Journal of clinical anesthesia
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To assess patients' knowledge of the role of the anesthesiologist and to identify information patients desire during the preoperative visit. ⋯ Despite the high level of education and health literacy in this group of patients, many were uninformed about the roles of anesthesiologists. Patients expressed interest in receiving a broad range of information during the preoperative visit. An educational booklet was the preferred method to provide this information.
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Surgical repair of congenital heart disease during cardiopulmonary bypass is common, and performing these complicated procedures in the absence of blood transfusions is especially challenging. A case of a Jehovah's Witness child who underwent surgical repair of a ventricular septal defect utilizing a new tetrastarch for autologous normovolemic hemodilution is reported. A successful operative repair was achieved without the need for non-autologous blood transfusion.
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To evaluate the comorbidities and surgical factors involved in the genesis of intraoperative pressure ulcers. ⋯ Pressure ulcers are a costly, debilitating, and avoidable complication of surgery.