Articles: postoperative.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · May 2014
Evaluation of anatomic landmarks for axillary nerve block in the quadrilateral space.
Axillary nerve block (ANB) was recently introduced along with suprascapular nerve block as an alternative to inter-scalene brachial plexus block for post-operative pain control. However, the methods for performing ANB are variable. We studied the relationship between surface anatomy and the location of the axillary nerve in the quadrilateral space to ensure a technically safe and simple ANB. ⋯ Knowledge of the relationship between surface anatomy and AN, as well as estimated AN depth may aid in locating the axillary nerve in the quadrilateral space.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialThe Risk of Hypertension after Preoperative Discontinuation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists in Ambulatory and Same-Day Admission Patients.
The continued use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II subtype I receptor antagonists (ARBs) medications in the preoperative period has been reported to be associated with intraoperative hypotension that can be unresponsive to pressor drugs. As a result, several investigators suggested discontinuation of these medications before scheduled surgery but did not report on unintended consequences that might result from discontinuation. We conducted a prospective, single-blind, randomized trial to observe the effect of the medications on preoperative arterial blood pressure recordings in patients presenting for ambulatory and same-day surgery. ⋯ Discontinuing ACEIs and ARBs in patients on the day of surgery did not result in a substantively increased incidence of pre- or postoperative HTN compared with patients who continued these medications on the day of surgery. The results provide an evidentiary basis for the safety of discontinuing ACEIs and ARBs on the day of surgery without increasing adverse hemodynamic outcomes.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2014
Observational StudyThe Association Between ASA Status and Other Risk Stratification Models on Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Outcomes.
There is limited medical literature investigating the association between perioperative risk stratification methods and surgical intensive care unit (SICU) outcomes. Our hypothesis contends that routine assessments such as higher ASA physical status classification, surgical risk as defined by American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines, and simplified Revised Cardiac Index (SRCI) can reliably be associated with SICU outcomes. ⋯ Our study revealed that ASA physical status class is associated with increased SICU length of stay, mechanical ventilation, vasopressor treatment duration, NOD, readmission to ICU, and surgery risk is associated with NOD.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2014
Implementation of a total joint replacement-focused perioperative surgical home: a management case report.
The perioperative setting in the United States is noted for variable and fragmented care that increases the chance for errors and adverse outcomes as well as the overall cost of perioperative care. Recently, the American Society of Anesthesiologists put forward the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) concept as a potential solution to this problem. Although the PSH concept has been described previously, "real-life" implementation of this new model has not been reported. ⋯ We believe that our experience with the Total Joint Replacement PSH program provides solid evidence of the feasibility of this practice model to improve patient outcomes and achieve high patient satisfaction. In the future, the impact of LOS on cost will have to be better quantified. Specifically, future studies comparing PSH to traditional care will have to include consideration of postdischarge care, which are drivers of the perioperative costs.