Anesthesia & Analgesia: March 2016 AUTHORS: Nowakowski, Michal MD et al BACKGROUND: Endotracheal intubation is commonly performed via direct laryngoscopy (DL). However, in certain patients, DL may be difficult or impossible. The Bonfils Rigid Fiberscope(R) (BRF) is an alternative intubation device, the design of which raises the question of whether factors that predict difficult DL […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: March 2016 AUTHORS: Culley, Deborah J. MD et al BACKGROUND: Preexisting cognitive impairment is emerging as a predictor of poor postoperative outcomes in seniors. We hypothesized that preoperative cognitive screening can be performed in a busy preadmission evaluation center and that cognitive impairment is prevalent in elective geriatric surgical patients. METHODS: We […]
Read MoreHsiu Ying “Lisa” Tseng, DO, made dubious medical history in October 2015 when she became the first US physician to be convicted of murder for overprescribing drugs that resulted in the overdose death of a patient. Last week, the 46-year-old Dr Tseng was sentenced to from 30 years to life in prison by Los Angeles […]
Read MoreIncreasing use of video recording in the operating room highlights the need for ethical recommendations to protect patients, according to surgeons and anesthesiologists. In their February 4 paper in Annals of Surgery, Dr. Celia M. Divino and colleagues from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, propose five recommendations that aim to ensure […]
Read MoreFollowing in the footsteps of earlier research demonstrating that their Preoperative Evaluation Clinic (PEC) decreased their 30-day readmission rate, researchers at New York University School of Medicine have now found that patients who attend the clinic have a significantly shorter observed-to-expected hospital length of stay (LOS) than those who do not attend. These results, they […]
Read MoreNew research points to a specific gene that may explain why patients show varied responses to taking methadone. Interview with Evan D. Kharasch, MD, PhD Prescribing safe, effective dosages of methadone can be a serious clinical challenge for practitioners. A patient’s specific genetic makeup can significantly effect how the drug is metabolized—increasing the risk of […]
Read MoreEnhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways have been shown to improve clinical outcomes, reduce hospital length of stay (LOS) and reduce cost, with likely no increased risk for readmissions. However, as Andrew Gorlin, MD, of the Department of Anesthesiology at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, explained at the 2016 American Society of Anesthesiologists Practice Management meeting, […]
Read MoreThe brain fog and clouded sensorium that follow a night call have long been accepted as part of the job by most anesthesiologists, but partial sleep deprivation significantly alters various aspects of mood and may ultimately affect the quality of patient care, a study has found. “It’s a given that residents work hours and hours, […]
Read MoreAuthors: Paul S. Myles, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., M.D. et al Anesthesiology published on 5 2016. Background: Several quality of recovery (QoR) health status scales have been developed to quantify the patient’s experience after anesthesia and surgery, but to date, it is unclear what constitutes the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). That is, what minimal change in score would […]
Read MoreCreating an analgesic devoid of unwanted side effects may seem like a pipe dream, but new research into analogs derived from natural compounds in the body have made bold progress. Developing a pain treatment that can provide effective analgesia and avoid unwanted side effects still stands as the holy grail of pain pharmacology, but researchers […]
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