Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2022
Observational StudyThe Relation Between Mean Arterial Pressure and Cardiac Index in Major Abdominal Surgery Patients: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.
Cardiac output is an important hemodynamic variable and determines oxygen delivery. In contrast to blood pressure, cardiac output is rarely measured even in high-risk surgical patients, suggesting that clinicians consider blood pressure to be a reasonable indicator of systemic blood flow. However, the relationship depends on constant vascular tone and volume, both of which routinely vary during anesthesia and surgery. We therefore tested the hypothesis that there is no clinically meaningful correlation between mean arterial pressure and cardiac index in major abdominal surgery patients. ⋯ There is no clinically meaningful correlation between mean arterial pressure and cardiac index in patients having major abdominal surgery. Intraoperative blood pressure is thus a poor surrogate for cardiac index.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2022
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyLow-Concentration Norepinephrine Infusion for Major Surgery: A Safety and Feasibility Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Prevention of hypotension during the intra- and postoperative period is an important goal. Peripheral administration of low-concentration norepinephrine may be a safe and effective strategy to reduce the risk of hypotension. ⋯ A future large trial evaluating the effectiveness and safety of peripheral administration of low-concentration norepinephrine during the perioperative period is feasible, and likely to achieve a minimum systolic blood pressure threshold.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2022
ReviewOpportunities Beyond the Anesthesiology Department: Broader Impact Through Broader Thinking.
Ensuring a productive clinical and research workforce requires bringing together physicians and communities to improve health, by strategic targeting of initiatives with clear and significant public health relevance. Within anesthesiology, the traditional perspective of the field's health impact has focused on providing safe and effective intraoperative care, managing critical illness, and treating acute and chronic pain. However, there are limitations to such a framework for anesthesiology's public health impact, including the transient nature of acute care episodes such as the intraoperative period and critical illness, and a historical focus on analgesia alone-rather than the complex psychosocial milieu-for pain management. ⋯ To unlock this potential, anesthesiologists should cultivate new clinical, research, and administrative roles within the health system-transcending traditional missions, seeking interdepartmental collaborations, and taking measures to elevate anesthesiologists as dynamic and trusted leaders. This special article examines 3 core themes for how anesthesiologists can enhance their impact within the health care system and pursue new collaborative health missions with nonanesthesiologist clinicians, researchers, and administrative leaders. These themes include (1) reframing of traditional anesthesiologist missions toward a broader health system-wide context; (2) leveraging departmental and institutional support for professional career development; and (3) strategically prioritizing leadership attributes to enhance system-wide anesthesiologist contributions to improving overall patient health.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2022
The effects of COVID-19 on pediatric anesthesiologists: A survey of the members of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the personal and professional lives of all health care workers. Anesthesiologists frequently perform virus-aerosolizing procedures (eg, intubation and extubation) that place them at increased risk of infection. We sought to determine how the initial COVID-19 outbreak affected members of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) on both personal and professional levels. Specifically, we examined the potential effects of gender and age on personal stress, burnout, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, assessed job satisfaction, and explored financial impact. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the personal and professional lives of pediatric anesthesiologists, albeit not equally, as women and non-Whites have been disproportionately impacted. The pandemic has significantly affected personal finances, home responsibilities, and retirement planning; reduced clinical and academic practice time and responsibilities; and increased feelings of social isolation, stress, burnout, and depression/anxiety.