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Background Intraoperative supplemental oxygen may reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting by mitigating hypoxic stress on the gastrointestinal tract. The authors therefore tested the hypothesis that supplemental oxygen reduces nausea and vomiting in adults recovering from colorectal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic between January 28, 2013, and March 11, 2016. Methods Initially, the authors conducted an unplanned subanalysis of a previous trial that evaluated the effect of 80% versus 30% intraoperative inspired oxygen on surgical site infection. Specifically, they assessed the effect of 80% versus 30% oxygen concentration on the incidence of postoperative nausea and/or vomiting. Thereafter, the authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of supplemental oxygen on postoperative nausea and vomiting. Results The authors’ underlying analysis included 5,057 colorectal surgeries on 4,001 patients. For 2,554 surgeries, assignment was to 80% oxygen, and in 2,503 surgeries, to 30%. Postoperative nausea and vomiting was 852 of 2,554 (33%) in 80% oxygen and 814 of 2,503 (33%) in 30% oxygen. The estimated relative risk (95% CI) of 80% versus 30% oxygen on postoperative nausea and vomiting was 1.04 (0.96 to 1.12) in a generalized estimating equation model adjusting for within-patient correlation for patients with multiple surgeries, P = 0.355. Furthermore, supplemental oxygen did not reduce antiemetic use (P = 0.911) or the severity of nausea and vomiting (P = 0.924). The authors’ meta-analysis included 10 qualifying trials (6,749 patients) and did not find a difference in postoperative nausea and vomiting: relative risk, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.86 to 1.08], P = 0.55, I2 = 52%. Conclusions The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting did not differ in patients assigned to 80% or 30% inspired oxygen. A meta-analysis of available trials similarly indicated that supplemental intraoperative oxygen does not reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting. Therefore, supplemental oxygen should not be given in the expectation that it will reduce nausea and vomiting. Editor’s Perspective What We Already Know about This Topic What This Article Tells Us That Is New

Chest pain is relatively common postoperatively. Myocardial infarction (MI) is one cause of chest pain after surgery, but chest pain also results from less severe conditions. Because of its potential severity, chest pain usually prompts the activation of Rapid Response Systems (RRS). While chest pain is a cardinal symptom of myocardial ischemia in the non-surgical setting, the significance and relevance of chest pain after noncardiac surgery remains unclear.We conducted a retrospective analysis of noncardiac surgical inpatients for whom postoperative chest pain triggered our multidisciplinary RRS.Surgical wards at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.Postsurgical patients after noncardiac surgery in whom the RSS system was activated for chest pain.RRS specified interventions like ECG readings, troponin measurements, transfer to ICU.Our primary outcome was MI. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of patients who had an ECG performed, troponin measurements, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).5850 surgical patients experienced postoperative chest pain and triggered an RRS activation between 2009 and 2019. A total of 3110 patients had troponin T measured within 6 h after RRS activation, and 538 of them (17%) had elevated troponin, meeting the Fourth Universal Definition criteria for MI. Additionally, 2 patients had ST-segment elevation infarction (STEMI) without troponin measurement. Among the 540 patients with MI, only 19 (3.5%) were diagnosed with a STEMI by ECG, 388 (72%) had echocardiography, 43 patients (8%) had cardiac catheterization, 8 patients (1.5%) required emergent cardiac surgery, and 424 (79%) were admitted to an ICU.Chest pain is a serious clinical sign, often indicating a postoperative myocardial infarction, and therefore should be taken seriously. Troponin screening should be routinely considered in postsurgical patients who report chest pain.

To measure the possible association between subhypnotic propofol infusion during general balanced anesthesia and the incidence of PONV.Retrospective Cohort Analysis Using Propensity Score Matching.Postanesthesia care unit and inpatient unit.Patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-IV, undergoing non-cardiac surgery lasting2 h were included. Patients were excluded if transferred to the intensive care unit after surgery or received ketamine. Initially 70,976 patients were screened, and a cohort of 51,707 eligible adult patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery under general balanced anesthesia between 2015 and 2019 were included. Using a propensity score matching, 3185 patients who received subhypnotic propofol during general balanced anesthesia were matched with 5826 patients who did not receive subhypnotic propofol in a 1:2 ratio.None.The primary outcome was the incidence of PONV during PACU stay. The secondary outcome was the incidence of PONV within the first 24 h after surgery. Exploratory outcomes were time-to-extubation and length of hospital stay.A total of 9011 patients were included (3185 patients who received propofol infusion, and 5826 patients who did not receive propofol infusion) after propensity score matching. The adjusted odds ratio for PONV incidence was 1.03 (95% CI: 0.90, 1.18; p = 0.635) in PACU, and 1.05 (95% CI: 0.90, 1.23; P = 0.50) within 24 h after surgery. The length of hospital stay was 6 h shorter (ratio of means (95% CI) of 0.92, 0.89, 0.94), p 0.001) and time-to-extubation was 2 min longer (ratio of means 1.24 (1.20, 1.28), p 0.001) in patients receiving subhypnotic propofol infusion.Our study suggests that subhypnotic propofol infusion during general balanced anesthesia is not associated with a reduction in the incidence of PONV during PACU stay and within the first 24 h after surgery. However, it is associated with decreased LOS and increased time-to-extubation, but differences in neither outcome were clinically important.

To describe the prevalence of various circadian blood pressure patterns in adults recovering from abdominal surgery, and to evaluate the association between loss of normal circadian variation in blood pressure and hypotension during the initial 2 postoperative days.A post-hoc analysis of data obtained from two randomized trials.Operating rooms of the Cleveland Clinic.Adults having abdominal surgery from 2015 to 2019 with at least one overnight stay. Participants were continuously monitored by wearable vital signs monitors starting in the post-anesthesia care unit and for the first 48 postoperative hours.None. The exposure of interest was the degree of nocturnal decrease in blood pressure - normal nocturnal decrease in blood pressure ("normal dipping", more than 10% decrease compared to day-time), no nocturnal decrease ("non-dipping", less than 10% nocturnal decrease), or nocturnal increase in blood pressure ("rising").Postoperative hypotension, defined by the time weighted average (TWA) area under a mean arterial pressure (MAP) threshold of 70 mmHg.In total, 590 patients were eligible for analysis (mean(SD) age 50(15) years, 56% females, median [IQR] surgery duration 4.0 [2.7, 5.8] hours). Median TWA area under a MAP threshold of 70 mmHg was 0.96 (95%CI 0.59, 1.33) mmHg*minute per monitoring hour lower in patients with either no nocturnal blood pressure decrease (N = 317, 54%), or an increase in nocturnal blood pressure (N = 211, 36%), than in the reference group of patients with normal nocturnal decrease (N = 62, 11%), P 0.001 for both.Abnormal diurnal blood pressure patterns are common in adults during the initial 2 days after abdominal surgery. Lack of normal night-time decrease in blood pressure is associated with less postoperative hypotension. Future studies should evaluate whether abnormal postoperative diurnal blood pressure patterns are associated with worse outcomes.