Author: Dr Clemens

Uncategorized Published - 30 July, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Preoperative Fasting in Children Unnecessarily Prolonged

Children routinely face prolonged periods without eating or drinking before surgery, often extending hours beyond recommended guidelines, a new study has found. More than three-fourths of children who had surgery went more than 12 hours without solids before their operations, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital reported. The study, which examined the records of more than […]

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Uncategorized Published - 29 July, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Renal function and symptoms/adverse effects in opioid-treated patients with cancer

Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2015 May 5. doi: 10.1111/aas.12521. Authors: Kurita GP et al BACKGROUND: Renal impairment and the risk of toxicity caused by accumulation of opioids and/or active metabolites is an under-investigated issue. This study aimed at analysing if symptoms/adverse effects in opioid-treated patients with cancer were associated with renal function. METHODS: Cross-sectional multicentre study (European Pharmacogenetic […]

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Uncategorized Published - 29 July, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Naloxone added to bupivacaine or bupivacaine-fentanyl prolongs motor and sensory block during supraclavicular brachial plexus blockade: a randomized clinical trial.

Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2015 April;59(7):921-7 Authors: Marashi SM et al BACKGROUND: In this study, the effect of naloxone on duration of supraclavicular brachial plexus block was evaluated. It was hypothesized that naloxone can increase the duration of neural blockade. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients scheduled for surgery under supraclavicular brachial plexus block were randomly assigned to receive 30 ml bupivacaine […]

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Uncategorized Published - 29 July, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Regional Versus General Anesthesia in Surgical Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Does Avoiding General Anesthesia Reduce the Risk of Postoperative Complications?

Anesthesia & Analgesia: June 2015 Vol 120 Issue 6 p 1405-1412 Authors: Hausman, Mark S. Jr. MD et BACKGROUND: Surgical patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at increased risk of perioperative complications. In this study, we sought to quantify the benefit of avoiding general anesthesia in this patient population. METHODS: Data from the […]

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Uncategorized Published - 29 July, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
A Comparison of Plaintiff and Defense Expert Witness Qualifications in Malpractice Litigation in Anesthesiology

Anesthesia & Analgesia: June 2015 Vol 120 Issue 6 p 1369-1374 Authors: Radvansky, Brian M. BA et al BACKGROUND: Expert witnesses serve a crucial role in the medicolegal system, interpreting evidence so that it can be understood by jurors. Guidelines have been established by both the legal community and professional medical societies detailing the expectations […]

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Uncategorized Published - 29 July, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Intraoperative Multimodal Evoked Potential Monitoring During Carotid Endarterectomy: A Retrospective Study of 264 Patients

Anesthesia & Analgesia: June 2015 Vol 120 Issue 6 p1352-1360 Authors: Malcharek, Michael J. MD et al BACKGROUND: Methods for detecting intraoperative cerebral ischemia arising from internal carotid artery (ICA) cross-clamping during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) should be sensitive, specific, and rapid to prevent intraoperative stroke. We had 3 objectives pertaining to this: (1) investigation of […]

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Uncategorized Published - 28 July, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
The Hematological Effects of Nitrous Oxide Anesthesia in Pediatric Patients

Anesthesia & Analgesia: June 2015 Vol 120 Issue 6 p 1325-1330 Authors: Duma, Andreas MD et al BACKGROUND: Prolonged administration of nitrous oxide causes an increase in plasma homocysteine in children via vitamin B12 inactivation. However, it is unclear whether nitrous oxide doses used in clinical practice cause adverse hematological effects in pediatric patients. METHODS: This […]

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Uncategorized Published - 28 July, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Chronic Opioid Use and Central Sleep Apnea: A Review of the Prevalence, Mechanisms, and Perioperative Considerations

Anesthesia & Analgesia: June 2015 Volume 120 Issue 6 p1273-1285 Authors: Correa, Denis MBBS, MD et al BACKGROUND: Chronic opioid use has been associated with the development of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) such as central sleep apnea (CSA). Patients receiving chronic opioids may suffer from unrecognized sleep apnea that contributes to opioid-overdose death. Currently, information regarding […]

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Uncategorized Published - 28 July, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Ambulatory Anesthesiology and Perioperative Management: Research Report

Anesthesia & Analgesia: June 2015 Volume 120 Issue 6 o 1214-1224 Postoperative Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Patients Without Preoperative Sleep Apnea Authors: Chung, Frances MBBS, FRCPC et al BACKGROUND: Recently published data show that postoperative apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is significantly increased in some patients without preoperative sleep apnea. These patients may be at risk of developing […]

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Uncategorized Published - 28 July, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Use of Aprepitant and Factors Associated With Incidence of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Undergoing Facial Plastic Surgery

Published in JAMA Facial Plast Surg, 2015 Jul 1;17(4):251-5. Authors: Trimas SJ et al IMPORTANCE: Patients who experience immediate postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after their facial plastic surgery procedure have a higher incidence of complications and dissatisfaction. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a single dose of aprepitant administered preoperatively can decrease the incidence of immediate PONV in […]

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