Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2022
ReviewGlobal pediatric surgery and anesthesia inequities: how do we have a global effort?
The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the inequities in access to healthcare while also revealing our global connectivity. These inequities are emblematic of decades of underinvestment in healthcare systems, education, and research in low-middle income countries (LMICs), especially in surgery and anesthesiology. Five billion people remain without access to safe surgery, and we must take appropriate action now. ⋯ Research that determines ethical and acceptable partnership development between high- and low-resourced settings focusing on education and capacity building needs to be standardized and followed.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2022
ReviewAddressing comorbidities in the perioperative setting and optimizing perioperative medicine education.
Preoperative clinics and patient optimization are examples of collaborative, multidisciplinary care pathways that create value. This article reviews current literature to demonstrate the importance of preoperative enhancement of patients' cognitive and functional status. This article underscores the importance of formal training in multidisciplinary topics, such as frailty, brain health, and shared decision-making for anesthesiology house staff. ⋯ Anesthesiologists as perioperative physicians are in a unique position to lead and coordinate interdisciplinary conversations that incorporate patient goal concordant care and realistic assessment of perioperative complications. Formal house staff training in early recognition and management of patients at risk of adverse outcomes in the short and long term postoperatively improves patient outcomes and decreases healthcare spending.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2022
ReviewAfter nectarine: how should we provide anesthesia for neonates?
Neonates have a high risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality. The NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE) investigated the anesthesia practice, complications and perioperative morbidity and mortality in neonates and infants <60 weeks post menstrual age requiring anesthesia across 165 European hospitals. The goal of this review is to highlight recent publications in the context of the NECTARINE findings and subsequent changes in clinical practice. ⋯ The NECTARINE provided new insights into European neonatal anesthesia practice and subsequent morbidity and mortality.Maintenance of physiological homeostasis, optimization of oxygen delivery by avoiding the triad of hypotension, hypoxia, and anemia are the main factors to reduce morbidity and mortality. Underlying and preexisting conditions such as prematurity, congenital abnormalities carry high risk of morbidity and mortality and require specialist care in pediatric referral centers.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2022
ReviewLGBTQ+ health and anaesthesia for obstetric and gynaecological procedures.
People who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirited and intersex (LGBTQ2SI) make up approximately 10% of the US population. Black, Native American and Latino/a/x communities are known to have a higher percentage of people who self-identify as LGBTQ2SI than white communities. Despite growing acceptance of LGBTQ2SI communities in the USA, these populations continue to experience health inequities. This review article will provide a narrative review of recent publications that discuss topics of LGBTQ2SI health and anaesthetic care during obstetric and gynaecological procedures. ⋯ There are unique considerations when providing anaesthetic care for obstetric and gynaecological procedures to LGBTQ2SI communities. There is a limited, yet growing, body of literature exploring this aspect of perioperative and perinatal care. Researchers and clinicians must continue to pursue clinical research which seeks to improve the quality of care we provide all patients.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2022
ReviewPerioperative considerations for adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common, but often undiagnosed, sleep breathing disorder affecting approximately a third of adult surgical patients. OSA patients have increased sensitivity to anesthetic agents, sedatives, and opioid analgesics. ⋯ Surgical patients should be screened for OSA and patients with OSA should continue using positive airway pressure devices postoperatively. Use of shorter acting and less sedating agents and opioid sparing anesthetic techniques should be encouraged. In particular, OSA patients exhibiting signs of respiratory depression in postanesthesia recovery unit should receive enhancer respiratory monitoring following discharge to wards.