ASA In formal comments responding to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule for the CY2021 Medicare Physician Fee, ASA is urging CMS to work with Congressional leaders to pass legislation to prevent the implementation of scheduled Medicare payment cuts on January 1, 2021.  ASA’s comments describe grave concerns about the proposed cuts to […]

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor Pain News Network We’ve learned some weird things about acetaminophen in recent years. The pain reliever not only helps treat headaches and fevers; it also appears to dull human emotions and have other psychological effects. A new study at The Ohio State University suggests that acetaminophen could even make you […]

This is for our readers who treat pain patinets. Author: Veronica McGuire MCMASTER UNIVERSITY Other forms of treatments are as effective as opioids and have less risk of harms to patients Two new evidence reviews related to acute musculoskeletal injuries like strains and sprains suggest other forms of treatments are as effective as opioids and […]

By Amy Orciari Herman NEJM Journal Watch Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH, and William E. Chavey, MD, MS Over 14% of U.S. high school students report misusing prescription opioids at least once, according to findings from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey published in MMWR. Among the other findings, based on data collected from nearly 14,000 high […]

By Kelly Young NEJM Journal Watch Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD Asthma doesn’t seem to be a major risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization or intubation, suggests a study in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Researchers analyzed 15 studies of patients hospitalized for COVID-19. They found that the prevalence of […]

By Kelly Young NEJM Journal Watch Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD Combined palatal and tongue surgery may help patients with obstructive sleep apnea that hasn’t responded to other treatments, suggests a preliminary trial in JAMA. Roughly 100 adults in Australia with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea index of 15 or more […]

Autors: Tomoki Sasakawa, MD, PhD; Katsuyuki Miyasaka, MD, PhD; Tomohiro Sawa, MD, PhD; Hiroki Iida, MD, PhD Anesthesia Safety Patient Foundation Vol 35 No 2 June 2020 Introduction Sugammadex rapidly reverses neuromuscular blockade via selective encapsulation of rocuronium and other nondepolarizing aminosteroid muscle relaxants. Since its 2010 launch in Japan, sugammadex has been administered to […]

Authors: Brooke Albright-Trainer, MD; Rakhi Dayal, MD; Aalok Agarwala, MD, MBA; Erin Pukenas, MD Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Vol 35 No 2 June 2020 SUMMARY:Effective leadership is necessary in medicine to foster an organizational culture that promotes patient safety. By fostering an environment of psychological safety that encourages others to feel safe communicating issues and […]

By Amy Orciari Herman NEJM Journal Watch Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH Some 4% of U.S. women who gave birth in 2017 said they used marijuana during pregnancy, according to an MMWR report. Among the other findings, based on survey responses from roughly 6000 women in eight states: Nearly 10% reported use before pregnancy, and 5.5% did […]

By Kelly Young NEJM Journal Watch Edited by Susan Sadoughi, MD Delivering preterm is associated with increased maternal mortality risk 40 years later, suggests a study in The BMJ. Using Swedish registries of 2 million women with singleton deliveries, researchers compared mortality among women who delivered preterm with those who delivered at term (39–41 weeks’ gestation). Overall, […]