Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Case Reports
Perioperative cortical hand stroke syndrome mimicking peripheral neuropathy: a case report.
Timely diagnosis of perioperative stroke is challenging, and therapeutic interventions are infrequently offered. The cortical hand syndrome is a rare stroke presentation that results from infarction of the precentral gyrus leading to variable neurologic deficits mimicking peripheral nerve injuries, with no prior reports in the perioperative setting. To raise awareness of this complication among anesthesiologists, we present a case of cortical hand syndrome in a surgical patient initially suspected to have a peripheral neuropathy. ⋯ Cortical hand stroke syndrome is a rare presentation of perioperative stroke that may be misdiagnosed as a peripheral neuropathy. Our case presentation highlights that perioperative stroke should be considered for patients presenting with neurologic deficits of the hand, particularly those with deficits in multiple peripheral nerve territories and stroke risk factors.
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Editorial Comment
Propofol/remifentanil patient-controlled sedation: caveat emptor!
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Blood sampling for diagnostic testing causes blood loss. Small-volume tubes have the same cost, dimensions, and blood-draw techniques as standard-volume tubes, and are compatible with laboratory equipment; however, they are not commonly used. We sought to assess the feasibility of a stepped-wedge cluster trial to determine whether small-volume tubes reduce transfusion compared with standard-volume tubes in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. ⋯ ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03284944); registered 15 September 2017.
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Pain catastrophizing (PC) is the tendency to magnify the threat value of pain sensations and is associated with greater postsurgical pain intensity, functional disability, and pain chronicity. Higher parental PC predicts higher chronic postsurgical pain in youth. Treating PC in caregivers and youth prior to surgery may improve recovery and surgical outcomes. We developed and evaluated a psychoeducational workshop addressing PC for presurgical youth and their parents/caregivers. We hypothesized that parent/caregiver and youth PC scores would decrease over time. We also explored preintervention levels of youth anxiety and depression as moderators of outcome. ⋯ Our results provide proof-of-concept support for a virtual SSI targeting caregivers and youth PC during the perioperative period. The present findings highlight the possible need to screen presurgical candidates for symptoms of anxiety. Replication with larger and more diverse samples, and a more robust design are warranted.