Authors: Hourmozdi JJ et al., Crit Care Med 2016 Mar 31; Very few complications were picked up by routine chest x-ray at a large academic hospital system. For decades, dogma has been that chest x-ray should be performed to confirm placement of all internal jugular (IJ) central lines, despite evidence that ultrasound can significantly reduce complication rates. […]
Read MoreWhile overall malpractice claims related to anesthesia care are declining, the proportion of outpatient claims has increased in comparison to inpatient ones, says Richard J. Kelly, MD, JD, MPH, FCLM, clinical associate professor of anesthesiology and perioperative care at the University of CA Irvine School of Medicine. Dr Kelly recently completed a study looking at […]
Read MoreFor the claustrophobic patient who gets anxious having a face mask placed over him, remove the mask and have him place his lips around the round connector on the anesthesia circuit. Patients find this much more comfortable while they’re pre-oxygenating. As soon as the patient falls asleep, simply reattach the face mask so induction can […]
Read MoreFrailty can be easily assessed in aortic valve surgery patients using variables that are typically at the behest of most anesthesiologists, and the assessment can predict morbidity, mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS) in this fragile patient population. “Previous research has shown that frailty is an independent risk factor for predicting morbidity and mortality […]
Read MoreStatement on pain management from David W. Baker, MD, MPH, FACP, Executive Vice President, Healthcare Quality Evaluation, The Joint Commission: In the environment of today’s prescription opioid epidemic, everyone is looking for someone to blame. Often, The Joint Commission’s pain standards take that blame. We are encouraging our critics to look at our exact standards, […]
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