AUTHORS: Auyong, David B. MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: March 2017 – Volume 124 – Issue 3 – p 959–965 BACKGROUND: Continuous peripheral nerve blocks offer advantages over single-injection blocks, including extended analgesia and reduction in opioid consumption. These benefits require that the perineural catheter remain intact for the duration of the planned local anesthetic […]
Read MoreAuthors: Timm FP et al., BMJ 2017 Jan 10; 356:i6635 Surgical patients with migraine, particularly those with aura, are at increased risk for perioperative ischemic stroke and postsurgical 30-day hospital readmission. To explore the association of migraine with perioperative stroke and 30-day hospital readmission, investigators reviewed prospective hospital registry data for all patients who underwent surgery under […]
Read MoreAlthough enhanced recovery pathways are beginning to gain a foothold in the inpatient arena, their place in the ambulatory setting is only now evolving, particularly for cancer patients. Research shows, however, that procedure-specific enhanced recovery pathways can be successfully implemented in outpatient centers, with marked success in terms of reduction in lengths of stay and […]
Read MoreAUTHORS: Goettel, Nicolai MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: March 2017 – Volume 124 – Issue 3 – p 934–942 BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence links postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) to surgery and anesthesia. POCD is recognized as an important neuropsychological adverse outcome in surgical patients, particularly the elderly. This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate whether POCD […]
Read MoreWhen it comes to the position of the surgical table during elective cesarean delivery, recent research has concluded that leaving the table flat does not impair neonatal acid–base status compared with the 15-degree tilt position. The investigators also found that a 15-degree left lateral tilt had a negligible effect on maternal hemodynamic parameters (Figures 1 […]
Read MoreKathryn E. McGoldrick, MD, FCAI(Hon) ‘Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick and will abstain from every voluntary mischief and corruption.’ —Hippocratic Oath Although it is perhaps less true today than four or five decades ago, physicians are often perceived by the public—and possibly by doctors […]
Read MoreAUTHORS: Balki, Mrinalini MBBS, MD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: March 2017 – Volume 124 – Issue 3 – p 890–897 BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrest in pregnancy is a rare and devastating condition with high mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to generate information about maternal cardiac arrest in Canada by examining the frequency, […]
Read MoreAuthors: Cravero JP et al., Pediatrics 2017 May 139:e20162897 This easy-to-learn 6-point scale was developed to assess the quality or “state” of sedation experienced by children undergoing procedural sedation. Investigators developed a simple scale to evaluate quality — as opposed to depth — of sedation experienced by pediatric patients undergoing any type of sedation (pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic) […]
Read MoreAuthors: West JR et al., Am J Emerg Med 2017 Apr 2; In patients undergoing endotracheal intubation who had apnea for >60 seconds, DAO correlated with increased pH and decreased PaCO2. Diffuse apneic oxygenation (DAO) uses high-flow nasal cannula oxygen during laryngoscopy for endotracheal intubation. This approach is believed to flush CO2 from the lungs and to improve respiratory […]
Read MoreAuthors: Gavin M. Hamilton, M.D., M.Sc. et al Anesthesiology published on May 4, 2017 Background: Delirium is an acute and reversible geriatric syndrome that represents a decompensation of cerebral function. Delirium is associated with adverse postoperative outcomes, but controversy exists regarding whether delirium is an independent predictor of mortality. Thus, we assessed the association between incident postoperative […]
Read More