Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2023
A Systematic Review on Long-Term Postsurgical Pain Outcomes; What Is the Effect of Upper Extremity Regional Anesthesia?
Chronic pain is a recognized complication of surgery, and it has been hypothesized that regional anesthesia might reduce the risk of development of chronic pain after upper extremity surgery. ⋯ The results of this review indicate that upper extremity regional anesthesia, compared to general anesthesia, is unlikely to change pain intensity at >3 months postoperatively.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2023
ReviewNarrative Review: Is There a Transfusion Cutoff Value After Which Nonsurvivability Is Inevitable in Trauma Patients Receiving Ultramassive Transfusion?
The institution of massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) has improved the timely delivery of large quantities of blood products and improves patient outcomes. In recent years, the cost of blood products has increased, compounded by significant blood product shortages. There is practical need for identification of a transfusion volume in trauma patients that is associated with increased mortality, or a threshold after which additional transfusion is futile and associated with nonsurvivability. ⋯ The data examining the utility of UMT in trauma are of poor quality, and with the variability inherent in trauma patients, and the surgeons caring for them, no universally accepted cutoff for transfusion exists. Not surprisingly, there is a trend toward increasing mortality with increasing transfusions. The decision to continue transfusing is multifactorial and must be individualized, taking into consideration patient characteristics, institution factors, blood bank supply, and most importantly, constant reevaluation of the need for ongoing transfusion rather than blind continuous transfusion until the heart stops.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2023
Combined Arterial Hypertension and Ischemic Stroke Exaggerate Anesthesia-Related Hypotension and Cerebral Oxygenation Deficits: A Preclinical Study.
Intraoperative arterial hypotension (IOH) is a common side effect of general anesthesia (GA), associated with poor outcomes in ischemic stroke. While IOH is more prevalent with hypertension, it is unknown whether IOH may differ when GA is induced during ischemic stroke, versus other clinical settings. This is important given that many stroke patients receive GA for endovascular thrombectomy. ⋯ Our findings are the first demonstration that ischemic stroke per se increases the severity of IOH, particularly when combined with a prior history of hypertension; this combination appears to compromise penumbral perfusion.