British journal of anaesthesia
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Diabetes mellitus is a significant modulator of postoperative outcomes and is an important risk factor in the patient selection process. We aimed to investigate the effect of diabetes mellitus and use of insulin on outcomes after colorectal resection using a national cohort. ⋯ People with diabetes mellitus undergoing colorectal resection are at a higher risk of 90-day mortality, prolonged LOS, and 90-day readmission, with use of insulin associated with additional risk.
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Preoperative anaemia is common in patient undergoing colorectal surgery. Understanding the population-level costs of preoperative anaemia will inform development and evaluation of anaemia management at health system levels. ⋯ Approximately $2671 CAD per person in 30-day health system costs are attributable to preoperative anaemia after colorectal surgery in Ontario, Canada.
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Using a modified Delphi technique, an international group of regional anaesthetists generated a list of top research priorities in regional anaesthesia. The list of unanswered research questions was created from a questionnaire completed by >500 anaesthetists and distilled into 11 priorities grouped into four themes: clinical practice and efficacy, pain management, technology and equipment, and training and assessment.
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Within the perioperative period, depression-related diagnoses are associated with postoperative complications. We developed a perioperative depression screening programme to assess disease prevalence and feasibility for intervention. ⋯ At least 4% of preoperative patients have clinically significant symptoms of depression, most of whom do not have a chart history of depression.
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Reductionist thinking results in the bulk of anaesthesia trial designs being a single intervention to address what are in fact complex processes. The Perioperative Administration of Dexamethasone and Infection (PADDI) trial assessed the safety of a single preoperative dose of dexamethasone. Surprising to most, in the original report, a single dose of dexamethasone increased the incidence of the secondary outcome chronic postsurgical pain. ⋯ The PADDI investigators have now presented enough data to convince us that indeed a single dose of dexamethasone is safe and effective. However, the increase in chronic postsurgical pain seen in the original PADDI publication highlights the complexities, and the possible immunologic mechanisms, behind the genesis of chronic postsurgical pain. These publications from the PADDI group raise questions about other anti-inflammatory agents we use regularly for long-term postoperative pain management, and highlights the need for well-designed clinical trials to address this critically important patient-centred adverse functional outcome.