Month: November 2015

Uncategorized Published - 11 November, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
The Neostigmine Shortage: A Clinical Conundrum with Few Drug Alternatives

By Steven Greenberg, MD, FCCP et al Nationwide drug shortages affect anesthesia professionals every day.1 In 2012, a survey generated by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and accessible on the ASA website, suggested that 97.6% of anesthesiologists experienced a drug shortage in their practices. There have been several documented reasons for drug shortages, which include […]

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Uncategorized Published - 11 November, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Measuring Glucose with Point-of-Care Meters: Be Careful!

By Mark J. Rice, MD, and Douglas B. Coursin, MD Anesthesia care providers rely heavily on monitors and diagnostic devices for the safe passage of our patients. We believe that the technology we use in our practice has not only been thoroughly vetted by monitor and device manufacturers and the FDA, but also by academic […]

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Uncategorized Published - 11 November, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Naproxen Alone Wins for Relieving Lower Back Pain

This is for our providers who treat back pain. Opioids, when combined with naproxen, are not more effective than naproxen alone for the majority of patients with acute, nontraumatic, nonradicular low back pain. Pain, functional impairment, and use of healthcare resources were similar among treatment groups at 7 days or 3 months, and almost two-thirds […]

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Uncategorized Published - 11 November, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
“Extreme” Remote Locations Raise Unique Safety Concerns

By Charles E. Cowles, MD, MBA et al As medical technology advances, so does the complexity of the environment for anesthesia care. Many specialty care centers are utilizing hybrid combinations of MRI, radiation, and lasers in operating suites and other patient care areas. Some of these new treatment and diagnostic modalities pose hazards to the […]

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Uncategorized Published - 11 November, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Anesthesia Patient Safety: Practices to Ensure Adequate Venous Access and Safe Drug Administration During Transfer to the Operating Room for Emergency Cesarean Delivery

By Rachel M. Kacmar, MD, and Jill M. Mhyre, MD On behalf of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) Patient Safety Committee Patient transfer  to the operating room for emergency cesarean delivery is a high risk epoch for serious     medication error or venous access complication, based on a series of patient safety […]

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Uncategorized Published - 10 November, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Post-op Complications in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Unaffected by Continuing Common Medications

Although patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who present for surgery are often instructed to stop certain medications preoperatively, a study from New York University Langone Medical Center has concluded that such cessation may be largely unnecessary. The researchers found that five common agents—angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, diuretics, statins, insulin and calcium channel […]

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Uncategorized Published - 10 November, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Ultrasound Improves Cricothyrotomy Success in Cadavers with Poorly Defined Neck Anatomy: A Randomized Control Trial

Authors: Naveed Siddiqui MD et al Anesthesiology 11 2015, Vol.123, 1033-1041. Background: Misidentification of the cricothyroid membrane in a “cannot intubate-cannot oxygenate” situation can lead to failures and serious complications. The authors hypothesized that preprocedure ultrasound-guided identification of the cricothyroid membrane would reduce complications associated with cricothyrotomy. Methods: A group of 47 trainees were randomized to digital palpation […]

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Uncategorized Published - 10 November, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Preoperative Surgical Risk Predictions Are Not Meaningfully Improved by Including the Surgical Apgar Score: An Analysis of the Risk Quantification Index and Present-On-Admission Risk Models

Authors: Maxim A. Terekhov et al Anesthesiology 11 2015, Vol.123, 1059-1066. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000000858 Background: Estimating surgical risk is critical for perioperative decision making and risk stratification. Current risk-adjustment measures do not integrate dynamic clinical parameters along with baseline patient characteristics, which may allow a more accurate prediction of surgical risk. The goal of this study was to determine […]

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Uncategorized Published - 10 November, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
American Heart Association Updates CPR Guidelines

The American Heart Association has updated its comprehensive guidelines on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. The update appears in Circulation. Among the more salient points for healthcare providers: The recommended chest compression depth is 2 to 2.4 inches at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute. To reduce the time to first compression, providers […]

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Uncategorized Published - 10 November, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Patient Class Analysis Puts New View on Risk Stratification

Latent class analysis and ASA physical status yield differing results Although perioperative risk stratification is often used to identify so-called independent risk factors, previous research has found that few are truly independent, and various combinations of comorbidities may have differential effects on mortality risk. Researchers turned to “latent class analysis,” a model-based clustering technique, and […]

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