Bulletin of the Hospital for Joint Disease (2013)
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Bull Hosp Jt Dis (2013) · Dec 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialPrevention of Venous Thromboembolism after Arthroscopic Knee Surgery in a Low-Risk Population with the Use of Aspirin. A Randomized Trial.
Historically, venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the setting of elective knee arthroscopy has been considered rare. However, more recently, the rate of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has been reported to be approximately 10%. With increasing recognition of the potential for the development of thromboembolic events, several randomized trials have evaluated the efficacy of chemoprophylaxis in reducing the risk of VTE following knee arthroscopy. However, all of these studies have evaluated the efficacy of low molecular weight heparins (LMWH), with reductions in the risk of DVT ranging from 65% to 93%, but with the potential side effect of bleeding. At the present time, there have been no randomized studies reported evaluating the utility of aspirin, an agent with a reportedly lower bleeding risk than LMWH, as pharmacologic prophylaxis against VTE after arthroscopic knee surgery. ⋯ With no cases of VTE identified in our patient population, the use of aspirin in a low-risk population undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery is not warranted.
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Bull Hosp Jt Dis (2013) · Mar 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyThe Impact of Popliteal Block on Postoperative Medication Administration and Time to Discharge from the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit.
Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of popliteal block anesthesia in decreasing post - operative narcotic administration, nausea, and length of stay in patients undergoing foot and ankle surgeries. The purpose of this study was to compare the amount of narcotic medication administered, the need for anti-emetic medication, PACU length of stay, and discharge status in patients treated surgically for ankle fractures who received popliteal blocks with those who received general anesthesia alone. ⋯ While previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of popliteal block in decreasing anti-emetic and pain medication administration in the PACU, we found no difference in the amount of medication administered. We found that popliteal block patients were no more likely to be discharged to home than those who received general anesthesia.