The FDA approved Probuphine (Titan/Braeburn), the first buprenorphine implant for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence. Probuphine is designed to provide a constant, low-level dose of buprenorphine for six months in patients who are already stable on low-to-moderate doses of other forms of buprenorphine, as part of a complete treatment program. Until now, buprenorphine for […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: August 2016 – Volume 123 – Issue 2 – p 382–393 AUTHORS: Job, Kathleen M. PhD et al BACKGROUND: The endothelial glycocalyx is an important component of the vascular permeability barrier, forming a scaffold that allows serum proteins to create a gel-like layer on the endothelial surface and transmitting mechanosensing and mechanotransduction […]
Read MoreThe long-running debate about which surgical method is best for removing a cancerous prostate is over, a urologic surgeon declares in an editorial published in the July issue of the Journal of Urology. “Robotic prostatectomy has superior or at least equal oncologic efficacy and complication rates compared to open prostatectomy,” writes Michael O. Koch, MD, from the Indiana University […]
Read MoreBody mass index (BMI) is not as important to cancer outcomes as previously thought, according to the ABCPP (After Breast Cancer Pooling Project), which analyzed the effects of BMI, comorbidities and physical activity on mortality. Previous studies showed that being overweight increases breast cancer recurrence, breast cancer–specific mortality and overall mortality. The investigators used data […]
Read MoreThe Multidrug Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network (MRSN) at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) characterized a transferable gene for colistin resistance in the United States that may herald the emergence of truly pan–drug-resistant bacteria (Antimicrob Agents Chemother2016 May 26. Colistin is the last agent used to combat bacteria that are resistant […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: August 2016 – Volume 123 – Issue 2 – p 359–360 AUTHORS: Sessler, Daniel I. MD et al Myocardial injury is the most common cause of death during the 30 days after noncardiac surgery. Only 14% of patients who are experiencing a perioperative myocardial infarction will have chest pain, and 65% are […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: August 2016 – Volume 123 – Issue 2 – p 420–429 AUTHORS: Willems, Ariane MD, MSci Biomed, PhD et al BACKGROUND: Children undergoing cardiac surgery are frequently exposed to red blood cell (RBC) transfusions mainly in the case of hemorrhage or low oxygen transport. However, in this population, RBCs are sometimes added […]
Read MoreMore than 40% of women with both obesity and migraine leave their headaches untreated, whereas the majority of those who do treat the pain rely on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) either alone or in combination with another medication, rather than migraine-specific treatments, a new study indicates. Using smartphone technology to gather near-real-time data, the researchers […]
Read MoreLong-acting opioid medications are associated with an increased risk for death among patients treated for noncancer pain in comparison with patients treated with other pain medications, including gabapentin (multiple brands) and cyclic antidepressants, particularly in the first month after starting therapy, the results of a large US study reveal. In a study of more than […]
Read MoreBy Linda Wong, MD I looked at the next patient on my schedule and saw: “Reason for referral: Evaluate for adrenalectomy.” In the next several minutes, visions of pheochromocytomas and aldosteronomas danced through my head. I thought about all of those algorithms about how to work up an incidental adrenal mass. It had been awhile, […]
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