Authors: Côme Bureau, M.D., Ph.D. et al Anesthesiology March 2024. Background. Data on assessment and management of dyspnea in patients on veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) for cardiogenic shock are lacking. We hypothesized that increasing sweep gas flow through the VA-ECMO oxygenator may decrease dyspnea in non-intubated VA-ECMO patients exhibiting clinically significant dyspnea, with a […]
Long-term survival after volatile or propofol general anesthesia for bladder cancer surgery
Authors: Mats Enlund, M.D., Ph.D. et al Anesthesiology March 2024. Background Prospective interventional trials and retrospective observational analyses provide conflicting evidence regarding the relationship between propofol versus inhaled volatile general anesthesia and long-term survival after cancer surgery. In specific, bladder cancer surgery lacks prospective clinical trial evidence. Methods Data on bladder cancer surgery performed under […]
Could Sleep Be a Modifiable Risk Factor for Later-Life Cognitive Impairment?
Author: Heidi Splete MedCentral Older adults categorized as short sleepers with higher variability in sleep patterns were significantly more likely to show impaired cognitive performance, based on data from more than 800 individuals. While previous research has associated short sleep duration (less than 7 hours) with cognitive impairment in healthy aging adults, most studies have […]
Rapid Aggravation of Rhabdomyolysis Caused by Daptomycin After Aortic Arch Replacement
Authors: Kenichi Takechi et al Cureus 16(2): e53611. doi:10.7759/cureus.53611 Abstract Although rare, rhabdomyolysis is a serious complication of cardiothoracic surgery. Daptomycin is a polypeptide antimicrobial agent used to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections of the soft tissues. Daptomycin is associated with elevations in serum creatine kinase (CK). A 50-year-old man with acute Stanford A-type aortic dissection […]
Safety Considerations in Peripheral Nerve Blocks
Authors: Christina Ratto, MD; Joseph Szokol, MD, JD, MBA; Paul Lee, MD, MS Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Volume 39, No. 1 • February 2024 INTRODUCTION Peripheral nerve blocks (PNB) are safe and effective alternatives or supplements to general anesthesia. They may improve pain control both during and after surgery, thus avoiding many of the side effects […]
Fascinating Image of Pentalogy of Cantrell: Navigating Challenges for Optimal Anesthesia Care
Authors: Rosa Maria Lopez-Rincon, M.D. et al Anesthesiology March 2024. Pentalogy of Cantrell is a rare congenital condition with an incidence of one case for every 65,000 to 200,000 live births with around 250 probably underreported cases described in modern literature. Pentalogy of Cantrell consists of five midline birth defects in their complete form, which include […]
Addressing Postdural Puncture Headache: Guiding Clinicians Through Diagnosis and Management
Authors: Dibash Kumar Das, PhD; Pamela Flood, MD, MA ASA Monitor March 2024, Vol. 88, 1–4. Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) is a well-recognized complication resulting from a dural puncture during epidural analgesia, spinal anesthesia, or other neuraxial interventions. The incidence of unintended dural puncture during placement of an epidural catheter ranges widely, from less than 1% to […]
Impaired Lactate Release in Dorsal CA1 Astrocytes Contributed to Nociceptive Sensitization and Comorbid Memory Deficits in Rodents
Authors: Shuang Han, B.S. et al Anesthesiology March 2024, Vol. 140, 538–557. Background Memory deficits are a common comorbid disorder in patients suffering from neuropathic pain. The mechanisms underlying the comorbidities remain elusive. The hypothesis of this study was that impaired lactate release from dysfunctional astrocytes in dorsal hippocampal CA1 contributed to memory deficits. Methods A […]
Successful Perimortem Cesarean Section With Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Anesthesia
Authors: Tomoyuki Iwai et al Cureus 16(2): e55037. doi:10.7759/cureus.55037 Abstract Cardiac arrest after acute pulmonary edema in pregnancy is an uncommon event but one with a potentially disastrous outcome. We report the case of a pregnant woman with preeclampsia who presented with rapidly advancing pulmonary edema and subsequently went into cardiac arrest on arrival at […]
2023 President’s Report: The Continued Quest To Fulfill Our Vision “That No One Shall Be Harmed By Anesthesia Care”
Author: Dan Cole, MD Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Volume 39, No. 1 • February 2024 Recent data continues to confirm the epidemic of preventable harm in American health care. In 2022 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General released a report titled “Adverse Events in Hospitals: A Quarter of Medicare Patients […]