Administering Labor Analgesia Under General Anesthesia in an Intellectually Disabled Patient.

Maternal intellectual disability presents anesthetic challenges.1 A 19-year-old primigravida with significant intellectual disability presented with preterm premature rupture of membranes at 31 4/7 weeks of gestation and underwent induction of labor for chorioamnionitis. She was unable to tolerate bedside epidural placement. Intrapartum general anesthesia allowed for epidural catheter placement that provided adequate labor analgesia for a vaginal delivery. This report describes a unique approach to providing labor analgesia in the intellectually disabled patient.

Infrastructure Design: A Critical Element in the Care of the Patient With Obesity.

ABSTRACT: The worldwide rate of obesity continues to rise, causing healthcare systems to morph to meet the demands posed by the concomitant increase in comorbidities associated with this condition. Increasing patient weight imposes its own constraints on the safety of patients and providers; therefore, a sound healthcare facility infrastructure is required to properly address the medical needs of patients with obesity. Currently, most healthcare systems-in their attitudes, equipment, and facility design-are ill equipped to meet the needs of this epidemic. In this article, we discuss the facilities and equipment design considerations in providing medical care to patients with obesity. Extending beyond the physical plant, we also touch on organizational elements that enable the healthcare provider to safely care for this challenging patient population. The rising prevalence and disease burden of excess adiposity highlight the obligation to recognize that the design needs common to all of our patients must include the particular needs of the patient with obesity.

Race/Ethnicity and Sex and Opioid Administration in the Emergency Room.

BACKGROUND: Although racial/ethnic and sex disparities have been examined in health care generally and pain management more specifically, the combined influence of these sociodemographic factors together has not been well documented. The aim of this study was to examine the association between administration of opioid analgesics in the emergency department (ED) and interaction of race/ethnicity and sex. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using 2010-2014 Center for Disease Control-National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data for patients 12-55 years of age presenting to EDs with a primary diagnosis of appendicitis or gallbladder disease as defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. The primary outcome was the receipt of opioid analgesic medications. Secondary outcomes included: receipt of nonopioids, receipt of antiemetic medications, wait time to see a provider, and length of visit in the ED. The association between sex and analgesic receipt within Caucasian non-Hispanic and non-Caucasian groups was evaluated adjusting for pain score on presentation, patient age, emergent status, number of comorbidities, time of visit (month, day of the week, standard versus nonstandard working hours, year), and US region. RESULTS: After exclusions, a weighted sample of 553 ED visits was identified, representing 2,622,926 unique visits. The sample population was comprised of 1,858,035 (70.8%) females and 1,535,794 (58.6%) Caucasian non-Hispanics. No interaction was found in adjusted sampling-weighted model between sex and race/ethnicity on the odds of receiving opioids (P = .74). There was no difference in opioid administration to males as compared to females (odds ratio [OR] = 0.96, 95% CI, 0.87-1.06; P = .42) or to non-Caucasians as compared to Caucasians (OR = 0.99, 95% CI, 0.89-1.10; P = .84). In adjusted weighted models, non-Caucasian males, 123,121/239,457 (51.4%) did not differ from Caucasian non-Hispanic males, 317,427/525,434 (60.4%), on odds of receiving opioids, aOR = 0.88, 95% CI, 0.39-1.99; P = .75. Non-Caucasian females, 547,709/847,675 (64.6%) also did not differ from Caucasian females, 621,638/1,010,360 (61.5%), on odds of receiving opioids, aOR = 1.01, 95% CI, 0.53-1.90; P = .98. Across both sexes, non-Caucasians did not differ from Caucasians on receipt of nonopioid analgesics or antiemetics. Neither wait time to see a provider nor the length of the hospital visit was significantly different between sexes or race/ethnicities. CONCLUSIONS: Based on National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data from 2010 to 2014, there is no statistically significant interaction between race/ethnicity and sex for administration of opioid analgesia to people presenting to the ED with appendicitis or gallbladder disease. These results suggest that the joint effect of patient race/ethnicity and sex may not manifest in disparities in opioid management.

Percepción de las condiciones de seguridad de pacientes con enfermedad crónica sobre el entorno hospitalario en Colombia / Perception of Safety Conditions for Chronically III Patients in the Hospital Environment in Colombia / Percepção das condições de segurança de pacientes com doença crônica sobre o ambiente hospitalar na Colômbia

RESUMEN Objetivos: describir, comparar y relacionar la percepción de las condiciones de seguridad del entorno hospitalario de pacientes con enfermedad crónica en Colombia y sus cinco macrorregiones geográficas (Amazonia, Andina, Caribe, Orinoquía y Pacífico). Materiales y método: estudio descriptivo, comparativo y de relación, cuya muestra fue de 484 personas con enfermedad crónica. Se emplearon los instrumentos: Encuesta de Caracterización para el Cuidado de la Persona con Enfermedad Crónica y Encuesta Percepción de Condiciones de Seguridad del Entorno Hospitalario, versión paciente. Resultados: frente a las categorías de percepción de riesgo, solamente la mitad de ellos conoce los riesgos a los que está expuesto y la forma de actuar para prevenirlos, y solo la mitad reportó conocer sus deberes y derechos durante la hospitalización. Los riesgos que reflejan mayor materialización son las caídas y las flebitis. Conclusiones: hay poca apropiación sobre el cuidado y la prevención del riesgo; en consecuencia, es alto el grado de vulnerabilidad frente a las condiciones del entorno hospitalario en las cinco macrorregiones geográficas de Colombia.

ABSTRACT Objectives: Describe, compare and associate the perception of safety conditions for chronically ill patients in the hospital environment in Colombia and in its five geographic macro-regions (Amazon, Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquía and Pacifico). Method: This is a descriptive, comparative and relationship-based study. The sample was comprised of 484 persons who have a chronic illness. The instruments used were the Characterization Survey for Care of the Person with Chronic Disease and the patient version of the Survey of the Perception of Safety Conditions in the Hospital. Results: Compared to the risk perception categories, only half are aware of the risks to which they are exposed and how to prevent them, and only half reported knowing their rights and obligations during hospitalization. Falls and phlebitis are the risks that are more likely to materialize. Conclusion: There is little appropriation of risk prevention and care. Consequently, there is a high degree of vulnerability to the conditions of the hospital environment in Colombia's five geographic macro-regions.

RESUMO Objetivos: descrever, comparar e relacionar a percepção das condições de segurança do ambiente hospitalar de pacientes com doença crônica na Colômbia e suas cinco macrorregiões geográficas (Amazonía, Andina, Caribe, Orinoquía e Pacífico). Materiais e método: estudo descritivo, comparativo e relacional, cuja amostra foi de 484 pessoas com doença crônica. Foram empregados os instrumentos: Pesquisa de Caracterização para o Cuidado da Pessoa com Doença Crônica e Pesquisa de Percepção de Condições de Segurança do Ambiente Hospitalar, versão paciente. Resultados: diante das categorias de percepção de risco, somente a metade deles conhece os riscos aos quais estão expostos e a forma de agir para preveni-los; também só a metade relatou conhecer seus direitos e deveres durante a hospitalização. Os riscos que refletem maior materialização são as caídas e as flebites. Conclusões: há pouca apropriação sobre o cuidado e a prevenção do risco; em consequência, é alto o grau de vulnerabilidade ante as condições do ambiente hospitalar nas cinco macrorregiões geográficas da Colômbia.

A temporal assessment of nematode community structure and diversity in the rhizosphere of cisgenic Phytophthora infestans-resistant potatoes.

BACKGROUND: Nematodes play a key role in soil processes with alterations in the nematode community structure having the potential to considerably influence ecosystem functioning. As a result fluctuations in nematode diversity and/or community structure can be gauged as a 'barometer' of a soil's functional biodiversity. However, a deficit exists in regards to baseline knowledge and on the impact of specific GM crops on soil nematode populations and in particular in regard to the impact of GM potatoes on the diversity of nematode populations in the rhizosphere. The goal of this project was to begin to address this knowledge gap in regards to a GM potato line, cisgenically engineered for resistance to Phytophthora infestans (responsible organism of the Irish potato famine causing late blight disease). For this, a 3 year (2013, 2014, 2015) field experimental study was completed, containing two conventional genotypes (cvs. Desiree and Sarpo Mira) and a cisgenic genotype (cv. Desiree + Rpi-vnt1). Each potato genotype was treated with different disease management strategies (weekly chemical applications and corresponding no spray control). Hence affording the opportunity to investigate the temporal impact of potato genotype, disease management strategy (and their interaction) on the potato rhizosphere nematode community. RESULTS: Nematode structure and diversity were measured through established indices, accounts and taxonomy with factors recording a significant effect limited to the climatic conditions across the three seasons of the study and chemical applications associated with the selected disease management strategy. Based on the metrics studied, the cultivation of the cisgenic potato genotype exerted no significant effect (P > 0.05) on nematode community diversity or structure. The disease management treatments led to a reduction of specific trophic groups (e.g. Predacious c-p = 4), which of interest appeared to be counteracted by a potato genotype with vigorous growth phenotype e.g. cv. Sarpo Mira. The fluctuating climates led to disparate conditions, with enrichment conditions (bacterial feeding c-p = 1) dominating during the wet seasons of 2014 and 2015 versus the dry season of 2013 which induced an environmental stress (functional guild c-p = 2) on nematode communities. CONCLUSIONS: Overall the functional guild indices in comparison to other indices or absolutes values, delivered the most accurate quantitative measurement with which to determine the occurrence of a specific disturbance relative to the cultivation of the studied cisgenic P. infestans-resistant potatoes.

Habilidad de cuidado y sobrecarga en cuidadores familiares de personas con enfermedad crónica / Ability of care and care burden in family caregivers of people with chronic illness

Introducción: la sobrecarga del cuidador ha mostrado ser una variable que se relaciona con factores como el género, funcionalidad del receptor de cuidados, el tiempo dedicado al cuidado, entre otros. Objetivo: determinar si existe relación entre sobrecarga de cuidador y habilidad de cuidado en cuidadores familiares de personas con enfermedad crónica no transmisible y comparar dicha relación en las regiones de Colombia. Métodos: estudio de abordaje cuantitativo, correlacional, la muestra fue de 2040 cuidadores de personas con enfermedad crónica de las regiones Andina, Pacífica, Caribe y Amazonia en Colombia. Los datos fueron recolectados en el Inventario de Habilidad de Cuidado de Nkongho y la escala de sobrecarga del cuidador de Zarit. El estadístico de elección fue el coeficiente Rho de Spearman. Resultados: en Colombia y en las regiones de Amazonia y Pacífico se observa una correlación negativa débil, pero estadísticamente significativa (p<0,01). En la región Caribe, se observa una correlación negativa moderada y estadísticamente significativa (p<0,01). En la región Andina, no existe relación alguna entre la habilidad de cuidado y la sobrecarga del cuidador. Conclusiones: se observó un relación débil pero estadísticamente significativa entre la habilidad de cuidado y la sobrecarga del cuidador en Colombia y sus regiones, excepto en la región Andina. Intervenciones en el fortalecimiento de la habilidad de cuidado podrían demostrar utilidad para disminuir la sobrecarga del cuidador(AU)

Introduction: Caregiver burden has proved to be a variable that is related to gender factors, the functionality of the care recipient, the time spent on care, among others. Additional research to determine if the burden of care is related to the caring ability of the family caregiver is required. Objective: To determine the correlation between burden of care and caring in family caregivers of people with chronic illness and to compare that relationship in the different regions of Colombia. Methods: Quantitative study, with a correlational approach. The sample included 2040 caregivers of people with chronic illness of the Andean, Pacific, Caribbean and Amazon regions in Colombia. Informed consent process was performed. Data were collected with the Caring Ability Inventory of Nkonghoy and with the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview. The statistical approach was done with the Spearman Rho test. Results : In Colombia and in its Amazonic and Pacific regions, a weak negative statistically significant correlation (p <0.01) was observed. In the Caribbean Region, a moderate and statistically significant negative correlation (p <0.01). In the Andean region, no connection between the ability of care and caregiver burden was found. Conclusion: A weak but statistically significant relationship between the ability of care and caregiver burden was found in Colombia, except in the Andean region were no correlation was founded. Interventions in strengthening the ability of care, could be useful in decreasing caregivers burden with care(AU)

Habilidad de cuidado y sobrecarga en cuidadores familiares de personas con enfermedad crónica / Ability of care and care burden in family caregivers of people with chronic illness

Introducción: la sobrecarga del cuidador ha mostrado ser una variable que se relaciona con factores como el género, funcionalidad del receptor de cuidados, el tiempo dedicado al cuidado, entre otros. Objetivo: determinar si existe relación entre sobrecarga de cuidador y habilidad de cuidado en cuidadores familiares de personas con enfermedad crónica no transmisible y comparar dicha relación en las regiones de Colombia. Métodos: estudio de abordaje cuantitativo, correlacional, la muestra fue de 2040 cuidadores de personas con enfermedad crónica de las regiones Andina, Pacífica, Caribe y Amazonia en Colombia. Los datos fueron recolectados en el Inventario de Habilidad de Cuidado de Nkongho y la escala de sobrecarga del cuidador de Zarit. El estadístico de elección fue el coeficiente Rho de Spearman. Resultados: en Colombia y en las regiones de Amazonia y Pacífico se observa una correlación negativa débil, pero estadísticamente significativa (p<0,01). En la región Caribe, se observa una correlación negativa moderada y estadísticamente significativa (p<0,01). En la región Andina, no existe relación alguna entre la habilidad de cuidado y la sobrecarga del cuidador. Conclusiones: se observó un relación débil pero estadísticamente significativa entre la habilidad de cuidado y la sobrecarga del cuidador en Colombia y sus regiones, excepto en la región Andina. Intervenciones en el fortalecimiento de la habilidad de cuidado podrían demostrar utilidad para disminuir la sobrecarga del cuidador(AU)

Introduction: Caregiver burden has proved to be a variable that is related to gender factors, the functionality of the care recipient, the time spent on care, among others. Additional research to determine if the burden of care is related to the caring ability of the family caregiver is required. Objective: To determine the correlation between burden of care and caring in family caregivers of people with chronic illness and to compare that relationship in the different regions of Colombia. Methods: Quantitative study, with a correlational approach. The sample included 2040 caregivers of people with chronic illness of the Andean, Pacific, Caribbean and Amazon regions in Colombia. Informed consent process was performed. Data were collected with the Caring Ability Inventory of Nkonghoy and with the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview. The statistical approach was done with the Spearman Rho test. Results : In Colombia and in its Amazonic and Pacific regions, a weak negative statistically significant correlation (p <0.01) was observed. In the Caribbean Region, a moderate and statistically significant negative correlation (p <0.01). In the Andean region, no connection between the ability of care and caregiver burden was found. Conclusion: A weak but statistically significant relationship between the ability of care and caregiver burden was found in Colombia, except in the Andean region were no correlation was founded. Interventions in strengthening the ability of care, could be useful in decreasing caregivers burden with care(AU)

How Rescue Echocardiography Changed the Intraoperative Management of an Obese Patient with Refractory Hypotension?

The value of perioperative echocardiography as a rescue tool to complement the clinical assessment of patients who develop hemodynamic instability during noncardiac surgery is becoming increasingly recognized. Several studies have demonstrated the utility of echocardiography in establishing a diagnosis during clinical emergencies. We present the case of an obese patient with refractory hypotension during laparoscopic gynecologic surgery in which rescue transesophageal echocardiography was pivotal in elucidating a diagnosis and changing the course of management.

Competencia para cuidar en el hogar de personas con enfermedad crónica y sus cuidadores en Colombia / Competence for Home Health Care in Colombian People with Chronic Ilness and their Caregivers

Antecedentes. La competencia para el cuidado en el hogar es parte de las características fundamentales requeridas en la atención de personas con enfermedad crónica y se describe como la capacidad, habilidad y preparación que tiene el usuario o su cuidador familiar para ejercer la labor de cuidar. Objetivo. Describir y comparar la competencia para cuidar en el hogar de personas con enfermedad crónica, así como la competencia de sus cuidadores familiares para atenderlas en el hogar. Materiales y métodos. Estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo, comparativo y de corte transversal desarrollado entre 2012 y 2014 en las cinco regiones geográficas de Colombia. La muestra está compuesta de 2231 personas con enfermedad crónica y cuidadores familiares. Se emplearon los instrumentos Encuesta de caracterización para el cuidado de una diada persona con enfermedad crónica-cuidador familiar y Competencia para cuidar en el hogar GCPC-UN-CPC, versión paciente y cuidador familiar. Del mismo modo, se utilizó estadística descriptiva para analizar la competencia para cuidar en el hogar y sus dimensiones a partir de los niveles de estratificación alto, medio y bajo; para la comparación se utilizaron pruebas no paramétricas en muestras independientes. Resultados. Tanto las personas con enfermedad crónica como los cuidadores familiares tienen niveles heterogéneos de competencia para cuidar en el hogar en las diferentes regiones del país. En ambos casos los niveles superiores se encuentran en la Región Amazónica y los más bajos en la Pacífica. Estos niveles de competencia para cuidar en el hogar distan de ser adecuados para garantizar la calidad y seguridad que se requiere. Conclusión. Los indicadores de cuidado continuo deben tener en cuenta la diada receptor-cuidador familiar y abordar el talento humano, las instituciones y al mismo sistema general de seguridad social en salud para modificar una realidad que, de no ser atendida, resultará agobiante para el país.

Background. The competence for home health care is part of the fundamental features required when taking care of people with chronic disease. It is described as the ability, the skill and the preparation the user or their family caregiver possesses in order to perform the work of caring. Objective. To describe and compare the competence for home health care in Colombian people with chronic illness and their family caregivers in the different regions of Colombia. Materials and Methods. Quantitative, descriptive, comparative and cross-sectional study conducted between 2012 and 2014 in the five geographical regions of Colombia. The sample consists of 2231 participants including people with chronic illness and family caregivers. The measurement instruments used were the Survey for the characterization of the caring Dyad patient - family caregiver GCPC-UN-D, and the Home health care competence instrument "GCPC-UN-CPC", both in its patient and family caregiver versions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the home health care competence. For comparison of the groups nonparametric tests for independent samples were used. Results. People with chronic illness and their family caregivers have heterogeneous levels of home health caring competence in the different regions of Colombia. In both cases the higher levels are found in the Amazon region, while the lowest are found in the Pacific region. These levels of home health care competence are far away from the required ones to ensure quality and safety in the care of these patients. Conclusion. The indicators for the evaluation of home health care competence must address patients and their family caregiver as well as the health human talent, health institutions and the Social Security System in order to understand in a better way and change the current vulnerability in home health care practices in the country.

Obesity: physiologic changes and implications for preoperative management.

The proportion of patients defined as obese continues to grow in many westernized nations, particularly the United States (USA). This trend has shifted the perioperative management of obese patients into the realm of routine care. As obese patients present for all types of procedures, it is crucial for anesthesiologists, surgeons, internists, and perioperative health care providers alike to have a firm understanding of their altered multi-organ physiology in order to safely prepare the obese patient for an operation. A careful preoperative evaluation may also serve to identify risk factors for postoperative adverse events. Subsequently, preoperative measures may be implemented to mitigate these complications. In this manuscript we address the major considerations for the preoperative evaluation of the severely obese patient.

Cuidadores y cuidadoras familiares de personas con enfermedad crónica en Colombia: más similitudes que diferencias / Male and female relative caregivers of people with chronic disease in Colombia: more similarities than differences

Objetivo: Describir y comparar el nivel de carga de los cuidadores familiares, hombres y mujeres, de personas con enfermedad crónica en Colombia. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo comparativo de corte transversal que se desarrolló entre 2012 y 2014 con 1555 cuidadores familiares de personas con enfermedad crónica residentes en las cinco regiones geográficas de Colombia. Se emplearon los instrumentos GCPC-UN-C para la caracterización y la Encuesta de Percepción de Sobrecarga del Cuidador de Zarit para determinar la carga percibida. Resultados: De los cuidadores familiares del estudio, el 80,3 % era de la región andina, 5,6 % del Pacífico, 3,6 % de la Orinoquía, 6,6 % del Caribe y 3,6 % de la Amazonía. La edad promedio fue de 50 años, en su mayoría esposos, hijos o padres del receptor del cuidado y dedican al menos una cuarta parte del día a su labor como cuidadores. La mayoría llevaba más de 36 meses cuidando al familiar enfermo. El 31 % de los cuidadores hombres y el 33 % de las cuidadoras manifestaron que el cuidado de su familiar les generaba sobrecarga. Conclusiones: Los hallazgos reflejan una mayoría de mujeres cuidadoras familiares de personas con enfermedad crónica, como se reporta en otros estudios realizados en América Latina. A diferencia de investigaciones anteriores, no se presentó diferencia contundente de la carga percibida y expresada por los cuidadores de acuerdo con el género.

Objective: To describe and compare the burden level of the male and female relative caregivers of people with chronic diseases in Colombia. Methodology: A descriptive and comparative cross-sectional study that was carried out between 2012 and 2014 with 1,555 relative caregivers of people with chronic disease living in the five geographical regions of Colombia. The GCPC-A-C instruments for characterization and the Caregiver Perception of Burden Survey of Zarit in order to determine the perceived burden were used. Results: In the group of relative caregivers of the study, 80.3% belong to the Andean region, 5.6% were from the Pacific region, 3.6 % from the Orinoco region, 6.6% from the Caribbean region, and 3.6% from the Amazon region. The average age is 50. Most of them are spouses, children or parents of the care receiver and they spend at least a quarter of the day for his/ her work as caregivers. Most of them have more than 36 months caring for the sick relative. 31% of male caregivers and 33% of female careers expressed to be experiencing an overload with the care of his/her relative. Conclusions: The findings reflect the existence of a majority of female relative caregivers of people with chronic disease, as reported in another studies in Latin America. Unlike previous research, there is no strong difference in the perceived and the expressed load by caregivers, according to gender.

Strategies for managing oxygenation in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.

The worldwide trend toward increasing body mass index (BMI) has caused the anesthetic management of overweight, obese, and severely obese patients to become common. The increase in oxygen demand coupled with the anatomic and physiologic changes associated with excess adipose tissue make maintenance of oxygenation a major challenge during induction, maintenance and recovery from general anesthesia. It is crucial for anesthesiologists, surgeons and perioperative healthcare providers alike to have a thorough understanding of the impact of airway management and mechanical ventilation on the respiratory care of the obese in the immediate perioperative setting. In this manuscript we aim to discuss the consequences of obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, on respiratory physiology and provide suggestions on intraoperative ventilatory strategies to maintain oxygenation in the severely obese patient undergoing pneumoperitoneum.

The effects of preoperative, video-assisted anesthesia education in Spanish on Spanish-speaking patients' anxiety, knowledge, and satisfaction: a pilot study.

We studied the effect of an instructional video in Spanish on self-reported anxiety, knowledge about general anesthesia procedures, and satisfaction with the preoperative anesthesia process in patients requiring a Spanish interpreter. This prospective, randomized, nonblinded pilot study took place at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a university-affiliated tertiary-care hospital. Twenty adult, ASA physical status 1, 2, and 3 patients, scheduled for elective surgery (gynecological, orthopedic, and intrabdominal surgery) during general anesthesia were studied. Anxiety, knowledge, and patient satisfaction were assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). There was a significant reduction in anxiety score in patients who viewed the video compared with those who did not (median reduction 2 vs 0; P = 0.020). There was an increase in satisfaction score in the video group (median increase 2 vs 0; P = 0.046). There was no difference in reported knowledge-improvement scores between the two groups (3.5 vs 4; P = 0.908). In Spanish-speaking patients, the addition of an instructional video in Spanish to a preanesthesia interview decreased anxiety and increased patient satisfaction.

Racial Identity and Racial Treatment of Mexican Americans.

How racial barriers play in the experiences of Mexican Americans has been hotly debated. Some consider Mexican Americans similar to European Americans of a century ago that arrived in the United States with modest backgrounds but were eventually able to participate fully in society. In contrast, others argue that Mexican Americans have been racialized throughout U.S. history and this limits their participation in society. The evidence of persistent educational disadvantages across generations and frequent reports of discrimination and stereotyping support the racialization argument. In this paper, we explore the ways in which race plays a role in the lives of Mexican Americans by examining how education, racial characteristics, social interactions, relate to racial outcomes. We use the Mexican American Study Project, a unique data set based on a 1965 survey of Mexican Americans in Los Angeles and San Antonio combined with surveys of the same respondents and their adult children in 2000, thereby creating a longitudinal and intergenerational data set. First, we found that darker Mexican Americans, therefore appearing more stereotypically Mexican, report more experiences of discrimination. Second, darker men report much more discrimination than lighter men and than women overall. Third, more educated Mexican Americans experience more stereotyping and discrimination than their less-educated counterparts, which is partly due to their greater contact with Whites. Lastly, having greater contact with Whites leads to experiencing more stereotyping and discrimination. Our results are indicative of the ways in which Mexican Americans are racialized in the United States.

Update on best practice recommendations for anesthetic perioperative care and pain management in weight loss surgery, 2004-2007.

To reevaluate and update evidence-based best practice recommendations published in 2004 for anesthetic perioperative care and pain management in weight loss surgery (WLS), we performed a systematic search of English-language literature on anesthetic perioperative care and pain management in WLS published between April 2004 and May 2007 in MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library. We identified relevant abstracts by using key words, retrieved full text articles, and stratified the resulting evidence according to systems used in established evidence-based models. We updated prior evidence-based best practice recommendations based upon interim literature. In instances of controversial or inadequate scientific evidence, the task force reached consensus recommendations following evaluation of the best available information and expert opinion. The search yielded 1,788 abstracts, with 162 potentially relevant titles; 45 were reviewed in detail. Despite more information on perioperative management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), evidence to support preoperative testing and treatment or to guide perioperative monitoring is scarce. New evidence on appropriate intraoperative dosing of muscle relaxants allows for greater precision in their use during WLS. A novel application of alpha-2 agonists for perioperative anesthetic care is emerging. Key elements that may enhance patient safety include integration of the latest evidence on WLS, obesity, and collaborative multidisciplinary care into clinical care. However, large gaps remain in the evidence base.

Best practice recommendations for anesthetic perioperative care and pain management in weight loss surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To develop evidence-based recommendations that optimize the safety and efficacy of perioperative anesthetic care and pain management in weight loss surgery (WLS) patients. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This Task Group examined the scientific literature on anesthetic perioperative care and pain management published in MEDLINE from January 1994 to March 2004. We also reviewed additional data from other sources (e.g., book chapters). The search yielded 195 abstracts, of which 35 references were reviewed in detail. Task Group consensus was used to provide recommendations when evidence in the literature was insufficient. RESULTS: We developed anesthesia practice and patient safety advisory recommendations for preoperative evaluation, intraoperative management, and postoperative care and pain management of WLS patients. We also provided suggestions related to medical error reduction and systems improvements, credentialing, and future research. DISCUSSION: Obesity-related comorbidities including obstructive sleep apnea place WLS patients at increased risk for complications perioperatively. Regarding perioperative safety and outcomes, conclusive evidence beyond the accepted standard of care in the reviewed literature is limited. Few reports specifically address the perioperative needs of severely obese patients. In this advisory, we synthesize current knowledge and make best practice recommendations for perioperative care and pain management in WLS patients. These recommendations require periodic review as further medical knowledge and evidence evolve.