Does the Current American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification Represent the Chronic Disease Burden in Children Undergoing General Anesthesia?

No abstract available

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Pain Management: A Problem-Based Learning Approach

No abstract available

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Handbook of Sepsis

No abstract available

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A Comparison of Spinal Anesthesia Versus Monitored Anesthesia Care With Local Anesthesia in Minimally Invasive Fetal Surgery

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive fetal surgery is commonly performed to treat twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome with selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation and twin-reversed arterial perfusion sequence using radiofrequency ablation. Although an increasing number of centers worldwide are performing these procedures, anesthetic management varies. Both neuraxial anesthesia and monitored anesthesia care with local anesthesia are used at different institutions. We sought to determine the efficacy and outcomes of these 2 anesthetic techniques for fetal procedures at our institution. METHODS: All patients undergoing minimally invasive fetal surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome or twin-reversed arterial perfusion sequence over a 6-year time period (2011–2016) were reviewed. Patients receiving monitored anesthesia care with local anesthesia were compared with those receiving spinal anesthesia in both selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation and radiofrequency ablation fetal procedures. The primary outcome examined between the monitored anesthesia care and spinal anesthesia groups was the difference in conversion to general anesthesia using a noninferiority design with a noninferiority margin of 5%. Secondary outcome measures included use of vasopressors, procedure times, intraoperative fluids administered, maternal complications, and unexpected fetal demise within 24 hours of surgery. RESULTS: The difference in failure rate between monitored anesthesia care and spinal was −0.5% (95% CI, −4.8% to 3.7%). Patients receiving monitored anesthesia care plus local anesthesia were significantly less likely to need vasopressors, had a shorter presurgical operating room time, and received less fluid (P

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Speaker Gender Representation at the American Society of Anesthesiology Annual Meeting: 2011–2016

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting is the primary venue for anesthesiologists to present research, share innovations, and build networks. Herein, we describe gender representation for physician speakers at the Annual Meeting relative to the specialty overall. Details of ASA Annual Meeting presentations for individuals and panels were abstracted from the ASA archives for 2011–2016. Observed speaker gender composition was compared to expected composition based on the gender distribution of members of the ASA. There were 5167 speaker slots across 2025 presentations and panels. Of the speaker slots, 3874 were assigned to men and 1293 to women. Speaker slot gender composition was relatively consistent between 2011 and 2016 (annual percentage 22.3%–27.7% women, trend test P = .062). ASA membership composition of women increased slightly over the study period (24%–28%). The overall observed number of women in speaker slots over the study period did not differ significantly from what would be expected based on the ASA membership composition (25.0% observed vs 25.9% expected; P = .153). However, the percentage of single speakers who were women was significantly less than would be expected based on the ASA gender distribution (20.2% observed vs 25.9% expected; P

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The Impact of Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission on Postoperative Hospital Length of Stay and Costs: A Prespecified Propensity-Matched Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: In this prespecified cohort study, we investigated the influence of postoperative admission to the intensive care unit versus surgical ward on health care utilization among patients undergoing intermediate-risk surgery. METHODS: Of adult surgical patients who underwent general anesthesia without an absolute indication for postoperative intensive care unit admission, 3530 patients admitted postoperatively to an intensive care unit were matched to 3530 patients admitted postoperatively to a surgical ward using a propensity score based on 23 important preoperative and intraoperative predictor variables. Postoperative hospital length of stay and hospital costs were defined as primary and secondary end points, respectively. RESULTS: Among patients with low propensity for postoperative intensive care unit admission, initial triage to an intensive care unit was associated with increased postoperative length of stay (incidence rate ratio, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.59–1.79]; P

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General Anesthesia Alters the Diversity and Composition of the Intestinal Microbiota in Mice

Dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota has been shown to result in altered immune responses and increased susceptibility to infection; as such, the state of the intestinal microbiome may have profound implications in the perioperative setting. In this first-in-class study, we used 16s ribosomal RNA sequencing and analysis in a mouse model of general anesthesia to investigate the effects of volatile anesthetics on the diversity and composition of the intestinal microbiome. After 4-hour exposure to isoflurane, we observed a decrease in bacterial diversity. Taxonomic alterations included depletion of several commensal bacteria including Clostridiales. These data identify volatile anesthetics as potential contributors to microbial dysbiosis in the postoperative patient. Accepted for publication October 17, 2018. Funding:This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01 GM120519-01). The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal's website (https://ift.tt/KegmMq). Reprints will not be available from the authors. Address correspondence to Cyrus D. Mintz, MD, PhD, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave, Ross Bldg 370, Baltimore, MD 21205. Address e-mail to Cmintz2@jhmi.edu. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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Remote Surveillance Technologies: Realizing the Aim of Right Patient, Right Data, Right Time

The convergence of multiple recent developments in health care information technology and monitoring devices has made possible the creation of remote patient surveillance systems that increase the timeliness and quality of patient care. More convenient, less invasive monitoring devices, including patches, wearables, and biosensors, now allow for continuous physiological data to be gleaned from patients in a variety of care settings across the perioperative experience. These data can be bound into a single data repository, creating so-called data lakes. The high volume and diversity of data in these repositories must be processed into standard formats that can be queried in real time. These data can then be used by sophisticated prediction algorithms currently under development, enabling the early recognition of patterns of clinical deterioration otherwise undetectable to humans. Improved predictions can reduce alarm fatigue. In addition, data are now automatically queriable on a real-time basis such that they can be fed back to clinicians in a time frame that allows for meaningful intervention. These advancements are key components of successful remote surveillance systems. Anesthesiologists have the opportunity to be at the forefront of remote surveillance in the care they provide in the operating room, postanesthesia care unit, and intensive care unit, while also expanding their scope to include high-risk preoperative and postoperative patients on the general care wards. These systems hold the promise of enabling anesthesiologists to detect and intervene upon changes in the clinical status of the patient before adverse events have occurred. Importantly, however, significant barriers still exist to the effective deployment of these technologies and their study in impacting patient outcomes. Studies demonstrating the impact of remote surveillance on patient outcomes are limited. Critical to the impact of the technology are strategies of implementation, including who should receive and respond to alerts and how they should respond. Moreover, the lack of cost-effectiveness data and the uncertainty of whether clinical activities surrounding these technologies will be financially reimbursed remain significant challenges to future scale and sustainability. This narrative review will discuss the evolving technical components of remote surveillance systems, the clinical use cases relevant to the anesthesiologist's practice, the existing evidence for their impact on patients, the barriers that exist to their effective implementation and study, and important considerations regarding sustainability and cost-effectiveness. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. Accepted for publication October 18, 2018. Funding: None. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Reprints will not be available from the authors. Address correspondence to Jeanine P. Wiener-Kronish, MD, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, GRB 4–444, Boston, MA 02114. Address e-mail to jwiener-kronish@partners.org. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome due to Hypomagnesemia: A Case Report and Literature Review

Background. Hypomagnesemia can cause various unspecific neurological complications, which can lead to diagnostic confusion. One of these complications is the posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), which is extremely uncommon and has been reported only twice in the English-language literature. Case presentation. We report the case of a 60-year-old man who presented with PRES involving only the cerebellar hemispheres and associated with hypomagnesemia. After excluding all the other possible etiologies of PRES, we started magnesium replacement therapy, which led to a remarkable but fluctuating clinical and chemical improvement. A full recovery with no need for further supplementation was achieved only after discontinuation of a proton pump inhibitor. Conclusions. This case highlights the role of magnesium in the pathophysiology of PRES; thereby, underlying hypomagnesemia should be considered in every PRES case with unclear etiology.

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Pallister–Hall syndrome with orofacial narrowing and tethered cord: a case report

Pallister–Hall syndrome is a rare, autosomal dominant, genetic disorder characterized by different congenital abnormalities: hypothalamic hamartoblastoma, bifid or shortened epiglottis, polydactyly, renal anom...

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Subglottic acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is one of the the most common malignancies of childhood and can occasionally present as acute airway obstruction. We present the unusual case of a 1-year-old boy who was referred to our Paediatric Otolaryngology (ENT) clinic with a recurrent history of croup. This is the first reported case of localised ALL presenting as a subglottic mass in a paediatric patient. It highlights the need to have a broader differential diagnosis in children presenting with 'recurrent croup' including extramedullary presentation of leukaemia and to have a low threshold for performing endoscopy in such cases.

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Metformin-associated lactic acidosis precipitated by liraglutide use: adverse effects of aggressive antihyperglycaemic therapy

Older patients with type 2 diabetes are prone to developing adverse events with aggressive antihyperglycaemic therapy. Metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA) is one such rare, life-threatening adverse drug effect. We report the case of a 70-year-old man with a glycated haemoglobin of 7.9% who was on a stable, maximally tolerated dose of metformin for managing his type 2 diabetes. He was initiated on liraglutide injections with hopes to achieve better glycaemic control, but developed unrelenting nausea and vomiting during the third week of treatment. He presented to the hospital with these symptoms and was noted to have severe MALA. He sustained an in-hospital cardiac arrest requiring emergent resuscitation along with vasopressor and mechanical ventilator support. He underwent continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration to remove metformin and correct the acidosis, following which he stabilised and supportive therapy was weaned off. He was discharged from the hospital on insulin therapy with incomplete renal recovery.

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Corynebacterium striatum prosthetic valve endocarditis with severe aortic regurgitation successfully treated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement

We describe the case of a 69-year-old man with a history of bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement who presented with Corynebacterium striatum prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) complicated by severe aortic insufficiency with refractory cardiogenic shock despite antibiotic therapy. He was considered a prohibitive-risk surgical candidate due to co-morbid conditions and off-label valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was performed after detailed multidisciplinary evaluation. He recovered well without recurrent infection following completion of antibiotics and transthoracic echocardiogram at 12 months showed a normal functioning prosthetic valve. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of native or PVE treated with TAVR.

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Tardy ulnar nerve palsy following a neglected childhood lateral epicondyle fracture non-union and resultant cubitus valgus deformity

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Insertion of a Dumon Y-stent via a permanent tracheostoma without using a rigid bronchoscope

A 63-year-old man who had received a permanent tracheostoma after oesophageal cancer surgery developed fistulas in the left and right main bronchi and suffered repeated aspiration pneumonia. Placing an indwelling Dumon Y-stent using a rigid bronchoscope is an option to treat fistula and stenosis at the tracheal bifurcation, but in some cases, it may be difficult to use a rigid bronchoscope in patients with a permanent tracheostoma. In this study, we report placing a Dumon Y-stent in a patient with a permanent tracheostoma using a specially modified stent and forceps instead of a rigid bronchoscope.

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Spontaneous intestinal perforation in a preterm neonate

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Superior sinus venosus atrial septal defect with anomalous pulmonary venous drainage

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Foot drop post varicella zoster virus

Leg pain and weakness can often be seen in a musculoskeletal physiotherapy outpatient setting. While the differential diagnoses for neuropathic pain and weakness is often spine related, this unusual cause for polyradiculopathy is less commonly seen. Shingles is not something routinely seen in a physiotherapy department but is usually associated with skin eruptions and pain but less so with motor loss. The purpose of this case report is to therefore raise awareness that this presentation can occur and should not be mistaken for spinal radiculopathy.

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Dandy-Walker variant with precocious puberty: a rare association

Precocious puberty is characterised by premature appearance of secondary sexual characteristics before the age of 7 years in girls and 9 years in boys. Dandy-Walker malformation comprises a spectrum of intracranial malformations of the posterior fossa. We present a case of a 7-year-old male child who has presented with features of central precocious puberty and on further evaluation has been found to have Dandy-Walker variant and secondary hypothyroidism. The following case report describes this association which is extremely rare and has never been described in literature.

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Hiding in plain sight: a brain lesion in a patient with a history of colon and breast cancer

We present a case of a 76-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital with a low Glasgow Coma Scale score. She had a medical history of breast and colon cancer. The CT scan showed possible diagnosis of brain metastasis. However, the MRI scan showed this to be a completely different diagnosis.

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Does ocular inflammation play a role in xeroderma pigmentosum with endothelial dysfunction: an immunological study

We report a case of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) with endothelial dysfunction where the analysis of tears revealed elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines, even in the absence of active inflammation and neovascularisation of the ocular surface. Although the role of ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced inflammation in the occurrence of ocular manifestations of XP is known, little is published on the molecular mechanisms and there are no reports quantifying the presence of inflammatory cytokines in the tears of patients with ocular involvement of XP. Tear analysis demonstrated an increase in inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, especially interleukin-8 (2.38 ng/µg), tumour necrosis factor alpha (0.87 ng/µg) and granulocyte monocyte colony stimulating factor (0.44 ng/µg) as compared with the control eye. Effective management of the underlying UV-induced inflammation and promoting DNA repair may play a vital role in managing ocular manifestations and its sequelae in patients of XP.

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