Sympathetic Duet: Simultaneous Stellate Ganglion Block and Thoracic Epidural Analgesia in the Successful Termination of Ventricular Storm.

This article discusses the management of ventricular storm (VS), a condition characterized by recurrent episodes of sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, which poses a significant risk of mortality. Prompt intervention is crucial, yet surgical options are often limited due to the patient's unstable condition. This case report presents a 47-year-old female who experienced VS during a planned surgical procedure.

Phase 1 randomized trial of inpatient high-intensity interval training after major surgery.

Background: High-intensity interval training (HIT) can provide physiologic benefits and may improve postoperative recovery but has not been evaluated in inpatients. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of HIT after major surgery.

Methods: We performed a phase I randomized study comparing HIT with low-intensity continuous ambulation (40 m) during the initial inpatient stay after major surgery at a large academic center.

A Simple Method for Estimating Hand Hygiene Use Among Anesthesia Personnel: Development, Validation, and Use in a Quality Improvement Project.

Background: Frequent hand hygiene by anesthesia personnel may be an important factor in reducing contamination of IV lines and medication access ports and may reduce hospital-acquired infections. Measurement of hand hygiene frequency at the individual clinician level by direct observation or electronic devices is cumbersome and expensive. We developed and validated a simple method for estimating hand hygiene frequency by individual anesthesia providers and utilized it in a quality improvement initiative to increase hand hygiene use.

Microbial stability of syringes of anesthetic drugs prepared in the operating room.

Study Objective: To determine whether microbial contamination of anesthesia syringes prepared in the operating room (OR) become contaminated in a time-dependent fashion.

Design: Observational.

Setting: Operating suite in a major university hospital.

Calcium antagonists: A new class of therapeutic agents.

A new class of therapeutic agents, sharing inhibition of the slow calcium channel, will soon be available to the American patient. Selective action of these agents upon the atrioventricular node, the smooth muscle of coronary and peripheral arteries, and the contractility of cardiac muscle opens new vistas in cardiovascular pharmacology. Early release of these agents by the Federal Drug Administration for general use is urged, based upon the already wide and successful experience in the European and South American continents.