A study involving a specially modified pupillometer has shown a correlation between pupillary unrest under ambient light (PUAL) and pain response to opioid medications, suggesting that this instrument could one day help physicians determine the risk/benefit of giving patients additional opioids. “In this study, decreased levels of pupillary unrest were associated with decreased responsiveness to […]
Read MoreAnesthesia & Analgesia: May 2016 – Volume 122 – Issue 5 – p 1646–1653 AUTHORS: Naik, Bhiken I. MBBCh et al BACKGROUND: Adult deformity correction spine surgery can be associated with significant perioperative pain because of inflammatory, muscular, neuropathic, and postsurgical pain. α-2 Agonists have intrinsic antinociceptive and antihyperalgesic properties that can potentially reduce both […]
Read MoreOn Wednesday the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) proposed rule. The document, 962 pages long, includes CMS proposals on how the law creating a new Medicare physician payment system will be implemented beginning in 2017. MACRA, passed by Congress in April 2015, ends […]
Read MoreAuthors: Zheng Z et al., N Engl J Med 2016 May 5; 374:1744 This approach did not decrease the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation or perioperative myocardial damage. Cardiac surgery has shown many recent advances, but postoperative complications in patients undergoing bypass surgery remain a challenge. Investigators in China evaluated the effectiveness of perioperative rosuvastatin (20 mg/day) […]
Read MoreAuthors: Woon-Seok Kang, MD et al Anesthesiology published on 4 2016 Background: The aim of study was to evaluate the effect of mechanical ventilation mode type, pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV), or volume-controlled ventilation (VCV) on intra- and postoperative surgical bleeding in patients undergoing posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery. Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, single-blinded, and parallel study […]
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