Anesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of the analgesic efficacy between arthroscopically placed continuous suprascapular nerve block and ultrasound-guided continuous superior trunk block: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial.
Single-shot suprascapular nerve block and superior trunk block have been reported to provide a noninferior analgesic effect after shoulder surgery with a lesser incidence of hemidiaphragmatic paresis compared with interscalene brachial plexus block. This study hypothesized that continuous suprascapular nerve block provides noninferior analgesia with minimal effects on diaphragmatic movement compared with continuous superior trunk block in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. ⋯ Continuous suprascapular nerve block provides statistically inferior analgesia compared to the continuous superior trunk block; however, the continuous suprascapular nerve block had a minimal effect on the phrenic nerve function.
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Insured patients who receive out-of-network care may receive a "balance bill" for the difference between the practitioner's charge and their insurer's contracted rate. In 2017, California banned balance billing for anesthesia care. This study examined the association between California's law and subsequent payments for anesthesia care. The authors hypothesized that, after the law's implementation, there would be no change in in-network payment amounts, and that out-of-network payment amounts and the portion of claims occurring out-of-network would decline. ⋯ California's balance billing law was associated with significant declines in out-of-network anesthesia payments in the first 3 yr after implementation. There were mixed statistical and policy significant results for in-network payments and the proportion of out-of-network claims.
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Observational Study
Development of a prediction score for evaluation of extubation readiness in neurosurgical patients with mechanical ventilation.
There is no widely accepted consensus on the weaning and extubating protocols for neurosurgical patients, leading to heterogeneity in clinical practices and high rates of delayed extubation and extubation failure-related health complications. ⋯ After a survey of the reasons for delayed extubation, the STAGE scoring system was developed to better predict the extubation success rate. This scoring system has promising potential in predicting extubation readiness and may help clinicians avoid delayed extubation and failed extubation-related health complications in neurosurgical patients.