Uncategorized

Uncategorized Published - 31 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
What We Have Here… Is a Failure to Communicate

This was not written for anestheia but it is great advice for all providers. By Emily Aaronson, MD Fellow Harvard Medical School Fellowship in Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Massachusetts General Hospital Despite the growing emphasis on “patient-centered care,” patient safety lapses attributed to poor communication are still commonplace. Noting this, during my fellowship at […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 31 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
CMS Posts Lists of Services Subject to Global Surgery Data Collection Requirements

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)  has posted additional information about global surgery data collection requirements. Physicians and other healthcare providers in FL, KY, LA, NV, NJ, ND, OH, OR and RI will be required to submit information-only claims for services provided within the global period for specific procedures with a 10 or […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 31 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Quality Improvement Initiative Helps Change Neostigmine Dosing Practice

Implementation of a quality improvement initiative substantially reduced excessive use of neostigmine while improving train-of-four–guided neostigmine administration. Over a six-month period, the initiative led to a decrease in the mean dose of intraoperative neostigmine from 2.9 to 2.5 mg, researchers reported. “Preliminary data have shown that these interventions led to a statistically significant reduction in […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 31 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Access to Anesthesia Care is Not Improved When States Eliminate Physician Supervision, Study Finds

Patient access to anesthesia care for seven common surgical procedures is not increased when states “opt-out” of the Medicare rule that requires anesthesia to be administered with physician supervision, reports a study published in the Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).  The study showed that “opt-out” states did not […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 30 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Surgical treatment of upper cervical spine metastases: a retrospective study of 39 cases

Authors Jian Yang et al Background The surgical treatment of upper cervical spine metastases are controversial up to now. By summarizing and analyzing the clinical data of the upper cervical spine involved metastases treated surgically in our center, we mainly aimed to investigate the surgical decisions and outcomes so as to provide more references for […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 30 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Assertiveness Training Can Up Likelihood of Crisis Intervention

You’re in the operating room, with a resident beside you, and your clinical decisions are harming the patient. Does your resident have the wherewithal to stand up to you and intervene? While the answer seems to be a resounding no, a study by a multicenter Canadian research team offers hope. The investigation showed that a […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 30 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Risk for Peri-op Complications In Peds Stratified by ASA Physical Status

Pediatric patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification of at least III are at risk for postoperative complications and mechanical ventilation, even when undergoing low-risk procedures, researchers have concluded. Identifying these patients will go a long way toward ensuring they receive targeted preventive interventions, particularly with respect to pulmonary and nutritional […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 30 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Cytokine and neuropeptide levels are associated with pain relief in patients with chronically painful total knee arthroplasty: a pilot study

Authors: Jasvinder A. Singh et al Background Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most successful procedures performed in patients with end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) and other arthritides with refractory pain [1]. While most patients report improved pain and function outcomes after TKA, persistent pain is reported by 6.5% or more patients post-TKA [2]. The […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 30 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Efficacy of gabapentin for prevention of postherpetic neuralgia: study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial

Authors: Manuel Rullán et al Background Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a chronic neuropathic pain that results from alterations of the peripheral nervous system in areas affected by the herpes zoster virus. The symptoms include pain, paresthesia, dysesthesia, hyperalgesia, and allodynia. Despite the availability of pharmacological treatments to control these symptoms, no treatments are available to […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 27 January, 2017    By - Dr Clemens
Bloodless Medicine and Surgery: Top 10 Things To Consider

Steven M. Frank, MD Medical Director, Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Medical Director, Johns Hopkins Health System Blood Management Clinical Community Professor, Department of Anesthesiology/Critical Care Medicine The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Baltimore, Maryland Andrew V. Scott, BS Medical Student The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Baltimore, Maryland Linda M. S. Resar, MD Co-Director, Center […]

Read More