Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2021
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEfficacy of an Online Curriculum for Perioperative Goals of Care and Code Status Discussions: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Preoperative goals of care (GOC) and code status (CS) discussions are important in achieving an in-depth understanding of the patient's care goals in the setting of a serious illness, enabling the clinician to ensure patient autonomy and shared decision making. Past studies have shown that anesthesiologists are not formally trained in leading these discussions and may lack the necessary skill set. We created an innovative online video curriculum designed to teach these skills. This curriculum was compared to a traditional method of learning from reading the medical literature. ⋯ Our novel video curriculum led to significant increases in resident performance during simulated GOC discussions and modest increases during CS discussions. Further development and refinement of this curriculum are warranted.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyEvaluation of Drug Wastage in the Operating Rooms and Intensive Care Units of a Regional Health Service.
Pharmacological treatments for critical processes in patients need to be initiated as rapidly as possible; for this reason, it is a standard of care to prepare the main anesthesia and emergency drugs in advance. As a result, 20%-50% of the prepared drugs remain unused and are then discarded. Decreasing waste by optimizing drug use is an attractive strategy for meeting both cost containment and environmental sustainability. The primary end point of this study was to measure the actual amount of drug wastage in the operating rooms (ORs) and intensive care units (ICUs) of a Regional Health Service (RHS). The secondary end point was to analyze and estimate the economic implications of this waste for the Health Service and to suggest possible measures to reduce it. ⋯ The overall extent of drug wastage in ORs and ICUs is concerning. Interventions aimed at minimizing waste-related costs and improving the environmental sustainability of our practice are paramount. Effort should be put into designing a more efficient workflow that reduces this waste while providing for the emergency availability of these medications in the OR and ICU.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyFrequency and Temporal Distribution of Postoperative Respiratory Depressive Events.
The frequency and temporal distribution of postoperative respiratory depression (RD) events are not completely understood. This study determined the temporal distribution and frequency of RD episodes in postsurgical patients continuously monitored by bedside capnography and pulse oximetry. ⋯ Continuous monitoring of surgical patients demonstrates that RD episodes are common, and risk increases with higher PRODIGY scores. In this patient cohort, the rate of initial RD episodes peaked in the afternoon to early evening, while peak rate of all RD episodes occurred in early morning. Further, among patients with RD episodes, the number of episodes increased with higher PRODIGY scores.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyRisk Factors for Intraoperative Hypoglycemia in Children: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.
Intraoperative hypoglycemia can result in devastating neurologic injury if not promptly diagnosed and treated. Few studies have defined risk factors for intraoperative hypoglycemia. The authors sought to characterize children with intraoperative hypoglycemia and determine independent risk factors in a multicenter cohort. ⋯ Young age, weight for age <5th percentile, ASA status ≥III, having a gastric or jejunal tube, poor feeding, and abdominal surgery were risk factors for intraoperative hypoglycemia in children. Monitoring of blood glucose is recommended in these subsets of children.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyAspirin Use is Associated with Decreased Mechanical Ventilation, ICU Admission, and In-Hospital Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19.
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is associated with hypercoagulability and increased thrombotic risk in critically ill patients. To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated whether aspirin use is associated with reduced risk of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality. ⋯ Aspirin use may be associated with improved outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. However, a sufficiently powered randomized controlled trial is needed to assess whether a causal relationship exists between aspirin use and reduced lung injury and mortality in COVID-19 patients.