Month: September 2015

Uncategorized Published - 11 September, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
The Impact of a Shortage of Pharmacy-Prepared Ephedrine Syringes on Intraoperative Medication Use

Anesthesia & Analgesia: August 2015 – Volume 121 – Issue 2 – p 404–409 Authors: Ladha, Karim S. MD et al BACKGROUND: Anesthesia-related medication shortages have become increasingly common in the United States. We tested whether a local shortage of pharmacy-prepared ephedrine syringes, replaced by provider-prepared ephedrine, was associated with provider-level changes in ephedrine and […]

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Uncategorized Published - 10 September, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
The Ability of esCCO™ and ECOM™ Monitors to Measure Trends in Cardiac Output During Alveolar Recruitment Maneuver After Cardiac Surgery: A Comparison with the Pulmonary Thermodilution Method

Anesthesia & Analgesia: August 2015 – Volume 121 – Issue 2 – p 383–391 Authors: Thonnerieux, Magalie MD et al BACKGROUND: Alveolar recruitment maneuvers (ARMs) are known to improve perioperative morbidity but can transiently impact cardiac output (CO). This reproducible hemodynamic perturbation creates a clinical opportunity to test multiple devices during acute changes in CO. […]

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Uncategorized Published - 10 September, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
The RECITE Study: A Canadian Prospective, Multicenter Study of the Incidence and Severity of Residual Neuromuscular Blockade

Anesthesia & Analgesia: August 2015 – Volume 121 – Issue 2 – p 366–372 Authors: Fortier, Louis-Philippe MSc, MD, FRCPC et al BACKGROUND: Postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade (NMB), defined as a train-of-four (TOF) ratio of <0.9, is an established risk factor for critical postoperative respiratory events and increased morbidity. At present, little is known about […]

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Uncategorized Published - 10 September, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Rationale and Design of the Balanced Anesthesia Study: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial of Two Levels of Anesthetic Depth on Patient Outcome After Major Surgery

Anesthesia & Analgesia: August 2015 – Volume 121 – Issue 2 – p 357–365 Authors: Short, Timothy G. MBChB, MD, FANZCA et al BACKGROUND: An association between relatively deep anesthesia, as guided by the bispectral index (BIS), and increased postoperative mortality has been demonstrated in 6 of 8 published observational studies, but association does not […]

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Uncategorized Published - 10 September, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Reversal of Pipecuronium-Induced Moderate Neuromuscular Block with Sugammadex in the Presence of a Sevoflurane Anesthetic: A Randomized Trial

Anesthesia & Analgesia: August 2015 – Volume 121 – Issue 2 – p 373–380 Authors: Tassonyi, Edömér MD, PhD, DSc et al BACKGROUND: Pipecuronium is a steroidal neuromuscular blocking agent. Sugammadex, a relaxant binding γ-cyclodextrin derivative, reverses the effect of rocuronium, vecuronium, and pancuronium. We investigated whether sugammadex reverses moderate pipecuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade (NMB) and […]

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Uncategorized Published - 10 September, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Lung Injury After One-Lung Ventilation: A Review of the Pathophysiologic Mechanisms Affecting the Ventilated and the Collapsed Lung

Anesthesia & Analgesia: August 2015-Volume 121-Issue 2-page 302-318 Authors: Lohser, Jens MD et al Lung injury is the leading cause of death after thoracic surgery. Initially recognized after pneumonectomy, it has since been described after any period of 1-lung ventilation (OLV), even in the absence of lung resection. Overhydration and high tidal volumes were thought […]

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Uncategorized Published - 9 September, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
High-Pressure Oxygen Can Effectively Treat Fibromyalgia

A study published in PLoS ONE has found that women with fibromyalgia were able to drastically reduce, or even eliminate, their use of pain medication following hyperbaric oxygen treatment. The study authors believe they have also identified the primary factor causing fibromyalgia: the disruption of the brain mechanism for processing pain. “As a physician, the […]

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Uncategorized Published - 9 September, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Effects of Changes in Intraoperative Management on Recovery From Anesthesia

A Review of Practice Improvement Initiative Authors: Toby N Weingarten et BMC Anesthesiol. 2015;15(54) Background Our anesthetic practice was hindered by inadequate postanesthesia care unit space resulting in operating room inefficiencies. In response, an anesthetic protocol designed to reduce the duration of postanesthesia stay by decreasing residual anesthetic sedation and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was introduced. […]

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Uncategorized Published - 9 September, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Ultrasound Assessment of Gastric Contents in the Perioperative Period

Why Is This Not Part of Our Daily Practice? Author: D. Benhamou Br J Anaesth. 2015;114(4):545-548. In 1946, Mendelson[1] showed that pulmonary complications and death could arise in pregnant women because of aspiration of gastric contents. Since then, prevention of aspiration of gastric contents has contributed significantly to a decrease in maternal deaths. Aspiration of gastric contents […]

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Uncategorized Published - 9 September, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Duty Hour Reforms: Surgical Patient Safety Not Improved

Restricting residents’ work hours as required by the 2011 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty hour reform does not reduce morbidity or mortality of patients across diverse surgical specialties, a new longitudinal study concludes. The results add to reports showing lack of benefit for general surgery patients. “These findings suggest that recent changes […]

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