Anesthetic Choice for Percutaneous Transcatheter Closure of the Left Atrial Appendage: A National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry Analysis.

Context: Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) was developed as a novel stroke prevention alternative for patients with atrial fibrillation, particularly for those not suitable for long-term oral anticoagulant therapy. Traditionally, general anesthesia (GA) has been more commonly used primarily due to the necessity of transesophageal echocardiography.

Aims: Compare trends of monitored anesthesia care (MAC) versus GA for percutaneous transcatheter LAAC with endocardial implant and assess for independent variables associated with primary anesthetic choice.

Anesthetic Management for Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation: A National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry Analysis.

Objectives: The authors analyzed anesthetic management trends during ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation, hypothesizing that (1) monitored anesthesia care (MAC) is more commonly used than general anesthesia (GA); (2) MAC uses significantly increased after release of the 2019 Expert Consensus Statement on Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias; and (3) anesthetic approach varies based on patient and hospital characteristics.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry data.

A 36-Year-Old Female With Congenital Contractural Arachnodactyly and Pectus Excavatum Requiring Fourth-Time Redo Surgical Correction.

Congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA) is a rare connective tissue disorder that has several phenotypic similarities to Marfan syndrome. Among the phenotypic characteristics of patients with CCA, severe kyphoscoliosis and thoracic cage abnormalities are commonly reported. In this case report, we describe a patient with coexisting CCA and severe pectus excavatum requiring multiple surgical repairs.

Mortality risk stratification can predict readmissions but not length of stay.

Objectives: To determine whether the mortality risk stratification (MORIS) strata can predict outcomes including mortality, readmission, and discharge disposition for specific diagnoses.

Study Design: Retrospective, observational study for hospitalized patients in 2016-2017 at an urban, medium-sized, community tertiary care hospital. All admitted patients with 1 of the following diagnoses were included in this study: acute myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and sepsis.

Anesthetic Choice for Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: A National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry Analysis.

Objective: The authors evaluated the type of anesthesia administered in atrial fibrillation ablation, hypothesizing that monitored anesthesia care is used less frequently than general anesthesia.

Design: A retrospective study.

Setting: National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry data, which are multi-institutional from across the United States.

Factors Affecting Length of Stay for Observation Patients.

Objectives The objective of this study was to determine whether the addition of a case manager and a physician advisor to the observation unit would decrease the length of stay (LOS) of observation patients. Study design This retrospective, observational study for observation patients was conducted in 2017. Methods At a tertiary-care, medium-sized, urban, community hospital, the LOS for all observation patients in 2017 (2, 981 clinical decision unit [CDU] patients and 1,248 non-cohort patients) was studied.