery (ERABS) pathway.

Material And Methods: One hundred ten patients were randomly allocated to receive LG-TAP block with local anesthetic (LA) or saline solution (placebo), both combined with port-site infiltration with LA (LA-PSI).

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Pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block, although effective for pain management following total hip arthroplasty (THA), does not cover skin analgesia. In this randomized controlled trial, we compared the effectiveness of PENG block combined with lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) block or wound infiltration (WI) on postoperative analgesia and functional outcomes. Fifty patients undergoing posterior-approached THA under spinal anesthesia were randomly allocated to receive LFCN block with 10 mL of 0.

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Objectives: To assess the incidences of Herpes Simplex-1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) reactivations in critically ill COVID-19 patients. To determine the association between viral reactivation and in-hospital mortality, Intensive Care Unit Bloodstream infection (ICU-BSI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Design: Observational retrospective cohort study.

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. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is nowadays widely used with notable results on the overall survival as reported in the ELSO registry near to 55% at 90 days. This is the reason why ECMO teams force the use of this extreme technique to several populations, even though there is still a lack of data about its use on hematological patients.

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Purpose: This systematic review aimed to report the current evidence in the literature about the efficacy of interventional treatments in the management of low back pain (LBP) due to sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

Methods: A systematic review was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and CENTRAL bibliographic databases were searched.

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Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare, in patients undergoing minor gynecological laparoscopic procedures, the effects of ultrasound (US)-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) + rectus sheath (RS) block versus no TAP/RS block in terms of post-surgical pain control using the numeric pain rating scale (NRS) and the degree of patient satisfaction, according to the main goals of Early Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs. The primary outcome is to value the postoperative abdominal pain using NRS in both groups. Secondary outcomes are to evaluate blood values, presence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), postoperative ileus, level of patient expected satisfaction, time of discharge, length of stay (LOS), and the amounts of additional analgesics required.

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Article Synopsis
  • Recent spaceflights with nonprofessional individuals have sparked interest in suborbital space tourism while raising concerns about the safety and health risks associated with space travel.
  • Key health risks include DNA damage from cosmic radiation and changes in organ function due to microgravity, both of which can disrupt cellular processes and potentially affect heart health.
  • The review emphasizes the importance of researching the cardiovascular effects of space conditions to identify countermeasures and develop effective treatments for those exposed to space environments.
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The outcome of fascial plane blocks (FPBs) has a certain variability that may depend on many factors, which can be divided into three main categories: operator-related, patient-related and drug-related. Operator-related factors include personal skills, choice of needle and injection modalities. Patient variables include anthropometric features, the type of targeted fascia, anatomical variants, patient positioning, muscle tone and breathing.

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(1) Background: Regional anesthesia, achieved through nerve blocks, has gained widespread acceptance as an effective pain management approach. This research aimed to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic (LAP) transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. (2) Methods: From January 2023 to July 2023, 60 consecutive patients undergoing minimally invasive radical prostatectomy were selected.

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