International Journal of Stroke 11 (3), 368-79 (Apr 2016) AUTHORS: Schönenberger S et al BACKGROUND Tracheostomy is a common procedure in long-term ventilated critical care patients and frequently necessary in those with severe stroke. The optimal timing for tracheostomy is still unknown, and it is controversial whether early tracheostomy impacts upon functional outcome. METHOD The […]
Read MoreJournal of Critical Care 32 93-100 (Apr 2016) AUTHORS: Zamani M, Keshavarz-Fathi M et al PURPOSE The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of dexmedetomidine used for sedation of patients with sepsis. METHODS We searched Medline, Scopus, TRIP and CENTRAL, DART, OpenGrey, and ProQuest without applying any language filter […]
Read MoreWhether relating to health outcomes, patient perceptions of care or organizational structure, quality metrics are playing an increasingly substantive role in Medicare payment and reimbursement. As Robert S. Lagasse, MD, explained at the 2016 American Society of Anesthesiologists Practice Management annual meeting, despite the limitations of these measures, the financial stakes for physicians have never […]
Read MoreExtensive updates to best-practice recommendations for the perioperative care of patients 65 years of age and older have just been released; anesthesiologists take note. “Optimal Perioperative Management of the Geriatric Patient: A Best Practices Guideline,” provides a management checklist for anesthesiologists and other medical professionals when caring for older patients facing surgery. The guidelines cover […]
Read MoreBr J Anaesth. 2016;116(3):339-349 Authors: P. Marik et al Abstract Aggressive fluid resuscitation to achieve a central venous pressure (CVP) greater than 8 mm Hg has been promoted as the standard of care, in the management of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. However recent clinical trials have demonstrated that this approach does not […]
Read MoreThis is for our readers who treat pain clinic so they often prescribe drugs. An Illinois-based psychiatrist has been sentenced to 9 months in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $600,000 for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in pharmaceutical industry kickbacks. Michael J. Reinstein, MD, was convicted of accepting payments from industry in […]
Read MoreAuthors: Siracuse BL et al JAMA Surg. 2016 Mar 9. Study Summary In this study, investigators analyzed retrospective discharge data on 268,518 patients from New York and California (ie, the derivation cohort) and 153,560 patients from Florida and Washington (ie, the validation cohort) who underwent total hip replacement during 2006-2011.The goal was to determine the […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: April 2016 AUTHORS: Hayes, Jason MD et al BACKGROUND: Bolus administration of opioids via a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device is widely used in the postoperative pediatric population. PCA devices have been shown to provide superior analgesia and greater patient satisfaction compared with intermittent administration. Studies comparing the efficacy of PCA with and […]
Read MoreTherapy with supervised hydromorphone (multiple brands) injections shows noninferiority to therapy with diacetylmorphine hydrochloride (the active ingredient in heroin) in the treatment of severe opioid dependence, suggesting a potentially effective alternative treatment for severe, treatment-refractory patients, new research shows. “Our study shows that a licensed medication, hydromorphone, is as good as diacetylmorphine at reducing the […]
Read MoreA new evidence-based clinical practice guideline that includes 32 recommendations related to postoperative pain management in children and adults has been released by the American Pain Society (APS). The guideline is based on the findings of an interdisciplinary expert panel. The APS commissioned the panel with input from the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and the […]
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