Published in Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2014 Nov-Dec;39(6):472-7. Authors: Terkawi AS et al BACKGROUND: One of the modalities of treatment for breast cancer surgery pain is opioids, and opioids are associated with adverse effects such as itching and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Intravenous (IV) lidocaine has been shown to reduce opioid consumption and to […]
Read MoreAcute lung damage related to blood transfusions continues to affect about one in every 100 surgery patients, despite efforts to reduce the incidence of the life-threatening condition. Anesthesiologists at Mayo Clinic found that the rate of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) decreased between 2004 and 2011 against a backdrop of various novel mitigation strategies. Another […]
Read MoreA consensus statement on the possible link of anesthetic technique and anesthetic agents to risk for cancer and cancer recurrence underscores lack of definitive evidence and the need for further research. The statement was recently published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia. The experts concluded that, although there are conflicting views on whether anesthetic technique […]
Read MoreAnita Gupta, DO, PharmD, described tubing misconnections as “a reality” of the practice of anesthesiology and the delivery of treatment in hospitals, long-term care centers and hospital facilities. However, Dr. Gupta, vice-chair of the Division of Pain Medicine and Regional Anesthesiology and associate professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, […]
Read MoreReg Anesth Pain Med. 2014 Nov-Dec;39(6):506-12 Authors: Chen H et al BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that continuous right thoracic paravertebral block, following bolus initiation, decreases opioid consumption after right-lobe hepatectomy in patients receiving patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with sufentanil. METHODS: Patients undergoing right-lobe hepatectomy with a right thoracic paravertebral catheter placed at T7 30 minutes […]
Read MoreSignificant airway changes occur during the administration of general anaesthesia, including a decrease in patients’ intraoral space and an increase in their neck thickness, according to results of a prospective cohort study presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). After extubation following general anaesthesia, the risk of difficult laryngoscopy […]
Read MoreIntraoperative use of dexmedetomidine does not significantly affect post-operative agitation in children under 12 years of age, according to results of a single-centre, retrospective study presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Post-operative (or emergence) agitation refers to restlessness, disorientation, crying, delusions, and non-purposeful thrashing movements that occur after […]
Read MoreThe most common factors for unplanned admission following outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy are surgical observations, pain, and postoperative and post-discharge nausea and vomiting (PONV), according to results of a retrospective study presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Careful selection of patients, increased use of anaesthesia techniques, and more aggressive […]
Read MoreUltrasound-guided supraclavicular block for upper extremity surgery has a high degree of analgaesic efficacy postoperatively, according to the results of a retrospective study presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Supraclavicular block using ultrasound-guided technique successfully controlled 4-hour postoperative pain in 94% of procedures evaluated in this study of […]
Read MoreSevoflurane is associated with a higher incidence of complications than propofol in paediatric patients undergoing sedation (13.46% vs 7.03%), according to results of a cohort review presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). While procedure and recovery times were similar for both the sevoflurane and propofol groups, the duration […]
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