Uncategorized

Uncategorized Published - 13 August, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Local Infiltration Analgesia Offers Pain Relief in Some Joint Surgeries

Local infiltration analgesia (LIA) provides effective analgesia early after total knee arthroplasty but has limited efficacy after total hip arthroplasty, according to results of a systematic review. “LIA should preferably be used in combination with evidence-based multimodal systemic analgesia,” Dr. Lasse O. Andersen from Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark told Reuters Health by email. “For […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 13 August, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Hospitals Tighten ESA Use To Reduce Costs

By implementing protocols that restrict the use of erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs), hospitals can successfully cut costs while maintaining an equivalent level of patient care, according to two recent studies. At St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, a policy that delayed ESA administration to certain patients decreased ESA purchases by more than $16,000 per […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 13 August, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Fibrinogen Concentrate: Clinical Reality and Cautious Cochrane Recommendation

Published in Br J Anaesth. 2014;112(5):784-787. Authors: S. Kozek-Langenecker, D. Fries, D. R. Spahn, K. Zacharowski A recent systematic review, ‘Fibrinogen concentrate in bleeding patients’, published by The Cochrane Collaboration, aimed to assess the benefits and harms of fibrinogen concentrate compared with placebo or other treatments in bleeding patients. We agree with the authors finding […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 13 August, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Group Acquisitions and Alternatives

In a period of rapid change, physician practices react differently to the resulting uncertainty. Hospitals seek to employ or otherwise “align” primary care physicians. They seek to control specialty referrals through employment models, accountable care organizations and other hospital-centric networks. And particularly for anesthesiologists, competitive pressure is mounting from large regional and national groups. Many […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 12 August, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Preop Medication Compliance Better With Instruction Combo

Preoperative medication compliance improved when patients were given a simple, standardized, multicolored medication instruction sheet combined with verbal instructions, according to an article published in the July issue of Anesthesiology. Failure to remember and comply with instructions can result in rescheduled same-day surgeries and longer hospital stays. Patients in the study were scheduled for general […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 12 August, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
CABG-Related Infection Rates Vary by Center, With Pneumonia Leading

Rates of infection secondary to CABG surgery varied widely across a 33-hospital consortium engaged in an adult cardiac-surgery quality initiative in Michigan[1]. The variation was less pronounced but still substantial after adjustment for comorbidities and other patient-related factors. Isolated pneumonia was overwhelmingly the most common CABG-related infection, seen in about 3% of the total population […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 12 August, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Cesarean Slightly Increases Future Risk for Stillbirth

I thought this was interesting so I wanted to share it with our readers. A prior caesarean section is associated with a small increased rate of subsequent stillbirth and ectopic pregnancy. The increased rate is confounded, however, by underlying medical conditions, as well as the indication for the primary caesarean delivery. Sinéad M. O’Neill, MPH, […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 12 August, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Chronic Diseases Are Main US Public Health Concern

I thought this was interesting even if it doesn’t deal with our specialty specifically. One in Five US Adults Use Tobacco Products Alcohol Remains a Leading Cause of Premature Death Obesity Epidemic Is Global, New Study Confirms Noncommunicable diseases are the main cause of illness and disability in the United States and are responsible for […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 12 August, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Grim Stats for Opioid-Related Deaths, Prescribing in US

Forty-six individuals die every day in the United States from an overdose of prescription painkillers, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Healthcare providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers in 2012. “That’s enough for every American adult to have their own bottle of pills,” CDC director […]

Read More
Uncategorized Published - 11 August, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
How to use employee engagement to increase productivity

What is “employee engagement”? Psychologists, sociologists and CEOs alike are still arguing about the proper definition of the term, but they agree on the basics: An engaged employee is fully absorbed, satisfied, and furthers the organization’s mission through positive action. As an emerging leader, you probably embody engagement, and you know how it affects your […]

Read More