Nurse-run preanaesthesia assessment clinics: an initiative towards improving the quality of perioperative care at the ambulatory care centre.

Introduction: Nurse-run preanaesthesia assessment is well established in ambulatory surgery. However, in the Middle East the implementation of such a service is new and needed careful preparation. Aim of this audit is to assess the feasibility and the quality of preoperative assessments by the specially trained nurses, patient and nurse satisfaction and overall perioperative quality of recovery.

A 3rd ventricular colloid cyst causing acute hydrocephalus with stunned myocardium: A case report.

Background: Third ventricular colloid cysts are benign but may cause acute hydrocephalus, raised intracranial pressure, decreased consciousness level, and sudden death. These ventricular colloid cysts associated with stunned myocardium are rarely reported in the literature. This study reported a case of a third ventricular colloid cyst presented as acute hydrocephalus complicated with severe neurogenic pulmonary edema, stunned myocardium, and heart failure, which survived at the end.

Validity and time course of surgical fear as measured with the Surgical Fear Questionnaire in patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Objectives: The primary aim of the study was to assess the convergent validity of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ) with other self-report instruments and biological indices of stress. Secondary aims were the examination of predictors of the level and time course of fear and preferences for fear treatment.

Methods: In a prospective observational cohort study SFQ short-term (SFQ-s) and long-term (SFQ-l) scores were assessed one week, one day, and the morning before cataract surgery, together with salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase (sAA) levels, and numeric rating scale (NRS) fear score.

Prevalence and Predictors of Patient Nonadherence to Pharmacological Acute Pain Therapy at Home After Day Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Good adherence to prescribed analgesics can be crucial to suppress or even prevent acute postoperative pain after day surgery. The aim of this study was to analyze prevalence and predictors of analgesic nonadherence after day surgery.

Methods: Elective patients scheduled for day surgery were prospectively enrolled from November 2008 to April 2010.

Correction: Validation of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire in Adult Patients Waiting for Elective Surgery.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

External Validation and Modification of a Predictive Model for Acute Postsurgical Pain at Home After Day Surgery.

Objectives: In 2009, Gramke and colleagues have described predictive factors to preoperatively detect those at risk for moderate to severe acute postsurgical pain (APSP) after day surgery. The aim of the present study is to externally validate this initial model and to improve and internally validate a modified version of this model.

Materials And Methods: Elective patients scheduled for day surgery were prospectively enrolled from November 2008 to April 2010.

Recovery 3 and 12 months after hysterectomy: epidemiology and predictors of chronic pain, physical functioning, and global surgical recovery.

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is 1 important aspect of surgical recovery. To improve perioperative care and postoperative recovery knowledge on predictors of impaired recovery is essential. The aim of this study is to assess predictors and epidemiological data of CPSP, physical functioning (SF-36PF, 0-100), and global surgical recovery (global surgical recovery index, 0-100%) 3 and 12 months after hysterectomy for benign indication.

Ruptured spinal arteriovenous malformation: Presenting as stunned myocardium and neurogenic shock.

Background: Neurogenic pulmonary edema (NPE) is a clinical syndrome usually defined as an acute pulmonary edema occurring shortly after a central neurologic insult. NPE was identified 100 years ago, but it is still underappreciated in the clinical setup. NPE usually appears within minutes to hours after the injury.

Prevalence and Predictive Factors of Chronic Postsurgical Pain and Poor Global Recovery 1 Year After Outpatient Surgery.

Objectives: To prospectively describe the prevalence and predictive factors of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) and poor global recovery in a large outpatient population at a university hospital, 1 year after outpatient surgery.

Materials And Methods: A prospective longitudinal cohort study was performed. During 18 months, patients presenting for preoperative assessment were invited to participate.

Controlled-release oxycodone versus naproxen at home after ambulatory surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Strong opioids in the home setting after ambulatory surgery have rarely been studied for fear of hazardous adverse effects such as respiratory depression.

Objectives: We compared the efficacy of paracetamol/controlled-release (CR) oxycodone and paracetamol/naproxen for treatment of acute postoperative pain at home after ambulatory surgery. Secondary outcomes were adverse effects of study medication, treatment satisfaction, and postoperative analgesic compliance.

Continuous paravertebral block for postoperative pain compared to general anaesthesia and wound infiltration for major oncological breast surgery.

We hypothesized that improved acute postoperative pain relief will be achieved using general anaesthesia (GA) either in combination with continuous thoracic paravertebral block (GA-cPVB) or single shot (GA-sPVB) as compared to GA supplemented by local wound infiltration (GA-LWI) after unilateral major breast cancer surgery. A randomised controlled trial was conducted in 46 adult women in a day-care or short-stay hospital setting after major breast cancer surgery. Pain-intensity was measured using an 11-point visual analogue scale (VAS) until postoperative day 2.

Validation of the surgical fear questionnaire in adult patients waiting for elective surgery.

Objectives: Because existing instruments for assessing surgical fear seem either too general or too limited, the Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ) was developed. The aim of this study is to assess the validity and reliability of the SFQ.

Methods: Based on existing literature and expert consultation the ten-item SFQ was composed.

Introducing the event related fixed interval area (ERFIA) multilevel technique: a method to analyze the complete epoch of event-related potentials at single trial level.

In analyzing time-locked event-related potentials (ERPs), many studies have focused on specific peaks and their differences between experimental conditions. In theory, each latency point after a stimulus contains potentially meaningful information, regardless of whether it is peak-related. Based on this assumption, we introduce a new concept which allows for flexible investigation of the whole epoch and does not primarily focus on peaks and their corresponding latencies.

Reduced incidence of chronic postsurgical pain after epidural analgesia for abdominal surgery.

Background: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is a common complication of surgery with high impact on quality of life. Peripheral and central sensitization caused by enhanced and prolonged afferent nociceptive input are considered important mechanisms for the development of CPSP. This case-control study investigated whether epidural analgesia is associated with a reduced incidence of CPSP after open abdominal surgery.

Mean platelet volume as a diagnostic marker for cardiovascular disease: drawbacks of preanalytical conditions and measuring techniques.

After the first description of platelets more than a century ago, the knowledge about their origin and function grew continuously. The development of the impedance method as a completely automated assay allowed integrating mean platelet volume (MPV) measurement as a routine parameter of the complete blood count. This enabled us to focus more on the association of platelet function and size.

Influence of erroneous patient records on population pharmacokinetic modeling and individual bayesian estimation.

Background: Observational data sets can be used for population pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling. However, these data sets are generally less precisely recorded than experimental data sets. This article aims to investigate the influence of erroneous records on population PK modeling and individual maximum a posteriori Bayesian (MAPB) estimation.

Preoperative anxiety and catastrophizing: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association with chronic postsurgical pain.

Objectives: Anxiety and pain catastrophizing predict acute postoperative pain. However, it is not well established whether they also predict chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate whether high levels of preoperative anxiety or pain catastrophizing are associated with an increased risk of CPSP.

Do blood collection methods influence whole-blood platelet function analysis?

Pre-analytical variables interact with standard coagulation parameters. How these variables affect the platelet function analysis is not completely known. How collection site and puncture method affect multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA) and platelet function analyzer (PFA-100®) was compared regarding contact activation.

The effects of pneumatic tube system transport on ROTEM analysis and contact activation assessed by thrombin generation test.

Unlabelled: Thromboelastometry (ROTEM) is a popular point-of-care test. It generates results quickly and may benefit individualised guided haemostatic therapy. However, processing of specimens by non-technicians might decrease the quality and reproducibility of results.

Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of nasal versus intravenous midazolam in healthy Dutch volunteers: a single-dose, randomized-sequence, open-label, 2-period crossover pilot study.

Background: Intranasal (IN) midazolam is a potential alternative to rectal diazepam for the acute treatment of epileptic seizures.

Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics and tolerability of IN midazolam (50 mg/mL) compared with intravenous (IV) midazolam (2.5 mg) in healthy adult volunteers.

New training strategies for anaesthesia residents.

Purpose Of Review: This review intends to give an overview of developments in anaesthesia residency training.

Recent Findings: Healthcare institutions are stimulated to improve residency training programmes by worldwide quality assurance movements. Research and literature has increased the comprehension of which factors are needed to stimulate effective learning.