Editor's Note Research presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) annual meeting has found that beta-blocker use is associated with an increased risk of postoperative stroke, particularly among Black and Hispanic patients undergoing noncardiac surgeries, Medpage Today reported October 20. According to the article, the retrospective study analyzed the…
Editor's Note Republicans secured a 51-seat majority in the US Senate after victories in Ohio and West Virginia, promising a power shift that will see GOP leaders shaping decisions on pressing issues like drug pricing, public health agency reform, and rural healthcare. On November 6, STAT published an overview of…
Editor's Note A study presented at the 2024 American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting suggests that non-salicylate NSAIDs may significantly reduce the risk of postoperative delirium, a serious complication affecting up to 15% of surgical patients, Anesthesiology News reported October 20. Delirium is especially prevalent in older adults and those…
Editor's Note Combining newer weight loss drugs with bariatric surgery is the most cost-effective long-term strategy for treating obesity, according to research presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2024. Medical Xpress reported on the findings October 18. According to the article, researchers from Northwestern Medicine evaluated the…
Editor's Note In a series of interviews with STAT, 11 cardiologists and other clinicians, including the FDA commissioner, said a crisis in primary care is dragging back progress in the nation’s cardiovascular health. Published October 15, the article begins with commentary on a stark warning from the American Heart Association…
Editor's Note On October 14, Anesthesiology News published a monograph featuring clinical perspectives on how “those working in the trenches of postsurgical pain management” are preparing for the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act, which outlines new, separate Medicare reimbursement for certain non-opioid analgesics in outpatient and ambulatory…
Editor's Note The Biden administration has invoked wartime powers to speed rebuilding of intravenous fluid (IV) manufacturing capacity, CBS News reported October 15, four days after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took steps to combat drug shortages. Both efforts are in response to devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene,…
Editor's Note CMS has taken the next steps in making prescription drugs more affordable for Medicare recipients, according to an October 9 report from The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The proposed Medicare $2 Drug List Model, developed in line with President Biden’s Executive Order 14087, aims…
Editor's Note The first clinical guidance for prescribing opioids to children recommend combining the drugs with nonopioid medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen rather than as monotherapy, according to a September 30 report in Healio. Released by The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the guidance also specifies that naloxone should also…
Editor's Note Patients using GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have a higher risk of food retention during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) when performed alone, but not when combined with a colonoscopy, according to a retrospective study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. MedPage Today reported the news October 1. The study included 70 patients…