Anesthesia and analgesia
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Acute kidney injury (AKI) in the perioperative period is a common complication and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. A standard definition and staging system for AKI has been developed, incorporating a reduction of the urine output and/or an increase of serum creatinine. Novel biomarkers may detect kidney damage in the absence of a change in function and can also predict the development of AKI. ⋯ Two recently published studies found that implementing this bundle in high-risk patients reduced the occurrence of AKI in the perioperative period. In addition, the application of remote ischemic preconditioning has been studied to potentially reduce the incidence of perioperative AKI. This review discusses the epidemiology and pathophysiology of surgery-associated AKI, highlights the importance of intraoperative oliguria, and emphasizes potential preventive strategies.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2018
ReviewObstructive Sleep Apnea in Pregnant Women: A Review of Pregnancy Outcomes and an Approach to Management.
Among obese pregnant women, 15%-20% have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and this prevalence increases along with body mass index and in the presence of other comorbidities. Prepregnancy obesity and pregnancy-related weight gain are certainly risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy, but certain physiologic changes of pregnancy may also increase a woman's risk of developing or worsening OSA. While it has been shown that untreated OSA in postmenopausal women is associated with a range of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic comorbidities, a body of literature is emerging that suggests OSA may also have serious implications for the health of mothers and fetuses during and after pregnancy. In this review, we discuss the following: pregnancy as a vulnerable period for the development or worsening of OSA; the associations between OSA and maternal and fetal outcomes; the current screening modalities for OSA in pregnancy; and current recommendations regarding peripartum management of OSA.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2018
ReviewOpening the Black Box: Understanding the Science Behind Big Data and Predictive Analytics.
Big data, smart data, predictive analytics, and other similar terms are ubiquitous in the lay and scientific literature. However, despite the frequency of usage, these terms are often poorly understood, and evidence of their disruption to clinical care is hard to find. ⋯ We then define the term smart data and discuss the transformations necessary to make big data into smart data. Finally, we examine the ways in which this transition from big to smart data will affect what we do in research, retrospective work, and ultimately patient care.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2018
Treating Anemia in the Preanesthesia Assessment Clinic: Results of a Retrospective Evaluation.
Perioperative anemia is challenging during hospital stay because anemia and red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are associated with an increased morbidity and mortality. With the implementation of patient blood management (PBM), a preanesthesia assessment clinic to screen and treat anemia before elective surgery was institutionalized at Muenster University Hospital, Germany. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the association between treating preoperative anemic patients with intravenous iron (IVI) and (primarily) presurgical hemoglobin levels and (secondarily) use of RBCs and mortality. ⋯ An anemia clinic within the preanesthesia assessment clinic is a feasible and effective approach to treat preoperative anemia. The IVI supplementation was safe but was associated with decreased RBC transfusions in gynecology/obstetric patients only. The conclusions from this retrospective analysis have to be tested in prospective, controlled trials.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2018
Evaluating Patient-Centered Outcomes in Clinical Trials of Procedural Sedation, Part 2 Safety: Sedation Consortium on Endpoints and Procedures for Treatment, Education, and Research Recommendations.
The Sedation Consortium on Endpoints and Procedures for Treatment, Education, and Research, established by the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks, a public-private partnership with the US Food and Drug Administration, convened a second meeting of sedation experts from a variety of clinical specialties and research backgrounds to develop recommendations for procedural sedation research. The previous meeting addressed efficacy and patient- and/or family-centered outcomes. This meeting addressed issues of safety, which was defined as "the avoidance of physical or psychological harm." A literature review identified 133 articles addressing safety measures in procedural sedation clinical trials. ⋯ The meeting identified methodological problems associated with measuring infrequent adverse events. With a consensus discussion, a set of core and supplemental measures were recommended to code for safety in future procedural clinical trials. When adopted, these measures should improve the integration of safety data across studies and facilitate comparisons in systematic reviews and meta-analyses.