Uncategorized

Uncategorized Published - 9 February, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Use Ultrasound When Placing a Radial Artery Line

Published in Am J Emerg Med 2015 Jan 33:50 Authors: Gao Y-B et al. In a meta-analysis, ultrasound guidance led to more successfully placed radial artery lines than palpation alone. Radial artery catheters are frequently placed in the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU) for hemodynamic monitoring and arterial blood gas analysis. A […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 9 February, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Reassessing Chlorhexidine Bathing

Published in JAMA 2015 Jan 20 Authors: Noto MJ et al. A new study challenges the benefits of daily chlorhexidine bathing in reducing hospital-acquired infections. One recently developed strategy to prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in intensive care units (ICUs) has been unit-wide patient bathing with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) to broadly decrease skin colonization with microbial […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 9 February, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
U.S. insurance study charts huge price gaps for hip, knee surgery

I thought this was interesting so I wanted to share with our readers. Hip and knee replacements, two of the fastest-growing U.S. medical procedures, are subject to huge – and apparently random – price variations within the same geographical areas, a new insurance industry study showed. The study by Blue Cross Blue Shield [BCBSFL.UL] health […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 9 February, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
10 Things ICUs Must Do Better

Compassion tops the list by former Society of Critical Care Medicine president. When R. Phillip Dellinger, MD, looked back over the distinguished career that earned him a lifetime achievement award in critical care, he urged the field forward in 10 directions. Despite the drop in severe sepsis mortality he helped drive, the biggest advance needed […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 9 February, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
5 tips for future physician leaders

WRITTEN BY EDWARD R. MARIANO, MD Our health care system needs more physician leaders. Physician-led accountable care organizations have been shown to improve the quality of patient care while reducing overall costs. Physicians, by their nature, tend to be goal-oriented, have the ability to gather and assimilate evidence, and make difficult decisions, but these traits […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 6 February, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Elevated Risk for Thrombotic Events After Superficial Venous Thrombosis

Published in  Blood 2015 Jan 8; 125:229 Authors: Cannegieter SC et al. Risks were higher for subsequent deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, acute myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and death. A recent study showed that 9.4% of patients with superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) had extension of the thrombus to the deep veins (NEJM JW Oncol Hematol Sep […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 6 February, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Phase 1 Safety Assessment of Intrathecal Oxytocin

Published in The Journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists 2 2015, Vol.122, 407-413. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000000539 Authors: James C. Eisenach, M.D et al Background: Preclinical data suggest that oxytocin reduces hypersensitivity by actions in the spinal cord, but whether it produces antinociception to acute stimuli is unclear. In this article, the authors examined the safety of intrathecal oxytocin […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 6 February, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Effect of Minocycline on Lumbar Radicular Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Clinical Trial with Amitriptyline as a Comparator

Published in The Journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists 2 2015, Vol.122, 399-406. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000000508 Authors: Pascal Vanelderen, M.D. et al Background: Less than 50% of patients experience sufficient pain relief with current drug therapy for neuropathic pain. Minocycline shows promising results in rodent models of neuropathic pain but was not studied in humans with regard to […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 6 February, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Reversal of Dabigatran Effects in Models of Thrombin Generation and Hemostasis by Factor VIIa and Prothrombin Complex Concentrate

Published in The Journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists 2 2015, Vol.122, 353-362. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000000540 Authors: Maureane Hoffman, M.D. et al Background: The oral thrombin inhibitor dabigatran has the drawbacks that it does not have a validated antidote. Data from animal studies and plasma coagulation assays suggest that prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) or recombinant factor VIIa (FVIIa) […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 6 February, 2015    By - Dr Clemens
Effect of Lateral Tilt Angle on the Volume of the Abdominal Aorta and Inferior Vena Cava in Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women Determined by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published in The Journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists 2 2015, Vol.122, 286-293. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000000553 Authors: Hideyuki Higuchi, M.D. Background: Left-lateral tilt position is used to reduce assumed aortocaval compression by the pregnant uterus. Methods: Magnetic resonance images of 10 singleton parturients at full term and 10 healthy nonpregnant women were obtained for measurement of the abdominal aorta […]

Read More