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We report 3 different cases in which ultrasound-guided percutaneous cryoneurolysis was performed to treat acute pain: 1 patient with refractory incisional pain after percutaneous nephrolithotomy; 1 patient with burns to the foot; and 1 patient with pain from iliac crest grafting. Acute pain associated with surgery or injury is a challenge to treat with local anesthetic-based regional anesthesia techniques when the anticipated pain duration exceeds a few days. Cryoneurolysis is an alternative analgesic method that utilizes extremely cold temperatures to reversibly ablate peripheral nerves and is potentially a novel method for acute pain management.

The objective of this study was to characterize workload during all hours of the day in the non-operating room anesthesia (NORA) environment and identify what type of patients and procedures were more likely to occur during after-hours. By investigating data from the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry, we characterized the total number of ongoing NORA cases per hour of the day (0 – 23 h). Results were presented as the mean hour and standard error (SE). Multivariable logistic regression was applied to assess the association of various patient, procedural, and facility characteristics with time of day (after-hours = 17:01–06:59 local time versus day-time). Included in this analysis, there were a total of 4,948,634 cases performed on non-holiday weekdays. The mean hour for ongoing cases for gastroenterology, cardiac, radiology and “other” were: 10.8 with standard error (SE) of 0.002, 11.5 (SE of 0.005), 11.2 (SE of 0.005), and 10.8 (SE of 0.002), respectively. Pairwise differences between means for each NORA specialty were all statistically significant (p

There is sparse evidence on the benefit of neuraxial (NA) vs general anesthesia (GA) as the primary anesthetic in postoperative outcomes following bilateral total knee arthroplasty. We sought to elucidate differences in outcomes in this surgical population using a national database.We used data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program from 2007 to 2013 and compared rates of various postoperative outcomes in propensity-matched cohorts (NA vs GA).After exclusion, there were 1957 patients included in the final analysis, of which 26% received NA as the primary anesthetic. Propensity-matched cohorts were generated to ensure no differences in various comorbidities (including bleeding disorders or inadequate cessation of anticoagulation therapy), case duration, and patient demographics between both cohorts. Among the matched cohorts, there were no differences in preoperative platelet count, hematocrit, or international normalized ratio. NA was associated with decreased blood transfusion requirement and decreased total number of units of blood products transfused (P.0001 for both outcomes). However, there were no differences in other outcomes, including hospital length of stay, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, or urinary tract infections.Our study demonstrates that in matched cohorts, NA is associated with decreased blood transfusion requirements in patients undergoing bilateral total knee arthroplasty when compared to GA as the primary anesthetic.

Cryoneurolysis entails using low temperatures to reversibly ablate nerves, with a subsequent analgesia duration measured in weeks or months. Previously, clinical applications for acute pain were limited because treatment originally required exposing the target nerve surgically. However, three developments have now made it possible to provide prolonged postoperative analgesia by cryoneurolysis: 1) new portable, hand-held cryoneurolysis devices, 2) ultrasound machine proliferation, and, 3) anesthesiologists trained in ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block administration. This report is the first to describe the use of a single preoperative administration of ultrasound-guided percutaneous cryoneurolysis to provide multiple weeks of analgesia following shoulder rotator cuff repair and total knee arthroplasty. Considering the significant benefits of cryoanalgesia relative to continuous peripheral nerve blocks (e.g., lack of catheter/pump care, extremely long duration), this analgesic modality may be a practical alternative for the treatment of prolonged post-surgical pain in a select group of surgical patients.

Although previous publications suggest an increasing demand and volume of nonoperating room anesthesia (NORA) cases in the United States, there is little factual information on either volume or characteristics of NORA cases at a national level. Our goal was to assess the available data using the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry (NACOR). We performed a retrospective analysis of NORA volume and case characteristics using NACOR data for the period 2010-2014. Operating room (OR) and NORA cases were assessed for patient, provider, procedural, and facility characteristics. NACOR may indicate general trends, since it collects data on about 25% of all anesthetics in the United States each year. We examined trends in the annual proportion of NORA cases, the annual mean age of patients, the annual proportions of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA PS) III-V patients, and outpatient cases. Regression analyses for trends included facility type and urban/rural location as covariables. The most frequently reported procedures were identified. The proportion of NORA cases overall increased from 28.3% in 2010 to 35.9% in 2014 (P < .001). The mean age of NORA patients was 3.5 years higher compared with OR patients (95% CI 3.5-3.5, P < .001). The proportion of patients with ASA PS class III-V was higher in the NORA group compared with OR group, 37.6% and 33.0%, respectively (P < .001). The median (quartile 1, 3) duration of NORA cases was 40 (25, 70) minutes compared with 86 (52, 141) minutes for OR cases (P < .001). In comparison to OR cases, more NORA cases were started after normal working hours (9.9% vs 16.7%, P < .001). Colonoscopy was the most common procedure that required NORA. There was a significant upward trend in the mean age of NORA patients in the multivariable analysis-the estimated increase in mean age was 1.06 years of age per year of study period (slope 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.07, P < .001). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that the mean age of NORA patients increased significantly faster compared with OR patients (difference in slopes 0.39; 95% CI 0.38-0.41, P < .001). The annual increase in ordinal ASA PS of NORA patients was small in magnitude, but statistically significant (odds ratio 1.03; 95% CI 1.03-1.03, P < .001). The proportion of outpatient NORA cases increased from 69.7% in 2010 to 73.3% in 2014 (P < .001). Our results demonstrate that NORA is a growing component of anesthesiology practice. The proportion of cases performed outside of the OR increased during the study period. In addition, we identified an upward trend in the age of patients receiving NORA care. NORA cases were different from OR cases in a number of aspects. Data collected by NACOR in the coming years will further characterize the trends identified in this study.

Author(s): Ilfeld, Brian M; Gabriel, Rodney A; Saulino, Michael F; Chae, John; Peckham, P Hunter; Grant, Stuart A; Gilmore, Christopher A; Donohue, Michael C; deBock, Matthew G; Wongsarnpigoon, Amorn; Boggs, Joseph W | Abstract: BackgroundPercutaneous neurostimulation of the peripheral nervous system involves the insertion of a wire "lead" through an introducing needle to target a nerve/plexus or a motor point within a muscle. Electrical current may then be passed from an external generator through the skin via the lead for various therapeutic goals, including providing analgesia. With extended use of percutaneous leads sometimes greater than a month, infection is a concern. It was hypothesized that the infection rate of leads with a coiled design is lower than for leads with a noncoiled cylindrical design.MethodsThe literature was retrospectively reviewed for clinical studies of percutaneous neurostimulation of the peripheral nervous system of greater than 2 days that included explicit information on adverse events. The primary endpoint was the number of infections per 1,000 indwelling days.ResultsForty-three studies were identified that met inclusion criteria involving coiled (n = 21) and noncoiled (n = 25) leads (3 studies involved both). The risk of infection with noncoiled leads was estimated to be 25 times greater than with coiled leads (95% confidence interval [CI] 2 to 407, P = 0.006). The infection rates were estimated to be 0.03 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.13) infections per 1,000 indwelling days for coiled leads and 0.83 (95% CI 0.16 to 4.33) infections per 1,000 indwelling days for noncoiled leads (P = 0.006).ConclusionsPercutaneous leads used for neurostimulation of the peripheral nervous system have a much lower risk of infection with a coiled design compared with noncoiled leads: approximately 1 infection for every 30,000 vs. 1,200 indwelling days, respectively.

Perioperative risk factors and the clinical impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) and failure after lung transplantation are not well described. The incidences of AKI and acute renal failure (ARF), potential perioperative contributors to their development, and postdischarge healthcare needs were evaluated.Retrospective.University hospital.Patients undergoing lung transplantation between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2015.The incidences of AKI and ARF, as defined using the Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-Stage Renal Disease criteria, were measured. Perioperative events were analyzed to identify risk factors for renal compromise. A comparison of ventilator days, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital lengths of stay (LOS), 1-year readmissions, and emergency department visits was performed among AKI, ARF, and uninjured patients.Ninety-seven patients underwent lung transplantation; 22 patients developed AKI and 35 patients developed ARF. Patients with ARF had significantly longer ICU LOS (12 days v 4 days, p0.001); ventilator days (4.5 days v 1 day, p0.001); and hospital LOS (22.5 days v 14 days, p0.001) compared with uninjured patients. Patients with AKI also had significantly longer ICU and hospital LOS. Patients with ARF had significantly more emergency department visits and hospital readmissions (2 v 1 readmissions, p = 0.002) compared with uninjured patients. A univariable analysis suggested that prolonged surgical time, intraoperative vasopressor use, and cardiopulmonary bypass use were associated with the highest increased risk for AKI. Intraoperative vasopressor use and cardiopulmonary bypass mean arterial pressure60 mmHg were identified as independent risk factors by multivariable analysis for AKI.The severity of AKI was associated with an increase in the use of healthcare resources after surgery and discharge. Certain risk factors appeared modifiable and may reduce the incidence of AKI and ARF.

On time start of the first case of the day is an important operating room (OR) efficiency metric, in which delays can have effects throughout the day. Although previous studies have identified various causes of first case start delays, none have attempted to evaluate the effect anesthesia staffing ratios have on first case start times. We performed a single-center retrospective analysis at an academic teaching hospital. Data was collected and analyzed over a period of 4 years and on more than 8,700 cases. We examined whether staffing ratios of attending only (solo staffing ratio), attending working with 1 resident/certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) (1 to 1), or attending covering 2 residents/CRNAs (1 to 2) had a significant effect on first patient in room time (FPIR) and first case on time start (FCOTS). In addition, we examined whether staffing ratios had an effect on start times in various surgical subspecialties. We performed a univariate logistic regression analysis to determine if age, anesthesia base units, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA PS) classification score, and staffing ratio was associated with FPIR and FCOTS being on time. Then, we performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine if staffing ratio was associated with these outcomes, utilizing age, anesthesia base units, and ASA PS class as covariates. A decreased odds for FPIR being on time were seen in general and orthopedic surgeries when staffed 1 to 1, and cardiac surgery when staffed 1 to 2, when compared to solo staffing. FCOTS showed statistically significant differences when looking at all services with solo staffing having the highest odds for FCOTS being on time. This effect was seen also when analyzing only oncologic and orthopedic surgeries. Hospitals should consider using different staffing ratios in different surgical specialties to minimize delays and maximize OR efficiency.

Object Resection of cavernous malformations (CMs) located in functionally eloquent areas of the supratentorial compartment is controversial. Hemorrhage from untreated lesions can result in devastating neurological injury, but surgery has potentially serious risks. We hypothesized that an organized system of approaches can guide operative planning and lead to acceptable neurological outcomes in surgical patients. Methods The authors reviewed the presentation, surgery, and outcomes of 79 consecutive patients who underwent microresection of supratentorial CMs in eloquent and deep brain regions (basal ganglia [in 27 patients], sensorimotor cortex [in 23], language cortex [in 3], thalamus [in 6], visual cortex [in 10], and corpus callosum [in 10]). A total of 13 different microsurgical approaches were organized into 4 groups: superficial, lateral transsylvian, medial interhemispheric, and posterior approaches. Results The majority of patients (93.7%) were symptomatic. Hemorrhage with resulting focal neurological deficit was the most common presentation in 53 patients (67%). Complete resection, as determined by postoperative MR imaging, was achieved in 76 patients (96.2%). Overall, the functional neurological status of patients improved after microsurgical dissection at the time of discharge from the hospital and at follow-up. At 6 months, 64 patients (81.0%) were improved relative to their preoperative condition and 14 patients (17.7%) were unchanged. Good outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score ≤ 2, living independently) were achieved in 77 patients (97.4%). Multivariate analysis of demographic and surgical factors revealed that preoperative functional status was the only predictor of postoperative modified Rankin Scale score (OR 4.6, p = 0.001). Six patients (7.6%) had transient worsening of neurological examination after surgery, and 1 patient (1.3%) was permanently worse. There was no surgical mortality. Conclusions The authors present a system of 13 microsurgical approaches to 6 location targets with 4 general trajectories to facilitate safe access to supratentorial CMs in eloquent brain regions. Favorable neurological outcomes following microsurgical resection justify an aggressive surgical attitude toward these lesions.

Background and Purpose— To evaluate whether increased neuroimaging use is associated with increased brain arteriovenous malformation (BAVM) detection, we examined detection rates in the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of northern California between 1995 and 2004. Methods— We reviewed medical records, radiology reports, and administrative databases to identify BAVMs, intracranial aneurysms (IAs: subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH] and unruptured aneurysms), and other vascular malformations (OVMs: dural fistulas, cavernous malformations, Vein of Galen malformations, and venous malformations). Poisson regression (with robust standard errors) was used to test for trend. Random-effects meta-analysis generated a pooled measure of BAVM detection rate from 6 studies. Results— We identified 401 BAVMs (197 ruptured, 204 unruptured), 570 OVMs, and 2892 IAs (2079 SAHs and 813 unruptured IAs). Detection rates per 100 000 person-years were 1.4 (95% CI, 1.3 to 1.6) for BAVMs, 2.0 (95% CI, 1.8 to 2.3) for OVMs, and 10.3 (95% CI, 9.9 to 10.7) for IAs. Neuroimaging utilization increased 12% per year during the time period ( P P P =0.858), and decreased for BAVMs ( P =0.001). Detection rates increased 15% per year for unruptured IAs ( P P =0.903). However, rates decreased 7% per year for unruptured BAVMs ( P =0.016) and 3% per year for ruptured BAVMs ( P =0.005). Meta-analysis yielded a pooled BAVM detection rate of 1.3 (95% CI, 1.2 to 1.4) per 100 000 person-years, without heterogeneity between studies ( P =0.25). Conclusions— Rates for BAVMs, OVMs, and IAs in this large, multiethnic population were similar to those in other series. During 1995 to 2004, a period of increasing neuroimaging utilization, we did not observe an increased rate of detection of unruptured BAVMs, despite increased detection of unruptured IAs.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal management of seizures associated with cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of surgery in the management of CCM-associated seizures. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review with follow-up of 164 patients who underwent microsurgical resection of supratentorial CCMs. Clinical and radiographic data were collected and then analyzed to determine predictors of developing epilepsy and predictors of postoperative seizure control after microsurgical resection. RESULTS: Of the patients, 61.5% presented with seizures, and 34.7% had clinically defined epilepsy. The development of epilepsy was associated with CCMs located in the temporal lobe and the absence of symptomatic hemorrhage. After microsurgical resection in 44 patients with intractable epilepsy, 72.7% were completely seizure-free (Engel class 1), 11.4% had rare seizures (Engel class 2), 4.5% had meaningful improvement (Engel class 3), and 11.4% had no improvement (Engel class 4). Predictors of complete seizure freedom were gross total resection, smaller CCMs, and the absence of secondary generalized seizures (94% of patients were seizure-free with all 3 predictors). CONCLUSION: Surgery is a safe and effective treatment for seizures associated with CCMs.

Hemangiomas are vascular tumors that are angiogenesis-dependent. We previously showed that the transcription factor HoxA5, which is absent in activated, angiogenic endothelial cells (ECs), can block angiogenesis, and thus investigated whether restoring expression of HoxA5 blocks hemangioma growth in the mouse brain. We thus transplanted the murine hemangioma cell line EOMA or HoxA5 expressing EOMA cells into mice brain. Transplantation of EOMA cells into the mouse brain successfully induced brain hemangioma (BH) characterized by large, cyst-like spaces lined by thin walls of ECs surrounded by scant smooth muscle cell coverage. We also measured growth of vascular lesions and characterized the BH morphology. When EOMA cells expressing HoxA5 were injected, the volume of the lesions was reduced between 5 and 20-fold compared to the EOMA control group (p

Objective— We investigated the role of bone marrow–derived cells (BMDCs) in an angiogenic focus, induced by VEGF stimulation. Methods and Results— BM from GFP donor mice was isolated and transplanted into lethally irradiated recipients. Four weeks after transplantation, groups of mice received adeno-associated viral vector (AAV)-VEGF or AAV-lacZ gene (control) injection and were euthanized at 1 to 24 weeks. BMDCs were characterized by double-labeled immunostaining. The function of BMDCs was further examined through matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 activity. We found that capillary density increased after 2 weeks, peaked at 4 weeks ( P Conclusions— Nearly all BMDCs in the angiogenic focus showed expression for leukocytes, indicating that BMDCs minimally incorporated into the neovasculature. Colocalization of MMPs with GFP suggests that BMDCs play a critical role in VEGF-induced angiogenic response through up-regulation of MMPs.

There is abundant literature on the long-term complications of intrathecal pumps (ITP), spinal cord stimulators (SCS), and peripheral nerve stimulators (PNS) used in the treatment of chronic pain. There is less information, however, on the perioperative complications of these procedures.Exploration of the perioperative outcomes of implantable pain devices.Observational study.University hospitals, community hospitals, specialty hospitals, attached surgery centers, and freestanding surgery centersData were obtained from the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry (NACOR) of the Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI). Information was collected on patient demographics, procedure information, anesthetic administered, diagnosis linked to the procedure, and perioperative outcomes.The search yielded 12,611 ITP, 19,276 SCS, and 15,184 PNS cases from 2010 to 2014. In this sample, the majority of procedures were performed at community hospitals, not university medical centers. The most common diagnosis cited for an ITP was an implant complication (n = 2,570), followed by spasticity, and non-malignant back pain. For SCS, the most common diagnoses were lower back pain (n = 5,515) or radiculopathy (n = 2,398). For PNS, by far the most common diagnosis related to urinary dysfunction (n = 8,745), with painful bladder syndrome a small minority (n = 133). General anesthetics were more often performed for ITP than for SCS and PNS procedures (60.6% vs. 31.8% and 32.2%, respectively). Hemodynamic instability was a common outcome (13.9% for ITP procedures); other common outcomes for all the procedures included case delays, inadequate pain control, and extended PACU stays.Despite the large sample size in this study, not all medical centers transmit their outcome data to NACOR. Furthermore, some institutions do not report clinical outcomes for every case to NACOR, making the sample size of assessing complications smaller and potentially more biased. Finally, procedures identified in the NACOR database using CPT may be similar but not identical and therefore potentially influence outcomes.Databases such as NACOR can provide rich information on ITP, SCS, and PNS for physicians performing these procedures. In this sample, ITP procedures, performed on the patients with the most severe cormobidities and often-requiring general anesthesia, were the most likely to be associated with hemodynamic instability, inadequate pain control, and extended PACU stays. Complications relating to the ITP are also the most common reason for an operation. These findings underscore the importance of proper patient selection for ITP and other implantable pain devices, in particular for patients with malignant pain or multiple co-morbidities. To identify the root causes of complications, additional information is needed on the procedure performed (e.g., an implant vs a revision), the surgical technique used, and the device implanted, as well as on specific patient comorbidities. Such information will likely become more available as resources like NACOR expand and as electronic medical record systems and coding become more integrated.

To examine patterns of use of pulmonary artery catheters in a large cohort of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.A retrospective study with univariate and multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictors for the utilization of pulmonary artery catheters.University, small, medium and large community hospitals participating in the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry.A total of 116,333 patients undergoing pulmonary artery catheter placement during cardiac surgery in the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry from the Anesthesia Quality Institute.Age older than 50 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of 3 or higher, case duration of longer than 6 hours, and presence of a resident physician or certified nurse anesthetist were associated with increased likelihood of pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) placement. Age18 years, or presence of a board-certified anesthesiologist, were associated with a decreased likelihood of catheter placement. The use of PACs has increased from 2010 to 2014. The presence of a PAC did not alter the risk of cardiac arrest intraoperatively. A nonsignificant decrease in mortality was associated with catheter placement. Transfusion was 75% less likely in the PAC cohort than in the control group.Pulmonary artery catheter use remains a mainstay of cardiac anesthesia practice. No significant change in the incidence of intraoperative death was noted, but patients with a PAC were less likely to have blood transfused.

Medication errors represent one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Anesthesia has specific medication-related risks; providers must administer many potent intravenous medications quickly, often with minimal to no supervision. Well-described reasons for medication administration errors in anesthesia include medication ampoules with similar appearance and packaging, clinician inattention, ineffective communication, fatigue, and haste. Technologies that are used widely in other parts of the hospital, such as barcoding, are a challenge to implement in anesthesia, and systemic approaches, including color-coding of syringe labels and barcoding technology of syringes, have been evaluated with mixed results. Emphasis should be placed on implementing forcing functions when possible, utilizing technology, standardization, and education about the need for awareness in specific situations. More studies need to be done to define the epidemiology of medication errors in anesthesia, and more importantly, to assess interventions for preventing them.

Scheduling systems that consider volume and patient acuity are crucial to maximize the use of resources during preoperative assessments. Identifying patients with specific needs and developing resource-efficient pathways to address these needs is essential to achieve a high-value framework. At our facility, we triage patients for assessment by phone or in-person visit. Significant variation in lengths of visits results in longer waiting times and inefficient scheduling of clinical and space resources. Developing a schedule that included appointments of shorter and longer lengths based on patient triage factors could optimize resource use.We utilized a survey methodology to determine clinical and non-clinical factors that clinicians identified as important determinants of visit length.Within the system-based issues, incomplete information given to the patient during the surgical office visit and the need for additional phone calls to outside medical facilities for information gathering afforded the longest mean appointment time lengths. Within patient-based issues, new clinical findings discovered during the visit and patients who lacked social support demonstrated the longest mean appointment times.Both clinical and non-clinical issues contribute to visit length; a proper understanding of both can assist in developing evidence-based scheduling that maximizes value for both the patient and the system, as well as optimizing patient experience and outcomes.

Objectives To examine anesthesia-centered outcomes in a large cohort of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or valvular heart surgery. Design A retrospective study with univariate and multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictors for mortality. Setting Diverse setting including university, small, medium, and large community hospitals. Participants All patients undergoing CABG or valve surgery in the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry (NACOR) from the Anesthesia Quality Institute. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Common anesthesia-centered outcomes including arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, death, hemodynamic instability, hypotension, inadequate pain control, nausea/vomiting, seizure, stroke, reintubation and transfusion were reported. All outcomes, consistent with NACOR data entry, were defined as occurring intraoperatively or during phase I or II recovery in the PACU. Death occurred in 0.15% of CABGs and 0.23% of valve surgeries. Age less than 18, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA PS) classification of 5, and mean case duration greater than 6 hours were associated with increased mortality (p Conclusions Death was a rare outcome in this cohort, reflecting the infrequent occurrence of intraoperative or immediate postoperative death. The presence of a board-certified anesthesiologist represented a modifiable risk factor for reducing mortality risk.

Objective The authors’ aim was to assess practice variations in anesthesia for carotid endarterectomies (CEA) and report outcomes. Design A retrospective cohort study. Setting A multi-institutional setting. Participants Patients who underwent CEA. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Using the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry of the Anesthesia Quality Institute, CEAs performed from 2010 to 2014 were identified, and a logistic regression model was fitted to determine if various patient, intraoperative, and provider characteristics were associated with usage of regional anesthesia (RA) versus general anesthesia (GA) (primary outcome) as the primary anesthetic in CEAs. The majority of CEAs were performed under GA (31,003 GA v 1,968 RA). American Society of Anesthesiologists class III-V patients were more likely to receive RA than class I-II (odds ratio 1.63, 95% confidence interval 1.39-1.91). Also, board certification status was associated with utilization of RA (odds ratio 2.95, 95% confidence interval 2.59-3.36). Among various facility types, community hospitals had the highest rates of RA use for CEAs. Secondary outcomes studied included extended recovery room stay, unexpected intensive care admissions, inadequate pain control, and postoperative nausea/vomiting. The usage of RA over GA was associated only with decreased postoperative nausea/vomiting. Conclusions This study was the first to use the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry to evaluate practice trends in the utilization of RA versus GA in CEAs. Patient comorbidities, as well as type of anesthesia provider, were associated with the usage of RA.

The operating room suite can be one of the most costly units within the hospital. Some of these costs stem from postoperative unplanned admissions, case cancellations, case delays, and extended recovery room times. The objective is to determine the clinical predictors of these operating room inefficiencies.Retrospective data analysis.Operating room, postoperative recovery area.Surgical patients whose perioperative data were reported to the Anesthesia Quality Institute's National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry from 2010 to 2015.We identified all cases that reported unplanned admissions, case cancellations, case delays, and extended recovery room times.Patient demographics, intraoperative characteristics, and provider information were collected for each case. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were fitted to determine if these various characteristics were associated with the outcomes of interest.The incidence of unplanned admissions (0.18%), case cancellations (0.05%), extended recovery room stays (1.12%), and case delays (14.43%) were reported. A positive predictor for unplanned admissions included elderly patients (odds ratio [OR], 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-1.48), whereas cases not performed under general anesthesia had lower rates (P.001). For case cancellations, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists classes had the highest risk (OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.81-2.60). Longer cases and elderly patients are the main predictors for extended postanesthetic care unit stays among all surgeries (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.47-1.62; OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.34-1.50, respectively). Pediatric patients and monitored anesthetic care cases had highest odds for case delays (OR, 3.02; 95% CI, 2.93-3.11; OR, 4.98; 95% CI, 4.88-5.07, respectively).This study reports the national incidence and various clinical predictors for these 4 operating room metrics. This can serve as both a resource for operating room managers to compare their practice to national trends and a tool for strategically identifying at-risk surgical cases.

There is a growing emphasis on both cost containment and better quality health care. The creation of better methods for alerting providers and their departments to the costs associated with patient care is one tool for improving efficiency. Since anesthetic medications used in the OR setting are one easily monitored factor contributing to OR costs, anesthetic cost report cards can be used to assess the cost and, potentially the quality of care provided by each practitioner. An ongoing challenge is the identification of the most effective strategies to control costs, promote cost awareness and at the same time maximize quality. To test the scorecard concept, we utilized existing informatics systems to gather and analyze drug costs for anesthesia providers in the OR. Drug costs were analyzed by medication class for each provider. Individual anesthesiologist's anesthetic costs were collected and compared to the average costs of the overall group and individual trends over time were noted. We presented drug usage data in an electronic report card format. Real-time individual reports can be provided to anesthesiologists to allow for anesthetic cost feedback. Data provided can include number of cases, average case time, total anesthetic medication costs, and average anesthetic cost per case. Also included can be subcategories of pre-medication, antibiotics, hypnotics, local anesthetics, neuromuscular blocking drugs, analgesics, vasopressors, beta-blockers, anti-emetics, volatile anesthetics, and reversal agents. The concept of anesthetic cost report card should be further developed for individual feedback, and could include many other dimensions. Such a report card can be utilized to encourage lower anesthetic costs, quality improvement among anesthesia providers, and for cost containment in the operating room.

The balance between reducing costs and inefficiencies with that of patient safety is a challenging problem faced in the operating room suite. An ongoing challenge is the creation of effective strategies that reduce these inefficiencies and provide real-time personalized metrics and electronic feedback to anesthesia practitioners. We created a sample report card structure, utilizing existing informatics systems. This system allows to gather and analyze operating room metrics for each anesthesia provider and offer personalized feedback. To accomplish this task, we identified key metrics that represented time and quality parameters. We collected these data for individual anesthesiologists and compared performance to the overall group average. Data were presented as an electronic score card and made available to individual clinicians on a real-time basis in an effort to provide effective feedback. These metrics included number of cancelled cases, average turnover time, average time to operating room ready and patient in room, number of delayed first case starts, average induction time, average extubation time, average time to recovery room arrival to discharge, performance feedback from other providers, compliance to various protocols, and total anesthetic costs. The concept we propose can easily be generalized to a variety of operating room settings, types of facilities and OR health care professionals. Such a scorecard can be created using content that is important for operating room efficiency, research, and practice improvement for anesthesia providers.

Decay accelerating factor (DAF), a complement-regulatory protein, protects cells from bystander complement-mediated lysis and negatively regulates T cells. Reduced expression of DAF occurs in several systemic autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, and DAF deficiency exacerbates disease in several autoimmune models, including murine mercury-induced autoimmunity (mHgIA).Daf1, located withinHmr1, a chromosome 1 locus associated in DBA/2 mice with resistance to mHgIA, could be a candidate. Here we show that reducedDaf1transcription in lupus-prone mice was not associated with a reduction in theDaf1transcription factor SP1. Studies of NZB mice congenic for the mHgIA-resistant DBA/2Hmr1locus suggested thatDaf1expression was controlled by the host genome and not theHmr1locus. A unique pentanucleotide repeat variant in the second intron ofDaf1in DBA/2 mice was identified and shown in F2 intercrosses to be associated with less severe disease; however, analysis ofHmr1congenics indicated that this most likely reflected the presence of autoimmunity-predisposing genetic variants within theHmr1locus or thatDaf1expression is mediated by the tandem repeat in epistasis with other genetic variants present in autoimmune-prone mice. These studies argue that the effect of DAF on autoimmunity is complex and may require multiple genetic elements.

Multiple modalities of noninvasive functional brain imaging have made a tremendous impact on preoperative mapping of neurosurgery patients. One such modality is magnetoencephalographic (MEG) imaging—which refers to the reconstructions of cortical oscillations from measurement of the magnetic fields outside the brain. In this chapter, we review how brain activity can be reconstructed from MEG measurements. We discuss the implications of such reconstructions on spatial and temporal resolution. Subsequently, we review the clinical applications of MEG in neurosurgery patients with epilepsy and brain tumors.

One hundred and one patients who sustained gunshot wounds to their feet were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were treated at King/Drew Medical Center between 1982 and 1994. From the authors' experience, they believe that patients with low-velocity gunshot wounds to the foot should be hospitalized and treated with at least a 3-day course of intravenous antibiotics of a first generation cephalosporin. Low-energy shotgun injuries should be treated the same as low-velocity injuries. Patients with high-velocity and high-energy shotgun wounds should be hospitalized and receive broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics with multiple irrigation and debridements.

A retrospective review of 173 patient charts, angiograms, surgical reports, and plain radiographs were performed for all patients admitted with gunshot wounds to the thigh from May 1988 to January 1991 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital. A zonal classification of gunshot wounds to the thigh was created and defined to determine if a zonal classification was predictive of a positive angiogram. Associations and relationships of patients with vascular injury are presented.

The importance of achieving tumor control in pituitary adenoma surgery is not entirely established. This manuscript reviews the literature linking residual pituitary tumor and hormonal hypersecretion to increases in long term mortality. When possible, we utilized meta-analysis methods to estimate a pooled standardized mortality ratio (SMR), which relates the risk of mortality for a cohort of patients compared to a similar age and gender matched cohort in the general population, for patients with endocrinologic evidence of residual disease. When this was not possible, we review the existing literature in the results and discussion section of this review. We identified 10 articles regarding acromegaly and three articles regarding Cushing’s disease which presented SMR data for adult patients undergoing transphenoidal surgery with data divided into subgroups based on post-operative growth hormone levels. Using growth hormone levels of 2.5 μg/l as a cutoff, the mortality rate ratio was 1.83 (95% CI = 1.03–3.24) for patients with persistent acromegaly. Similarly, patients with persistent Cushing’s disease experienced a marked increase in mortality rate ratio compared to those experiencing initial cure (mortality rate ratio = 3.25 (95% CI = 1.54–6.84). For other tumor subtypes, (i.e. Endocrine inactive adenomas, Prolactinomas, and TSH secreting tumors) there were not enough studies identified to allow for rigorous statistical analysis. There is an increasing body of data suggesting that treatment refractory acromegaly and Cushing’s disease puts patients at risk for early mortality, suggesting that aggressive efforts to normalize hormone levels in these patients are justified.

Background and Purpose— Alterations of neuroangiogenic response play important roles in the development of aging-related neurodisorders and affect gene-based therapies. We tested brain response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in aged mice. Methods— Adeno-associated viral vector (AAV)-VEGF, an adeno-associated viral vector expressing VEGF, was injected into the brain of 3-, 12-, and 24-month-old mice. AAV-LacZ-injected mice were used as controls (n=6). Before euthanasia at 6 weeks after vector injection, the mice were intraperitoneally injected with 5-bromodeoxyuridine for 3 consecutive days. The vascular density and the number of neuroprogenitors were analyzed. Results— Injection of AAV-VEGF increased the vascular density in the brain of 3-, 12-, and 24-month-old mice by 22%±7% (AAV-VEGF: 320±15 per 10× field versus AAV-LacZ: 263±8, P P P =0.283), respectively. There were more VEGF receptor-positive neuroprogenitors in the subventricular zone of AAV-VEGF-injected 3- (22±2) and 12-month-old mice (21±5) than that of 24-month-old mice (7±1). More 5-bromodeoxyuridine-positive endothelial cells and neuroprogenitors were detected around the injection site and subventricular zone of 3- (13±4) and 12-month-old mice (14±5) than that of 24-month-old mice (1±1). VEGF receptor 2 was upregulated in AAV-VEGF-injected brains of 3- and 12-month-old mice, but not in 24-month-old mice. Conclusion— The angiogenic and neurogenic response to VEGF stimulation is attenuated in the aged mouse brain, which may be due to reduced VEGF receptor activity.

Cerebral venous hypertension (VH) and angiogenesis are implicated in the pathogenesis of brain arteriovenous malformation and dural arteriovenous fistulae. We studied the association of VH and angiogenesis using a mouse brain VH model. Sixty mice underwent external jugular vein and common carotid artery (CCA) anastomosis (VH model), CCA ligation, or sham dissection ( n = 20). Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal-cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) expression, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity were analyzed. We found VH animals had higher ( P < 0.05) sagittal sinus pressure (8 ± 1 mm Hg) than control groups (1 ± 1 mm Hg). Surface cerebral blood flow and mean arterial pressure did not change. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, VEGF, and SDF-1α expression increased ( P < 0.05). Neutrophils and MMP-9 activity increased 10-fold 1 day after surgery, gradually decreased afterward, and returned to baseline 2 weeks after surgery. Macrophages began to increase 3 days after surgery ( P < 0.05), which coincided with the changes in SDF-1α expression. Capillary density in the parasagittal cortex increased 17% compared with the controls. Our findings suggest that mild nonischemic VH results in a pro-angiogenic stage in the brain by upregulating HIF-1 and its downstream targets, VEGF and SDF-1α, increasing leukocyte infiltration and MMP-9 activity.

Several studies utilize gene therapy technology to study the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic approaches to a variety of neurological diseases. Although gene therapy for neuro-oncology and neurodegenerative diseases has advanced to the clinical arena, those of cerebrovascular nature have remained in the experimental stage and demonstrate promising results. Before gene therapy in cerebrovascular disorders can be successful, various obstacles need to be addressed. In this review, we focus on the fundamentals of gene therapy adapted to cerebrovascular diseases, which include cerebral ischemia, post-subarachnoid hemorrhagic vasospasm, arteriovenous malformations, etc. We discuss: 1) the utilization of gene delivery vehicle, through viral, non-viral, or cellular vectors; 2) the routes and specific delivery of the vector to its target cells or tissue in the central nervous system; 3) the studies that have utilized in vivo and ex viva gene delivery approaches and their success in the attenuation of cerebrovascular injuries; and finally 4) the future of gene therapy in this field.