Timing of elective surgery and risk assessment after SARS-CoV-2 infection

“Patients who develop symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection within 7 weeks of planned surgery, including on the day of surgery, should be screened for SARS-CoV-2. Elective surgery should not usually be undertaken within 2 weeks of diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. For patients who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection and who are low risk or having low-risk surgery, most elective surgery can proceed 2 weeks following a SARS-CoV-2 positive test. For patients who are not low risk or having anything other than low-risk surgery between 2 and 7 weeks following infection, an individual risk assessment must be performed. This should consider: patient factors (age; comorbid and functional status); infection factors (severity; ongoing symptoms; vaccination); and surgical factors (clinical priority; risk of disease progression; grade of surgery).”

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Perioperative considerations for patients with epilepsy

“Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological disorder, with a prevalence of 0.5–1% of the population. Anaesthetists are frequently faced with patients with epilepsy undergoing
emergency or elective surgery and patients suffering seizures and status epilepticus in the intensive care unit (ICU).”

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Enhanced Recovery and Perioperative Quality Initiative on Nutrition Screening and Therapy Within a Surgical Enhanced Recovery Pathway

“Perioperative malnutrition has proven to be challenging to define, diagnose, and treat. Despite these challenges, it is well known that sub-optimal nutritional status is a strong independent predictor of poor postoperative outcomes.”

“Malnourished surgical patients have significantly higher postoperative mortality, morbidity, length of stay (LOS), readmission rates, and increased hospital costs.It is estimated that 24%–65% of patients undergoing surgery are at nutrition risk. Additionally, recent prospective observational data indicate that undernourished patients or patients at risk of malnutrition are twice as likely to be readmitted within 30 days after elective colorectal surgery.”

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Periprocedural bridging anticoagulation

Rechenmacher SJ, Fang JC. Bridging Anticoagulation: Primum Non Nocere. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015 Sep 22;66(12):1392-403.

Full-text for Emory users.

Conclusions: Periprocedural anticoagulation management is a common clinical dilemma with limited evidence (but 1 notable randomized trial) to guide our practices. Although bridging anticoagulation may be necessary for those patients at highest risk for TE, for most patients it produces excessive bleeding, longer length of hospital stay, and other significant morbidities, while providing no clear prevention of TE. Unfortunately, contemporary clinical practice, as noted in physician surveys, continues to favor interruption of OAC and the use of bridging anticoagulation. While awaiting the results of additional randomized trials, physicians should carefully reconsider the practice of routine bridging and whether periprocedural anticoagulation interruption is even necessary.

Central Illustration. Bridging Anticoagulation: Algorithms for Periprocedural Interrupting and Bridging Anticoagulation. Decision trees for periprocedural interruption of chronic oral anticoagulation (top) and for periprocedural bridging anticoagulation (bottom). OAC = oral anticoagulation.

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Sugammadex and anaphylaxis

“Anaphylaxis is described as a severe, life‑threatening, generalized or systemic hypersensitivity reaction. It occurs rarely during surgery and anesthesia but neuromuscular blocking agents, non‑steroidal anti‑inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and antibiotics are considered common causes of anaphylaxis”

“Sugammadex is a synthetic modified gamma‑cyclodextrin derivative first designed to selectively bind to the steroidal neuromuscular blocking agent molecule to provide rapid recovery of neuromuscular function. Sugammadex is extensively used for reversing the effects of rocuronium and to a lesser extent, vecuronium.”

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Identification and Management of Perioperative Anaphylaxis

The most commonly involved agents in perioperative anaphylaxis are NMBAs, antibiotics, antiseptics, latex, and dyes However, any medication or substance the patient comes into contact with perioperatively can be a potential cause. The primary risk factor is a previous perioperative anaphylaxis or allergy to the medications or substances used in the procedure.

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Intraoperative cholangiography during laparoscopiccholecystectomy:

“Based on the study results, the 2016 WSES risk classes for choledocholithiasis could be an effective approach for predicting the risk of choledocholithiasis. Considering its advantages for detecting CBD stones and biliary injuries, the routine use of IOC is still suggested.” (Lai)

(Lai)
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