Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2020
ReviewChronic pain and substance abuse disorders: Preoperative assessment and optimization strategies.
There is an ever-increasing number of opioid users among chronic pain patients and safely managing them can be challenging for surgeons, anesthesiologists, pain experts, and addiction specialists. Healthcare providers must be familiar with phenomena typical of opioid users and abusers, including tolerance, physical dependence, hyperalgesia, and addiction. ⋯ Preoperative evaluation should identify comorbidities and identify risk factors for substance abuse and withdrawal. Intraoperative and postoperative strategies can ensure safe and effective pain management and minimize the potential for morbidity and mortality in this high-risk patient population.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2020
ReviewPreoperative frailty assessment combined with prehabilitation and nutrition strategies: Emerging concepts and clinical outcomes.
Important elements of the preoperative assessment that should be addressed for the older adult population include frailty, comorbidities, nutritional status, cognition, and medications. Frailty has emerged as a plausible predictor of adverse outcomes after surgery. It is present in older patients and is characterized by multisystem physiologic decline, increased vulnerability to stressors, and adverse clinical outcomes. ⋯ Previous studies have shown an association between increased frailty and the risk of postoperative complications, morbidity, hospital length of stay, and 30-day and long-term mortality following general surgical procedures. Evidence from numerous studies suggests a potential benefit of including a standard assessment of frailty as part of the preoperative workup of older adult patients. Studies addressing validated frailty assessments and the quantification of their predictive capabilities in various surgeries are warranted.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2020
ReviewPerioperative acute kidney injury: Stratification and risk reduction strategies.
Perioperative acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Patient comorbidities, the type of surgery, timing of surgery, and exposure to nephrotoxins are important contributors for developing acute kidney injury. ⋯ A history of preoperative chronic kidney disease is the main risk factor for developing AKI, conferring as much as a 10-fold risk. However, beyond the preoperative renal function, the development of AKI is a complex phenomenon that involves a combination of patient-related and surgery-related factors.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2020
ReviewShared decision-making - Creating pathways and models of care.
Shared decision-making (SDM) is an essential element providing patient-centered perioperative care. Newer value-based healthcare models, defined as patient-centered outcomes versus the cost required to achieve these outcomes, will necessitate the use of metrics that reflect the alignment of treatment decisions with patient preferences and goals. ⋯ By learning methodologies to successfully incorporate SDM into clinical practice, anesthesiologists can increase the value of care they provide to their patients. The ideal means of achieving SDM within the complexity of modern medicine is not yet certain.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2020
ReviewMetabolic syndrome - Evidence-based strategies for patient optimization.
With the increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide, it is inevitable that anesthesiologists will encounter patients with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome encompasses multiple diseases, which include central obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia. Given the involvement of multiple diseases, metabolic syndrome involves numerous complex pathophysiological processes that negatively impact several organ systems. ⋯ Metabolic syndrome also leads to prolonged hospital stays, increased rates of infections, a greater need for care after discharge, and overall increased healthcare costs. Several interventions have been suggested to mitigate these negative outcomes ranging from lifestyle modifications to surgeries. Therefore, anesthesiologists should understand metabolic syndrome and formulate management strategies that may modify perianesthetic and surgical risks.