A Prospective Cohort Study on the Respiratory Effect on Modified Mallampati Scoring.

Background: Mallampati scoring is a common exam method for evaluating the oropharynx as a part of the airway assessment and for anticipation of difficult intubation. It partitions the oropharynx into 4 categories with scores of 1, 2, 3, and 4. Even though its reliability is known to be limited by confounding factors such as patient positioning, patient phonation, tongue protrusion, and examiner variability, the effect of respiration, i.

Near-miss hypoglycemia-reflections on perioperative glucose management guidelines in diabetics.

Background: The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has an impressive array of professional perioperative guidelines but has not issued a guideline specific to perioperative blood glucose management and does not delve into the topic in their other guidelines.

Case Report: We experienced a perioperative case that highlights the potential difficulty of glucose management in this setting. During anesthetic induction for an orthopedic foot surgery, as the medication was infusing, an IDDM 1 (insulin dependent diabetes mellitus type 1) patient expressed feeling that her blood sugar level was low.

Protecting the Airway and the Physician: Lessons from 214 Cases of Endotracheal Intubation Litigation.

Objective: Medicolegal examination of an intervention as common as endotracheal intubation may be valuable to physicians in many specialties. Our objectives were to comprehensively detail the factors raised in litigation to better educate physicians on strategies for minimizing liability and augmenting patient safety.

Methods: Publicly available court records were searched for pertinent litigation.

Assessing the Readability of Anesthesia-Related Patient Education Materials from Major Anesthesiology Organizations.

Introduction: The National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Medical Association (AMA), and the US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) recommend that patient education materials (PEMs) be written between the 4th to 6th grade reading level to ensure readability by the average American. In this study, we examine the reading levels of online patient education materials from major anesthesiology organizations.

Methods: Readability analysis of PEMs found on the websites of anesthesiology organizations was performed using the Flesch Reading Ease score, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, New Dale-Chall test, Coleman-Liau Index, New Fog Count, Raygor Readability Estimate, the FORCAST test, and the Fry Score.

Deviation from Clinical Routines Can Reveal Sources of Device Design Vulnerability.

The ability to adequately ventilate a patient is critical and sometimes a challenge in the emergency, intensive care, and anesthesiology settings. Commonly, initial ventilation is achieved through the use of a face mask in conjunction with a bag that is manually squeezed by the clinician to generate positive pressure and flow of air or oxygen through the patient's airway. Large or small erroneous openings in the breathing circuit can lead to leaks that compromise ventilation ability.

Case report and review of literature of a rare congenital disorder: Adams-Oliver syndrome.

Background: Adams-Oliver syndrome is characterized by the combination of congenital scalp defects and terminal transverse limb defects. In some instances, cardiovascular malformations and orofacial malformations have been observed. Little is written with regards to the anesthetic management and airway concerns of patients with Adams-Oliver syndrome.

Dose Comparison of Dexmedetomidine Sedation following Spinal Anesthesia: Parturient versus Nonpregnant Women-A Randomized Trial.

Background: This study was designed to investigate and compare the effective doses of dexmedetomidine for sedation in parturient patients who underwent Cesarean section (CS) and nonpregnant women who underwent elective gynecologic surgery.

Methods: The study comprised 60 females aged between 25 and 35. They were divided into two groups.

Fellowships Represent a Logical Target for Cultivating Research in Academic Anesthesiology.

Background: The need for greater emphasis on research contributions in academic anesthesiology has been widely recognized in recent years. Some propose increasing integration of research, including dedicated research time, into ACGME requirements for residency and fellowship training experiences. The , an effective measure of research productivity that takes into account relevance and impact of an author's contributions on discourse within a field, was used to examine whether there are differences in research productivity between non-fellowship and fellowship-trained faculty in academic anesthesiology departments.

Gabapentin Does Not Appear to Improve Postoperative Pain and Sleep Patterns in Patients Who Concomitantly Receive Regional Anesthesia for Lower Extremity Orthopedic Surgery: A Randomized Control Trial.

In recent years, gabapentin has gained popularity as an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of postoperative pain. Numerous studies have shown a decrease in pain score, even with immediate postoperative activity, which is significant for early post-op ambulation and regaining functionality sooner. However, studies have been in conclusive in patients undergoing lower extremity orthopedic surgery.

Premedication with Intravenous Ibuprofen Improves Recovery Characteristics and Stress Response in Adults Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: Examine the effect of preoperative dose of IV ibuprofen on stress response and postoperative recovery in laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients.

Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial.

Setting: Three university-based, tertiary care hospitals.

A comparison of plaintiff and defense expert witness qualifications in malpractice litigation in anesthesiology.

Background: Expert witnesses serve a crucial role in the medicolegal system, interpreting evidence so that it can be understood by jurors. Guidelines have been established by both the legal community and professional medical societies detailing the expectations of expert witnesses. The primary objective of this analysis was to evaluate the expertise of anesthesiologists testifying as expert witnesses in malpractice litigation.

Gabapentin in acute postoperative pain management.

Gabapentin (1-aminomethyl-cyclohexaneacetic acid) is an amino acid that has the structure of the neurotransmitter γ -aminobutyric acid (GABA). It is a novel drug used for the treatment of postoperative pain with antihyperalgesic properties and a unique mechanism of action. Gabapentin and the related, more potent compound pregabalin have been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of neuropathic pain as well as postoperative pain following spinal surgery and hysterectomy.

Obstructive sleep apnea: strategies for minimizing liability and enhancing patient safety.

Objective: To characterize malpractice litigation regarding obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and educate physicians on frequently cited factors.

Study Design And Setting: Analysis of the Westlaw legal database.

Methods: Jury verdict and settlement reports were examined for outcome, awards, patient demographic factors, defendant specialty, and alleged causes of malpractice.

In-office balloon dilation and drainage of frontal sinus mucocele.

Treatment of frontal sinus disease represents one of the most challenging aspects of endoscopic sinus surgery. Frontal sinus mucocele drainage may be an exception to the rule because in many instances, the expansion of the mucocele widens the frontal sinus recess and renders surgical drainage technically undemanding. Recently, there has been an increased interest in in-office procedures in otolaryngology because of patient satisfaction and substantial savings of time and cost for both patients and physicians.

Determination of legal responsibility in iatrogenic tracheal and laryngeal stenosis.

Objectives/hypothesis: Laryngotracheal stenosis usually occurs as a result of injury from endotracheal intubation or tracheostomy placement. With an estimated incidence of 1% to 22% after these procedures, chronic sequelae ranging from discomfort to devastating effects on quality of life, and even death, make this complication a potential litigation target. We examined federal and state court records for malpractice regarding laryngotracheal stenosis and examined characteristics influencing determination of liability.