Author: Dr Clemens

Enhanced recovery efforts for cesarean delivery reduce need for opioids by 80%

EurekAlert Results of study by Children’s Hospital Colorado show a third of patients not needing narcotic pain pills after c-section Results of study by Children’s Hospital Colorado, presented at the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine’s Annual Meeting, show a third of patients not needing narcotic pain pills after c-section In a retrospective analysis of cesarean […]

Taking common pain relievers before COVID-19 vaccination could lessen efficacy

By Stephanie Weaver FOX TV Digital Team According to Dr. Anita Gupta, a professor and anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin may actually be decreasing the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. Minor pains, including muscle aches and headaches, are usual side effects reported by those who get the COVID-19 […]

US hospitals lost $22.3B delaying elective surgeries, study estimates

Author: Alia Paavola Becker’s Hospital CFO Report The cost of halting major elective surgery during the pandemic is estimated to be $22.3 billion for U.S. hospitals, according to a new study published in the Annals of Surgery. Last spring, many states ordered hospitals to pause elective surgeries to ensure they had staff and capacity to care for […]

Author: Karen A Penned Point Every death related to anesthesia is a tragedy; even more so when a minor procedure such as a colonoscopy leads to a completely unexpected death. Everyone knows that open heart surgery carries a mortality risk, but few of us walk into the hospital for a colonoscopy thinking that death is […]

Music Could Be a Post-Op Panacea

HealthDay News Heart surgery can be stressful, but researchers may have found a way to reduce patients’ anxiety and postoperative pain — without any extra side effects. A team from the Netherlands found that the simple act of listening to music around the time of surgery may help patients as they recover. “This is a fascinating question for heart surgeons because we […]

Incorporating Frailty into Preoperative Screening at OHSU

By Sandra Gordon for ASA “Frailty is similar to pre-existing cognitive dysfunction. It’s a measure of a patient’s reserve and how robust they are.” Katie Schenning, MD, MPH, Assistant Director of the Preoperative Medicine Clinic and Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine discusses the […]

New Nonopioid for Post-Surgical Pain Reduction Granted FDA Approval

Pharmacy Times Officials with the FDA have approved bupivacaine solution (Posimir; DURECT Corporation) for infiltration use in adults. The drug is a novel, nonopioid, sustained-release local analgesic indicated for use as postsurgical analgesia for up to 72 hours following arthroscopic subacromial decompression. It is administered into the subacromial space under direct arthroscopic visualization. “The first 72 […]

Comprehensive Risk Assessment of Morbidity in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery

AUTHORS: Nasr, Viviane G. MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: November 2020 – Volume 131 – Issue 5 – p 1607-1615 BACKGROUND:  Utilizing the intrinsic surgical risk (ISR) and the patient’s chronic and acute conditions, this study aims to develop and validate a comprehensive predictive model of perioperative morbidity in children undergoing noncardiac surgery. METHODS: […]

Perioperative Allogeneic Red Blood Cell Transfusion and Wound Infections

AUTHORS: Yuan, Yuchen MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: November 2020 – Volume 131 – Issue 5 – p 1573-1581 BACKGROUND:  It remains unclear whether the benefits of performing perioperative allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion outweigh the risks of postoperative wound infection. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of perioperative RBC […]

The Median Effective Dose of One Intravenous Bolus of Oxycodone for Postoperative Analgesia After Myomectomy and Hysterectomy With Local Ropivacaine Wound Infiltration: An Up–Down Dose-Finding Study

AUTHORS: Yu, Wantong MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: November 2020 – Volume 131 – Issue 5 – p 1599-1606 BACKGROUND:  Oxycodone has been shown to be an effective analgesic for early postoperative analgesia, especially for abdominal operations associated with severe visceral pain. However, the dose needed varies depending on the operation and application of […]