Protocol for a multicenter, randomised controlled trial of surgeon-directed home therapy vs. outpatient rehabilitation by physical therapists for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: the SHORT trial.

BACKGROUND: Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) has emerged as a successful surgery with expanding indications. Outcomes may be influenced by post-operative rehabilitation; however, there is a dearth of research regarding optimal rehabilitation strategy following RTSA. The primary purpose of this study is to compare patient reported and clinical outcomes after RTSA in two groups: in one group rehabilitation is directed by formal, outpatient clinic-based physical therapists (PT group) as compared to a home therapy group, in which patients are instructed in their rehabilitative exercises by surgeons at post-operative appointments (HT group). Secondary aims include comparisons of complications, cost of care and quality of life between the two groups. METHODS: This randomised controlled trial has commenced at seven sites across the United States. Data is being collected on 200 subjects by clinical research assistants pre-operatively and post-operatively at 2, 6, and 12 weeks, 6 months, 1 and 2 year visits. The following variables are being assessed: American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), pain level using the numeric pain scale, the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score, and shoulder active and passive range of motion for analysis of the primary aim. Chi square and t-tests will be used to measure differences in baseline characteristics of both groups. Repeated measures linear mixed effects modeling for measurement of differences will be used for outcomes associated with ASES and SANE and scores, and range of motion measures. Secondary aims will be analyzed for comparison of complications, cost, and quality of life assessment scores using data obtained from the PROMIS 29 v. 2, questionnaires administered at standard of care post-operative visits, and the electronic health record. Subjects will be allowed to crossover between the PT and HT groups, and analysis will include both intention-to-treat including patients who crossed over, and a second with cross-over patients removed, truncated to the time they crossed over. DISCUSSION: RTSA is being performed with increasing frequency, and the optimal rehabilitation strategy is unclear. This study will help clarify the role of formal physical therapy with particular consideration to outcomes, cost, and complications. In addition, this study will evaluate a proposed rehabilitation strategy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered as NCT03719859 at ClincialTrials.gov .

Arterial Catheters for Early Detection and Treatment of Hypotension During Major Noncardiac Surgery: A Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: Continuous blood pressure monitoring may facilitate early detection and prompt treatment of hypotension. We tested the hypothesis that area under the curve (AUC) mean arterial pressure (MAP) <65 mm Hg is reduced by continuous invasive arterial pressure monitoring. METHODS: Adults having noncardiac surgery were randomly assigned to continuous invasive arterial pressure or intermittent oscillometric blood pressure monitoring. Arterial catheter pressures were recorded at 1-minute intervals; oscillometric pressures were typically recorded at 5-minute intervals. We estimated the arterial catheter effect on AUC-MAP <65 mm Hg using a multivariable proportional odds model adjusting for imbalanced baseline variables and duration of surgery. Pressures <65 mm Hg were categorized as 0, 1-17, 18-91, and >91 mm Hg × minutes of AUC-MAP <65 mm Hg (ie, no hypotension and 3 equally sized groups of increasing hypotension). RESULTS: One hundred fifty-two patients were randomly assigned to arterial catheter use and 154 to oscillometric monitoring. For various clinical reasons, 143 patients received an arterial catheter, while 163 were monitored oscillometrically. There were a median [Q1, Q3] of 246 [187, 308] pressure measurements in patients with arterial catheters versus 55 (46, 75) measurements in patients monitored oscillometrically. In the primary intent-to-treat analysis, catheter-based monitoring increased detection of AUC-MAP <65 mm Hg, with an estimated proportional odds ratio (ie, odds of being in a worse hypotension category) of 1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-2.70; P = .006). The result was robust over an as-treated analysis and for sensitivity analyses with thresholds of 60 and 70 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative blood pressure monitoring with arterial catheters detected nearly twice as much hypotension as oscillometric measurements.

Salvage reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for failed anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty: a cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) as a revision procedure for failed anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is increasing in incidence. The purpose of this study was to analyze the results of RTSA as a revision salvage procedure for failed TSA and identify factors that influenced those outcomes. METHODS: All anatomic TSAs that were revised to RTSAs in adult patients, under the care of 2 senior surgeons at a single academic center from 2006 to 2018, were queried and reviewed. Cases in which hemiarthroplasty or RTSA was revised to RTSA were excluded. Electronic medical records and survey databases were reviewed for each subject. Demographic and surgical details were reviewed and analyzed with descriptive statistics. Preoperative and postoperative range of motion (ROM) including active forward elevation and active external rotation were evaluated. Patient-reported outcome surveys including the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons survey, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, and visual analog scale for pain were collected and analyzed. Improvement in ROM and outcome survey measures was assessed with 2-sample t tests. Complication and reoperation rates were analyzed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 75 patients (32 men and 43 women) were available for analysis at a mean of 22.3 months. The subjects were aged 60.3 ± 11.3 years at the time of TSA and 64.6 ± 9.7 years at the time of RTSA. The average period between TSA and RTSA was 4.3 years. The 3 most common indications for revision RTSA were painful arthroplasty (n = 62, 82.7%), rotator cuff failure (n = 56, 74.7%), and unstable arthroplasty (n = 25, 33.3%), but the majority of patients had multiple indications for surgery (n = 69, 92%). Significant improvements were found in all outcome measures from the time of failed TSA diagnosis to most recent follow-up after salvage RTSA with the exception of active external rotation: American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, 39 ± 15 preoperatively vs. 62 ± 25 postoperatively; Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, 27 ± 23 vs. 60 ± 30; visual analog scale pain score, 5 ± 2 vs. 3 ± 3; and active forward elevation, 79° ± 41° vs. 128° ± 33°. Major complications occurred in 21 patients (28.4%) after salvage RTSA, and 9 (12%) underwent reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: RTSA for failed TSA can improve pain, function, and quality-of-life measures in patients with various TSA failure etiologies. However, postoperative ROM and patient-reported outcomes do not reach the values seen in the primary RTSA population.

Return to sporting activity after ulnar nerve transposition for isolated neuritis in competitive overhead athletes.

BACKGROUND: Although ulnar neuritis can occur secondary to ulnar collateral ligament pathology, stress fractures, and traction apophysitis, isolated ulnar nerve dysfunction can lead to medial elbow pain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term outcomes of overhead athletes undergoing anterior ulnar nerve transposition for ulnar neuropathy. METHODS: All overhead athletes who underwent isolated ulnar nerve transposition between 2009 and 2016 for refractory ulnar neuritis were identified. The primary outcome was return to sport, and secondary outcome measures included the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic score; Mayo Elbow Performance Score; Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score; Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score; and visual analog scale score for pain. Complication and reoperation rates were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 26 overhead athletes (21 male and 5 female athletes) underwent ulnar nerve transposition at an average age of 18.4 years (range, 11-25 years). Of the patients, 24 (92%) returned to their sporting activity at an average of 2.7 months postoperatively, including 16 (62%) at the previous level of play. The average visual analog scale pain score improved from 4.7 (±2.5) to 0.4 (±1.5) (P = .015). The average postoperative patient-reported outcome scores were as follows: Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic score, 80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 72.7-87.0); Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score, 85 (95% CI, 75.4-94.7); Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score, 5 (95% CI, 2.1-7.7); and Mayo Elbow Performance Score, 91 (95% CI, 86.8-96.0). CONCLUSION: Cubital tunnel syndrome can cause medial elbow pain in overhead athletes in the presence of a normal ulnar collateral ligament. At mid-term follow-up, 92% of overhead athletes returned to sport after ulnar nerve transposition, with 62% resuming their previous level of performance.

Comparative Clinical Outcomes of Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty for Primary Cuff Tear Arthropathy Versus Severe Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis With Intact Rotator Cuff: A Matched-Cohort Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to compare the short- to mid-term outcomes of patients who underwent reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) for severe glenohumeral osteoarthritis (GHOA) with an intact rotator cuff (RC) to a matched rotator cuff arthropathy (RCA) cohort. METHODS: Between 2004 and 2014, all patients who underwent RTSA for severe GHOA with a minimum 2-year follow-up were identified. Demographic and baseline variables were extracted from the medical records. Subjects were matched in the ratio of 1:2 to RTSA subjects with RCA, while controlling for the demographic and intraoperative variables. Postoperative active forward elevation (AFE), active external rotation, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score (ASES), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Simple Shoulder Test were recorded. Complications and revision surgery rates were noted. Comparative multivariate analysis was performed. Preoperative Walch classification for each subject was obtained through radiograph review, and the impact of classification was assessed using one-way analysis of variance testing. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-six patients were available with mean follow-up 32.3 ± 12.3 months. Baseline range of motion and patient reported outcome scores were similar between the groups (P > 0.05), except for Simple Shoulder Test (intact rotator cuff: 5.7 ± 7.4 versus RCA: 2.4 ± 1.8, P = 0.037). The intact RC group had significantly, superior absolute outcome measures for active external rotation (P = 0.006), and SST (P = 0.048), but not for SANE (P = 0.055), VAS (P = 0.464), ASES (P = 0.084), and AFE (P = 0.099). No notable difference was observed between the groups for improvement in motion, survey scores, or complications. Walch osteoarthritis classification did not impact the outcome measurements in the severe GHOA with the intact RC group (P > 0.05). DISCUSSION: Patients who underwent RTSA for severe GHOA with intact RC demonstrate similar consistent improvement in outcomes to demographically similar patients with RCA. The severity of GHOA defined by the Walch classification did not impact the outcomes at the 2-year follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III Therapeutic Study.

Anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty with an inlay glenoid component: clinical outcomes and return to activity.

BACKGROUND: Biomechanical studies show that inlay glenoid components in total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) can reduce edge loading and opposite-edge lift-off forces with humeral translation compared with onlay glenoids. However, clinical data for these implants are lacking. We report clinical outcomes and return to activities after anatomic TSA with an inlay glenoid component and a stemless ovoid humeral head in an active, young patient population. METHODS: A retrospective review of TSA with an inlay glenoid component and an ovoid humeral head component was performed for 27 shoulders. Patients were evaluated with patient-reported outcome measures, range of motion, and radiographs. Return to occupational and sporting activity, complications, and reoperations were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 27 shoulders were available for minimum 2-year follow-up. Age averaged 52.1 years, and 92.6% of shoulders were in male patients. The preoperative Walch grade was A1 or A2 in 15 shoulders (55%), B1 in 8 (30%), and B2 in 4 (15%). Patients showed significant improvements in patient-reported outcome measures, active forward flexion, and external rotation (P < .001) with no reoperations. At an average of 3.7 months, the rate of return to work was 92.6%, with 76.0% of those patients returning to their preoperative occupational demand level. At an average of 9.1 months, 75% of patients who responded to our custom survey returned to sport, with 50% achieving the same level or a higher level of sporting activity. Annual postoperative radiographs revealed no inlay component loosening. CONCLUSION: Anatomic TSA with an inlay glenoid coupled with a stemless ovoid humeral head in an active population resulted in improved clinical outcomes, no reoperations or radiographic loosening, and a high rate of return to activity at shorter-term follow-up.

Next-generation sequencing for diagnosis of infection: is more sensitive really better?

BACKGROUND: The utility of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in differentiating between active infection and contaminant or baseline flora remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to compare NGS with culture-based methods in primary shoulder arthroplasty. METHODS: A prospective series of primary shoulder arthroplasty patients with no history of infection or antibiotic use within 60 days of surgery was enrolled. All patients received standard perioperative antibiotics. After skin incision, a 10 × 3-mm sample of the medial skin edge was excised. A 2 × 2-cm synovial tissue biopsy was taken from the rotator interval after subscapularis takedown. Each sample set was halved and sent for NGS and standard cultures. RESULTS: Samples from 25 patients were analyzed. Standard aerobic/anaerobic cultures were positive in 10 skin samples (40%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 20%-60%) and 3 deep tissue samples (12%, 90% CI 1%-23%]). NGS detected ≥1 bacterial species in 17 of the skin samples (68%, 95% CI 49%-87%) and 7 deep tissue samples (28%, 95% CI 9%-47%). There was a significant difference (P < .03) in the mean number of bacterial species detected with NGS between the positive standard culture (1.6 species) and the negative standard culture groups (5.7 species). CONCLUSION: NGS identified bacteria at higher rates in skin and deep tissue samples than standard culture did in native, uninfected patients undergoing primary procedures. Further research is needed to determine which NGS results are clinically relevant and which are false positives before NGS can be reliably used in orthopedic cases.

The cost-effectiveness of epidural, patient-controlled intravenous opioid analgesia, or transversus abdominis plane infiltration with liposomal bupivacaine for postoperative pain management.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Intravenous patient-controlled opioid analgesia (IVPCA), epidural analgesia and transversus abdominis plane (TAP) infiltrations are frequently used postoperative pain management modalities. The aim of this study was to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing the use of epidural, IVPCA, and TAP infiltrations with liposomal bupivacaine for analgesia in the first 72 h postoperatively in patients undergoing major lower abdominal surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective cost effectiveness analysis. SETTING: Operating room. PATIENTS: We obtained data on major lower-abdominal surgeries performed under general anesthesia on adult patients between January 2012 and July 2014. INTERVENTIONS: A cost-effectiveness analysis was comparing the use of epidural, IVPCA, and TAP infiltrations with liposomal bupivacaine for analgesia in the first 72 h postoperatively. MEASUREMENTS: A decision analytic model was used to estimate the health outcomes for patients undergoing major lower abdominal surgery. The primary outcome was time-weighted pain from 0 to 72 h after surgery, as measured by numerical rating scale pain scores. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the hospital as the party responsible for most costs related to surgery. MAIN RESULTS: From the base case analysis, IVPCA was the optimal strategy regarding cost and effect. TAP with LB, however, was only narrowly dominated, while epidural was clearly dominated. From the sensitivity analysis at willingness-to-pay (WTP) of $150, IV PCA and TAP infiltration were each the optimal strategy for approximately 50% of the iterations. At WTP of $10,000, epidural was only the optimal strategy in 10% of the iterations. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study in the literature to compare the cost-effectiveness of epidural, IVPCA, and TAP infiltrations with LB. Within reasonable WTP values, there is little differentiation in cost-effectiveness between IVPCA and TAP infiltration with LB. Epidural does not become a cost-effective strategy even at much higher WTP values.

Early Resumption of ß Blockers Is Associated with Decreased Atrial Fibrillation after Noncardiothoracic and Nonvascular Surgery: A Cohort Analysis.

WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS TOPIC: WHAT THIS ARTICLE TELLS US THAT IS NEW: BACKGROUND:: Beta (ß) blockers reduce the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation and should be restarted after surgery, but it remains unclear when best to resume ß blockers postoperatively. The authors thus evaluated the relationship between timing of resumption of ß blockers and atrial fibrillation in patients recovering from noncardiothoracic and nonvascular surgery. METHODS: The authors evaluated 8,201 adult ß-blocker users with no previous history of atrial fibrillation who stayed at least two nights after noncardiothoracic and nonvascular surgery as a retrospective observational cohort. After propensity score matching on baseline and intraoperative variables, 1,924 patients who did resume ß blockers by the end of postoperative day 1 were compared with 973 patients who had not resumed by that time on postoperative atrial fibrillation using logistic regression. A secondary matched analysis compared 3,198 patients who resumed ß blockers on the day of surgery with 3,198 who resumed thereafter. RESULTS: Of propensity score-matched patients who resumed ß blockers by end of postoperative day 1, 4.9% (94 of 1,924) developed atrial fibrillation, compared with 7.0% (68 of 973) of those who resumed thereafter (adjusted odds ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50-0.95; P = 0.026). Patients who resumed ß blockers on day of surgery had an atrial fibrillation incidence of 4.9% versus 5.8% for those who started thereafter (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.67-1.04; P = 0.104). CONCLUSIONS: Resuming ß blockers in chronic users by the end of the first postoperative day may be associated with lower odds of in-hospital atrial fibrillation. However, there seems to be little advantage to restarting on the day of surgery itself.

The Association Between Timing of Routine Preoperative Blood Testing and a Composite of 30-Day Postoperative Morbidity and Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory testing is a common component of preanesthesia evaluation and is designed to identify medical abnormalities that might otherwise remain undetected. While blood testing might optimally be performed shortly before surgery, it is often done earlier for practical reasons. We tested the hypothesis that longer periods between preoperative laboratory testing and surgery are associated with increased odds of having a composite of 30-day morbidity and mortality. METHODS: We obtained preoperative data from 2,320,920 patients in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program who were treated between 2005 and 2012. Our analysis was restricted to relatively healthy patients with American Society of Anesthesiology physical status I-II who had elective surgery and normal blood test results (n = 235,010). The primary relationship of interest was the odds of 30-day morbidity and mortality as a function of delay between preoperative testing and surgery. A multivariable logistic regression model was used for the 10 pairwise comparisons among the 5 laboratory timing groups (laboratory blood tests within 1 week of surgery; 1-2 weeks; 2-4 weeks; 1-2 months; and 2-3 months) on 30-day morbidity, adjusting for any imbalanced baseline covariables and type of surgery. RESULTS: A total of 4082 patients (1.74%) had at least one of the component morbidities or died within 30-days after surgery. The observed incidence (unadjusted) was 1.7% when the most recent laboratory blood tests measured within 1 week of surgery, 1.7% when it was within 1-2 weeks, 1.8% when it was within 2-4 weeks, 1.7% when it was between 1 and 2 months, and 2.0% for patients with most recent laboratory blood tests measured 2-3 months before surgery. None of the values within 2 months differed significantly: estimated odds ratios for patients within blood tested within 1 week were 1.00 (99.5% confidence interval, 0.89-1.12) as compared to 1-2 weeks, 0.88 (0.77-1.00) for 2-4 weeks, and 0.95 (0.79-1.14) for 1-2 months, respectively. The estimated odds ratio comparing 1-2 weeks to each of 2-4 weeks and 1-2 months were 0.88 (0.76-1.03) and 0.95 (0.78-1.16), respectively. Blood testing 2-3 months before surgery was associated with increased odds of outcome compared to patients whose most recent test was within 1 week (P = .002) and 1-2 weeks of the date of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II patients, risk of 30-day morbidity and mortality was not different with blood testing up to 2 months before surgery, suggesting that it is unnecessary to retest patients shortly before surgery.

C-MAC compared with direct laryngoscopy for intubation in patients with cervical spine immobilization: A manikin trial.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare C-MAC videolaryngoscopy with direct laryngoscopy for intubation in simulated cervical spine immobilization conditions. METHODS: The study was designed as a prospective randomized crossover manikin trial. 70 paramedics with <5years of medical experience participated in the study. The paramedics attempted to intubate manikins in 3 airway scenarios: normal airway without cervical immobilization (Scenario A); manual inline cervical immobilization (Scenario B); cervical immobilization using cervical extraction collar (Scenario C). RESULTS: Scenario A: Nearly all participants performed successful intubations with both MAC and C-MAC on the first attempt (95.7% MAC vs. 100% C-MAC), with similar intubation times (16.5s MAC vs. 18s C-MAC). Scenario B: The results with C-MAC were significantly better than those with MAC (p<0.05) for the time of intubation (23 s MAC vs. 19 s C-MAC), success of the first intubation attempt (88.6% MAC vs. 100% C-MAC), Cormack-Lehane grade, POGO score, severity of dental compression, device difficulty score, and preferred airway device. Scenario C: The results with C-MAC were significantly better than those with MAC (p<0.05) for all the analysed variables: success of the first attempt (51.4% MAC vs. 100% C-MAC), overall success rate, intubation time (27 s MAC vs. 20.5 s C-MAC), Cormack-Lehane grade, POGO score, dental compression, device difficulty score and the preferred airway device. CONCLUSION: The C-MAC videolaryngoscope is an excellent alternative to the MAC laryngoscope for intubating manikins with cervical spine immobilization.

Long-Acting Patient-Controlled Opioids Are Not Associated With More Postoperative Hypoxemia Than Short-Acting Patient-Controlled Opioids After Noncardiac Surgery: A Cohort Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Opioids can contribute to postoperative desaturation. Short-acting opioids, titrated to need, may cause less desaturation than longer-acting opioids. We thus tested the primary hypothesis that long-acting patient-controlled intravenous opioids are associated with more hypoxemia (defined as an integrated area under a postoperative oxyhemoglobin saturation of 95%) than short-acting opioids. METHODS: This analysis was a substudy of VISION, a prospective cohort study focused on perioperative cardiovascular events (NCT00512109). After excluding for predefined criteria, 191 patients were included in our final analysis, with 75 (39%) patients being given fentanyl (short-acting opioid group) and 116 (61%) patients being given morphine and/or hydromorphone (long-acting opioid group). The difference in the median areas under a postoperative oxyhemoglobin saturation of 95% between short-acting and long-acting opioids was compared using multivariable median quantile regression. RESULTS: The short-acting opioid median area under a postoperative oxyhemoglobin saturation of 95% per hour was 1.08 (q1, q3: 0.62, 2.26) %-h, whereas the long-acting opioid median was 1.28 (0.50, 2.23) %-h. No significant association was detected between long-acting and short-acting opioids and median area under a postoperative oxyhemoglobin saturation of 95% per hour (P = .66) with estimated change in the medians of -0.14 (95% CI, -0.75, 0.47) %-h for the patients given long-acting versus short-acting IV patient-controlled analgesia opioids. CONCLUSIONS: Long-acting patient-controlled opioids were not associated with the increased hypoxemia during the first 2 postoperative days.

Clonidine Does Not Reduce Pain or Opioid Consumption After Noncardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Clonidine is an α2-adrenoceptor agonist, which has analgesic properties. However, the analgesic efficacy of perioperative clonidine remains unclear. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that clonidine reduces both pain scores and cumulative opioid consumption during the initial 72 hours after noncardiac surgery. METHODS: Six hundred twenty-four patients undergoing elective noncardiac surgery under general and spinal anesthesia were included in this substudy of the PeriOperative ISchemia Evaluation-2 trial. Patients were randomly assigned to 0.2 mg oral clonidine or placebo 2 to 4 hours before surgery, followed by 0.2 mg/d transdermal clonidine patch or placebo patch, which was maintained until 72 hours after surgery. Postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption were assessed for 72 hours after surgery. RESULTS: Clonidine had no effect on opioid consumption compared with placebo, with an estimated ratio of means of 0.98 (95% confidence interval, 0.70-1.38); P = 0.92. Median (Q1, Q3) opioid consumption was 63 (30, 154) mg morphine equivalents in the clonidine group, which was similar to 60 (30, 128) mg morphine equivalents in the placebo group. Furthermore, there was no significant effect on pain scores, with an estimated difference in means of 0.12 (95% confidence interval, -0.02 to 0.26); 11-point scale; P = 0.10. Mean pain scores per patient were 3.6 ± 1.8 for clonidine patients and 3.6 ± 1.8 for placebo patients. CONCLUSIONS: Clonidine does not reduce opioid consumption or pain scores in patients recovering from noncardiac surgery.

A nomogram for predicting the need for sciatic nerve block after total knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: Sciatic nerve block (SNB) is commonly performed in combination with femoral nerve block (FNB) for postoperative analgesia following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Despite the fact that 10-20 % of TKA patients require SNB for postoperative posterior knee pain, there are no existing studies that suggest a model to predict the need for SNB. The aim of our study was to develop a prediction tool to measure the likelihood of patients undergoing TKA surgery requiring a postoperative SNB. METHODS: With institutional review board approval, we obtained data from the electronic medical record of patients who underwent TKA at the Cleveland Clinic. A multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the probability of requiring a postoperative SNB. Clinicians selected potential predictors to create a model, and the potential nonlinear association between continuous predictors and SNB was assessed using the restricted cubic spline model. RESULTS: In total 6279 TKA cases involving 2329 patients with complete datasets were used for building the prediction model, including 276 (12 %) patients who received a postoperative SNB and 2053 (88 %) patients who did not. The estimated C statistic of the prediction model was 0.64. The nomogram is used by first locating the patient position on each predictor variable scale, which has corresponding prognostic points. The cut-off of 11.6 % jointly maximizes the sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to be published on SNB prediction after TKA. Our nomogram may prove to be a useful tool for guiding physicians in terms of their decisions regarding SNB.

Postoperative Hypoxemia Is Common and Persistent: A Prospective Blinded Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The incidence, severity, and duration of postoperative oxygen desaturation in the general surgical population are poorly characterized. We therefore used continuous pulse oximetry to quantify arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) in a cross-section of patients having noncardiac surgery. METHODS: Oxygen saturation, blinded to clinicians, was recorded at 1-minute intervals in patients >45 years old for up to 48 hours after noncardiac surgery in 1250 patients from Cleveland Clinic Main Campus and 250 patients from the Juravinski Hospital. We determined (1) the cumulative minutes of raw minute-by-minute values below various hypoxemic thresholds; and (2) the contiguous duration of kernel-smoothed (sliding window) values below various hypoxemic thresholds. Finally, we compared our blinded continuous values with saturations recorded during routine nursing care. RESULTS: Eight hundred thirty-three patients had sufficient data for analyses. Twenty-one percent had ≥10 min/h with raw SpO2 values <90% averaged over the entire recording duration; 8% averaged ≥20 min/h <90%; and 8% averaged ≥5 min/h <85%. Prolonged hypoxemic episodes were common, with 37% of patients having at least 1 (smoothed) SpO2 <90% for an hour or more; 11% experienced at least 1 episode lasting ≥6 hours; and 3% had saturations <80% for at least 30 minutes. Clinical hypoxemia, according to nursing records, measured only in Cleveland Clinic patients (n = 594), occurred in 5% of the monitored patients. The nurses missed 90% of smoothed hypoxemic episodes in which saturation was <90% for at least one hour. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoxemia was common and prolonged in hospitalized patients recovering from noncardiac surgery. The SpO2 values recorded in medical records seriously underestimated the severity of postoperative hypoxemia.