Author: Dr Clemens

Uncategorized Published - 9 August, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Shingles Tied to Higher Risk for CV Events

Herpes zoster infection is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events, suggests a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers in South Korea examined the medical records of 520,000 people from 2003 to 2013. During this time, 4% were diagnosed with herpes zoster. These patients were matched with control participants who didn’t […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 August, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
WHO checklist leads to fewer post-surgery deaths

Annals of Surgery found death rate decline in South Carolina in hospitals that chose to participate in the program. The rate of patient death after surgery in South Carolina hospitals decreased substantially in hospitals that implemented a checklist developed by the World Health Organization, according to a summary of a study published online in Annals […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 August, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Psychological Factors As Treatment Target in Chronic Migraine

This study indicates a strong link between chronic migraine and psychological symptoms and beliefs that contribute to disability. Psychological factors such as catastrophizing of pain are common in migraine and, along with depression and anxiety, contribute significantly to migraine-related disability, according to an observational study published in Headacheaimed at better defining features of distress in chronic […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 August, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Strategies to Prevent the Transition From Postoperative Acute Pain to Chronic Pain

In a talk titled “Preventing persistent post-surgical pain and promoting opioid cessation after discharge,” given at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, March 15-19, 2017, in Orlando, Florida, Jennifer Hah, MD, MS, an anesthesiologist and pain specialist at the Pain Management Center at Stanford Health Care, California, provided an overview of postoperative […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 August, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
What Are Surgical Mortality Risks in Relatively Healthy ASA I and II Patients?

How healthy is “healthy”? According to the results of an analysis from the University of California, San Diego, surgical mortality in a relatively healthy (ASA I and II) patient population is decreasing across the United States. Nevertheless, the study of more than 1.5 million patients identified several clinical predictors of increased mortality risk in this population. Consideration […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 August, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Photophobia Linked to Psychiatric Comorbidities in Migraineurs and Controls

As many as 80% of patients with migraine experience photophobia, which can occur during or between attacks. Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna discovered higher rates of depression, anxiety, and stress in both patients with migraine and migraine-free control patients with photophobia. Their findings were recently published in the Journal of Headache and Pain.1 As […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 August, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Levosimendan for Hemodynamic Support After Cardiac Surgery

New England Journal of Medicine · March 21, 2017 Authors: Giovanni Landoni et al   Background: Acute left ventricular dysfunction is a major complication of cardiac surgery and is associated with increased mortality. Meta-analyses of small trials suggest that levosimendan may result in a higher rate of survival among patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 August, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
New Pain Assessment Tool Validated in Critically Ill Patients

While many patients who are critically ill may have altered levels of consciousness or be mechanically ventilated, they can still perceive pain. The Behavior Pain Assessment Tool (BPAT) is a brief, reliable, and valid tool for assessing pain in critically ill adults and in patients who cannot self-report pain, according to a study published in Pain.1 […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 August, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Drugs Effective on Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy-Related Pain

Researchers conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate the effect of pharmacologic treatments of diabetic peripheral neuropathy on pain and quality of life. Several classes of drugs reduce neuropathy-related pain better than placebo, according to a review recently published in Neurology.1 Julie M. Waldfogel, PharmD, from the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and colleagues conducted a […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 August, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Modified Laryngeal Mask Designed to Circumvent Adverse Events From Upper GI Procedures

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures may be commonplace, but they have surprisingly high complication and mortality rates. The advent of a modified laryngeal mask that can simultaneously protect the airway and facilitate the passage of an endoscope may reduce some of these adverse events. Preliminary results from an Australian study found that the mask facilitated endoscopic […]

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