Author: Dr Clemens

Uncategorized Published - 6 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Tactics for Reducing Risk for Interscalene Block–Related Phrenic Nerve Palsy

The possibility of symptomatic or permanent phrenic nerve palsy (PNP) need not loom over every patient administered an interscalene nerve block. Ki Jinn Chin, MD, associate professor in the Department of Anesthesia at Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, told attendees of the 2016 International Symposium of Ultrasound for Regional Anesthesia, Pain Medicine, and Peri-operative […]

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Uncategorized Published - 6 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Opioid Prescribing Varies Even Within Single Institution

A new study shows marked differences in opioid prescribing trends, even within the same institution. The study establishes “benchmarks” for opioid prescribing and sheds light on trends, which might help address the worrisome rise in opioid use, says Alan F. Kaul, PharmD, Department of Pharmacy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Boston, Massachusetts. “Everyone is concerned […]

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Uncategorized Published - 6 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
The effects of perineural dexmedetomidine on the pharmacodynamic profile of femoral nerve block: a dose-finding randomised, controlled, double-blind study

Authors: M. Abdulatif et al This randomised, controlled, double-blind study investigated the effects of different doses of perineural dexmedetomidine on the pharmacodynamic profile of femoral nerve block in patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. Ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block was performed before general anaesthesia using 25 ml of bupivacaine 0.5% combined with normal saline in the control group, […]

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Uncategorized Published - 5 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Addition of buprenorphine to local anesthetic in adductor canal blocks after total knee arthroplasty improves postoperative pain relief: a randomized controlled trial

AUTHORS: Krishnan S et al Journal of Clinical Anesthesia (JCA) 33 432-7 (Sep 2016) BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES For the hundreds of thousands of patients who undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the United States each year, early mobilization has been demonstrated to improve functional outcomes and reduce complications. Management of postoperative pain is a critical […]

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Uncategorized Published - 5 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Increasing body mass index and the incidence of intraoperative hypoxemia

AUTHORS: Kendale S, Blitz J Journal of Clinical Anesthesia (JCA) 33 97-104 (Sep 2016) STUDY OBJECTIVE Obese patients regularly present for surgery and have greater hypoxemia risk. This study aimed to identify the risk and incidence of intraoperative hypoxemia with increasing body mass index (BMI). DESIGN This was a retrospective cohort study. SETTING Operating room. […]

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Uncategorized Published - 5 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Flexible optical intubation via the Ambu Aura-i vs blind intubation via the single-use LMA Fastrach: a prospective randomized clinical trial

AUTHORS: Artime C et al Journal of Clinical Anesthesia (JCA) 33 41-6 (Sep 2016) STUDY OBJECTIVE This study was designed to compare the Ambu Aura-i to the single-use LMA Fastrach regarding time to intubation, success rate, and airway morbidity in patients undergoing elective surgery requiring general anesthesia. DESIGN Prospective, randomized controlled trial. SETTING Academic medical center. […]

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Uncategorized Published - 5 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Impact of spinal versus general anesthesia on postoperative pain and long term recurrence after surgery for pilonidal disease

AUTHORS: Luedi M et al Journal of Clinical Anesthesia (JCA) 33 236-42 (Sep 2016) STUDY OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of the kind of anesthesia on postoperative pain and long term recurrence rate in pilonidal sinus disease. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Surgical departments of German Armed Forces Hospitals in Hamburg, Bad Zwischenahn and Hamm. PATIENTS […]

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Uncategorized Published - 5 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Evaluation of high-risk obstetric patients: a survey of US academic centers

AUTHORS: Butwick A, Tiouririne M Journal of Clinical Anesthesia (JCA) 33 460-8 (Sep 2016) STUDY OBJECTIVES Obstetric anesthesiologists commonly care for high-risk obstetric patients. However, it is unclear how obstetricians refer these patients for anesthetic evaluation and whether obstetric anesthesia clinics (OACs) are used. Our study aims were to determine the availability and characteristics of […]

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Uncategorized Published - 4 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution Reduces Allogeneic Red Blood Cell Transfusion in Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials

Anesthesia & Analgesia:September 23, 2016 AUTHORS: Barile, Luigi MD et al BACKGROUND: To better understand the role of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) in a surgical setting with high risk of bleeding, we analyzed all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the setting of cardiac surgery that compared ANH with standard intraoperative care. The aim was to […]

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Uncategorized Published - 4 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Augmented Reality Reduces Intractable Phantom Limb Pain

Authors: Ortiz-Catalan M et al., Lancet 2016 Dec 10; 388:2885 A study demonstrates that practicing phantom motor executions based on decoding of intended actions using an augmented-reality computer system can reduce phantom limb pain. Phantom limb pain is a debilitating condition that occurs in a subset of patients after limb amputation. Growing evidence suggests that such pain […]

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