Month: March 2024

Uncategorized Published - 12 March, 2024    By - Dr Clemens
Incidence and Prevalence of Pain Medication Prescriptions in Pathologies with a Potential for Chronic Pain

Authors: Lisa Goudman, Ph.D. et al  Anesthesiology March 2024, Vol. 140, 524–537. Background Heightened risks of dependence, addiction, anxiolytic effects, or prescription overdose death due to long-term use of pain medication have increased awareness about extended pain medication use in chronic pain populations. The goal of this study was to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of […]

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Uncategorized Published - 12 March, 2024    By - Dr Clemens
‘Fourth Wave’ of Opioid Epidemic Crashes Ashore, Propelled by Fentanyl and Meth

Author: Colleen DeGuzman KFF Health News The United States is knee-deep in what some experts call the opioid epidemic’s “fourth wave,” which is not only placing drug users at greater risk but is also complicating efforts to address the nation’s drug problem. It can These waves, according to a report out today from Millennium Health, began […]

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Uncategorized Published - 12 March, 2024    By - Dr Clemens
Gene therapies for chronic pain?

Author: L. Joseph Parker, MD KevinMD.com Gene therapy is starting to come into its own, and it will change medicine more profoundly than anything that came before. Just like when antibiotics were discovered almost exactly a century ago, we are on the cusp of another revolution in medicine. One that is orders of magnitude greater […]

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Uncategorized Published - 11 March, 2024    By - Dr Clemens
Intraoperative Trombone Playing during Awake Deep Brain Stimulator Placement

Authors: Whitney Fallahian, M.D.; Stephen Lockwood, M.D. Anesthesiology March 2024, Vol. 140, 585. In this case, a 65-yr-old man with bilateral essential tremor underwent awake deep brain stimulator placement targeted to the ventral intermediate nucleus for symptom management and improved quality of life. The patient’s primary complaint was that the tremor affected his ability to play […]

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Uncategorized Published - 11 March, 2024    By - Dr Clemens
Multicenter, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Crossover Trial Evaluating Topical Lidocaine for Mechanical Cervical Pain

Authors: Steven P. Cohen, M.D. et al  Anesthesiology March 2024, Vol. 140, 513–523. Background There are few efficacious treatments for mechanical neck pain, with controlled trials suggesting efficacy for muscle relaxants and topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Although studies evaluating topical lidocaine for back pain have been disappointing, the more superficial location of the cervical musculature suggests […]

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Uncategorized Published - 11 March, 2024    By - Dr Clemens
Feasibility of Prone Positioning for Brain-injured Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Authors: Yoann Elmaleh, M.D. et al  Anesthesiology March 2024, Vol. 140, 495–512. Background Prone position is a key component to treat hypoxemia in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, most studies evaluating it exclude patients with brain injuries without any medical evidence. Methods This study includes a systematic review to determine whether brain-injured patients […]

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Uncategorized Published - 11 March, 2024    By - Dr Clemens
Comparative Analysis of the Performance of Electroencephalogram Parameters for Monitoring the Depth of Sedation During Remimazolam Target-Controlled Infusion

AUTHORS: Bae, Myung Il MD et al  Anesthesia & Analgesia December 05, 2023. BACKGROUND: The changes in hypnotic indicators in remimazolam sedation remain unclear. We investigated the correlation of the electroencephalogram (EEG) parameters with the effect-site remimazolam concentration and the depth of sedation in patients receiving a target-controlled infusion of remimazolam. METHODS: This prospective observational […]

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Uncategorized Published - 11 March, 2024    By - Dr Clemens
Stress Pathways Induced by Volatile Anesthetics and Failure of Preconditioning in a Mitochondrial Complex I Mutant

Authors: Zachariah P. G. Olufs, B.S. et al Anesthesiology March 2024, Vol. 140, 463–482. Background Carriers of mutations in the mitochondrial electron transport chain are at increased risk of anesthetic-induced neurotoxicity. To investigate the neurotoxicity mechanism and to test preconditioning as a protective strategy, this study used a Drosophila melanogaster model of Leigh syndrome. Model flies carried a […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 March, 2024    By - Dr Clemens
An Initial Investigation of Diaphragm Neurostimulation in Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Authors: Mélodie Parfait, M.D. et al  Anesthesiology March 2024, Vol. 140, 483–494. Background Lung protective ventilation aims at limiting lung stress and strain. By reducing the amount of pressure transmitted by the ventilator into the lungs, diaphragm neurostimulation offers a promising approach to minimize ventilator-induced lung injury. This study investigates the physiologic effects of diaphragm neurostimulation […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 March, 2024    By - Dr Clemens
Congress moves to halve physician pay cut: 3 things to know

Author: Paige Haeffele Becker’s ASC Review Congress released a $460 billion spending package that would halve 2024’s 3.4% Medicare pay cut for physicians to approximately 1.7%. The package, which consists of six bills, would be used to fund the entire government, The Washington Post reported. Here are three things ASC leaders should know about the package: 1. The package would […]

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