Editor's Note A few calming words from an anesthesiologist are as effective as medication in relaxing patients before anesthesia and surgery, finds research presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting. Researchers compared conversational hypnosis (ie, talking quietly and positively and focusing the patient’s attention on something other than the upcoming…

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Editor's Note The amount of propofol required for general anesthesia varies widely among patients, and some may be able to receive a lower dose than usually administered, according to a study presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting in San Diego. The amount of propofol required to produce unconsciousness was…

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Editor's Note Elderly cardiac surgery patients are at increased risk of developing delirium and other changes in cognitive function postoperatively. However, research presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting, found using monitors to track depth of anesthesia and oxygenation levels significantly reduced the incidence of postoperative delirium and associated cognitive…

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Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and Premier, Inc, will extend their national learning collaborative to improve inpatient and outpatient care for surgical patients for an additional 2 years. ASA chose Premier in 2014 to develop a learning collaborative to implement the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model of…

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Editor's Note Informational brochures help patients discuss anesthesia options with their anesthesia providers, finds a study presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting in San Diego. In the study, 67 patients were given brochures during a preoperative clinic visit that explained the different types of anesthesia, risks, and benefits, and…

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Editor's Note Concerns have been raised about the safety of anesthesia on the developing brains of young children, but new research presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting found brief exposure to general anesthesia did not impair neurological development. Researchers examined 700 infants, up to 60 weeks old, who were…

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Editor's Note When the anesthesiologist sheaths the laryngoscope immediately after endotracheal intubation, contamination of the IV hub, patient, and intraoperative environment is significantly reduced, this study finds. In a simulated study using ultraviolet light to detect contamination of seven sites on a patient, contamination was found on an average of…

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Editor's Note An anesthesiology-based service can meet the challenge of providing efficient and high-level care for surgical patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices, including pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), this study finds. Such a service, however, requires specialized provider training and strong support from the electrophysiology/cardiology service, and will…

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Editor's Note SmartTots on October 13 released an updated “Consensus Statement On the Use of Anesthetic and Sedative Drugs in Infants and Toddlers.” There is growing evidence from animal studies and observational studies in humans suggesting that adverse effects on behavior, learning, and memory may result from exposure to anesthetics…

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Editor's Note In this study, the use of a preinduction checklist significantly improved information exchange, knowledge of critical information, and perception of safety in anesthesia teams. A total of 105 teams using the checklist were compared with 100 control teams. The outcome scores for the checklist group vs the controls…

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