Reply to the letter

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Disseminated Histoplasmosis with Miliary Histoplasmosis, Neurohistoplasmosis, and Histoplasma capsulatum Bacteremia in Probable Neurosarcoidosis

Introduction. Neurosarcoidosis, either isolated or as part of systemic sarcoidosis, is an uncommon entity and has diagnostic uncertainty. Treatment for neurosarcoidosis can increase the risk of infections, including fungal infections such as disseminated histoplasmosis. Neurosarcoidosis may further predispose patients to infections of the central nervous system. Case Presentation. A 54-year-old male with a history of probable neurosarcoidosis on methotrexate and infliximab presented with encephalopathy, hypoxia, and reported fevers. The patient was found to have disseminated histoplasmosis involving the lungs (miliary histoplasmosis), central nervous system (neurohistoplasmosis), and bloodstream. The Histoplasma capsulatum infection was treated with amphotericin and then voriconazole. Discussion. Patients with neurosarcoidosis are suspected to have blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Lumbar puncture should be considered as part of initial investigative studies for infection. Empiric antimicrobial therapy for a patient with neurosarcoidosis on immunosuppressive agents may need to include antifungal agents.

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Difficult-to-diagnose diabetes in a patient treated with cyclophosphamide – the contradictory roles of immunosuppressant agents: a case report

Cyclophosphamide may induce autoimmune diabetes through a decrease in suppressor T cells and increase of proinflammatory T helper type 1 response in animal models. In humans, this association is not as clear d...

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Effects of crystalloids and colloids on microcirculation, central venous oxygen saturation, and central venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide gap in a rabbit model of hemorrhagic shock

Abstract

Objective

The effects of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) on microcirculation, central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO₂), and the central venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide gap (dCO₂) are studied in a rabbit model of hemorrhagic shock for elucidating the advantages and drawbacks of resuscitation with HES compared with crystalloids.

Methods

An ear chamber and sublingual mucosa were used to examine blood vessels by intravital microscopy. Hemorrhagic shock was induced by removing nearly half of the blood volume. Twenty-two rabbits received 20 mL of HES by intravenous infusion immediately after bloodletting. Additional HES was then administered intravenously to a total volume of 100 mL. The other 22 rabbits (control) were intravenously given 40 mL of normal saline solution (NSS), followed by additional NSS to a total volume of 200 mL, administered under the same conditions as HES.

Results

After the infusion, the vessel density and perfusion rate of the sublingual microcirculation recovered in the HES group. The arteriolar diameter, blood flow velocity, and blood flow rate of the ear microcirculation were maintained in this group, and microcirculatory failure did not develop. In the NSS group, however, all 5 of the aforementioned measured variables were significantly smaller than those in the HES group after the completion of infusion. The recovery of ScvO₂ and dCO₂ to the respective baseline values was significantly better in the HES group than in the NSS group.

Conclusion

Intravenous infusion of HES effectively maintains adequate tissue oxygenation and perfusion in hemorrhagic shock.

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Future blood pressure monitoring for cesarean delivery

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Family Caregiving and Cancer Pain Management

Family caregivers are centrally involved in cancer pain management, especially for patients with advanced disease. This issue is becoming ever more important as care shifts to the outpatient setting and home care and as the aging population creates more patients who have multiple illnesses and family caregivers who often live with serious illnesses. This narrative review evaluated current knowledge and literature regarding family caregivers' involvement in cancer pain management and identified areas for future research and clinical practice. There is a need for additional research in this area and for clinical models of support for family caregivers as they provide pain management for patients with cancer. Accepted for publication October 10, 2018. Funding: None. The author declares no conflicts of interest. Reprints will not be available from the authors. Address correspondence to Betty R. Ferrell, PhD, CHPN, FAAN, FPCN, Division of Nursing Research and Education, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1500 E Duarte Rd, Pop Sci Bldg 173, Duarte, CA 91010. Address e-mail to bferrell@coh.org. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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Weeding Out the Problem: The Impact of Preoperative Cannabinoid Use on Pain in the Perioperative Period

BACKGROUND: The recreational and medical use of cannabinoids has been increasing. While most studies and reviews have focused on the role of cannabinoids in the management of acute pain, no study has examined the postoperative outcomes of surgical candidates who are on cannabinoids preoperatively. This retrospective cohort study examined the impact of preoperative cannabinoid use on postoperative pain scores and pain-related outcomes in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery. METHODS: Outcomes of patients who had major orthopedic surgery at our hospital between April 1, 2015 and June 30, 2017 were reviewed. Data were obtained from Networked Online Processing of Acute Pain Information, a locally developed database for our Acute Pain Service. Propensity score matching was used to balance baselines variables including age, sex, type of surgery, history of depression or anxiety, and perioperative use of regional anesthesia between patients who reported use of cannabinoids and those not on this substance. Intensity of pain with movement in the early postoperative period (defined as up to 36 hours after surgery) was the primary outcome of this study. The secondary outcomes (all in early postoperative period) were pain at rest, opioid consumption, incidence of pruritus, nausea and vomiting, sedation, delirium, constipation, impairment of sleep and physical activity, patient satisfaction with analgesia, and the length of Acute Pain Service follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 3793 patients were included in the study. Of these, 155 patients were identified as being on cannabinoids for recreational or medical indications in the preoperative period. After propensity score matching, we compared data from 155 patients who were on cannabinoids and 155 patients who were not on cannabinoids. Patients who were on preoperative cannabinoids had higher pain numerical rating score (median [25th, 75th percentiles]) at rest (5.0 [3.0, 6.1] vs 3.0 [2.0, 5.5], P = .010) and with movement (8.0 [6.0, 9.0] vs 7.0 [3.5, 8.5], P = .003), and a higher incidence of moderate-to-severe pain at rest (62.3% vs 45.5%, respectively, P = .004; odds ratio, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.25–3.14) and with movement (85.7% vs 75.2% respectively, P = .021; odds ratio, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.10–3.57) in the early postoperative period compared to patients who were not on cannabinoids. There was also a higher incidence of sleep interruption in the early postoperative period for patients who used cannabinoids. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study with propensity-matched cohorts showed that cannabinoid use was associated with higher pain scores and a poorer quality of sleep in the early postoperative period in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery. Accepted for publication October 29, 2018. Funding: This work was supported by internal departmental funding from the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at University Health Network, Toronto Western Hospital. Conflicts of Interest: See Disclosures at the end of the article. Reprints will not be available from the authors. Address correspondence to Anuj Bhatia, MBBS, MD, FRCA, FRCPC, FIPP, FFPMRCA, EDRA, Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Toronto Western Hospital, McL 2-405, 399 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada. Address e-mail to anuj.bhatia@uhn.ca. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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Breath Sounds: From Basic Science to Clinical Practice

No abstract available

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Evidence Review Conducted for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery: Focus on Anesthesiology for Hip Fracture Surgery

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols represent patient-centered, evidence-based, multidisciplinary care of the surgical patient. Although these patterns have been validated in numerous surgical specialities, ERAS has not been widely described for patients undergoing hip fracture (HFx) repair. As part of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery, we have conducted a full evidence review of interventions that form the basis of the anesthesia components of the ERAS HFx pathway. A literature search was performed for each protocol component, and the highest levels of evidence available were selected for review. Anesthesiology components of care were identified and evaluated across the perioperative continuum. For the preoperative phase, the use of regional analgesia and nonopioid multimodal analgesic agents is suggested. For the intraoperative phase, a standardized anesthetic with postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis is suggested. For the postoperative phase, a multimodal (primarily nonopioid) analgesic regimen is suggested. A summary of the best available evidence and recommendations for inclusion in ERAS protocols for HFx repair are provided. Accepted for publication September 19, 2018. Funding: This project was funded under contract number HHSP233201500020I from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, US Department of Health and Human Services. Conflicts of Interest: See Disclosures at the end of the article. The opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or the US Department of Health and Human Services. Reprints will not be available from the authors. Address correspondence to Ellen M. Soffin, MD, PhD, Department of Anesthesiology, The Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021. Address e-mail to soffine@hss.edu. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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Development and Validation of an Electronic Postoperative Morbidity Score

BACKGROUND: Electronic health records are being adopted due to numerous potential benefits. This requires the development of objective metrics to characterize morbidity, comparable to studies performed in centers without an electronic health record. We outline the development of an electronic version of the postoperative morbidity score for integration into our electronic health record. METHODS: Two hundred and three frail patients who underwent elective surgery were reviewed. We retrospectively defined postoperative morbidity score on postoperative day 3. We also recorded potential electronic surrogates for morbidities that could not be easily extracted in an objective format. We compared discriminative capability (area under the receiver operator curve) for patients having prolonged length of stay or complex discharge requirements. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-nine patients (68%) had morbidity in ≥1 postoperative morbidity score domain. Initial electronic surrogates were overly sensitive, identifying 173 patients (84%) as having morbidity. We refined our definitions using backward logistic regression against "gold-standard" postoperative morbidity score. The final electronic postoperative morbidity score differed from the initial version in its definition of cardiac and neurological morbidity. There was no significant difference in the discriminative capability between electronic postoperative morbidity score and postoperative morbidity score for either outcome (area under the receiver operator curve: 0.66 vs 0.66 for complex discharge requirement, area under the receiver operator curve: 0.66 vs 0.67 for a prolonged length of stay; P> .05 for both). Patients with postoperative morbidity score or electronic postoperative morbidity score–defined morbidity on day 3 had increased risk of prolonged length of stay (P

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Association of Preoperative Serum Chloride Levels With Mortality and Morbidity After Noncardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: Postoperative hyperchloremia is known to be related to increases in mortality and morbidity after surgery. However, the relationship between preoperative hyperchloremia and hypochloremia and postoperative mortality and morbidity is not well established. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between preoperative hyperchloremia or hypochloremia, as assessed using preoperative serum chloride tests, and 90-day mortality and morbidity after noncardiac surgery. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the medical records of patients >20 years of age who underwent noncardiac surgery between January 2010 and December 2016. Patients were categorized into one of the following groups on the basis of the results of serum chloride testing performed within 1 month before surgery: normochloremia, 97–110 mmol·L−1; hyperchloremia, >110 mmol·L−1; and hypochloremia,

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A Global Anesthesia Training Framework

No abstract available

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New Strategies to Expand and Optimize Heart Donor Pool: Ex Vivo Heart Perfusion and Donation After Circulatory Death A Review of Current Research and Future Trends

Heart transplantation remains the definitive management for end-stage heart failure refractory to medical therapy. While heart transplantation cases are increasing annually worldwide, there remains a deficiency in organ availability with significant patient mortality while on the waiting list. Attempts have therefore been made to expand the donor pool and improve access to available organs by recruiting donors who may not satisfy the standard criteria for organ donation because of donor pathology, anticipated organ ischemic time, or donation after circulatory death. "Ex vivo" heart perfusion (EVHP) is an emerging technique for the procurement of heart allografts. This technique provides mechanically supported warm circulation to a beating heart once removed from the donor and before implantation into the recipient. EVHP can be sustained for several hours, facilitate extended travel time, and enable administration of pharmacological agents to optimize cardiac recovery and function, as well as allow assessment of allograft function before implantation. In this article, we review recent advances in expanding the donor pool for cardiac transplantation. Current limitations of conventional donor criteria are outlined, including the determinants of organ suitability and assessment, involving transplantation of donation after circulatory death hearts, extended criteria donors, and EVHP-associated assessment, optimization, and transportation. Finally, ongoing research relating to organ optimization and functional ex vivo allograft assessment are reviewed. Accepted for publication October 8, 2018. Funding: None. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Reprints will not be available from the authors. Address correspondence to Massimiliano Meineri, MD, FASE, Department of Anesthesia, Toronto General Hospital, 200 Elizabeth St, EN 3–442, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada. Address e-mail to Massimiliano.Meineri@uhn.ca. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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A Time-Release History of the Opioid Epidemic

No abstract available

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Validation of a Simple Tool for Electronic Documentation of Behavioral Responses to Anesthesia Induction

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and distress behaviors during anesthesia induction are associated with negative postoperative outcomes for pediatric patients. Documenting behavioral responses to induction is useful to evaluate induction quality at hospitals and to optimize future anesthetics for returning patients, but we lack a simple tool for clinical documentation. The Induction Compliance Checklist is a tool for grading induction behaviors that is well validated for research purposes, but it is not practical for routine documentation in busy clinical practice settings. The Child Induction Behavioral Assessment tool was developed to provide a simple and easy to use electronic tool for clinical documentation of induction behaviors. The aim of this study was to test the Child Induction Behavioral Assessment tool's concurrent validity with the Induction Compliance Checklist and the interrater reliability. METHODS: This prospective, observational study included 384 pediatric patients undergoing anesthesia inhalation induction. Concurrent validity with the Induction Compliance Checklist and interrater reliability of the Child Induction Behavioral Assessment were evaluated. Two researchers alternated scoring the Induction Compliance Checklist. The 2 researchers independently scored the Child Induction Behavioral Assessment. The anesthesia clinician caring for the patient also independently scored the Child Induction Behavioral Assessment by completing their routine documentation in the patient's medical record. Two age groups were evaluated (ages 1–3 and 4–12 years old). RESULTS: Clinicians' and researchers' Child Induction Behavioral Assessment scores demonstrated a strong correlation with the Induction Compliance Checklist (P

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Statistical Process Control: No Hits, No Runs, No Errors?

A novel intervention or new clinical program must achieve and sustain its operational and clinical goals. To demonstrate successfully optimizing health care value, providers and other stakeholders must longitudinally measure and report these tracked relevant associated outcomes. This includes clinicians and perioperative health services researchers who chose to participate in these process improvement and quality improvement efforts ("play in this space"). Statistical process control is a branch of statistics that combines rigorous sequential, time-based analysis methods with graphical presentation of performance and quality data. Statistical process control and its primary tool—the control chart—provide researchers and practitioners with a method of better understanding and communicating data from health care performance and quality improvement efforts. Statistical process control presents performance and quality data in a format that is typically more understandable to practicing clinicians, administrators, and health care decision makers and often more readily generates actionable insights and conclusions. Health care quality improvement is predicated on statistical process control. Undertaking, achieving, and reporting continuous quality improvement in anesthesiology, critical care, perioperative medicine, and acute and chronic pain management all fundamentally rely on applying statistical process control methods and tools. Thus, the present basic statistical tutorial focuses on the germane topic of statistical process control, including random (common) causes of variation versus assignable (special) causes of variation: Six Sigma versus Lean versus Lean Six Sigma, levels of quality management, run chart, control charts, selecting the applicable type of control chart, and analyzing a control chart. Specific attention is focused on quasi-experimental study designs, which are particularly applicable to process improvement and quality improvement efforts. Accepted for publication November 6, 2018. Funding: None. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Reprints will not be available from the author. Address correspondence to Thomas R. Vetter, MD, MPH, Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care, Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, Health Discovery Bldg, Room 6.812, 1701 Trinity St, Austin, TX 78712. Address e-mail to thomas.vetter@austin.utexas.edu. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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Impact of Anesthetics on Human Neutrophil Function

Anesthetics are widely used drugs administered in a multitude of clinical settings. Their impacts on various functions of the immune system have been studied but are still not fully understood. Neutrophil granulocytes are a critical first-line host defense mechanism against infections and contribute to the inflammatory phase of wound healing, but dysregulated neutrophil activation can also precipitate perioperative organ injury. A better understanding of the interactions between common anesthetics and neutrophils may reveal considerations toward optimizing treatment of our most vulnerable patients in the intensive care unit and in the perioperative setting. Accepted for publication October 12, 2018. Funding: A.M. is supported by the mentored research training grant of the International Anesthesia Research Society and is supported by the International Anesthesia Research Society Mentored Research Award. V.N. is supported by National Institutes of Health grant U54 HD090259. Conflicts of Interest: See Disclosures at the end of the article. Reprints will not be available from the authors. Address correspondence to Angela Meier, MD, PhD, Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care, 200 W Arbor Dr, San Diego, CA. Address e-mail to anmeier@ucsd.edu. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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In Response

No abstract available

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Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life

No abstract available

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In Response

No abstract available

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Ryanodine Receptor to Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Pathway Plays an Important Role in Chronic Human Immunodeficiency Virus gp120MN-Induced Neuropathic Pain in Rats

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is one of the most common complaints in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–associated sensory neuropathy. Ryanodine receptor (RyR) and mitochondrial oxidative stress are involved in neuropathic pain induced by nerve injury. Here, we investigated the role of RyR and mitochondrial superoxide in neuropathic pain induced by repeated intrathecal HIV glycoprotein 120 (gp120) injection. METHODS: Recombinant HIV glycoprotein gp120MN was intrathecally administered to induce neuropathic pain. Mechanical threshold was tested using von Frey filaments. Peripheral nerve fiber was assessed by the quantification of the intraepidermal nerve fiber density in the skin of the hindpaw. The expression of spinal RyR was examined using Western blots. Colocalization of RyR with neuronal nuclei (NeuN; neuron marker), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP; astrocyte marker), or ionizing calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1; microglia marker) in the spinal cord was examined using immunohistochemistry. MitoSox-positive profiles (a mitochondrial-targeted fluorescent superoxide indicator) were examined. The antiallodynic effects of intrathecal administration of RyR antagonist, dantrolene (a clinical drug for malignant hyperthermia management), or selective mitochondrial superoxide scavenger, Mito-Tempol, were evaluated in the model. RESULTS: We found that repeated but not single intrathecal injection of recombinant protein gp120 induced persistent mechanical allodynia. Intraepidermal nerve fibers in repeated gp120 group was lower than that in sham at 2 weeks, and the difference in means (95% confidence interval) was 8.495 (4.79–12.20), P = .0014. Repeated gp120 increased expression of RyR, and the difference in means (95% confidence interval) was 1.50 (0.504–2.495), P = .007. Repeated gp120 also increased mitochondrial superoxide cell number in the spinal cord, and the difference in means (95% confidence interval) was 6.99 (5.99–8.00), P

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Is Postoperative Hypotension a Risk Factor for Surgical Site Infections After Colorectal Surgery?

No abstract available

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