Perioperative Medicine

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Perioperative medicine delivers patient-centred, multidisciplinary, integrated care for patients from the contemplation of surgery throughout the surgical pathway to recovery. High-quality perioperative care reduces complications, improves outcomes, and leads to improved patient satisfaction and reduced healthcare costs. This article is based on key findings and recommendations from the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) national report on perioperative medicine and outlines key concepts of perioperative medicine; exploring how practice can be transformed to improve care...

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the risk factors of perioperative drug hypersensitivity reaction (DHR) and develop a predictive score for use in clinical practice. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in patients who underwent anesthesia at a tertiary hospital in Thailand, between 2015-2018. DHR cases were graded clinically from 1 to 4 according to the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists by two anesthesiologists. Controls were randomly matched with cases (ratio 2:1) by age group and month and type of surgery...

Nearly all patients receiving treatment in a peri-operative or intensive care setting receive supplemental oxygen therapy. It is biologically plausible that the dose of oxygen used might affect important patient outcomes. Most peri-operative research has focussed on oxygen regimens that target higher than normal blood oxygen levels. Whereas, intensive care research has mostly focussed on conservative oxygen regimens which assiduously avoid exposure to higher than normal blood oxygen levels. While such conservative oxygen therapy is preferred for spontaneously breathing patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the optimal oxygen regimen in other patient groups is not clear...

BACKGROUND: Blood loss is a major concern in the frail elderly patient undergoing hip fracture surgery. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of tranexamic acid in reducing blood loss and allogenic blood transfusions. The study also investigated the safety profile by comparing rates of thromboembolic events. METHODS: A total of 613 patients with hip fractures were included in the study. Patients received 1g of tranexamic acid on induction of anaesthesia...

Predicting outcomes for surgical patients accurately can be challenging preoperatively. Fortunately, there is an array of evidence-based scoring systems which can guide perioperative decision making and discussions of risk with patients.

BACKGROUND: While patient blood management (PBM) principles are not specific to cancer patients, their application contains the pathophysiological premises that could also benefit this patient population. In this study, we assessed the effects of implementing a PBM bundle for cancer patients in the postoperative period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Azienda USL-IRCCS of Reggio Emilia implemented a two-step PBM bundle for the postoperative period of cancer patients hospitalised in the semi-intensive post-surgery (SIPO) ward...

INTRODUCTION: This clinical trial is designed to evaluate the effect of multiple-dose tranexamic acid (TXA) on perioperative blood loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A randomised, single-blinded, parallel-controlled study will be designed. Patients with RA (age 50-75 years) undergoing unilateral primary end-stage total knee arthroplasty will be randomly divided into group A or group B. Group A will be treated with one dose of TXA (1 g; intravenous injection 3 hours postsurgery) and group B with three doses (1 g; intravenous injection at 3, 6 and 12 hours postsurgery) after surgery...

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BACKGROUND: Perioperative medicine continues to evolve as new literature emerges. This article provides an update on prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in surgical patients. METHODS: We reviewed articles on VTE prevention in surgical patients published in peer-reviewed journals since the publication of 2012 ACCP guidelines on VTE prevention in surgical patients. RESULTS: Methods of VTE prophylaxis include aggressive ambulation, mechanical prophylaxis, and pharmacological prophylaxis...

BACKGROUND: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery...

BACKGROUND: Iron-deficiency anemia is a common perioperative condition and increases perioperative morbidity and mortality. Timely diagnosis and treatment are important. This retrospective cohort study tested the hypothesis that a newly developed preprocedure evaluation protocol diagnoses more patients with iron-deficiency anemia than the traditional practice of obtaining a complete blood count followed by iron studies. METHODS: The preprocedure anemia evaluation is an order for a complete blood count and reflex anemia testing, which can be completed with a single patient visit...

'Enhanced recovery after surgery' protocols implement a series of peri-operative interventions intended to improve recovery after major operations, one aspect of which is fluid management. The pre-operative goal is to prepare a hydrated, euvolaemic patient by avoiding routine mechanical bowel preparation and by encouraging patients to drink clear liquids up to two hours before induction of anaesthesia. The intra-operative goal is to achieve a 'zero' fluid balance at the end of uncomplicated surgery: goal-directed fluid therapy is recommended for poorly prepared or sick patients or those undergoing more complex surgery...

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The older population is expected to nearly double across the globe by 2050, and the baby boom cohort is expected to represent at least 20% of the US population by 2030. Geriatric patients will increasingly utilize the health-care system, and therefore surgical and perioperative care must be tailored to this sensitive group given the increased risk for perioperative complications. The literature was reviewed to highlight fundamental components of the preoperative evaluation as well as cardiac, pulmonary, and renal complications...

Several common practices and widely accepted principles implemented in dermatologic surgery are based on perpetuated beliefs not supported by evidence-based medicine. After evaluating the validity of misconceptions in dermatologic surgery, updated recommendations include restriction of antibiotic prophylaxis to patient-specific risk factors, continuation of anticoagulant therapy perioperatively, safe use of epinephrine for digital anesthesia, clean technique as an efficacious substitute for sterile, topical emollients and petroleum instead of antimicrobials to prevent surgical site infection, alternatives to elliptical excisions for decreasing scar length, wound eversion for areas of greater cosmetic concern, and cessation of systemic retinoids as an unnecessary prerequisite for most cutaneous procedures...

The systemic stress response triggered by surgical trauma is characterised by sterile inflammation preceding metabolic and neuroendocrine dysregulation. However, the relevance of the classically described 'stress response' is now highly questionable in an era where profound physiological deconditioning is common in older, frail surgical patients. Commonly used assessment techniques do not accurately reflect hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis integrity after major surgery. Clinical interpretation of plasma concentrations of cortisol, the prototypical stress hormone, is rarely accurate, because of study heterogeneity, the inherently dynamic characteristics of cortisol production, and assay variability...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients with cirrhosis are at increased risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality. We provide a narrative review of the available data regarding perioperative morbidity and mortality, risk assessment, and management of patients with cirrhosis undergoing non-hepatic surgical procedures. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature from 1998-2018 and identified 87 studies reporting perioperative outcomes in patients with cirrhosis...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.