En el año 2020 comenzó en nuestro país la expansión del virus Sar Cov 2 y con ello, el arduo e incesante trabajo de los profesionales del sector de la salud. En medio de esta batalla social, aún vigente, las publicaciones seriadas de este sector han mantenido un flujo de artículos científicos que son la evidencia de lo que en Cuba, en sus centros de investigación, hospitales y universidades, se hace a favor de la comunidad. La sociedad de anestesiólogos cubanos no ha estado exenta y ha contribuido con significativos aportes al desarrollo científico de la especialidad.

Las observaciones a partir de la experiencia de cursos sobre anestesia total intravenosa (TIVA, por sus siglas en inglés) en la Clínica Central “Cira García” desde 2005 hasta 2020, han puesto de manifiesto que durante la residencia en Anestesiología el entrenamiento en TIVA es inconsistente y con frecuencia inadecuado, por lo que los anestesiólogos no se sienten seguros cuando usan (o intentan usar) esta técnica. El hecho de que las condiciones materiales no están dadas en todos los hospitales para garantizar un entrenamiento adecuado, no significa que no se deba profundizar en la preparación teórica del especialista. Este editorial no pretende establecer una confrontación TIVA versus Inhalatoria puesto que ambas formas de administración de la anestesia general tienen que ser de dominio del anestesiólogo.

El análisis de redes son modelos multivariantes que a diferencia de los análisis bivariados, permite estimar múltiples relaciones no lineales regularizadas (eliminación de relaciones más espurias mediante el estimador LASSO) después del control multivariado de las variables de la red, lo cual incluye variables de diversa naturaleza para la evaluación de aspectos vinculados a diferentes condiciones de la salud y la interacción entre sus múltiples factores etiológicos y moduladores.

Introduction: Epicondylitis is one of the most frequent reasons for attending consultation in both primary and specialized care; while it is undoubtedly one of the problems with the greatest impact on the person who suffers from it. The managment epicondylitis is a challenge for medicine, due to the enormous health-related and social implications, as well as the pain and functional impotence that it causes. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of autologous platelet lysate as a treatment alternative in patients with epicondylitis. Method: A prospective, longitudinal, analytical and quasiexperimental study was carried out, in which the use of autologous platelet lysate as an alternative treatment in patients with epicondylitis was assessed. The universe consisted of patients who attended the orthopedics and traumatology consultation, during the period between October 2014 and July 2018, with a diagnosis of epicondylitis. The sample was made up of eighty patients who met the inclusion criteria; exclusion criteria were also considered. Results: The age group between 36 and 56 years, together with the female sex, are the most represented with respect to suffering from this disease. Infiltrations of autologous platelet lysate provide better outcomes than the conventional one, while greater representation of remitted patients is observed. Complications were much more evident in conventional treatment. The cost-benefit relationship of treatment with autologous platelet lysate is also relevant. Conclusions: Treatment with autologous platelet lysate can be an alternative to improve the quality of life of patients with epicondylitis.

Introduction: At the end of 2019, cases of atypical pneumonia were reported in Wuhan caused by a new coronavirus. Endotracheal intubation may cause contamination of healthcare personnel. According to recent guidelines, videolaryngoscopy is preferred, because it increases the chances of intubation and avoids close contact with the patient. Objectives: To describe airway management with videolaryngoscopy in patients with COVID-19 and to identify the main complications that appeared during endotracheal intubation. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out, in the period from December 2020 to February 2021, at the Naval Medical Center in Mexico City. The universe consisted of 178 patients with COVID-19 who required endotracheal intubation. A sample of 103 patients was taken, who were cared for by Cuban doctors. Results: Patients older than 60 years represented 63.1% of the cases, while the male sex represented 65%. 42.1% had one predictor of difficult airway and 30.1% had two or more predictors. The glottis was visualized fully in 39.8% of cases and partially in 57.3%. Intubation on the first attempt was achieved in 73.8%. The main complications found were desaturation (33%) and arterial hypotension (37.9%). Conclusions: Videolaryngoscopy could improve visualization of the glottic opening and endotracheal intubation on the first attempt. Desaturation and hypotension were complications that could be expected in COVID-19 patients during this procedure.

Introduction: The effect of magnesium sulfate as an adjunct to analgesia during different surgical interventions is a subject under constant debate and study, with respect to showing its efficacy and safety in improving the postoperative evolution of patients. Objective: To assess the effectiveness and safety of magnesium sulfate as an opioid sparer in general anesthesia with patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. Methods: Quasiexperimental, prospective and longitudinal study carried out, from December 2019 to December 2020, with 44 patients from General Calixto García University Hospital. Two groups were created: a study group (magnesium sulfate) and a control group. Intraoperative and postoperative analgesia, intraoperative fentanyl consumption, requirement of salvage analgesia, as well as perioperative complications were evaluated. Results: In the patients who were administered magnesium sulfate, mean arterial pressure, heart rate and shock index tended to remain below the global mean. The perfusion index increased and maintained this trend, while they had a lower consumption of fentanyl. Conclusions: The administration of magnesium sulfate as an adjunct to general anesthesia in patients undergoing major elective abdominal surgery was effective and safe, as it provided greater perioperative analgesia, hemodynamic stability, less intraoperative opioid consumption and less postoperative analgesic rescue than in the control group. The incidence of complications was low and without clinical repercussions.

Introduction: Multiple efforts are made to include improved recovery protocols as an indicator of quality in care for surgical patients, under the premise of accelerating the recovery of patients, without this being detrimental to the care process, and thus guarantee high patient satisfaction. In view of this, the development of research supported by the best scientific and practical evidence is necessary. Objective: To estimate, through the published literature, the effectiveness of the application of early recovery protocols on the perioperative evolution of patients who undergo cardiac surgical procedures. Method: Randomized controlled clinical trials, published between January 2013 and May 2020, were included. The systematic review was carried out according to the recommendations of the Cochrane Library manual 5.1.0 for reviewers. Results: Six studies were analyzed (687 patients/study group: 345, control group: 342). The methodological quality of most of the researches assessed was good. A superiority of the protocols is shown, since they are accompanied by a decrease in the incidence of perioperative complications (RR=0.61 [0.40, 0.93]). Similarly, they are related to the decrease in hospital stay (mean difference, random effect, was -2.98 [-3.31, -2.65]). Conclusions: Despite the few studies included, the evidence suggests that these programs improve the perioperative outcome of patients.

Introduction: Noninvasive neuromonitoring in critically ill patients is a first-line option for the management of fatal complications derived from increased intracranial pressure. This modality includes ultrasound of optic nerve sheath diameter, which is a quick technique, easy to perform and available at the bedside. Objectives: To describe significant and state-of-the-art aspects regarding the use of ultrasound for monitoring intracranial pressure through measurement of the optic nerve sheath diameter in different neuroclinical settings. Methods: A review was carried out, between May and July 2020, of the literature published in databases such as PubMed/Medline, SciELO and Google Scholar. Publications in English and Spanish were reviewed. Forty-six bibliographic sources were chosen, as long as they met the inclusion criteria. Fundamental aspects are described, such as the ultrasound anatomy of the optic nerve, the technique procedures and its use in neurocritical entities such as head trauma, stroke and brain death, among others. Conclusions: Ultrasound of the optic nerve sheath is a widely accepted noninvasive choice for measurement of increased intracranial pressure. With a diameter of 5.0 to 5.9 mm or more, the diagnosis of intracranial hypertension can be assumed with high sensitivity and specificity, although its use should be individualized in each neurocritical pathology. The learning curve for carrying out the procedure is short and satisfies the necessary skills.

Introduction: Manual bolus administration has evolved from volumetric infusion based on standardized pharmacological regimens to target-controlled infusion systems and the most sophisticated closed-loop systems. Objective: To describe the technological principles and extended clinical applications of target-controlled infusion and closed-loop systems. Methods: A nonsystematic review of the literature was carried out, during September 2020, in scientific databases such as Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Pubmed/Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, Science Direct, OVID and the academic search engine Google Scholar. Development: The availability and portability of electronic devices with advanced processing capacity at relatively affordable prices, the refinement of machine learning and artificial intelligence applied to medical decisions, as well as the complex technological iterations incorporated into open and closed-loop systems, originally developed in the field of anesthesiology, have enabled their expansion to other specialties and clinical settings so diverse as treatment of diabetes mellitus, administration of antineoplastic drugs, mechanical ventilation, control of hemodynamic variables and antimicrobial therapy in critical patients. Conclusions: Target-controlled infusion and closed-loop systems have become mature, safe and viable technologies, applied clinically in multiple nations and settings, with superior performance compared to traditional manual systems.

Introduction: Epidural administration of steroids is a cornerstone for the treatment of cervical and lumbosacral radicular pain. Objective: To describe the physiological mechanisms and pharmacological characteristics of the corticosteroids used for pain treatment, as well as the complications derived from the epidural administration of particulate steroids. Methods: A nonsystematic review of the literature was carried out, from July to September 2020, in scientific databases such as Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Pubmed/Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, OVID and the academic search engine Google Scholar. Development: The corticoids used in pain medicine are derived from prednisolone. These are classified into particulate (deposit, suspension) or non-particulate (dilution), depending on the presence or absence of a solid molecular component (ester-type molecules, insoluble in water). The most commonly used drugs are dexamethasone, betamethasone, triamcinolone, and methylprednisolone. Conclusions: The epidural administration of particulate steroids is related to the incidence of serious, although infrequent, complications, such as paraplegia, tetraplegia, spinal cord infarction, hemorrhage and cerebral edema. Available evidence shows analgesic effectiveness similar to that of non-particulate compounds. Therefore, its routine usage is not recommended during the managment of the epidural space.

Introduction: Acid-base balance alterations can be of a primary nature. In most cases, they depend on the complication of a pre-existing disease. The frequency of these disorders is high, especially in patients hospitalized in critical care units. Its appearance carries significant prognostic implications. Objective: To systematize the current state of acid-base balance management. Method: A bibliographic review was carried out, for which the tools of the scientific method were used. All the available bibliography, published in the last five years, was examined; thus, a critical synthesis was prepared, according to the criteria and competences of the authors regarding the subject. Results: The importance of the clinical evaluation is exposed, which, together with PCO2 levels as well as excess or deficit of bases in an arterial blood gas, allow to identify the existing acid-base disorder. Likewise, it is highlighted that CO2 has a key function in ventilation control, together with the modifications it produces on cerebral blood flow, pH and adrenergic tone. Another important aspect was the recent clinical practice of “permissive hypercapnia” to reduce tissue metabolism and thus improve surfactant function and prevent protein nitration. Conclusions: The management of acid-base imbalances should be mastered by all professionals associated to medical care, since any delay in its diagnosis can worsen the evolution and prognosis of seriously ill patients.

Introduction: Rapid sequence induction and intubation is an emergency anesthesiology procedure for airway control in critically ill patients and for inserting a tube into the trachea in the shortest possible time. Originally, this procedure was indicated in cases of regurgitation or reflux in order to attenuate and prevent aspiration of gastric contents. The technique, described and used for the first time in the 1970, resumed its use in the context of the COVID19 pandemic. However, a conventional rapid sequence intubation technique would not be adequate as it would not prevent the virus spread from the patient airway to the environment, with the possibility of contamination of the personnel performing it. Objective: To describe a modified rapid sequence intubation technique in times of COVID 19. Methods: A review of the first publications with protocols of this modified technique was carried out. The search was carried out in databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar and Elsevier. Development: The most important aspect for the professional performing the technique is to achieve the maneuver successfully and preserve the life of the patient. In this respect, the physician must be the most experienced and prepared to control the time of each of the stages into which it is divided. Conclusions: In COVID19, clinical situations are highly variable, a reason why protocols in the perioperative care of patients can be modified according to new evidence.

Apneic oxygenation consists in the administration of high flows of oxygen through a supraglottic device while the patient remains in apnea. It is explained because the alveolus with low nitrogen concertation/accumulation, with a composition mostly of oxygen, allows capillary alveolus to diffuse, as well as it generates a subatmospheric pressure capable of dragging the oxygen flow existing in the tracheobronchial tree to the alveolus itself, as long as there is no mechanical airway obstruction. The time increases considerably until oxygen saturation decreases, which is known as the safe apnea time. The experience of using this technique is presented is it was used with a five-year-old boy with no pathological history and who swallowed a foreign body (sunflower seed), which was located in the airway, specifically the right main bronchus. The foreign body was extracted by fiberoptic bronchoscopy under total intravenous anesthesia, prioritizing spontaneous ventilation until it was located; and then, due to the difficulty for its extraction, muscle relaxation and apnea were used to optimize the extraction conditions. During this period, the apneic oxygenation technique was used and maintained for twelve minutes. Pulsatile oxygen saturation was greater than 92%, enough time to complete the extraction successfully and without complications.

Patients with Brugada syndrome are a challenge from the anesthetic point of view, since there are many perioperative circumstances and drugs that can trigger an arrhythmogenic crisis, which can have a fatal outcome. Anesthetic implications in these patients are multiple, a reason why one must be very careful and take into account many factors. The considerations and anesthetic management are described for the case of a patient with Brugada syndrome who underwent left inguinal herniorrhaphy, in which general anesthesia was chosen together with ultrasound-guided block of transverse abdominal plane for pain control.

Essential thrombocythemia is part of the group of myeloproliferative neoplasms. It is characterized by microvascular and vasomotor symptoms, platelet count over 450x109/L, megakaryocytic proliferation with large and mature morphology, absence of erythroid and granulocytic proliferation, demonstration of JAK2V617F or other clonal marker, and absence of evidence of reactive thrombocytosis. Anesthetic management is reported in a patient, whose case’s main considerations are related to the prevention of hemorrhagic and thrombotic events. Aspirin suspension, maintenance of hydroxyurea treatment, preparation with tranexamic acid, pre- and post-operative use of fraxiparin, adequate hydration, use of elastic stockings in lower limbs, early ambulation, good surgical hemostasis, as well as availability of platelet concentrates are the fundamental elements in the anesthetic management of this patient.

Introduction: Lumbar epidural anesthesia is the technique preferred by a great number of anesthesiologists. It allows performing several surgical interventions and is useful for the treatment of acute and chronic pain; at the same time, it provides the patient with different benefits. It ls also worth highlighting its versatility, since it can be combined with other anesthetic methods, as well as to be extended for postoperative pain relief. Objective: To describe the scientific advances that led to the appearance of lumbar epidural anesthesia and what has been the evolution of this anesthetic technique over a century. Development: the Spanish surgeon Fidel Pagés published lumbar access to the epidural space for anesthetic purposes in March 1921. After a decade in oblivion, the Italian surgeon Archile Dogliotti introduced it, in 1931. From then on, it has been incorporated several valuable advances. Conclusions: Dr. Pagés described lumbar epidural anesthesia a century ago. The contributions achieved have been varied and numerous, some of which have been the subject of controversy; however, it has become a universal technique that continues to capture the preference of many anesthesiologists.