British journal of anaesthesia
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Outcome selection underpins clinical trial interpretation. Inconsistency in outcome selection and reporting hinders comparison of different trials' results, reducing the utility of research findings. ⋯ This core set, incorporating important outcomes for both clinicians and patients, should guide outcome selection in future perioperative medicine or anaesthesia trials. Mapping these alongside standardised endpoint definitions will yield a comprehensive perioperative outcome framework.
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Unwarranted variation in anaesthesia practice is associated with adverse outcomes. Despite high-certainty evidence of benefit, a minority of hip fracture surgery patients receive a peripheral nerve block. Our objective was to estimate variation in peripheral nerve block use at the hospital, anaesthetist, and patient levels, while identifying predictors of peripheral nerve block use in hip fracture patients. ⋯ Patient factors explain the minimal variation in peripheral nerve block use for hip fracture surgery. Interventions to increase uptake of peripheral nerve blocks for hip fracture patients will likely need to focus on structures and processes at the hospital and anaesthetist levels.
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Arousal and awareness are two important components of consciousness states. Functional neuroimaging has furthered our understanding of cortical and thalamocortical mechanisms of awareness. Investigating the relationship between subcortical functional connectivity and arousal has been challenging owing to the relatively small size of brainstem structures and thalamic nuclei, and their depth in the brain. ⋯ NCT02275026.