Less-invasive anesthesia technique improves pediatric surgery safety, patient experience
Editor's Note A needle-based technique that blocks sensory and motor function below the chest without intubation or general anesthesia makes surgery safer for pediatric patients, according to a July 15 report in Michigan Medicine. The University of Michigan's pediatric spinal anesthesia program, also implemented at University of Michigan-Sparrow Health Center,…
High-flow oxygen deemed safe for pediatric tubeless airway surgery
Editor's Note New findings show that compared to standard anesthetic methods, a new high-flow oxygen technique is just as safe as during tubeless upper airway surgery in children. Published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, the University of Queensland research-- the High-Flow Oxygen for Children's Airway Surgery (HAMSTER) trial—was the focus of…
Annual awards, new partnership advance paranesthesia nursing
Editor's Note Inspired by a leader in the postanesthesia care department (PACU)? Here’s a chance to provide well-deserved recognition from the entire perioperative community. If you’re a member of the American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification, Inc. (ABPANC), we have something for you as well: exclusive discounts to attend OR…
Breaking down the anesthesia workforce imbalance, strategies to address crisis
Editor's Note Increased demand for anesthesia services, especially in non-operating room (non-OR) sites, has outpaced the growth of anesthesia clinicians, a June 2024 special article published by the journal Anesthesiology reports. The imbalance in the anesthesia workforce supply and demand, the article argues, was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and…
Study finds no link between anesthesia dose, postop delirium
Editor's Note Higher doses of anesthesia did not affect risk of postoperative delirium in a study of more than 1,000 heart surgery patients, according to a June 10 United Press International (UPI) article on study findings published in JAMA. The research included 1,140 heart surgery patients, half of whom had…
State of the huddle: The barriers to and benefits of preop meetings
Complex problems do not always require complex solutions. Consider the surgical safety checklist. In 2020, more than a decade after the World Health Organization (WHO) started advocating that every hospital use the checklist, research from PSNET found that more than 90% of ORs in countries with a high human development…
Ketamine, other anesthetics show promise for depression, mental health treatment
Editor's Note The advance of ketamine and other anesthetics as depression treatments is spurring collaboration among anesthesiologists and psychiatrists for further advances in mental health treatment, according to an article in the June issue of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. As the established experts in…
FDA announces Class 1 recalls for patient return electrodes, intra-aortic balloon catheters, anesthesia systems
Editor's Note The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has announced Class 1 recalls—the most severe category, indicating risk of serious injury or death—for three products: MEGA SOFT Pediatric Patient Return Electrodes from Megadyne, Vaporizer Sevoflurane Maquet Filling from Getinge; and Arrow FiberOptix Intra-Aortic Balloon Catheter Kit and Arrow UltraFlex…
Study: standard preoperative fasting guidelines safe for GLP-1 patients
Editor's Note Preoperative use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (RA) medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy is safe, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Controversy has swirled around these drugs due to the risk of slowed stomach emptying increasing a patient’s odds…
Carbon-conscious health systems phase out desflurane anesthesia gas to reduce emissions
Editor's Note Citing environmental concerns, multiple health systems have stopped using desflurane anesthesia gas, Becker’s Hospital Review reported on May 7. Citing the Philadelphia Inquirer, the outlet notes that Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Marlton, N.J.-based Virtua Health are among those that have eliminated the gas so far, with the…
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