Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2022
Racial Disparities in the Use of Peripheral Nerve Blocks for Postoperative Analgesia After Total Mastectomy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) are used to provide postoperative analgesia after total mastectomy. PNBs improve patient satisfaction and decrease postoperative opioid use, nausea, and vomiting. Few studies have examined whether there is racial-ethnic disparity in the use of PNBs for patients having total mastectomy. We hypothesized that non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic patients of other races, and Hispanic patients would be less likely to receive a PNB for postoperative analgesia compared to non-Hispanic White patients having total mastectomy. Secondarily, we hypothesized that PNBs would be associated with reduced odds of major complications after total mastectomy. ⋯ Significant disparity exists in the use of PNBs for postoperative analgesia in patients of different race-ethnicity who undergo total mastectomy in the United States. Continued efforts are needed to better understand the causes of disparity and to ensure equitable access to PNBs.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2022
Emergency Subglottic Airway Training and Assessment of Skills Retention of Attending Anesthesiologists With Simulation Mastery-Based Learning.
Although included within the American Society of Anesthesiologists difficult airway algorithm, the use of "invasive airway access" is rarely needed clinically. In conjunction with highly associated morbidity and liability risks, it is a challenge for the average anesthesiologist to develop and maintain competency. The advancement of high-fidelity simulators allows for practice of rarely encountered clinical scenarios, specifically those requiring invasive subglottic airway techniques. ⋯ We discovered that only ~20% of practicing anesthesiologists were able to successfully place an invasive airway in a simulated life or death clinical setting. Using mobile simulation (training performed in department conference room) during a 2.5-hour session using mastery-based training pedagogy, we increased our success rate of invasive airway placement to 100%, while also increasing the successful speed to ventilation (TTJV, 32 seconds average; BC, 29 seconds average). Finally, we determined that there was a 15-month 80% retention rate of the airway skills learned, indicating that skills last at least a year before retraining is required using this training methodology.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2022
Assessment of a Naloxone Coprescribing Alert for Patients at Risk of Opioid Overdose: A Quality Improvement Project.
Patients taking high doses of opioids, or taking opioids in combination with other central nervous system depressants, are at increased risk of opioid overdose. Coprescribing the opioid-reversal agent naloxone is an essential safety measure, recommended by the surgeon general, but the rate of naloxone coprescribing is low. Therefore, we set out to determine whether a targeted clinical decision support alert could increase the rate of naloxone coprescribing. ⋯ A targeted decision support alert for patients at risk for opioid overdose significantly increased the rate of naloxone coprescribing and was relatively easy to build.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2022
Is Obesity Associated With Better Liver Transplant Outcomes? A Retrospective Study of Hospital Length of Stay and Mortality Following Liver Transplantation.
The rise in obesity in the United States, along with improvements in antiviral therapies, has led to an increase in the number of obese patients receiving liver transplants. Currently, obesity is a relative contraindication for liver transplant, although exact body mass index (BMI) limits continue to be debated. Studies conflict regarding outcomes in obese patients, while some argue that BMI should not be used as an exclusion criterion at all. Therefore, this retrospective study-utilizing a large national database-seeks to elucidate the association between recipient BMI and hospital length of stay and mortality following liver transplant. ⋯ Our results provide evidence that overweight and obesity class 1 are associated with decreased length of stay and mortality following liver transplant, while underweight and obesity class 3 are associated with prolonged length of stay. Pretransplant functional status may contribute to outcomes for overweight and class 1 obese patients, which necessitates continued investigation of the isolated impact of BMI in those who have had a liver transplant.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2022
Pro-Con Debate: Do We Need Quantitative Neuromuscular Monitoring in the Era of Sugammadex?
In this Pro-Con article, we debate the merits of using quantitative neuromuscular blockade monitoring. Consensus guidelines recommend their use to guide the administration of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockade and reversal agents. A major impediment to this guideline is that until recently, reliable quantitative neuromuscular blockade monitors have not been widely available. ⋯ In the recent past, 2 disruptive developments have called upon anesthesia care providers to reconsider their practice in neuromuscular blockade administration, reversal, and monitoring. These include: (1) commercialization of more reliable quantitative neuromuscular monitors and (2) widespread use of sugammadex, a versatile reversal agent of neuromuscular blockade. Sugammadex appears to be so effective at rapidly and effectively reversing even the deepest of neuromuscular blockades, and it has left anesthesia providers wondering whether quantitative monitoring is indeed necessary or whether conventional, familiar, and less expensive qualitative monitoring will suffice? This Pro-Con debate will contrast anesthesia provider perceptions with evidence surrounding the use of quantitative neuromuscular blockade monitors to explore whether quantitative neuromuscular monitoring (NMM) is just another technology solution looking for a problem or a significant advance in NMM that will improve patient safety and outcomes.