Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Observational Study
Determining residual gastric volume in healthy children using ultrasound.
Fasting guidelines for children recommend restricting clear fluids for one or two hours before a procedure to reduce pulmonary aspiration. Gastric volumes < 1.5 mL·kg-1 do not seem to present an increased risk of pulmonary aspiration. Our aim was to quantify the time to achieve a gastric volume < 1.5 mL·kg-1 after clear fluid ingestion in children. ⋯ Our results show that total gastric fluid volume was < 1.5 mL·kg-1 after 60 min, suggesting that current fasting guidelines for children could be liberalized.
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Even with nearly 100% compliance with prophylactic antibiotic protocols, many surgical patients (> 5%) develop surgical site infections, some caused by pathogens transmitted from the anesthesia workspace (e.g., anesthesia machine), including multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Reducing contamination of the anesthesia workspace substantively reduces the risk of surgical site infections. We estimated the percentage of hospital patients at risk for health care-associated infections who may benefit from the application of basic preventive measures under the control of anesthesia practitioners (e.g., their hand hygiene). ⋯ Because approximately two-thirds of patients who receive an intravenous antibiotic also undergo an anesthetic, greater use of effective infection control measures in the anesthesia operating room workspace has the potential to substantively reduce overall rates of hospital infections.
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Most North American trauma systems have designated trauma centres (TCs) including level I (ultraspecialized high-volume metropolitan centres), level II (specialized medium-volume urban centres), and/or level III (semirural or rural centres). Trauma system configuration varies across provinces and it is unclear how these differences influence patient distributions and outcomes. We aimed to compare patient case mix, case volumes, and risk-adjusted outcomes of adults with major trauma admitted to designated level I, II, and III TCs across Canadian trauma systems. ⋯ Our results suggest that differences in the functional role of TCs according to their designation level across provinces leads to significant variations in the distribution of patients, case volumes, resource use, and clinical outcomes. These results highlight opportunities to improve Canadian trauma care and underline the need for standardized population-based injury data to support national quality improvement efforts.
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Observational Study
The correlation between patient satiety sensation and total gastric fluid volume: a prospective observational study.
Surgical patients are asked to adhere to preoperative fasting guidelines to minimize gastric contents. Large fluid volumes or solid content can still be present as shown with gastric ultrasound. It has been suggested that additional rating of patients' satiety, measured as the feeling of hunger and thirst, could help clinicians to better judge emptying of the stomach. ⋯ ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04884373); registered 13 May 2021.
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Case Reports
Regurgitation under anesthesia in a fasted patient prescribed semaglutide for weight loss: a case report.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) such as semaglutide are a class of medications prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, and more recently, as an adjunct for weight loss because of its effects of delaying gastric emptying and suppressing appetite. Semaglutide is a long-acting agent with a half-life of approximately one week, and there are currently no guidelines that address the perioperative management of such agents. ⋯ Patients taking long-acting GLP-1 RAs such as semaglutide may be at risk of pulmonary aspiration under anesthesia. We propose strategies to mitigate this risk including holding the medication four weeks prior to a scheduled procedure when feasible and considering full stomach precautions.