If there were any doubts about the efficacy of the STOP-Bang questionnaire to predict perioperative complications, they can be put to rest, thanks to a meta-analysis by a group of Ontario researchers. The investigators found that patients who score high on the obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) STOP-Bang questionnaire are at higher risk for perioperative complications, […]
Read MoreStudy Summary A team of investigators retrospectively analyzed 346,861 anesthesia cases that involved attempted tracheal intubation from 2004 to 2013 at seven academic centers. Of these, 1427 patients (0.41%) had a failed direct laryngoscopy, leading to 1619 subsequent intubation attempts. The majority of these rescue attempts (69%) were managed with video laryngoscopy, followed in frequency […]
Read MorePatients need only half of the opioids they’re prescribed after surgery and take only a fraction of the opioids they receive, according to new research published in the Annals of Surgery, which suggests overprescribing the painkillers increases the risk of abuse. Researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., assessed the post-op opioid prescription fill […]
Read MoreThe interscalene and supraclavicular nerves may be the blocks of choice in shoulder surgery, but both present the risk for respiratory distress. Ultrasound guidance provides a third option: the suprascapular block. Indeed, the suprascapular block provides analgesia similar to the other two blocks, but without compromise in pulmonary function. “For years, the standard for shoulder […]
Read MoreThe patient’s physical status, the duration of surgery and the surgical specialty are all factors affecting the likelihood of unplanned hospital admission after ambulatory surgery. “Ambulatory surgery patients with higher ASA [American Society of Anesthesiologists] physical status scores coming in for longer procedures are at greatest risk for needing an unplanned admission to the hospital,” […]
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