Editor's Note Music-based interventions administered preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively can significantly reduce postoperative opioid use and improve mood in patients undergoing same-day surgeries, according to research published October 15 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. The single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial evaluated 75 patients aged 18 to 80 who received…

Read More

Editor's Note The Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) is launching a national effort to reduce discard rates of donated organs, according to an October 23 announcement from the University of Michigan. OPTN oversees organ distribution for transplant procedures in the US. According to the report, the organization aims to…

Read More

Editor's Note “There's nothing worse than putting a contract together, only for the anesthesia providers to say, ‘Oh, no, we're not going to do that,” Mindy Gingery, MSN, CRNA, ARNP, president of Heartland Anesthesia & Consulting, said, opening this morning session on anesthesia contract best practices for ambulatory surgery centers…

Read More

Editor's Note Research shows repeated fasting for multiple surgeries during a single hospital stay significantly raises the risk of protein-calorie malnutrition, leading to longer recovery times, increased healthcare costs, and a higher likelihood of death. HealthDay covered the news October 21. Presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting,…

Read More

Editor's Note A Senate report reveals that Medicare Advantage insurers are increasingly prioritizing profits over patient care by ramping up the use of prior authorization to deny necessary services, particularly post-acute care, for older adults, Becker’s Hospital Review reported October 17. In May 2023, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations…

Read More

Editor's Note Combining newer weight loss drugs with bariatric surgery is the most cost-effective long-term strategy for treating obesity, according to research presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2024. Medical Xpress reported on the findings October 18. According to the article, researchers from Northwestern Medicine evaluated the…

Read More

Editor's Note Individuals with preoperative depression are at significantly higher risk of developing postoperative delirium, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of 42 studies involving a total of 4.6 million patients. Published September 4 in Anaesthesia, the study is first review to quantify the incidence and risk of postoperative…

Read More

Editor's Note In a recent study, lung cancer patients using wearable devices showed significantly improved postoperative physical activity and pulmonary function as well as reduced symptoms such as dyspnea and pain. Published September 20 in Jama Network Open, the study compared 74 patients in the intervention group (who used wearable…

Read More

Editor's Note Raising awareness of misinformation and encouraging people to register as organ donors are among the ways organizations throughout the country are highlighting organ transplant disparities during Hispanic Heritage month, which ends October 15. Citing data from the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health,…

Read More

Editor's Note Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna developed a new method using the Temporal Fusion Transformer (TFT) model to predict intraoperative hypotension in patients under general anesthesia. According to findings published August 30 in eClinical Medicine, part of The Lancet, the model utilizes routine vital sign data, including…

Read More