Articles: operative.
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The aim of this article is to briefly review the pediatric ambulatory surgery landscape, identify two of the most common comorbidities affecting this population, examine the influence of pediatric obesity and sleep disordered breathing (SDB)/obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on perioperative care, and provide information that can be used when formulating site specific criteria for ambulatory surgical centers. ⋯ Our pediatric ambulatory surgical population is anticipated to demonstrate increasing rates of obesity and SDB/OSA. Bringing attention to potential perioperative complications associated with these comorbidities provides a stronger foundation upon which to formulate criteria for individual ambulatory centers. It allows for targeted anesthetic management, influences provider assignments and/or staffing ratios, and informs scheduling times. For anesthesiologists who do not practice pediatric anesthesia daily, knowing what to anticipate plays a significant role in the ability to eliminate surprises and care for these patients safely.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Dec 2023
Observational StudyAn observational study of gastric content in women scheduled for cesarean section or operative hysteroscopy.
The estimation of gastric content in third trimester pregnant women has already been studied, conclusions remain contradictory. The aim of this study was to compare gastric content in pregnant and non-pregnant women using gastric ultrasound. We performed an observational two-center study of women scheduled for a cesarean section (CS group) and of non-pregnant women scheduled for hysteroscopy (HS group). ⋯ Our study confirmed that antral CSA is increased among pregnant women and outlined that antral CSA should not be used alone in the decision-making process especially when the results of indicators (antral CSA, GFV, and Perlas Grading Score) are discordant.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2023
In control or along for the ride? Lessons for anesthesiologists from air traffic control.
Anesthesia professionals work in an unpredictable, rapidly changing environment in which they are quickly diagnose and manage uncommon and life-threatening critical events. The perioperative environment has traditionally been viewed as a deterministic system in which outcomes can be predicted, but recent studies suggest that the operating room behaves more like a complex adaptive system, in which events can interact and connect with each other in unpredictable and unplanned ways. ⋯ A better understanding of automation, complexity, and resilience in a changing environment are essential steps toward the safe practice of anesthesia.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2023
Can we nudge to reduce the perioperative low value care? Decision making factors influencing safe practice implementation.
Highlight sources of low-value care (LVC) during the perioperative period help understanding the decision making behind its persistence, the barriers for change, and the potential implementation strategies to reduce it. ⋯ LVC, such as unneeded surgeries, or preanaesthesia tests for low-risk surgeries in low-risk patients, is a relevant source of waste and preventable harm, most especially in the perioperative period. Despite the international focus on it, initial efforts to reduce it in the last decade have not clearly shown a sustainable improvement. Understanding the shared decision-making process and the barriers to be expected when tackling LVC is the first step to build the change. Applying a structured strategy based on the behavioural science principles may be the path to increasing high value care in an effective an efficient way. It is time to foster nudge units at different healthcare system levels.
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We present a case of a 12-year-old female with a history of infantile spasms who developed a propofol-associated acute dystonic reaction after emergence from general anesthesia for foot surgery. Uniquely, the patient's postoperative symptoms of an acute dystonic reaction were refractory to standard treatment with anticholinergics but were successfully treated with corticosteroids. The absence of any dystonic symptoms following subsequent foot surgery under general anesthesia without propofol supported a propofol-associated etiology. This case may contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of propofol-associated acute dystonic reactions and adds a possible new treatment option.