Current opinion in anaesthesiology
-
Growing numbers of patients, consuming cannabinoids admitted to surgery, create a challenge to anesthesia providers. This review provides a summary of recent literature related to cannabis and anesthesia, with specific recommendations to the anesthetic management of medical cannabis consumers. ⋯ Recent surveys estimate that 10-20% of adult populations have consumed cannabis in the past year. Medical cannabis consumers are a newer group of cannabis users. Anesthesia providers have to update their knowledge on cannabis and possible anesthetic interaction. It is unreasonable to make recommendations that apply to the whole heterogeneous group of cannabis users, but is easier with the more homogenous group of Medical cannabis users, characterized by frequent use and relatively high cannabis doses, combined with good knowledge of administered composition and protocol, as well as adverse and withdrawal effects. Anesthesia providers have to know the effects and modify anesthetic plan accordingly. We provide perioperative anesthetic recommendations related to medical cannabis consumers. Collecting information of the effects of medical cannabis use in perioperative setting will further create a highly useful database for anesthetics in the close future.
-
Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2020
ReviewHigh-risk surgical procedures and semi-emergent surgical procedures for ambulatory surgery.
This review evaluates more complex surgical procedures to see whether they might be suitable for ambulatory surgery. Operations that have shown an increasing daycase rate in England include thyroidectomy, joint arthroplasty, spinal surgery and hysterectomy, and these procedures are evaluated. Similarly, there have been recent developments in the management of nonelective ambulatory surgery with more timely throughput and home discharge for suitable patients. ⋯ There should be no reason why more complex surgical operations could not be included in a day surgery armamentarium. Similarly, the evidence for more effective use of timely emergency care with shortened length of stay is increasing.
-
Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2020
ReviewPreoperative assessment and optimization of cognitive dysfunction and frailty in the ambulatory surgical patient.
The number and the complexity of procedures taking place at ambulatory surgery centers is steadily increasing. The rate at which medically complex patients, including those with baseline neurocognitive disorders, are undergoing ambulatory procedures is seeing a concurrent rise. Given the significant physical and psychological stress associated with surgery even in the ambulatory setting, it is essential to evaluate the ability of a patient to acclimate to stressful triggers in order to assess risk of subpar medical outcomes and increased mortality. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the assessment of both cognition and frailty and describe the implementation of these tools in the ambulatory surgery setting. ⋯ The recognition of at-risk patients using standardized screening and the use of this assessment to guide perioperative monitoring and interventions is essential for optimizing outcomes for the complex ambulatory surgery patient.
-
Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2020
ReviewUse of cannabis and cannabinoids in palliative care setting.
Cannabis products have been used for various ailments since ancient times. But their use diminished in the medical community due to the legal and social concerns of substance abuse. With evolving evidence of their use in alleviating various symptoms, resurgence of interest in their medicinal use is seen in the past decade. ⋯ A few symptoms in palliative care setting can be difficult to treat in a few patients with the available treatment measures. Anecdotal reports and early clinical data have proved cannabinoids to be a promising pharmacological option in managing this subset of patients. However, absence of robust clinical data in proving that cannabinoids have definitely favorable risk-benefit ratio, precludes the inclusion of cannabinoids in the routine recommendation for palliative symptom management. Before cannabinoids enter the broader market with patient-driven and industry-driven hype, high-quality clinical evidence is emergently needed.
-
Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2020
ReviewSpinal anesthesia for ambulatory surgery: current controversies and concerns.
General anesthesia is a popular choice for ambulatory surgery. Spinal anesthesia is often avoided because of perceived delays due to time required to administer it and prolonged onset, as well as concerns of delayed offset, which may delay recovery and discharge home. However, the reports of improved outcomes in hospitalized patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty have renewed the interest in spinal anesthesia. This review article critically assesses the role of spinal anesthesia in comparison with fast-track general anesthesia for the outpatient setting. ⋯ The benefits of spinal anesthesia in the outpatient setting remain questionable at best. Further studies should seek clarification of these goals and outcomes.