Anesthesia and analgesia
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Patient safety secured by constant vigilance remains a primary responsibility of every anesthesia professional. Although significant attention has been focused on patient falls occurring before and after surgery, a potentially catastrophic complication is when patients fall off an operating room or procedure table during anesthesia care. Because such events are (fortunately) uncommon, and because very little information is published in our literature, we queried 2 independent closed claims databases (the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims Project and the secure records of a private, anesthesia specialty-specific liability insurer) for information. ⋯ Based on detailed reports, we created 2 supplementary videos to further illuminate some of the unique mechanisms by which these events and their resulting injuries occur. When such information was available, we also noted the associated liability costs of defending and settling malpractice claims associated with these events. Our goal is to inform anesthesia and perioperative personnel about the common patient, provider, and environmental risk factors that appear to contribute to these mishaps, and suggest key strategies to mitigate the risks.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2017
Blood Product Utilization Among Trauma and Nontrauma Massive Transfusion Protocols at an Urban Academic Medical Center.
Hospital-wide massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) primarily designed for trauma patients may lead to excess blood products being prepared for nontrauma patients. This study characterized blood product utilization among distinct trauma and nontrauma MTPs at a large, urban academic medical center. ⋯ The majority of initial nontrauma MTP activations did not require a switch to a trauma MTP. Patients remaining under a nontrauma MTP activation were associated with a lower number of transfused and unused plasma and apheresis platelet units. Future studies evaluating the use of hospital-wide nontrauma MTPs are warranted since an MTP designed for nontrauma patient populations may yield a key strategy to optimize blood product utilization in comparison to a universal MTP for both trauma and nontrauma patients.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2017
Interest of Urinary [TIMP-2] × [IGFBP-7] for Predicting the Occurrence of Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery: A Gray Zone Approach.
This study assessed the ability of 3-hour postoperative urinary tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 × insulin-like growth factor binding protein-7 ([TIMP-2] × [IGFBP-7]) to predict postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass during cardiac surgery. ⋯ In patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass during cardiac surgery, urinary [TIMP-2] × [IGFBP-7] could not accurately predict the occurrence of postoperative AKI.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2017
Observational StudyResuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta: Principles, Initial Clinical Experience, and Considerations for the Anesthesiologist.
Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is an endovascular technique that allows for temporary occlusion of the aorta in patients with severe, life-threatening, trauma-induced noncompressible hemorrhage arising below the diaphragm. REBOA utilizes a transfemoral balloon catheter inserted in a retrograde fashion into the aorta to provide inflow control and support blood pressure until definitive hemostasis can be achieved. Initial retrospective and registry clinical data in the trauma surgical literature demonstrate improvement in systolic blood pressure with balloon inflation and improved survival compared to open aortic cross-clamping via resuscitative thoracotomy. ⋯ In this narrative, we review the principles, technique, and logistics of REBOA deployment, as well as initial clinical outcome data from our level-1 American College of Surgeons-verified trauma center. For anesthesiologists who may not yet be familiar with REBOA, we make several suggestions and recommendations for intraoperative management based on extrapolation from these initial surgical-based reports, opinions from a team with increasing experience, and translated experience from emergency aortic vascular surgical procedures. Further prospective data will be necessary to conclusively guide anesthetic management, especially as potential complications and implications for global organ function, including cerebral and renal, are recognized and described.