Patients more likely to be discharged home with anesthesiologist-administered sedation
Editor's Note Anesthesiologist-administered or -directed sedation leads to higher rates of patient discharges to home rather than a long-term care (LTC) facility, according to a study presented at the Anesthesiology 2023 annual meeting. The study focused on interventional radiology (IR) proceduresโspecifically 9,682 patients who had sedation in the IR suite…
Women neurosurgeons receive half the Medicare reimbursement of male counterparts
Editor's Note From 2013 to 2020, women neurosurgeons received half the reimbursement dollars from Medicare compared to their male counterparts, JAMA Network October 11 reports. This investigative study, titled "Gender differences in Medicare practice and payments to neurosurgeons," was published by JAMA Surgery. The researchers analyzed data for 6,052 neurosurgeons…
Limiting opioid medication did not negatively impact patients post-surgery
Editor's Note A 5-day limit on opioid pain medication prescriptions in Michigan did not negatively impact patient-reported pain levels or satisfaction, JAMA Network October 13 reports. The study, titled "Changes in surgical opioid prescribing and patient-reported outcomes after implementation of an insurer opioid prescribing limit," was published by JAMA Health…
Study: Black, Hispanic patients more likely to die post-surgery than white patients
Editor's Note A new study found that Black and Hispanic patients are significantly more likely to die after a surgical procedure than white patients, Newsweek October 15 reports. The findings were presented at the 2023 Anesthesiology annual meeting. The study analyzed over a million surgical procedures at 7,740 US hospitals…
New epigenetic clock provides clues to accelerated aging in chronic kidney disease
Editor's Note Researchers from Europe used an epigenetic clock to accurately measure biological aging in a clinical setting, Wiley October 12 reports. The study, titled "Epigenetic clocks indicate that kidney transplantation and not dialysis mitigate the effects of renal ageing," was published in the Journal of Internal Medicine. The researchers…
Stem cells from organ donor increase tolerance following transplant
Editor's Note An 8-year-old girl in the UK has been able to live a normal life without immunosuppressants following a kidney transplant in which both the organ and stem cells came from the same donor, The Independent October 12 reports. The patient was able to stop taking immunosuppressant drugs a…
Smaller volume blood draw tubes can prevent excess blood loss in sickest patients
Editor's Note Using a tube that collects about half the blood of a standard tube will still provide enough blood for a lab test while reducing transfusions for critically ill patients, a new investigative study published by JAMA Network reports. The study, titled "Small-Volume Blood Collection Tubes to Reduce Transfusions…
Study shows link between death from heart disease and depression
Editor's Note A new study from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that adults with moderate to severe depressive symptoms have a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease and ischemic heart disease compared to those without depressive symptoms. The investigative study, titled "Depressive Symptoms…
RNs expected to see big salary bump by 2033 due to nursing demand
Editor's Note Increasing demand for nurses is driving up salaries for RN in the US, an October 4 Careers of the Future projection reports. According to this research from telecommunications company TollFreeForwarding, RNs are projected to see a pay increase of nearly $13 more per hour by 2033.ย RNs made…
Neural network AI identifies brain tumor types pre-surgery with high accuracy
Editor's Note Researchers have found a way to use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify tumor types related to brain tumors prior to surgery. The findings were published on October 11 by the journal Nature in a study titled, "Ultra-fast deep-learned CNS tumor classification during surgery." Following are some highlights, according…