Anesthesiology
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Review Meta Analysis
N-terminal pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptides' Prognostic Utility Is Overestimated in Meta-analyses Using Study-specific Optimal Diagnostic Thresholds.
N-terminal fragment B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) prognostic utility is commonly determined post hoc by identifying a single optimal discrimination threshold tailored to the individual study population. The authors aimed to determine how using these study-specific post hoc thresholds impacts meta-analysis results. ⋯ Post hoc identification of study-specific prognostic biomarker thresholds artificially maximizes biomarker predictive power, resulting in an amplification or overestimation during meta-analysis of these results. This effect is accentuated in small studies.
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Review
Different Approaches to Ultrasound-guided Thoracic Paravertebral Block: An Illustrated Review.
Given the fast development and increasing clinical relevance of ultrasound guidance for thoracic paravertebral blockade, this review article strives (1) to provide comprehensive information on thoracic paravertebral space anatomy, tailored to the needs of a regional anesthesia practitioner, (2) to interpret ultrasound images of the thoracic paravertebral space using cross-sectional anatomical images that are matched in location and plane, and (3) to briefly describe and discuss different ultrasound-guided approaches to thoracic paravertebral blockade. To illustrate the pertinent anatomy, high-resolution photographs of anatomical cross-sections are used. By using voxel anatomy, it is possible to visualize the needle pathway of different approaches in the same human specimen. This offers a unique presentation of this complex anatomical region and is inherently more realistic than anatomical drawings.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Assessment of Cerebral Autoregulation Patterns with Near-infrared Spectroscopy during Pharmacological-induced Pressure Changes.
Previous work has demonstrated paradoxical increases in cerebral oxygen saturation (ScO2) as blood pressure decreases and paradoxical decreases in ScO2 as blood pressure increases. It has been suggested that these paradoxical responses indicate a functional cerebral autoregulation mechanism. Accordingly, the authors hypothesized that if this suggestion is correct, paradoxical responses will occur exclusively in patients with intact cerebral autoregulation. ⋯ In this study, paradoxical changes in ScO2 after pharmacological-induced pressure changes occurred exclusively in patients with intact cerebral autoregulation, corroborating the hypothesis that these paradoxical responses might be attributable to a functional cerebral autoregulation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Sufentanil Sublingual Tablet System for the Management of Postoperative Pain after Knee or Hip Arthroplasty: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study.
Complications with IV patient-controlled analgesia include programming errors, invasive access, and impairment of mobility. This study evaluated an investigational sufentanil sublingual tablet system (SSTS) for the management of pain after knee or hip arthroplasty. ⋯ SSTS could be an effective patient-controlled pain management modality in patients after major orthopedic surgery and is easy to use by both patients and healthcare professionals.
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Health administrative (HA) databases are increasingly used to identify surgical patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for research purposes, primarily using diagnostic codes. Such means to identify patients with OSA are not validated. The authors determined the accuracy of case-ascertainment algorithms for identifying patients with OSA with the use of HA data. ⋯ No code or combination of codes provided a +LR high enough to adequately identify patients with OSA. Existing studies using administrative codes to identify OSA should be interpreted with caution.