Month: March 2020

Uncategorized Published - 31 March, 2020    By - Dr Clemens
FDA approves Battelle’s process to decontaminate N95 face masks

By Kim Lyons The Verge The Ohio company says its process could decontaminate 80,000 masks per day The Food and Drug Administration has approved a process that would clean much-needed N95 protective face masks and allow them to be reused, the agency said in a release. Columbus-Ohio based Battelle uses a “vapor phase hydrogen peroxide” process to […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 31 March, 2020    By - Dr Clemens
Patient and anesthesia characteristics of children with low pre‐incision blood pressure

Authors: Wietze Pasma et al  Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Dec 2019 Background Intraoperative blood pressure has been suggested as a key factor for safe pediatric anesthesia. However, there is not much insight into factors that discriminate between children with low and normal pre‐incision blood pressure. Our aim was to explore whether children who have a low […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 31 March, 2020    By - Dr Clemens
Ratios of Plasma and Platelets to Red Blood Cells in Surgical Patients With Acute Intraoperative Hemorrhage

AUTHORS: Warner, Matthew A. MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: December 26, 2019 BACKGROUND:  The relationships between the ratios of transfused allogeneic blood products and clinical outcomes in patients with acute intraoperative hemorrhage are poorly defined. METHODS: To better define these ratios, we undertook a single-center, observational cohort study of all surgical patients (≥18 years) […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 31 March, 2020    By - Dr Clemens
Neuromuscular Block Protocol Decreases Residual Blockade

Author: Michael Vlessides Anesthesiology News Management of neuromuscular block with rocuronium and its reversal with neostigmine and sugammadex according to a protocol is associated with a very low incidence of postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade, in a new study. The researchers reported that neostigmine played an important role in the protocol, and resulted in significant cost […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 31 March, 2020    By - Dr Clemens
Ultrasound-Assisted Versus Landmark-Guided Spinal Anesthesia in Patients With Abnormal Spinal Anatomy

AUTHORS: Park, Sun-Kyung MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: March 2020 – Volume 130 – Issue 3 – p 787-795 BACKGROUND:  Spinal anesthesia using a surface landmark–guided technique can be challenging in patients with anatomical alterations of the lumbar spine; however, it is unclear whether using ultrasonography can decrease the technical difficulties in these populations. […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 31 March, 2020    By - Dr Clemens
MedPAC to recommend eliminating 2.8% rate increase for surgery centers

Author: Alia Paavola  Becker’s Hospital CFO Report The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission plans to recommend eliminating an expected 2.8 percent payment rate bump for surgery centers in 2021, according to Bloomberg Law. The panel, which advises lawmakers on Medicare payment policy, said that it will make the recommendation to Congress March 13, because it doesn’t have […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 30 March, 2020    By - Dr Clemens
Interim CDC Recs to Preserve PPE Supplies

Author: Ethan Covey Anesthesiology News As concern over shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) at U.S. hospitals grows, the CDC has updated interim recommendations for health care professionals (HCPs) managing the COVID-19 outbreak. The information highlights recommendations for HCPs working in health care facilities, as well as providing strategies to address shortages of key supplies. Although U.S. […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 30 March, 2020    By - Dr Clemens
Introduction of a Novel System for Quantitating Blood Loss After Vaginal Delivery

AUTHORS: Lumbreras-Marquez, Mario I. MBBS, MMSc et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: April 2020 – Volume 130 – Issue 4 – p 857-868 BACKGROUND:  Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. While volumetric and gravimetric blood loss measurement techniques have been shown to increase PPH detection compared to visual estimation of blood […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 30 March, 2020    By - Dr Clemens
Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin as a treatment of COVID-19

Authors: Philippe Gautret et al International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents March 2020 Background Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have been found to be efficient on SARS-CoV-2, and reported to be efficient in Chinese COV-19 patients. We evaluate the role of hydroxychloroquine on respiratory viral loads. Patients and methods French Confirmed COVID-19 patients were included in a single […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 30 March, 2020    By - Dr Clemens
Myocardial Injury After Noncardiac Surgery

Authors: Ruetzler, Kurt MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: December 26, 2019 Myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) differs from myocardial infarction in being defined by troponin elevation apparently from cardiac ischemia with or without signs and symptoms. Such myocardial injury is common, silent, and strongly associated with mortality. MINS is usually asymptomatic and only detected […]

Read More