Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Intraoperative awareness risk, anesthetic sensitivity, and anesthetic management for patients with natural red hair: a matched cohort study.
Red-haired patients show no greater risk of intraoperative awareness than other phenotypes.
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Comparative Study
Neuraxial anesthesia improves long-term survival after total joint replacement: a retrospective nationwide population-based study in Taiwan.
This study explored the effects of general (GA) and neuraxial (NA) anesthesia on the outcomes of primary total joint replacement (TJR) in terms of postoperative mortality, length of stay (LOS), and hospital treatment costs. ⋯ Our results support the use of NA for primary TJR. The improvements in hospital costs persist even when anesthesia costs are removed. The mechanism underlying the association between NA and long-term survival is unknown.
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Lumbar plexus (LP) block is a common and useful regional anesthesia technique. Surface landmarks used to identify the LP in patients with healthy spines have been previously described, with the distance from the spinous process (SP) to the skin overlying the LP being approximately two-thirds the distance from the SP to the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) (SP-LP:SP-PSIS ratio). In scoliotic patients, rotation of the central neuraxis may make these surface landmarks unreliable, possibly leading to an increased block failure rate and an increased incidence of complications. The objective of the present study was to describe these surface landmarks of the LP in patients with scoliosis. ⋯ In patients with scoliotic disease of the spine, there is wide variability in the bony surface landmarks. The location of the LP is generally more medial than expected when compared with both modified and traditional landmarks. A review of the imaging studies and the pre-procedural ultrasound assessment of the anatomy should be considered prior to needle puncture.
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Comment Letter
We should do more to train anesthesia technicians in Africa.