After endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms, mortality rises over time but doesn’t surpass that associated with open repair, a New England Journal of Medicine study suggests. From more than 125,000 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent either procedure, about 40,000 in each procedure group were matched according to propensity to undergo endovascular repair. Periprocedural mortality was 1.6% with […]
Read MoreAnesthesiology published on 7 2015 Authors: Ajay D. Wasan MD, M.Sc et al Background: Opioids are frequently prescribed for chronic low back pain (CLBP), but there are little prospective data on which patient subgroups may benefit. Psychiatric comorbidity, such as high levels of depression and anxiety symptoms (termed comorbid negative affect [NA]), is a common presentation and may […]
Read MoreAnesthesiology published on 7 2015 Authors: David B Auyong MD et al Background: Despite ultrasound guidance for central line placement, complications persist, as exact needle location is often difficult to confirm with standard two-dimension ultrasound. A novel real-time needle guidance technology has recently become available (eZono, Germany) that tracks the needle during insertion. This randomized, blinded, crossover study examined […]
Read MoreAnesthesiology Published on 7 2015. Authors: Chris H. Martini MD et al Background: A novel multidimensional index of nociception, the nociception level (NoL) index, derived from the nonlinear composite of heart rate (HR), HR variability, amplitude of the photoplethysmogram, skin conductance, fluctuations in skin conductance, and their time derivatives, was used to assess nociception during anesthesia. Methods: […]
Read MoreAnesthesiology 8 2015, Vol.123, 444-456 Authors: Anthony T. Machi MD et al Background: The authors conducted a randomized, controlled, parallel-arm, superiority study to test the hypothesis that a continuous adductor canal block decreases the time to attain four discharge criteria compared with a continuous femoral nerve block after tricompartment knee arthroplasty. Methods: Subjects undergoing tricompartment knee arthroplasty were randomized […]
Read MoreAnesthesiology 8 2015, Vol.123, 434-443 Authors: Maurice Jove, MD et al Background: Complications with IV patient-controlled analgesia include programming errors, invasive access, and impairment of mobility. This study evaluated an investigational sufentanil sublingual tablet system (SSTS) for the management of pain after knee or hip arthroplasty. Methods: This prospective, randomized, parallel-arm, double-blind study randomized postoperative patients at 34 U.S. sites […]
Read MoreAnesthesiology 8 2015, Vol.123, 320-326. Authors: David T. Monks, MD et al Background: Studies examining the efficacy of a single preoperative dose of gabapentin for analgesia after cesarean delivery (CD) have been inconclusive. The authors hypothesized that a perioperative course of gabapentin would improve analgesia after CD. Methods: This single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, superiority trial was […]
Read MoreAnesthesiology 8 2015, Vol.123, 288-306. Authors: Susan M Lee, MD, FRCPC et al Background: Despite widespread use, there is limited information to guide perioperative management of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the authors evaluated the patterns of postoperative ARB use in veterans regularly prescribed ARBs admitted for noncardiac surgery at the Veterans […]
Read MoreAnesthesiology 8 2015, Vol.123, 272-287. Authors: Andra E Duncan, MD et al Background: Glucose–insulin–potassium (GIK) administration during cardiac surgery inconsistently improves myocardial function, perhaps because hyperglycemia negates the beneficial effects of GIK. The hyperinsulinemic normoglycemic clamp (HNC) technique may better enhance the myocardial benefits of GIK. The authors extended previous GIK investigations by (1) targeting normoglycemia while […]
Read MoreAuthors: Mort TC and Braffett BH., Anesth Analg 2015 Jun 23; Video laryngoscopy improved first-attempt success and lowered rates of complications compared with direct laryngoscopy in a single-center registry study of endotracheal tube exchanges using airway exchange catheters. Endotracheal tube (ETT) exchange is required when ventilation is ineffective because of either cuff failure or tube size. The […]
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