Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Prediction of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) enables individually applied preventive measures and maybe even early treatment if a PPC eventually starts to develop. The purpose of this review is to describe crucial steps in the development and validation of prediction models, examine these steps in the current literature and describe what the future holds for PPC prediction. ⋯ Many predictive models for PPCs have been reported on. Development of more robust PPC prediction models could be supported by machine learning.
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In recent years, ultrafast-track anesthesia with on-table extubation and concepts of accelerated postoperative care have gained increasing support in pediatric congenital cardiac surgery. It is believed that such approaches might ideally combine economic benefits with a striving for continuous improvement of patient outcomes. The present review summarizes the role of dexmedetomidine (DEX) in this setting. ⋯ Due to a favorable mix of beneficial physiologic actions and a limited adverse effect profile, DEX is established in the perioperative pediatric cardiac surgery setting. However, evidence from high-quality randomized controlled trials on the effects of supplemental DEX on meaningful patient outcomes is scarce, and research on the role of DEX in providing cardioprotection, neuroprotection, or renoprotection is still at its beginning. DEX has developed to one of the main agents in the armamentarium of cardiac anesthesiologists and pediatric intensivists, but it should not be regarded as the new 'magic bullet'.
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The purpose of this review is to describe the anesthesiologist's perioperative challenges when caring for the patient with substance use disorder and, in particular, opioid use disorder. ⋯ Patients with substance use disorders and, in particular, those addicted to opioids, present a challenge to the anesthesiologist. Whether the diagnosis of substance use disorder is known or unknown and whether on maintenance therapy, in withdrawal, or remission, patients with this condition represent a special surgical population whose perioperative care can influence their postoperative and disease course for many years.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2019
ReviewThe malnourished surgery patient: a silent epidemic in perioperative outcomes?
As many as two of every three major surgery patients are malnourished preoperatively - a diagnosis rarely made and treated even less frequently. Unfortunately, perioperative malnutrition is perhaps the least often identified surgical risk factor and is among the most treatable to improve outcomes. ⋯ The recent publication of new surgical nutrition guidelines, the PONS score, and use of LBM assessments will allow better identification and earlier intervention on perioperative malnutrition. It is essential that in the future no patient undergoes elective surgery without nutrition screening and nutrition intervention when malnutrition risk is identified.
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This review summarizes the current evidence available to guide anaesthetists along the decision-making process between inhalational and intravenous anaesthesia when caring for paediatric patients. ⋯ For children scheduled for elective surgery, intravenous induction has significant advantages with regards to reduced respiratory adverse events and for less postoperative behavioural disturbances, it may be associated with more anxiety at the time of induction. The anaesthetist in charge of the patient needs to weigh up the balance between the clinical risk of respiratory adverse events, the 'veins on offer', the level of anxiety and previous experiences of the child and his/her parents.