Anesthesia and analgesia
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Gender inequity is still prevalent in today's medical workforce. Previous studies have investigated the status of women in academic anesthesiology. The objective of this study is to provide a current update on the status of women in academic anesthesiology. We hypothesized that while the number of women in academic anesthesiology has increased in the past 10 years, major gender disparities continue to persist, most notably in leadership roles. ⋯ Gender disparities continue to exist at the upper levels of leadership in academic anesthesiology, most importantly in the roles of full professor, department chair, and journal editors. However, there are some indications that women may be on the path to leadership parity, most notably, the growth of women in anesthesiology residencies and faculty positions and increases in major research grants awarded to women.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2019
Proceedings From the Society for Advancement of Blood Management Annual Meeting 2017: Management Dilemmas of the Surgical Patient-When Blood Is Not an Option.
Vigilance is essential in the perioperative period. When blood is not an option for the patient, especially in a procedure/surgery that normally holds a risk for blood transfusion, complexity is added to the management. ⋯ The approaches include preoperative optimization as well as intraoperative and postoperative techniques to reduce blood loss, and also introduces current innovative substitutes for transfusions. This article also assists in considering and maneuvering through the legal and ethical systems to respect patients' beliefs and ensuring their safety.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2019
Comparative StudyRepeated Morphine Prolongs Postoperative Pain in Male Rats.
Opioids are effective postoperative analgesics. Disturbingly, we have previously reported that opioids such as morphine can worsen inflammatory pain and peripheral and central neuropathic pain. These deleterious effects are mediated by immune mediators that promote neuronal hyperexcitability in the spinal dorsal horn. Herein, we tested whether perioperative morphine could similarly prolong postoperative pain in male rats. ⋯ These studies indicate the morphine can have a deleterious effect on postoperative pain. These studies further suggest that longitudinal studies could be performed to test whether opioids similarly prolong postoperative pain in the clinic.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2019
What Is New in Obstetric Anesthesia: The 2017 Gerard W. Ostheimer Lecture.
The Gerard W. Ostheimer lecture is given each year at the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology annual meeting and is intended to summarize important new scientific literature relevant to practicing obstetric anesthesiologists. This review highlights some of the most consequential papers covered in this lecture. ⋯ It summarizes several articles that focus on how to optimize the provision of neuraxial anesthesia and postoperative pain control. Finally, it reviews studies aimed at identifying systems-based interventions that can improve obstetrical outcomes. A proposed "to-do" list focused on quality improvement initiatives that can be implemented on labor and delivery units is provided.