Articles: operative.
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Although opioids remain the standard therapy for the treatment of postoperative pain, the prevalence of opioid misuse is rising. The extent to which opioid abuse or dependence affects readmission rates and healthcare utilization is not fully understood. It was hypothesized that surgical patients with a history of opioid abuse or dependence would have higher readmission rates and healthcare utilization. ⋯ An online visual overview is available for this article at http://links.lww.com/ALN/B704.
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Should Percussion Pacing Have a Role in Perioperative Advanced Cardiac Life Support?: A Case Report.
Percussion pacing involves using one's fist to repeatedly strike a patient's left sternal border in a rhythmic manner. The resulting increase in ventricular pressure can trigger myocardial depolarization and subsequent contraction. We describe the successful treatment of acute preoperative symptomatic sinus bradycardia with percussion pacing in a 63-year-old patient scheduled for placement of a gastric feeding tube after trauma involving spinal cord injury. Although no longer included in current advanced cardiovascular life support guidelines, percussion pacing may be a suitable alternative to chest compressions in multitrauma cases where the force of compressions could cause further complications.
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Persistent or increased long-term opioid consumption has previously been described following total hip- (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, detailed information on postoperative analgesic consumption trajectories and risk factors associated with continued need of analgesics in fast-track THA and TKA is sparse. ⋯ We found a considerable fraction of patients with continued or increased opioid consumption 9-12 months after fast-track THA and TKA. Increase in opioid consumption was more frequent in preoperative opioid users than opioid-naive patients, but a pattern of increased analgesic consumption was present across all analgesics. Our data demonstrate a need for increased focus on long-term analgesic strategies and postoperative follow-up after THA and TKA, especially in preoperative opioid users.
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We present a case of a 2-year-old boy who underwent thoracoscopic resection of a left paraspinal mediastinal mass and developed Harlequin syndrome postoperatively. Harlequin syndrome is a rare neurological condition characterized by unilateral hyperhidrosis and erythema of the head and neck. Our discussion highlights this condition and other differential diagnoses that may present similarly in the postoperative period.