Acute hypoxic ventilatory response is an important reflex that helps maintain breathing during low oxygen levels, but it is attenuated by most general anaesthetics. Analgesic doses of ketamine and esketamine are known to have respiratory stimulant effects. In their recent study in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, Jansen and colleagues show that low-dose esketamine preserved the acute hypoxic ventilatory

Intraoperative hypotension is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). Clinicians thus frequently use vasopressors, such as norepinephrine, to maintain blood pressure. However, vasopressors themselves might promote AKI. We sought to determine whether both intraoperative hypotension and cumulative intraoperative norepinephrine dose are independently associated with postoperative AKI in patients undergoing

Recent epidemiological studies suggest that chronic pain is a clinically under-recognised cause for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Up to 30% of patients undergoing surgery report chronic pain, but the impact of pre-existing pain on postoperative cardiovascular outcomes is not known. Chronic pain and cardiovascular dysfunction share fundamental pathological mechanisms. Chronic pain is a modifiable

BACKGROUND Paediatric acute kidney injury (AKI) is common and linked to longer hospitalisation and mortality. We investigated whether a continuous intraoperative infusion of dexmedetomidine, which increases renal blood flow, was associated with a lower risk of postoperative AKI in paediatric patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included paediatric patients

BACKGROUND The ability of current depth-of-anaesthesia monitors to differentiate subtle changes in the conscious state has not been well characterised. We examine the variability in bispectral index (BIS) scores associated with disconnected conscious and unconscious states as confirmed by a novel serial awakening paradigm. METHODS Seventy adult participants, given propofol or dexmedetomidine, had a

BACKGROUND Citation scores (CS) are traditionally used to measure the impact of scientific publications. Altmetric Attention Scores (AAS), in contrast, consider the digital dissemination of articles across social media platforms to track their audience reach. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine the correlation between AAS and CS in 12 high-impact-factor journals in the category of

BACKGROUND The supramammillary nucleus (SuM), located in the caudal hypothalamus, includes wake-promoting glutamatergic neurones. Their potential role in regulating states of consciousness during general anaesthesia remains unknown. METHODS We used in vivo fibre photometry, c-Fos staining, chemogenetic and optogenetic manipulations, and electroencephalography/electromyography to explore the roles of

Editor-We congratulate Lyne and colleagues1 on their initiative to explore and improve consent around perioperative mortality in children. Providing such data for families and clinicians is a key purpose of the Royal College of Anaesthetists' National Audit Projects (NAPs), and to this end, NAP7 studied perioperative cardiac arrest.2-4.

BACKGROUND Peripheral and truncal nerve blocks provide effective analgesia facilitating perioperative care. However, thresholds for clinically relevant effects remain undetermined and are left for clinicians to choose. These choices are fundamental for sample size calculations and interpretation of study results. This systematic scoping review aimed to create an overview of primary outcomes and anticipated

As populations age, the incidence of multimorbidity rises, posing significant challenges for surgical and perioperative healthcare systems. Emerging evidence suggests multimorbidity can lead to worse patient outcomes. Healthcare providers must consider multimorbidity as a critical factor when planning surgical interventions with patients. The potential for surgical pathways in addressing multimorbidity

BACKGROUND Thromboelastometry plays a key role in many transfusion algorithms. ROTEM® Sigma is the fully automated successor of ROTEM® Delta. Compatibility with current ROTEM® Delta-based algorithms remains uncertain. This study compares ROTEM® Delta with ROTEM® Sigma in patients undergoing thoracic aortic surgery. METHODS Three ROTEM® measurements in duplicate (one Delta and one Sigma) per patient

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is widely accepted as a useful treatment for patients with intractable chronic pain. However, its effectiveness varies between individuals. Therefore, a tool for evaluating its effectiveness in advance is eagerly awaited. We examined whether resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging as a diagnostic and prognostic tool can predict responsiveness to SCS.

Optimal postoperative pain management is a prerequisite for enhancing functional recovery after surgery. However, many studies assessing analgesic interventions have limitations. Consequently, further improvements in study design are urgently needed. In this focused editorial, we critically review prevalent trial designs and outcome measures including treatment-related adverse events evaluating analgesic

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-specific inhibitors provide significant analgesic and opioid-sparing benefits. However, these analgesics are commonly avoided owing to concerns of potential adverse effects. The evidence for NSAID-related adverse effects is conflicting and of poor quality, and these analgesics are safer than what has been implied. Thus, it is

BACKGROUND Aperiodic (nonoscillatory) electroencephalogram (EEG) activity can be characterised by its power spectral density, which decays according to an inverse power law. Previous studies reported a shift in the spectral exponent α from consciousness to unconsciousness. We investigated the impact of aperiodic EEG activity on parameters used for anaesthesia monitoring to test the hypothesis that

BACKGROUND Junior anaesthesiologists often find it difficult to gain the trust of surgeons, possibly because of their limited experience and unfamiliarity with surgeons. Therefore, they can face pressure when navigating disagreements with senior surgeons. We investigated whether and how differences in anaesthesiologist-surgeon seniority might impact patient safety. METHODS This was a sequential explanatory

BACKGROUND To avoid underdosing or overdosing of analgesic medications, a variety of nociception monitors that use distinct techniques have been developed to quantify nociception during general anaesthesia. Although prior meta-analyses have examined the behaviour of nociception monitors vs standard care protocols, they did not include the potentially valuable data for monitor-to-monitor comparisons

BACKGROUND Anaesthesia has been shown to impair social functioning, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. The volatile anaesthetic isoflurane potentially disrupts the methionine cycle and trans-sulphuration pathway, contributing to social deficits. Cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS), a key enzyme in this pathway, might be targeted by isoflurane. We investigated the CBS-isoflurane interaction

BACKGROUND Surgery can induce severe neuroinflammation and negative emotional symptoms, such as anxiety-like behaviour. We studied whether reactive astrocytes in the zona incerta (ZI) mediate surgery-induced anxiety in mice. METHODS Laparotomy under isoflurane 1.5 vol% was used as a model in adult mice. The role of the ZI in surgery-induced anxiety was evaluated by behavioural tests, optical fibre

BACKGROUND Morphine and hydromorphone have differing onsets, magnitudes, and durations of effects and side-effects. Differences between opioids in their interindividual variabilities in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics might influence rational drug selection. Crossover drug studies can provide more informative interindividual variability data than parallel group studies. Using data from a crossover

BACKGROUND This study aimed to assess whether a driving pressure-limiting strategy based on positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) titration according to best respiratory system compliance and tidal volume adjustment increases the number of ventilator-free days within 28 days in patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). METHODS This is a multi-centre, randomised

BACKGROUND Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) potentially increase the risk of pulmonary aspiration resulting from impaired gastric emptying (IGE). We evaluated the association between GLP-1RAs and IGE using the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). METHODS We analysed FAERS data from 2004 Q1 to 2024 Q1, identifying the top 10 drugs linked to IGE

BACKGROUND In a previous phase II trial, intraperitoneal local anaesthetics shortened the time interval between surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, an endpoint associated with improved survival in advanced ovarian cancer. Our objective was to test this in a phase III trial. METHODS A double-blind, phase III parallel superiority trial was conducted at two university hospitals in Sweden, within a public

BACKGROUND The incidence of severe adverse events in children with SARS-CoV-2 undergoing anaesthesia has not been well established. We examined the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe perioperative adverse events in children. METHODS This multicentre (21 North American institutions), retrospective cohort study included children <18 years old, with American Society of Anesthesiologists

Life cycle assessment is increasingly used in the healthcare sector to facilitate more environmentally informed supply and medication use. A thorough life cycle assessment comparing the carbon impacts of 10 different single-use anaesthetic drug trays yielded surprising findings. Although life cycle assessment can guide decision-making, results must be interpreted clinically and in light of all available

BACKGROUND Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have enabled development of natural language algorithms capable of generating coherent texts. We evaluated the quality, validity, and safety of this generative AI in preoperative anaesthetic planning. METHODS In this exploratory, single-centre, convergent mixed-method study, 10 clinical vignettes were randomly selected, and ChatGPT (OpenAI

BACKGROUND Total hip replacement surgery is performed to improve quality of life (QoL). We explored the association between multimorbidity and change in QoL after total hip replacement. METHODS Analysis of patients included in the NHS England hip replacement Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) database with complete preoperative from 3 to 6 months postoperative EQ-5D QoL data from April 2013

Deciding the optimal time for surgery in patients with pre-existing comorbid disease is complex. A careful balance of risks is required to weigh up the therapeutic benefits of surgery against an increased risk of perioperative adverse outcomes, whereas the subsequent risk of adverse events and mortality is more dependent on pre-existing conditions. A study in a recent issue of BJA shows that people

BACKGROUND The acute hypoxic ventilatory response is a critical chemoreflex originating at the carotid bodies. This study investigates the impact of low-dose i.v. esketamine on the ventilatory response to 20 min of isocapnic hypoxia to test the hypothesis that esketamine does not affect hypoxic ventilation. METHODS In this open-label study, 18 healthy subjects received a 3-h escalating i.v. infusion

This narrative review evaluates the evidence regarding the protection offered by isolation gowns, approaches to imparting antimicrobial activity to gowns, and the environmental impacts of gown use, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a search of the Medline, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases for articles published between January 1, 2019 to February 20, 2024. We found that current

BACKGROUND Physical prehabilitation can enhance patient resilience to surgical stress, but its effects are unclear in vulnerable and frail patients. We aimed to determine the effect of a structured exercise prehabilitation programme on the quality of recovery after cardiac surgery in vulnerable and frail participants. METHODS This single-blinded, parallel-arm, superiority, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND Optimal composition and infusion rates of intravenous maintenance fluids for children undergoing surgery are not well defined. Avoidance of hypoglycaemia, ketosis, and hyponatraemia is important, and current guidelines recommend isotonic fluids containing 1.0-2.5% glucose. However, evidence for its safe use in infants is insufficient. The aim of this study was to investigate whether normoglycaemia

A report on participant views of a two-person check confirming tracheal intubation implemented in their institution found that this check was generally considered feasible and useful, but there was some resistance and some concerns that it would not solve the problem. Social, cultural, and cognitive factors play a role in airway management in the operating theatre, partly because of the pre-eminence

The score for prediction of postoperative respiratory complications in infants and children (SPORC-C) was recently reported. The score was developed using a large cohort of patients by applying a multivariate model, then internally and externally validated on a different cohort of patients. In order to encourage use of this score, an online calculator (https://sites.google.com/view/sporc-for-children/home)

Risk prediction scores are used to guide clinical decision-making. Our primary objective was to externally validate two patient-specific risk scores for 30-day in-hospital mortality using the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group (MPOG) registry: the Pediatric Risk Assessment (PRAm) score and the intrinsic surgical risk score. The secondary objective was to recalibrate these scores.

BACKGROUND Methoxyethyl etomidate hydrochloride (ET-26) is a novel etomidate analogue. This is the first-in-human study of a bolus i.v. formulation of ET-26 to assess its safety, tolerability, hypnotic effects, and pharmacokinetics. METHODS We enrolled 58 subjects in a dose-escalating study (stage 1a, 10 cohorts, ET-26 0.05-2.8 mg kg-1) and 40 subjects in a head-to-head study (stage 1b, four cohorts)

Propofol accounts for a substantial proportion of medication waste. Evidence-based waste reduction methods are scarce.