AANA journal
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Anesthesia care increasingly includes use of regional anesthesia techniques, either as a primary anesthetic or to reduce the patient's postoperative pain. Both neuraxial anesthesia and peripheral nerve blockade have several noteworthy functions. These functions include diminishing sensory sensation to pain and potentially producing a motor blockade, both of which may facilitate the surgical procedure. ⋯ As such, it is essential to understand whether an association exists between regional anesthesia and adverse outcomes of care. The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Foundation Closed Claim Research Team searched the most current database of closed claims that involved adverse outcomes when either a peripheral nerve block or a neuraxial block was a component of care in the claims. Although there were only 32 claims in the dataset, a thematic analysis resulted in the identification of 3 themes: errors in cognitive decision making, ineffective communication patterns, and production pressure.
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The purpose of this study was to describe the therapeutic effectiveness/pain relief of moderate-dose lidocaine infusions in patients with chronic neuropathic pain. Retrospective reviews of medical records were conducted for 40 patients referred to a midwestern pain clinic for management of intractable neuropathic pain despite use of multiple medications and treatment modalities. ⋯ Paired samples t test was used to determine significance between preinfusion and postinfusion pain scores. A significant decrease in pain levels (P < .001) after infusion was found.
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Inspired concentration of carbon dioxide (FICO₂) in ophthalmic surgery performed under monitored anesthesia care (MAC) has been largely ignored in the recommended monitoring standards of professional anesthesia societies. Most ophthalmic procedures are performed using MAC with facial draping that has been shown to retain carbon dioxide in the ambient air surrounding the patient. The administration of supplemental oxygen has been shown to prevent hypoxia but not hypercapnia. ⋯ A literature search using the keywords of ophthalmic surgery, monitored anesthesia care, and inspired carbon dioxide was conducted, and relevant articles dealing with possible complications, methods of measurement, and abatement strategies were examined. No procedure has gained widespread acceptance, yet practitioners employ a variety of methods to decrease FICO₂, a parameter not mentioned in the anesthetic record although it is measured by current anesthesia workstations. The goal of this review is to encourage investigation of this underreported parameter.
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Meta Analysis
Use of Nalbuphine for Treatment of Neuraxial Opioid-Induced Pruritus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Opioid-induced pruritus is prevalent after neuraxial administration of opioid. A number of preventive measures have been reported; however, only a few studies evaluated treatment strategies for established pruritus. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic profiles of nalbuphine make this drug ideal for the treatment of established pruritus. ⋯ There was a low quality of evidence that nalbuphine was effective in reducing the incidence of pruritus compared with active control (RR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.93; P = .02). Conversely, there was no difference between the incidence of sedation (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.42 to 2.71; P = .90) and postoperative nausea and vomiting (RR, 1.58, 95% CI, 0.75 to 3.31; P = .23). Although large studies are needed to decrease heterogeneity across studies, the current review showed that nalbuphine appears to reduce the incidence of opioid-induced pruritus.
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To date, researchers studying emergence delirium in adults have not adopted a consensus on the terminology for the phenomenon, a formalized definition, a measurement tool or standardized differential diagnosis to distinguish emergence delirium from postoperative delirium, anticholinergic or serotonergic toxicities, and other physiologic issues that may present on emergence from anesthesia. This lack of a consensus in emergence delirium research and differential diagnostic tools is confounding findings and preventing improved patient outcomes. Information from an integrative review of the literature in conjunction with a Delphi study was used to develop a standardized differential of similarly presenting phenomena to assist clinicians in determining appropriate interventions for patients who appear to have emergence delirium.