Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2024
ReviewAnemia and Optimal Transfusion Thresholds in Brain-Injured Patients: A Narrative Review of the Literature.
Anemia is a highly prevalent condition that may compromise oxygen delivery to vital organs, especially among the critically ill. Although current evidence supports the adoption of a restrictive transfusion strategy and threshold among the nonbleeding critically ill patient, it remains unclear whether this practice should apply to the brain-injured patient, given the predisposition to cerebral ischemia in this patient population, in which even nonprofound anemia may exert a detrimental effect on clinical outcomes. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the pathophysiological changes related to impaired cerebral oxygenation in the brain-injured patient and to present the available evidence on the effect of anemia and varying transfusion thresholds on the clinical outcomes of patients with acute brain injury.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2024
Staying Virtual: A Survey Study of the Virtual Lecture Experience in Academic Medicine.
Increasing clinical demands can adversely impact academic advancement, including the ability to deliver lectures and disseminate scholarly work. The virtual lecture platform became mainstream during the height of the coronavirus-19 pandemic. Lessons learned from this period may offer insight into supporting academic productivity among physicians who must balance multiple demands, including high clinical workloads and family care responsibilities. We evaluated perceptions on delivering virtual lectures to determine whether virtual venues merit continuation beyond the pandemic's initial phase and whether these perceptions differ by gender and rank. ⋯ Virtual lecture programs support faculty who might not otherwise have the opportunity to lecture in-person due to multiple constraints. To increase the dissemination of scholarly work and expand opportunities to all faculty, virtual lectures should continue even as in-person venues are reestablished.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2024
Artificial Intelligence in Anesthetic Care: A Survey of Physician Anesthesiologists.
This study explored physician anesthesiologists' knowledge, exposure, and perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) and their associations with attitudes and expectations regarding its use in clinical practice. The findings highlight the importance of understanding anesthesiologists' perspectives for the successful integration of AI into anesthesiology, as AI has the potential to revolutionize the field. ⋯ Understanding anesthesiologists' perspectives on AI is essential for the effective integration of AI into anesthesiology, as AI has the potential to revolutionize the field.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2024
ReviewEthical Principles Do Not Support Mandatory Preanesthesia Pregnancy Screening Tests: A Narrative Review.
Respect for patient autonomy is a pillar of medical ethics, manifested predominantly through informed consent. Mandatory (routine) nonconsented preoperative urine pregnancy testing does not adequately respect patient autonomy, is potentially coercive, and has the potential to cause harm medically, psychologically, socially, and financially. ⋯ Not performing a preanesthesia pregnancy test has not been associated with significant medicolegal consequences. We review the ethical implications of mandatory preanesthesia pregnancy testing in light of these facts.