AUTHORS: Allan Riis et al BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders BACKGROUND According to clinical guidelines, advice to stay active despite experiencing pain is recommended to patients with non-specific low back pain (LBP). However, not all patients receive guideline-concordant information and advice, and some patients still believe that activity avoidance will help them recover. The purpose was to […]
Read MoreMany older patients with new episodes of low back pain receive care inconsistent with current guidelines, including high use of opioids and advanced imaging tests, according to a study published in Medical Care. Results of the study showed that opioids were prescribed to nearly one-third of older adults with new and persistent low back pain — […]
Read MoreAuthor: Michael Vlessides Anesthesiology News The ongoing debate surrounding the efficacy of perioperative gabapentinoids in adult patients may be over, at least for the management of acute postoperative pain. A team of Canadian researchers concluded that perioperative use of gabapentinoids yields no clinically significant analgesic effect, and comes with an increased risk for adverse events. […]
Read MoreAUTHORS: Sahinovic, Marko M. MD, PhD et al Anesthesia & Analgesia: February 2020 BACKGROUND: Clinicians can optimize propofol titration by using 2 sources of pharmacodynamic (PD) information: the predicted effect-site concentration for propofol (Ceprop) and the electroencephalographically (EEG) measured drug effect. Relation between these sources should be time independent, that is, perfectly synchronized. In reality, […]
Read MorePatients with active cannabis dependence and abuse were nearly twice as likely to suffer a myocardial infarction (MI) after surgery, according to a study published in Anesthesiology. The study also found that the prevalence of cannabis dependence or abuse recorded among surgical patients increased significantly over the last decade. For the study, Li Ka Shing, MD, […]
Read MoreNon-drug therapies given to patients with chronic pain may reduce the risk of long-term adverse outcomes, such as alcohol and drug disorder and self-induced injuries, including suicide attempts, according to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The study found that service members with chronic pain who received non-drug therapies while in the […]
Read MoreAuthor: Carly Casella Science Alert Measuring a person’s blood pressure has been a mainstay of medical treatment for over a century, but the way we currently go about it is not always accurate or consistent. We make a lot of assumptions, after all, that one reading at one site can tell us what’s going on […]
Read MoreAuthor: Michael Vlessides Anesthesiology News Medical professionals might be underestimating the anaphylactic potential of chlorhexidine, one of the most common antimicrobial agents in the OR, according to a recent study in Canada. Although the study found that the majority of clinicians were aware of chlorhexidine’s allergic potential, the frequency with which the agent causes anaphylaxis […]
Read MoreAuthor: Michael Vlessides Anesthesiology News Anesthetic requirements in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCABG) surgery decrease linearly with simultaneous falls in core body temperature, a study has found. The researchers concluded that clinicians who do not use sedation monitors to guide the depth of anesthesia may actually be oversedating these patients, potentially leading […]
Read MoreAuthor: Naveed Saleh MD, MS Anesthesiology News In gastric bypass patients, the quantity of intraoperative antiemetic agents (ie, “triple” therapy vs. “dual” therapy) is not related to postoperative nausea and vomiting, according to the results of a National Health Service study in the United Kingdom. The researchers were surprised by the results of this small […]
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