Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Anesthesiology for April 2017. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Meeting Organizers Overlooking Qualified Female Scientists
FRIDAY, April 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Invited speakers at medical conferences tend to be disproportionately male, a disparity that can be addressed by actively preparing lists of potential speakers, according to a study published online April 18 in Nature Immunology.
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AMA Urges Doctors to Talk About Safe Opioid Storage, Disposal
FRIDAY, April 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians should take three essential steps to reduce the amount of unwanted, unused, and expired medications in an effort to avoid non-medical uses of the drugs, according to a new recommendation from the American Medical Association (AMA) Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse.
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Risk Factors in Six Areas Tied to Physician Burnout
THURSDAY, April 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Physician burnout factors include control, whether there is time to deliver excellent care, and whether the workplace is fair, according to a presentation at the Medical Group Management Association/American Medical Association 2017 Collaborate in Practice Conference, held April 9 to 11 in Chicago.
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Single-Payer Health System Bill Moves Forward in California
THURSDAY, April 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A proposal to replace private insurance with government-funded health care for all moved forward in California on Wednesday as Democrats on the Senate Health Committee voted to advance the measure.
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CDC: Opioid-Related Mortality Rate Might Be Underestimated
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The prescription drug abuse epidemic in the United States might be associated with a higher mortality rate than has been reported previously, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented April 24 at the Epidemic Intelligence Service conference in Atlanta.
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Illicit Marijuana Use Up in States With Legal Medical Use
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Illicit cannabis use increased significantly more in states that passed medical marijuana laws than in other states, according to a study published online April 26 in JAMA Psychiatry.
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Post-Op hsTnT Linked to 30-Day Mortality After Noncardiac Sx
TUESDAY, April 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Peak postoperative high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) is associated with increased risk of 30-day mortality among patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, according to a study published online April 25 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Cherokee Nation Sues Retailers, Distributors Over Opioid Crisis
MONDAY, April 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A lawsuit has been filed by an Indian nation against six of the top drug distributors and pharmacies in the United States for harm done by prescription pain medications.
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ERs Administering More Medications Intranasally
MONDAY, April 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A growing number of U.S. emergency departments are giving patients medication through the nose instead of via injections or intravenously, according to a study published recently in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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FDA Warns Against Children Taking Codeine, Tramadol
FRIDAY, April 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Children should not be given any medications containing codeine or tramadol due to risk of life-threatening breathing difficulties, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Thursday.
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Electronic Drug Administration Record App Cuts Errors
THURSDAY, April 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Use of an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) application can reduce the rate of medication errors in medication administration recording (ME-MAR), according to a study published online April 18 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
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Iliac Artery Balloon Catheter Little Benefit in Placenta Accreta
WEDNESDAY, April 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Prophylactic placement of internal iliac artery balloon catheters does not impact outcomes for women with placenta accreta, according to a study published online April 12 in Anaesthesia.
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Hypnosis Doesn't Improve Post-Op Anxiety, Pain in Children
TUESDAY, April 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A short hypnosis session performed in the operating room prior to major surgery does not improve postoperative anxiety and pain levels among pediatric patients, according to a study published online April 12 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
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Doctors Need to Be Mindful of What They Post on Social Media
MONDAY, April 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Young doctors often have unprofessional or offensive content on their Facebook profiles, according to a study published online April 9 in BJU International.
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One in Five Post-Op Patients Need Unscheduled Help
MONDAY, April 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A sizable minority of patients need to make contact with health services after outpatient surgery, most often due to inadequate pain management, according to a study published online April 10 in Anesthesiology.
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Web-Based Platform Better for Delivering Pre-Op Information
FRIDAY, April 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Attaining preoperative information from an interactive web-based platform is better than conventional brochure material for children aged 3 to 12 years and their parents, according to a research report published online April 10 in Pediatric Anesthesia.
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Surgery Often the Starting Point for Opioid Addiction
THURSDAY, April 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Certain surgery patients prescribed opioids for postoperative pain relief may face a higher risk for developing a persistent opioid addiction, according to research published online April 12 in JAMA Surgery.
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Expectations, Concerns Vary With Age for Adults at Pain Clinic
WEDNESDAY, April 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patient expectations and concerns vary by age among adults attending a chronic pain clinic, according to a study published online March 30 in Pain Practice.
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Integrated E-Prescribing Can Cut Prescribing, Dispensing Errors
MONDAY, April 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An integrated electronic medication prescribing (e-prescribing) and dispensing system can reduce prescribing and dispensing errors, according to a study published online March 30 in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research.
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Music Therapy Relieves Post-Op Pain in Spinal Surgery Patients
MONDAY, April 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Music therapy interventions can favorably affect pain perceptions in patients recovering from spine surgery, according to a study published recently in the American Journal of Orthopedics.
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MACRA Changes Government Approach to Doctor Payment
FRIDAY, April 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) has made fundamental changes to the government's approach to physician payment, according to a March 27 policy brief published in Health Affairs.
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Risk Adjustment, Reinsurance Transfer Offer Financial Benefit
THURSDAY, April 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Risk adjustment and reinsurance transfer programs seem to have been effective for increasing revenues at the expense of claims costs, according to research published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
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Red Cell Distribution Width Predicts Surgical Complications
WEDNESDAY, April 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for sleep-disordered breathing, preoperative elevated red cell distribution width is associated with an increased risk of respiratory adverse events, according to research published online March 27 in Pediatric Anesthesia.
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Use of Health Literacy Tools Can Promote Shared Decision Making
MONDAY, April 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Use of health literacy tools is encouraged for facilitating shared decision making (SDM), according to an article published in the March issue of the AMA Journal of Ethics.
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