Local anesthesia and sedation with dexmedetomidine (Precedex, Hospira) is more efficient and better tolerated than general anesthesia when conducting stapes surgery, according to a new study. “We’re talking about a very delicate microsurgery within the ear,” noted Lynnie Correll, MD, PhD, of the Anesthesiology Department of the University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, N.Y. […]
Read MoreAs streamlined as hospital throughput may be, unanticipated surgical cancellations still have a significant effect on an institution’s bottom line. Yet, as a University of Texas Health Science Center analysis has revealed, such missteps can be prevented with a preoperative visit to an anesthesia evaluation clinic. “The perioperative surgical home has initially put a lot […]
Read MoreA new handoff protocol boosted communication while slashing errors among nurses, anesthesiologists and surgeons during the transfer of patients from the operating room (OR) to the PACU. There was a dramatic decrease in lapses in the surgery and anesthesia reports after the rollout of the new handoff process at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore, […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: March 2016 – Volume 122 – Issue 3 – p 893–902 AUTHORS: Nair, Bala G. PhD et al BACKGROUND: Postoperative hyperglycemia has been associated with poor surgical outcome. The effect of intraoperative glucose management on postoperative glucose levels and the optimal glycemic threshold for initiating insulin are currently unknown. METHODS: We performed […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: March 2016 – Volume 122 – Issue 3 – p 857–870 AUTHORS: Bhatia, Anuj MBBS, MD, FRCA, FRCPC, FIPP, FFPMRCA, EDRA, CIPS et al BACKGROUND: Steroids often are administered into the epidural space through the transforaminal epidural (TFE) route to treat lumbosacral radicular pain secondary to herniated intervertebral discs. However, their efficacy […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: March 2016 – Volume 122 – Issue 3 – p 698–705 AUTHORS: Kuo, Alexander S. MS, MD et al BACKGROUND: Inhaled induction with spontaneous respiration is a technique used for difficult airways. One of the proposed advantages is if airway patency is lost, the anesthetic agent will spontaneously redistribute until anesthetic depth […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: March 2016 – Volume 122 – Issue 3 – p 678–697 AUTHORS: Law, Lawrence Siu-Chun MD et BACKGROUND: Xenon anesthesia has been studied for decades. However, no meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on xenon anesthesia has been conducted. The aim of this study was to systematically review all available evidence from […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: March 2016 – Volume 122 – Issue 3 – p 814–817 AUTHORS: Suresh, Santhanam MD et al BACKGROUND: Untreated pain can have instant and prolonged consequences to behavioral and neurologic outcomes in neonates. Although the use of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block to minimize postsurgical pain has been demonstrated in neonates, no […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: March 2016 – Volume 122 – Issue 3 – p 807–813 AUTHORS: George, Jessica A. MD et al BACKGROUND: Prescription errors are among the most common types of iatrogenic errors. Because of a previously reported 82% error rate in handwritten discharge narcotic prescriptions, we developed a computerized, web-based, controlled substance prescription writer […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: March 2016 – Volume 122 – Issue 3 – p 753–757 AUTHORS: Turkstra, Timothy P. MD, MEng, FRCPC et al BACKGROUND: The GlideScope videolaryngoscope is an intubating device routinely used by anesthesiologists for tracheal intubation. It is occasionally difficult to advance the endotracheal tube (ETT) into the trachea, despite a good view […]
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