British journal of anaesthesia
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Multicenter Study
Association of ketamine use during procedural sedation with oxygen desaturation and healthcare utilisation: a multicentre retrospective hospital registry study.
We investigated the effects of ketamine on desaturation and the risk of nursing home discharge in patients undergoing procedural sedation by anaesthetists. ⋯ Ketamine use for procedural sedation was associated with an increased risk of oxygen desaturation and discharge to a nursing home. The effect was dose-dependent and magnified in subgroups of vulnerable patients.
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Observational Study
Postoperative troponin surveillance to detect myocardial infarction: an observational cohort modelling study.
Clinical presentation of postoperative myocardial infarction (POMI) is often silent. Several international guidelines recommend routine troponin surveillance in patients at risk. We compared how these different guidelines select patients for surveillance after noncardiac surgery with our established risk stratification model. ⋯ Most postoperative myocardial infarctions were detected by the Canadian and European guidelines but at the cost of low specificity and a higher number of patients undergoing screening. Patient selection based on our risk stratification model was optimal.
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Assay-specific increases in circulating cardiac troponin are observed in 20-40% of patients after noncardiac surgery, depending on patient age, type of surgery, and comorbidities. Increased cardiac troponin is consistently associated with excess morbidity and mortality after noncardiac surgery. Despite these findings, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. ⋯ The perioperative period triggers multiple pathological mechanisms that might cause cardiac troponin to cross the sarcolemma. A two-hit model involving two or more triggers including systemic inflammation, haemodynamic strain, adrenergic stress, and autonomic dysfunction might exacerbate or initiate acute myocardial injury directly in the absence of cell death. Consideration of these diverse mechanisms is pivotal for the design and interpretation of interventional perioperative trials.
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Observational Study
Pathological findings associated with the updated European Society of Cardiology 2022 guidelines for preoperative cardiac testing: an observational cohort modelling study.
In 2022, the European Society of Cardiology updated guidelines for preoperative evaluation. The aims of this study were to quantify: (1) the impact of the updated recommendations on the yield of pathological findings compared with the previous guidelines published in 2014; (2) the impact of preoperative B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) use for risk estimation on the yield of pathological findings; and (3) the association between 2022 guideline adherence and outcomes. ⋯ The 2022 update for preoperative cardiac testing resulted in a relevant increase in tests receiving a stronger recommendation. The updated recommendations for TTE did not improve the yield of pathological cardiac testing.
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Editorial
Rethinking ketamine as a panacea: adverse effects on oxygenation and postoperative outcomes.
Ketamine is receiving renewed interest in perioperative medicine as an anaesthetic adjunct and a treatment for chronic conditions, including depression. Ketamine's complex pharmacologic profile results not only in several desirable effects, such as anaesthesia and analgesia, but also multiple adverse effects affecting the central nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. In addition to defining patient-centred outcomes in future clinical studies on the perioperative uses of ketamine, careful monitoring for its numerous adverse effects will be paramount.