Journal of anesthesia
-
Journal of anesthesia · Aug 2012
Review Meta AnalysisA comprehensive appraisal of meta-analyses focusing on nonsurgical treatments aimed at decreasing perioperative mortality or major cardiac complications.
Millions of patients worldwide who undergo surgical procedures face significant morbidity and mortality risks. Several systematic reviews have been performed on ancillary treatments aimed at improving surgical outcomes, but their features and scholarly impact are unclear. We describe characteristics of meta-analyses on ancillary treatments aimed at improving surgical outcomes and explore factors associated with scholarly citations. ⋯ Systematic reviews currently represent a key element in defining state of the art ancillary treatments of patients undergoing surgery. However, the citation success of available meta-analyses is not significantly associated with prognostically relevant findings or quality features.
-
It has been over 40 years since the term "neuroanesthesia" emerged. The anesthesiologists specializing in neuroanesthesia have actively conducted basic research on cerebral ischemia as well as on cerebral blood flow and metabolism. However, translating the results of basic research using experimental animals into clinical applications has been often unsuccessful, especially in the area of cerebral ischemia. ⋯ Nevertheless, the accuracy of basic research can be improved by taking measures to reduce bias. Taking such measures may enable more careful judgments to be made at the basic research stage and prevent unnecessary clinical studies. Although it could be seen as taking a slight detour, it is advisable to create a system that facilitates confirmation of the original findings by a multicenter basic research project before starting a collaborative multicenter clinical trial.