Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2012
Meta AnalysisPublication bias in the anesthesiology literature.
Publication bias occurs because positive finding studies are more likely to be published. The dearth of studies of negative or equivalence findings can erroneously affect future research and potentially clinical care of patients. We hypothesized that positive studies were more likely to be published than negative studies in anesthesiology journals with a higher impact and circulation. ⋯ This study reports the presence of publication bias in the anesthesiology literature especially in higher clinical trial impact factor journals. Publication bias can have potential implications for future research and the clinical care of patients. Authors should be encouraged to submit negative studies to high impact journals and the journals should be encouraged to evaluate the editorial process as the cause of publication bias.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2012
Brief report: identification of the great auricular nerve by ultrasound imaging and transcutaneous nerve stimulation.
Superficial cervical plexus neuropathy after interscalene brachial plexus block affects about 8% of patients postoperatively. One of the nerves involved in superficial cervical plexus neuropathy is the great auricular nerve. ⋯ Identification of the nerve is significantly more difficult in female and in obese patients. Further studies will allow determination of whether this information will help to reduce the incidence of superficial cervical plexus neuropathy.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2012
A life cycle assessment of reusable and single-use central venous catheter insertion kits.
For most items used in operating rooms, it is unclear whether reusable items are environmentally and financially advantageous in comparison with single-use variants. We examined the life cycles of reusable and single-use central venous catheter kits used to aid the insertion of single-use, central venous catheters in operating rooms. We did not examine the actual disposable catheter sets themselves. We assessed the entire financial and environmental costs for the kits, including the influence of the energy source used for sterilization. ⋯ Inclusive of labor, the reusable central venous catheter insertion kits were less expensive than were the single-use kits. For our hospital, which uses brown coal-sourced electricity, the environmental costs of the reusable kit were considerably greater than those of the single-use kit. Efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of reusable items should be directed towards decreasing the water and energy consumed in cleaning and sterilization. The source of hospital electricity significantly alters the relative environmental effects of reusable items.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2012
Technical communication: design and in vitro testing of a pressure-sensing syringe for endotracheal tube cuffs.
Endotracheal intubation is a frequently performed procedure in the prehospital setting, intensive care unit, and for patients undergoing surgery. The endotracheal tube cuff must be inflated to a pressure that prevents air leaks without compromising tracheal mucosal blood flow. For simultaneous endotracheal tube cuff inflation and measurement, we designed and tested a novel pressure-sensing syringe in vitro. ⋯ Bellow feasibility was determined and modeled using finite element analysis. Repeatability testing at each pressure measurement for each bellows (pressure versus deflection) was within an average standard deviation of 0.3 cm to 1.61 cm (1%-5% error). Using an aneroid manometer for comparison, there was excellent linear correlation with a Spearman rank of 0.99 (P < 0.001), up to 30 cm H(2)O.