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Uncategorized Published - 4 June, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Insufflating Gas Pressures Can Exceed Margin of Safety

Despite technological advances that have substantially improved the safety of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy in recent years, the risk for fatal gas embolism from insufflating gas—although extremely rare—is still present. In fact, a study by a University of Florida, Gainesville, research team has concluded that when the flush button is depressed on a popular manufacturer’s endoscope, […]

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Uncategorized Published - 3 June, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Coarse-Grained Simulation Model Reveals Similarities Among General Anesthetics

General anesthetics, despite differences among them at the molecular level, modulate ligand-gated ion channels in a highly generalized fashion. A coarse-grained simulation model of this behavior now offers valuable insights into common molecular mechanisms of anesthetic action. Joshua Mincer, MD, PhD, assistant professor, and Thomas T. Joseph, MD, PhD, CA-2 resident and an Eliasberg Research […]

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Uncategorized Published - 3 June, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Perioperative QTc Prolongation Linked to Administration Of General or Spinal Anesthesia

Once thought to be an isolated perioperative phenomenon, QTc prolongation seems to be common during surgery under general and spinal—but not local—anesthesia, a study has found. Additionally, the relative risk for extended QTc prolongation is more than five times greater with general anesthesia than with spinal. “QTc prolongation is an indicator of abnormal cardiac repolarization,” […]

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Uncategorized Published - 3 June, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Panel Recommends Steps for Safer Epidural Injections

The risk for rare but potentially catastrophic neurological injuries from epidural steroid injections (ESIs) can be substantially reduced if anesthesiologists and other clinicians follow specific safety measures, according to members of a consensus panel representing 13 national medical organizations. “We acknowledge that catastrophic neurologic injuries can and do occur during epidural steroid injections. The actual […]

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Uncategorized Published - 3 June, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Twin Study Lends New Insights Into Link Between Back Pain, Depression

Genetic factors help to explain the commonly found association between low back pain and depression, according to a large study of twins published in the journal Pain. Genetic factors affecting both conditions may be involved in the association between back pain and depression. For the study, Marina B. Pinheiro, MD, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, […]

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Uncategorized Published - 3 June, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Study Questions Benefit of Administering Sedatives Before Surgery

Although sedatives are often administered before surgery, a randomised trial finds that among patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia, receiving lorazepam before surgery, compared with placebo or no premedication, did not improve the self-reported patient experience the day after surgery, but was associated with longer time till extubation and a lower rate of early […]

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Uncategorized Published - 2 June, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Patient controlled analgesia with remifentanil versus epidural analgesia in labour: randomised multicentre equivalence trial.

Published in BMJ 2015 Feb 23;350:h846. AUTHORS: Freeman LM et al         OBJECTIVE: To determine women’s satisfaction with pain relief using patient controlled analgesia with remifentanil compared with epidural analgesia during labour. DESIGN: Multicentre randomised controlled equivalence trial. SETTING: 15 hospitals in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Women with an intermediate to high obstetric risk with an intention to deliver […]

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Uncategorized Published - 2 June, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Evaluation of the PaO2/FiO2 Ratio After Cardiac Surgery as a Predictor of Outcome During Hospital Stay

Published in BMC Anesthesiol. 2014;14(83) Authors: Francisco Esteve et al Background The arterial partial pressure of O2 and the fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) ratio is widely used in ICUs as an indicator of oxygenation status. Although cardiac surgery and ICU scores can predict mortality, during the first hours after cardiac surgery few instruments are available to […]

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Uncategorized Published - 2 June, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Doctors Delivering Bad News Perceived as Less Compassionate

This is included on our blog because patient satisfaction is now 30% of the hospital’s payments from the government. The findings were published in JAMA Oncology. Many dread having to deliver such catastrophic news and fear that their patients might think of them in a negative way as a result. Now, a study shows that such fear […]

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Uncategorized Published - 2 June, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Central venous pressure: we need to bring clinical use into physiological context

Published in Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica (Feb 2015) Authors: Sondergaard S et al BACKGROUND The place of central venous pressure (CVP) measurement in acute care has been questioned during the past decade. We reviewed its physiological importance, utility and clinical use among anaesthetists and intensivists. METHODS A literature search using the PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus and Web of […]

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