Author: Dr Clemens

Uncategorized Published - 20 October, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
The Evidence Base for Optimal Conduct of Handoffs

The Official Journal of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Oct 2017 By Aalok Agarwala, MD, MBA, and Meghan Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP We submit that the preponderance of published literature suggests that perioperative handoffs are associated with patient harm, and that this harm may be mitigated by handoff standardization. However, many questions remain about the optimal […]

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Uncategorized Published - 20 October, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Big Data: The Role of Databases in Perioperative Pain Management Research

It’s difficult to talk about pain control these days without mentioning the opioid epidemic. Despite the dramatic rise in opioid prescriptions over the last decade, pain scores and patient satisfaction have remained the same. Opioid-related deaths, on the other hand, have quadrupled in the United States. According to Karim Ladha, MD, MSc, from the Department […]

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Uncategorized Published - 20 October, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
The Effect of Chronic Opioid Use on End-Tidal Concentration of Sevoflurane Necessary to Maintain a Bispectral Index Below 50: A Prospective, Single-Blind Study

AUTHORS: Oh, Tak Kyu MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: July 2017 – Volume 125 – Issue 1 – p 156–161 BACKGROUND: Opioid analgesics decrease the minimum alveolar concentration of inhalation agents during the acute phase response. However, the effect of chronic opioid exposure on minimum alveolar concentration of inhalation agents remains unknown. This study aimed to […]

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Uncategorized Published - 20 October, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Pump Priming Practices and Anticoagulation in Cardiac Surgery: Results From the Global Cardiopulmonary Bypass Survey

AUTHORS: Miles, Lachlan F. MBBS Anesthesia & Analgesia: June 2017 BACKGROUND: BACKGROUND:Regional patterns of practice in cardiopulmonary bypass remain poorly understood with conflicting evidence regarding the best choices in pump priming preferences with respect to colloid and crystalloid and different types of fluid within these categories. In light of the variation in the literature, we hypothesized […]

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Uncategorized Published - 20 October, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
MACRA and the Significance of Being ‘Non–Patient-Facing’

Author: Emil Engels, MD, MBA, CPC MACRA Madness: The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, or MACRA, shifts the Medicare payment base from volume to value. This landmark legislation aims to move Medicare from fee-for-service to a system that rewards quality and low cost. As recently as the summer of 2016, 50% of […]

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Uncategorized Published - 19 October, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Perioperative Low Arterial Oxygenation Is Associated With Increased Stroke Risk in Cardiac Surgery

AUTHORS: Dunham, Alexandra M. MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: July 2017 – Volume 125 – Issue 1 – p 38–43 BACKGROUND: Both patient characteristics and intraoperative factors have been associated with a higher risk of stroke after cardiac surgery. We hypothesized that poor systemic oxygenation in the perioperative period is associated with increased risk of stroke […]

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Uncategorized Published - 19 October, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Effect of Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block on the Pulmonary Function of Obese Patients: A Prospective, Observational Cohort Study

AUTHORS: Melton, M. Stephen MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: July 2017 – Volume 125 – Issue 1 – p 313–319 BACKGROUND: The effect of interscalene block (ISB) on pulmonary function of obese participants has not been investigated. The goal of this study is to assess the association of obesity (body mass index [BMI] >29 kg/m2 vs BMI […]

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Uncategorized Published - 19 October, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Hand-held Ultrasound Device Accurate For Neuraxial Depth and Landmark Assessment

A pocket-sized ultrasound device for spinal anesthesia guidance accurately predicts Tuohy needle depth to epidural space. In addition, using the epidural insertion point identified by the hand-held device was associated with high first-pass success and minimal needle redirections. “This preliminary feasibility study in laboring parturients showed that the hand-held ultrasound [device] accurately predicted Tuohy needle […]

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Uncategorized Published - 19 October, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Numerous Retractions Lead to Permanent Ban for Japanese Anesthesia Researcher

Last month, the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists permanently banned Yuhji Saitoh of the Yachiyo Medical Center and Tokyo Women’s Medical University for fraud and data manipulation. Saitoh was a frequent co-author of papers with Yoshitaka Fujii, an infamous fraudster within the anesthesia community. “An editorial in anesthesiology-related journal ‘Anaesthesia’ outlining the alleged fraud cited numerous publications where […]

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Uncategorized Published - 19 October, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
The Joint Commission Issues R3 Report on New and Revised Pain Assessment and Management Standards

Report Provides Hospitals with In-depth Rationale and Evidence for Standards Every day, 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. As part of a national effort to address the opioid crisis, The Joint Commission is implementing new and revised pain assessment and management standards, effective January […]

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