Anesthesiology Commons^™

The Incidence Of Early Stage Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting Following The Use Of Nitrous Oxide And Prophylactic Antiemetic Therapy: Implications For Clinical Practice, James Sullivan

Doctoral Projects

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a volatile agent currently used during the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. Since it’s discovery in 1786 by Dr. Priestly, it is the oldest volatile agent to find continued use in current practice (Kossick, 2014). In conjunction with its extensive history is the debate regarding its emetic properties. Numerous studies have investigated the effect of nitrous oxide to produce postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) with varying and often conflicting results. Generally speaking, nitrous oxide is theoretically an emetic and is believed to be associated with PONV (Tramer, Moore, & McQuay, 1996). This has …

Cerebral Oximetry Readings In The Sitting Position Versus Supine Position For Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia, Christopher Turner

Doctoral Projects

Problem: Inadequate cerebral blood flow is a significant risk for patients undergoing surgery in the sitting position. Placing the patient in a sitting position may cause a drop in pressure at the level of the brain when compounded with induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. These changes may cause a decrease in cerebral blood flow and oxygenation. Inadequate perfusion for a prolonged period of time could produce negative neurological consequences in the short and long term postoperative period.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to determine if there is a significant drop in cerebral oximetry, from baseline, when patients …

Does The Use Of A Regional Nerve Block Decrease The Incidence Of Post Operative Nausea And Vomiting, Decrease Pain Scores, Or Decrease Discharge Time Compared To General Anesthesia Alone?, Donald Lane Whitney

Doctoral Projects

Problem Statement: The use of regional anesthesia in orthopedic surgeries has been shown to decrease the rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), postoperative pain, and decrease postoperative discharge time. However, some healthcare facilities continue to provide anesthesia for these procedures without the use of regional anesthesia techniques.

Purpose: The purpose of this capstone project was to determine if the addition of a regional anesthetic technique would be beneficial to the patient and cost efficient to the healthcare facility.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted and data collected on the population of interest. Inclusion criteria were patients undergoing orthopedic …

A Pilot Study Of Propofol As An Anti-Emetic In Laparoscopic, Gynecologic Surgery Patients, Flem-Flam Aaron Flemister

Doctoral Projects

The goal of this project was to use sub-hypnotic doses of propofol to decrease post operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) rates in the immediate post-operative period in females, ages 18-65, undergoing laparoscopic gynecologic surgery.

PONV is one of the largest complications of anesthesia affecting 20-30% of all surgical patients. Risk factors associated with PONV are female gender, laparoscopy, general anesthesia, opioids, volatile agents, and post-operative pain; all of which are frequently encountered. The incidence of PONV can prolong recovery time, delay discharge, increase patient cost, decrease patient satisfaction, and can cause significant medical complications. Propofol has previously demonstrated anti-emetic properties; …

Burn Injury Characteristics: Findings From Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance Study, Emaduddin Siddiqui, Nukhba Zia, Asher Feroze, Safia Awan, Arifa Liaquat Ali, Junaid Razzak, Adnan Hyder, Asad Latif

Department of Emergency Medicine

Background: Burn injury is an important yet under-researched area in Pakistan. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics and associated outcomes of burn injury patients presenting to major emergency departments in Pakistan.
Methods: Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance (Pak-NEDS) was a pilot active surveillance conducted between November 2010 and March 2011. Information related to patient demographics, mode of arrival, cause of burn injury, and outcomes was analyzed for this paper. Data were entered using Epi Info and analyzed using SPSS v.20. Ethical approval was obtained from all participating sites.
Results: There were 403 burn injury patients in …

Role Of Acute Pain Service In Optimizing Postoperative Pain Relief In A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Aliya Ahmed, Muhammad Yasir

Department of Anaesthesia

Objective: To assess the frequency and types of adjustments that acute pain service makes to postoperative analgesic regimes to improve pain relief or treat side effects.Methods: The prospective observational study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from December 1, 2012, to March 31, 2013. Data was collected from Acute Pain Service register four hours after the pain rounds by a Service member not involved in rounds. Data was collected on a standardised form and analysed using SPSS 19.Results: Of the 323 patients, 209(65%) were receiving epidural infusions and 114(35%) were receiving intravenous patient-controlled analgesia. Overall, 114(35%) required …

Game Theory And The Surgeon, Alan P. Marco

Anesthesiology Faculty Publications

How the controversial study of strategic decision-making plays out in our profession.

Track Extubation In Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease Open Heart Surgical Patients In Pakistan, Mohammad Irfan Akhtar

Department of Anaesthesia

No abstract provided.

Neuroimmune And Neuropathic Responses Of Spinal Cord And Dorsal Root Ganglia In Middle Age, William Galbavy, Martin Kaczocha, Michelino Puopolo, Mario Rebecchi

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Publications

Prior studies of aging and neuropathic injury have focused on senescent animals compared to young adults, while changes in middle age, particularly in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), have remained largely unexplored. 14 neuroimmune mRNA markers, previously associated with peripheral nerve injury, were measured in multiplex assays of lumbar spinal cord (LSC), and DRG from young and middle-aged (3, 17 month) naïve rats, or from rats subjected to chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve (after 7 days), or from aged-matched sham controls. Results showed that CD2, CD3e, CD68, CD45, TNF-α, IL6, CCL2, ATF3 and TGFβ1 mRNA levels were …

Phases Of Su(3) Gauge Theories With Fundamental Quarks Via Dirac Spectral Density, Andrei Alexandru, Ivan Horváth

Anesthesiology Faculty Publications

We propose that, in SU(3) gauge theories with fundamental quarks, confinement can be inferred from spectral density of the Dirac operator. This stems from the proposition that its possible behaviors are exhausted by three distinct types (Fig. 1). The monotonic cases are standard and entail confinement with valence chiral symmetry breaking (A) or the lack of both (C,C’). The bimodal (anomalous) option (B) was frequently regarded as an artifact (lattice or other) in previous studies, but we show for the first time that it persists in the continuum limit, and conclude that it informs of a nonconfining …

Turning Up The Heat On Malignant Hyperthermia, Katie Carroll

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Surgeries are common, everyday procedures within the walls of America’s hospitals. According to Orser, Mazer, and Baker (2008), more than forty million patients in North America are given anesthetics annually. One of the major complications of anesthesia is malignant hyperthermia: a hyper-metabolic state that affects skeletal muscles. If left uncontrolled, malignant hyperthermia can cause multiple reactions within the body leading to metabolic and respiratory acidosis, cardiac dysrhythmias, kidney failure, coagulopathy, neurologic injury, and ultimately death (Seifert, Wahr, Pace, Cochrane, & Bagnola 2014). The incidence of this condition is estimated to be 1:15,000 in children and 1:20,000-50,000 in adults (Redmond, 2001). …

Anesthesia For Deep Brain Stimulation In Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Hemidystonia., Jill M Jani, Chima O Oluigbo, Srijaya K Reddy

Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Publications

Deep brain stimulation in an awake patient presents several unique challenges to the anesthesiologist. It is important to understand the various stages of the procedure and the complexities of anesthetic management in order to have a successful surgical outcome and provide a safe environment for the patient.

Prophylactic Methylprednisolone To Reduce Inflammation And Improve Outcomes From One Lung Ventilation In Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial., Mary C. Theroux, Alicia Olivant Fisher, Maria E. Rodriguez, Robert P. Brislin, Kirk W. Reichard, Suken A. Shah, Matt Mccoy, Melinda Brown, Kirk W. Dabney, William G. Mackenzie, Douglas A. Katz, Thomas H. Shaffer

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: One lung ventilation (OLV) results in inflammatory and mechanical injury, leading to intraoperative and postoperative complications in children. No interventions have been studied in children to minimize such injury.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that a single 2-mg·kg(-1) dose of methylprednisolone given 45-60 min prior to lung collapse would minimize injury from OLV and improve physiological stability.

METHODS: Twenty-eight children scheduled to undergo OLV were randomly assigned to receive 2 mg·kg(-1) methylprednisolone (MP) or normal saline (placebo group) prior to OLV. Anesthetic management was standardized, and data were collected for physiological stability (bronchospasm, respiratory resistance, and compliance). Plasma was assayed for …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Haemodynamic Stability In Elderly Patients Undergoing Spinal Anaesthesia At L5, S1 Versus Spinal Anaesthesia At L3, 4 At A Tertiary African Hospital., Vitalis Mung’Ayi, Karen Mbaya, Sharif Thikra, Dorothy Kamya

Anaesthesiology, East Africa

Background: Spinal anaesthesia is a routinely used anaesthetic technique in elderly patients (> 60 years) undergoing operations involving the lower limbs, lower abdomen, pelvis and the perineum. Spinal anaesthesia has several advantages over general anaesthesia including stable haemodynamic variables, less blood loss, less post-operative pain, faster recovery time and less post-operative confusion. Despite these advantages, the sympathetic blockade induced by spinal anaesthesia can result in hypotension, bradycardia, dysrhythmias and cardiac arrests. Conventionally, spinal anaesthesia is performed at the level of L3,4 interspace; with a reported incidence of hypotension in the elderly ranging between 65% and 69%. A possible strategy for …

Successful Implementation Of A Packed Red Blood Cell And Fresh Frozen Plasma Transfusion Protocol In The Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Benjamin E. Szpila, Tezcan Ozrazgat-Baslanti, Jianyi Zhang, Jennifer Lanz, Ruth Davis, Annette Rebel, Erin Vanzant, Lori F. Gentile, Alex G. Cuenca, Darwin N. Ang, Huazhi Liu, Lawrence Lottenberg, Peggy Marker, Marc Zumberg, Azra Bihorac, Frederick A. Moore, Scott Brakenridge, Philip A. Efron

Anesthesiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Blood product transfusions are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine if implementation of a restrictive protocol for packed red blood cell (PRBC) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion safely reduces blood product utilization and costs in a surgical intensive care unit (SICU).

STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective, historical control analysis comparing before (PRE) and after (POST) implementation of a restrictive PRBC/FFP transfusion protocol for SICU patients. Univariate analysis was utilized to compare patient demographics and blood product transfusion totals between the PRE and POST cohorts. Multivariate logistic regression …

Certain General Anesthetics Used In Pediatrics Hinder Neurological Development In Infants, Michael R. Hirschi

Selected Honors Theses

General anesthetics act by either blocking N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors or over stimulating γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors.^1–3 The actions of these receptors are responsible for the anesthetized state and are also crucial in the neurological development of infants.^2,4–8 Animal studies, although limited, provide vital information about general anesthesia’s neurotoxicity its hindrance of neurological development. Exposure to general anesthesia can severely hinder proper neuronal migration, synaptogenesis, and can drastically increase neuronal apoptosis in infant animals.^9–16 General anesthetics are more neurotoxic to infant animals in combination compared to individually.^10,16,17 Additionally, multiple exposures to general anesthesia tend to have compounding …

Does The Addition Of Dexamethasone To Local Anesthetic Used For Peripheral Nerve Block Prolong Analgesia In The Surgical Patient?, Janice M. Oliveira

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

Pain after orthopedic surgery can be intense. Many anesthesia providers and orthopedic surgeons support the use of peripheral nerve blockade to assist in decreasing the amount of pain a patient may experience post operatively. Select medication adjuncts are being added to peripheral nerve blocks to prolong analgesia. The research presented here focuses on the addition of dexamethasone to peripheral nerve blocks to prolong analgesia. Dexamethasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid that acts as an anti-inflammatory. It has been shown to inhibit the release of inflammatory mediators such as, interleukins and cytokines, facilitating the release of anti-inflammatory mediators, decreasing postoperative pain. Recent …

Understanding And Treating Emergence Delirium, Peter Currie

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

This paper examines our current understanding of the phenomena of emergence delirium, which can occur following general anesthesia. Much research has been conducted to elucidate the causative factors of this condition, with findings ranging from anxiety to volatile agents and the neurodevelopment of the brain (Aono, Ueda, & Mamiya, 1997; Kain et al., 2004; McLott, Jurecic, Hemphill, & Dunn, 2013). While much of our understanding of emergence delirium has come from studying children, who are more prone to this condition, we can attempt to learn even more by examining the increased incidence of emergence delirium that occurs in those with …

Assessment Of The Preoperative Assessment: A Case Study, Steven James Birchenough

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

The geriatric population defined as individuals 65 years of age or older is expected to increase to 20% of the total population by the year 2020. This population currently makes up one-third of the surgical population and is projected to double by 2020. The perioperative risks for this population are also increased and pose significant increases in morbidity and mortality. The need for a detailed preoperative assessment is crucial in any surgical patient. It is increasingly imperative for the geriatric surgical patient as assessment is vital for the surgical team to make decisions regarding the projected necessity, plan and desired …

Minimal Opioid Anesthetic In Patient With History Of Substance Abuse: A Case Study, Sarah E. Varney

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

More than half of the population in the United States of America drinks alcohol regularly. Thousands of deaths annually are linked to drug overdoses, and that number continues to rise. Anesthesia professionals can expect to see patients in various levels of substance abuse and recovery during their practice. This case study is presented to discuss a minimal narcotic technique given in a patient with a history of prescription drug abuse, who had been substance free since successfully been through a recovery program years prior.

Detection And Treatment Of Hemorrhage In The Postoperative Patient, Vanessa M. Derosby

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

Hemorrhage is a devastating event that can occur in the perioperative period. It is estimated that 2.35 in 1000 patients will experience hemorrhage associate with surgery. Adverse outcomes affecting patient morbidity, mortality and quality of life are associated with hemorrhage. Timely detection, diagnosis and appropriate intervention in the setting of hemorrhage are imperative to reduce adverse outcomes of shock such as end organ damage, chronic disability or death. Anesthesia practitioners hold the charge of monitoring and managing the patient’s hemodynamic status and play an integral role in the detection and management of the hemorrhaging patient.

Anaesthetic Consideration In A Cannabis Addict, Karima Karam, Shemila Abbasi, Fauzia Anis Khan

Department of Anaesthesia

This case report describes the anaesthetic management of a patient addicted to Bhang(cannabis) for 20 years. Cannabis use has implication in the anaesthetic management of a patient because of its effects on the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, and central nervous system and its interaction with anaesthetic drugs.

Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia, Lisa Nieder

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

Opioids are a fundamental part in the treatment of pain especially within the perioperative setting. While opioids are routinely administered by nurse anesthetists for the treatment of pain, they can be associated with several undesirable side effects including opioid- induced hyperalgesia (OIH). OIH is a complex phenomenon that has a significant impact on the successful treatment of pain in a surgical setting. While there have been many advances in recent years into the topic of OIH, the mechanisms are complex and remain incompletely understood. OIH is believed to occur from changes in both the peripheral and central nervous systems that …

Buprenorphine And The Anesthesia Considerations: A Literature Review, Elizabeth E. Stern

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

Buprenorphine is a unique pharmaceutical in the management of chronic pain and opioid use disorder (OUD). Buprenorphine is a semisynthetic partial opioid agonist at the mu opioid receptor and an antagonist of the kappa opioid. Buprenorphine Maintenance Therapy (BMT) is utilized for the long-term treatment of patients with OUD. The attraction to this methadone alternative is increased safety profile, more convenient patient access to the drug, as well as increase of ease for the provider. The particular formula used in the US, Suboxone, has properties to discourage intravenous injection to prevent abuse and prevent negative secondary effects of intravascular injections …

Chiral Symmetry Breaking And Chiral Polarization: Tests For Finite Temperature And Many Flavors, Andrei Alexandru, Ivan Horváth

Anesthesiology Faculty Publications

It was recently conjectured that, in SU(3) gauge theories with fundamental quarks, valence spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking is equivalent to condensation of local dynamical chirality and appearance of chiral polarization scale Λ_ch. Here we consider more general association involving the low-energy layer of chirally polarized modes which, in addition to its width (Λ_ch), is also characterized by volume density of participating modes (Ω) and the volume density of total chirality (Ω_ch). Few possible forms of the correspondence are discussed, paying particular attention to singular cases where Ω emerges as the most versatile …

Temperature Management Guidelines, J. W. Hammon, L. Shore-Lesserson, T. A. Dickinson

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

The Society Of Thoracic Surgeons, The Society Of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, And The American Society Of Extracorporeal Technology: Clinical Practice Guidelines For Cardiopulmonary Bypass-Temperature Management During Cardiopulmonary Bypass, R. Engelman, R. A. Baker, D. S. Likosky, A. Grigore, T. A. Dickinson, L. Shore-Lesserson, J. W. Hammon

Journal Articles

To improve our understanding of the evidence-based literature supporting temperaturemanagement during adult cardiopulmonary bypass, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiology and the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology tasked the authors to conduct a review of the peer-reviewed literature, including 1) optimal site for temperature monitoring, 2) avoidance of hyperthermia, 3) peak cooling temperature gradient and cooling rate, and 4) peak warming temperature gradient and rewarming rate. Authors adopted the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association method for development clinical practice guidelines, and arrived at the following recommendation.

Effects Of Ondansetron 4 Milligrams Compared With Ondansetron 8 Milligrams On The Incidence Of Post-Operative Nausea And Vomiting In Patients With Body Mass Index Greater Than 30kg/M2 Undergoing Mastectomy, Diego Alejandro Arroyo

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) is a recurrent and frequent issue for the patient, the anesthesia team, and Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) team. Both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic recommended modalities have been utilized for both the prevention and treatment of PONV in the surgical-anesthesia setting. The 5-HT3-receptor antagonist ondansetron is one of the many known pharmacological modalities commonly utilized by anesthesia providers in preventing PONV.

Methodology: The design used for this research was a quantitative, retrospective case control study that evaluated existing data enclosed in the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) from Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC), which is …

Inhalation Anesthesia Vs. Total Intravenous Anesthesia For Ambulatory Dental Surgery In Children, Kristin D. Neal

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare inhalation anesthesia with sevoflurane versus Total Intra Venous Anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol infusion as it relates to the quality of recovery including postoperative pain, Post Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV), and Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Length Of Stay (LOS) in pediatric patients undergoing ambulatory dental surgery. Introduction: Pediatric dental procedures are increasingly performed in an outpatient setting under general anesthesia due to inadequate cooperation, circumstantial anxiety, and other behavioral and health issues. Commonly used inhalation anesthetics, such as sevoflurane, can induce hyperalgesia in children. While sevoflurane increases the risk PONV, …

Remote Video Auditing With Real-Time Feedback In An Academic Surgical Suite Improves Safety And Efficiency Metrics: A Cluster Randomised Study, F. J. Overdyk, O. Dowling, S. Newman, D. Glatt, M. Chester, D. Armellino, B. Cole, G. S. Landis, D. Schoenfeld, J. F. Dicapua

Journal Articles

IMPORTANCE: Compliance with the surgical safety checklist during operative procedures has been shown to reduce inhospital mortality and complications but proper execution by the surgical team remains elusive. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the impact of remote video auditing with real-time provider feedback on checklist compliance during sign-in, time-out and sign-out and case turnover times. DESIGN, SETTING: Prospective, cluster randomised study in a 23-operating room (OR) suite. PARTICIPANTS: Surgeons, anaesthesia providers, nurses and support staff. EXPOSURE: ORs were randomised to receive, or not receive, real-time feedback on safety checklist compliance and efficiency metrics via display boards and text messages, followed by a …