British journal of anaesthesia
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A recent ex vivo study found that post-cardiopulmonary bypass platelet defects can be restored with supplemental fibrinogen, but the clinical significance of this finding will require further study. We propose that the best management strategy for achieving haemostasis in bleeding surgical patients is to identify individualised coagulation defects and then use a targeted therapeutic approach that addresses each identified defect systematically.
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Anaesthesia care outside of the standard operating room (OR) can be challenging. This prospective matched case-pair study describes the difference in anaesthesia clinicians' perception of safety, workload, anxiety, and stress in two settings by comparing similar neurosurgical procedures performed in either the OR or a remote hybrid room with intraoperative MRI (MRI-OR). ⋯ Anaesthesia clinicians reported lower perceived safety and higher workload, anxiety, and stress in a remote MRI-OR compared with a standard OR. Improving non-standard work settings should benefit clinician well-being and patient safety.
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Editorial Comment
Patient blood management programmes: keeping the ball rolling.
Patient blood management programmes have been endorsed by the World Health Organization and multiple medical societies. It seems important to review the progress and results of patient blood management programmes so necessary modifications or new initiatives can be added to achieve their major goals. In this issue of the British Journal of Anaesthesia, Meybohm and colleagues show that a nationwide patient blood management programme had an impact and was potentially cost-effective in centres that previously utilised large amounts of allogeneic blood transfusions. Before implementing a programme, each institution might need to identify the area(s) of deficiency with respect to established patient blood management methods, which will warrant specific focus in subsequent clinical practice reviews.
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Editorial
Augmented reality in ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia: useful tool or expensive toy?
Use of augmented reality is increasingly applied in medical education and practice. The main advantage of this technology is the display of relevant information in the visual field of multiple operators. Here we provide a critical analysis of the potential application of augmented reality in regional anaesthesia.
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Shaw and colleagues, who are medical historians, have published a detailed review of the social history of the British Journal of Anaesthesia (BJA) to celebrate its first 100 years. In this editorial, we note some additional contributions and financial details that are relevant to the development of the BJA into the international high-impact journal it is today.