Anesthesia and analgesia
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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
ReviewPro-Con Debate: Cardiac Troponin Measurement as Part of Routine Follow-up of Myocardial Damage Following Noncardiac Surgery.
Elevated troponin levels within 3 days of surgery, independent of the presence of symptoms, are strongly linked to increased risk of short- and long-term morbidity and mortality. However, the value of screening with troponin measurements is controversial. ⋯ Nevertheless, others doubt this recommendation, in part because postoperative elevated levels of troponin describe very little in terms of disease or event-specific pathogenesis and etiology, and thus, tailoring an intervention remains a challenge. This Pro-Con debate offers evidence-based data to stimulate physician understanding of daily practice and its significance in this matter, and assist in determining whether to use (Pro) or not to use (Con) this surveillance.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 2022
Multicenter StudyMulticenter Study Evaluating Nitrous Oxide Use for Labor Analgesia at High- and Low-Altitude Institutions.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) has been used nationally as an analgesic in many clinical settings. While neuraxial analgesia is still the most commonly used labor analgesic in the United States, there is increasing use of N2O in labor. Given the reduction in the partial pressure of gases at a higher altitude, N2O has been reported to have reduced analgesic properties. However, there is no study to date evaluating the impact of altitude on labor analgesia and N2O. ⋯ This is the first study evaluating 50% N2O as a labor analgesic at high altitude. As expected, we found lower side effects at high altitude, likely due to the lower partial pressure of N2O. However, there was not a statistically significant increase in conversion from N2O to another analgesic modality at high altitude and no clinically significant differences in neonatal outcomes.