Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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The present review aims to address the feasibility of opioid free anesthesia (OFA). The use of opioids to provide adequate perioperative pain management has been a central practice of anesthesia, and only recently has been challenged. Understanding the goals and challenges of OFA is essential as the approach to intraoperative analgesia and postsurgical management of pain has shifted in response to the opioid epidemic in the United States. ⋯ The feasibility of OFA is evident. However, there are limitations of this approach that warrant discussion including the potential for adverse drug interactions with multimodal analgesics, the need for providers trained in regional anesthesia, and the management of pain expectations. Additionally, minimizing opioid use perioperatively also requires a change in current prescribing practices. Monitors that can reliably quantify nociception would be helpful in the titration of these analgesics and enable anesthesiologists to achieve the goal in providing personalized perioperative medicine.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Aug 2020
ReviewNonoperating room anesthesia in different parts of the world.
Advances in early diagnosis and treatment of diseases using minimally invasive procedures has led to an increase in the number of cases in locations outside the operating room. This surge created the need for anesthesia services to expand to these areas to provide well tolerated and favorable procedural conditions. The present review describes nonoperating room anesthesia patterns in different parts of the world. ⋯ There are marked variations in how anesthesia services are delivered in out of operating room locations in different parts of the world. Although there are some data available from the United States, expansion of minimally invasive procedures across continents will likely lead to the emergence of various models of delivering anesthetic care.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Aug 2020
ReviewThe role of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in clinical anaesthesia practice.
Growing concerns about the environmental effects of volatile anaesthetics are likely to lead to increased use of intravenous anaesthetic drugs. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PKPD) models can increase the accuracy of intravenous drug titration, especially in populations that differ from the 'average.' However, with a growing number of PKPD models, and other technology available to date, it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. This review attempts to guide the reader through the PKPD jungle. ⋯ Newer and more complex modelling techniques and technological advancements can help to deliver anaesthetic drugs, sedatives and other drugs in a more stable and thereby safer way.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Aug 2020
ReviewNonoperating room anaesthesia: safety, monitoring, cognitive aids and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
With an ageing population, mounting pressure on the healthcare dollar, significant advances in medical technology, and now in the context of coronavirus disease 2019, the traditional paradigm in which operative procedures are undertaken is changing. Increasingly, procedures are performed in more distant, isolated and less familiar locations, challenging anaesthesiologists and requiring well developed situational awareness. This review looks at implications for the practitioner and patient safety, outlining considerations and steps involved in translation of systems and processes well established in the operating room to more unfamiliar environments. ⋯ As NORA caseloads increase, understanding structural and anaesthetic requirements is essential to patient safety. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic has provided an opportunity for anaesthesiologists to implement lessons learned from previous analyses, share expertise as patient safety leaders and provide valuable input into protecting patients and caregivers.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Aug 2020
ReviewIs there a place for regional anesthesia in nonoperating room anesthesia?
General anesthesia and monitored anesthesia care (MAC) are the most widely used techniques in nonoperating room anesthesia (NORA). However, regional anesthesia is slowly finding viable applications in this field. This review aims at providing an update on the current practice of regional anesthesia techniques outside of the operating theatre. ⋯ Regional anesthesia is finding its way into broader applications every day, offering a range of potential benefits in anesthetic care. Its implementation in NORA is promising and may aid in decreasing patient morbidity. However, great care should be taken in applying the recommended safety precautions for regional anesthesia in any setting.