Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Oct 2024
ReviewFascial plane blocks: from microanatomy to clinical applications.
In the last 20 years, advancements in the understanding of fasciae have significantly transformed anaesthesia and surgery. Fascial plane blocks (FPBs) have gained popularity due to their validated safety profile and relative ease. They are used in various clinical settings for surgical and nonsurgical indications. Growing evidence suggests a link between the microscopic anatomy of fasciae and their mechanism of action. As a result, knowledge of these aspects is urgently needed to better optimise pain management. The purpose of this review is to summarise the different microscopic aspects of deep/muscular fascia to expand our understanding in the performance of FPBs. ⋯ Physicians must be aware of the role of fascial microscopic anatomy and better understand their properties to perform FPBs in a conscious manner and enhance pain management.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Oct 2024
Meta AnalysisPerioperative care of patients with recent stroke undergoing nonemergent, nonneurological, noncardiac, nonvascular surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
To systematically review and perform a meta-analysis of published literature regarding postoperative stroke and mortality in patients with a history of stroke and to provide a framework for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care in an elective setting. ⋯ In patients with a history of a recent stroke, anesthesiology, surgery, and neurology experts should create a shared mental model in which the patient/surrogate decision-maker is informed about the risks and benefits of the proposed surgical procedure; secondary-stroke-prevention medications are reviewed; plans are made for interruptions and resumption; and intraoperative care is individualized to reduce the likelihood of postoperative stroke or death.
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The escalating opioid crisis has intensified the need to explore alternative pain management strategies for patients undergoing spine surgery. This review is timely and relevant as it synthesizes recent research on opioid alternatives for perioperative management, assessing their efficacy, side effects, and postoperative outcomes. ⋯ The use of multimodal analgesia aligns with current pain management guidelines and addresses public health concerns related to opioid misuse. While effective, these alternatives are not without side effects, and the ultimate outcome depends on balancing benefits and risks. Future research should focus on the long-term outcomes of opioid alternatives, their effectiveness across diverse populations, and further validation and optimization of these strategies.
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Consequences of the expanding commercial spaceflight industry include an increase in total number of spaceflight participants and an accompanying surge in the average number of medical comorbidities compared with government-based astronaut corps. A sequela of these developments is an anticipated rise in acute and chronic pain concerns associated with spaceflight. This review will summarize diagnostic and therapeutic areas of interest that can support the comfort of humans in spaceflight. ⋯ As humanity invests in Lunar and Martian exploration, understanding the painful conditions that will impede crew productivity and mission outcomes is critical. Preexisting pain and new-onset acute or chronic pain resulting from spaceflight will require countermeasures and treatments to mitigate long-term health effects.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Oct 2024
ReviewCurrent opinion: optimize radiofrequency ablation through electrophysiological principles, modeling, and clinical recommendations.
This article aims to empower the interventional pain physician to utilize RFA effectively by explaining the technical and electrophysiological features of monopolar, bipolar, and internally cooled RFA. Scientific data are used to provide advice on the effective, well tolerated, and rational application of these techniques. Moreover, physicians need to know how to analyze and generalize ex-vivo and in-vivo models to the clinical setting to optimize clinical outcomes. ⋯ To optimize both the efficacy and safety of RFA, physicians must understand, conceptualize, interpret, and clinically translate the basic science of RFA. This knowledge is crucial for optimizing equipment selection and settings based on target location to enhance clinical outcomes and limit technical failures.