Study finds fentanyl transdermal patches are too often prescribed to opioid-naïve and elderly patients, raising their risks of fatal adverse drug events. Interview with Caleb Alexander, MD Fentanyl patches are a highly potent options for cancer and non-cancer pain patients, but are contraindicated in opioid naïve patients. However, new research indicates that physicians may be […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: May 17, 2016 AUTHORS: Zentai, Christian MD et al BACKGROUND: The potential clinical benefits of targeted therapy with coagulation factor concentrates (e.g., fibrinogen) and antifibrinolytic agents (e.g., tranexamic acid [TXA]) for the treatment of trauma-induced coagulopathy are increasingly recognized. We hypothesized that human fibrinogen concentrate (FC) and prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), administered […]
Read MoreBy now, one would think that all health care workers know the importance of washing their hands, yet a recent study found that staff at outpatient care facilities fail to follow recommendations for hand hygiene 37% of the time, and for safe injection practices 33% of the time, even after having policies in place about […]
Read MoreIn stark contrast to a 2010 investigation suggesting that nurse anesthetists frequently provide care unsupervised by physician anesthesiologists, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch and the American Society of Anesthesiology’s (ASA) Department of Health Policy have found that the Medicare billing code at the center of that trial—modifier QZ—does not seem to be […]
Read MoreThe American Pain Society, for the first time, has released a clinical practice guideline on managing postoperative pain. The guideline was created with input from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and was subsequently approved by the American Society for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), and was based on the 23-member panel’s review of […]
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