Ongoing evidence continues to support the finding that postoperative pain remains the greatest concern for patients presenting for surgery.1 In fact, recent surveys demonstrate that patients continue to suffer moderate to severe pain postoperatively.2,3 Additionally, patient satisfaction is becoming an increasingly important aspect of health care reimbursements reported via the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers […]
Read MoreThe depth of sedation provided by propofol during colonoscopy may be greater than necessary, according to researchers who objectively monitored it in their patients. The study was prompted by a recent population-based analysis (JAMA Intern Med2013;173:551-556) suggesting that complications—especially aspiration pneumonia—are increased during cases with anesthesia assistance. “No studies have measured the depth of sedation […]
Read MoreAuthors: Schmidt-Hansen MN et al Published in Cochane Database Syst Rev 2015 Feb BACKGROUND: Many patients with cancer experience moderate to severe pain that requires treatment with strong opioids, of which oxycodone and morphine are examples. Strong opioids are, however, not effective for pain in all patients, nor are they well-tolerated by all patients. The aim […]
Read MoreAuthors: Schnabel A et al Published in Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015 Mar BACKGROUND: According to current recommendations a multimodal approach is believed to be the gold standard for postoperative pain treatment in children. However, several surveys in the last few years demonstrated that postoperative pain in children is still a serious problem, mainly because opioids […]
Read MoreAuthors: Lewis SR et al Published in Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015 Mar 22;3:CD010824 BACKGROUND: Electrical cardioversion is an effective procedure for restoring normal sinus rhythm in the hearts of patients with irregular heart rhythms. It is important that the patient is not fully conscious during the procedure, as it can be painful and distressing. The […]
Read MoreAuthors: Jerath A et al Publsihed in Crit Care Med. 2015 May;43(5):1062-9. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the differences in extubation times in a group of cardiac surgical patients who were anesthetized and sedated with either IV propofol or inhaled volatile anesthetic agents. DESIGN: This was a prospective randomized controlled trial performed between September 2009 and August 2011. […]
Read MoreAuthors: Weinger, Matthew B. MD et al Published in Anesthesia & Analgesia: March 2015 BACKGROUND: Failures of communication are a major contributor to perioperative adverse events. Transitions of care may be particularly vulnerable. We sought to improve postoperative handovers. METHODS: We introduced a multimodal intervention in an adult and a pediatric postanesthesia care unit (PACU) […]
Read MoreAuthors: Bae DS et al Published in Head Neck. 2015 Mar BACKGROUND: We evaluated the effects of ropivacaine for pain relief after robotic thyroid surgery (RoT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients (n = 108) scheduled for RoT were randomized into ropivacaine (n = 54) or control (n = 54) groups. After surgery, 40mL of 0.25% ropivacaine or […]
Read MoreAuthors: Tscholl, David W. MD et al Published in Anesthesia & Analgesia: March 2015 BACKGROUND: An anesthesia preinduction checklist (APIC) to be performed before anesthesia induction was introduced and evaluated with respect to 5 team-level outcomes, each being a surrogate end point for patient safety: information exchange (the percentage of checklist items exchanged by a […]
Read MorePublished in Anesthesia & Analgesia: April 2015 Authors: Booth, Jessica L. MD et al BACKGROUND: Improved pain control after cesarean delivery remains a challenging objective. Poorly treated acute pain following delivery is associated with an increased risk of chronic pain and depression. This study was conducted to determine whether the addition of systemic acetaminophen and […]
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