Early exposure to anesthesiology: a summer preceptorship program for first-year medical students.

Introduction: A 4-week summer preceptorship offered first-year medical students early exposure to anesthesiology following their preclerkship courses in pharmacology and cardiopulmonary physiology. The main objective was to provide students with clinical skills and prepare them for rotations while immersing them in a unique experience, introducing a specialty not covered in core rotations. Methods: Participants were selected via their responses to an application. In addition to shadowing anesthesiologists, curriculum components included weekly faculty lectures on core aspects of anesthesiology (introductory basics, perioperative drugs, airway, and crisis management); multiple simulation labs (workstation setup, intubation clinics, intravenous and central line placement, ultrasound techniques); research opportunities; and mentorship from physicians and senior medical students. The program culminated in each student successfully leading a simulated case to receive a certificate of completion. Results: A survey of 15 participants revealed significant improvements in ability to intubate (P < 0.05), ability to perform a transthoracic echocardiogram (P < 0.05), interest in anesthesiology as a specialty (P < 0.05), and preparedness for future rotations (P < 0.05). Discussion: This program accelerates clinical exposure for preclerkship students, providing insights into anesthesiology early in their medical journey. It provides research and mentorship, fosters professional growth, and enhances individual competitiveness for residency program applications.

An Approach to Anesthetic Management of Venous Anomalies and Outflow Reconstruction in Liver Transplants.

Hepatic venous outflow is a pivotal factor in liver transplant. However, venous anomalies and the potential for hepatic venous congestion continue to remain major points of concern to ensure the viability of transplanted livers and maximize regenerative capacity. We present a 66-year-old patient undergoing liver transplantation who was found to have anomalous venous drainage requiring venous anastomoses. To ensure adequate venous flow and minimize the possibility of graft congestion and liver dysfunction, the anesthetic management of the patient's hemodynamic status was of utmost importance. The use of osmotic diuretics and intraoperative sonography was used to ensure adequate perfusion.

Efficacy of nasal continuous positive airway pressure as a preferred airway management during intravenous sedation of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background: As the incidence of aortic stenosis is increasing in correlation with the aging population, symptomatic patients commonly require valve replacement procedures. If left untreated, symptomatic aortic stenosis can lead to death in 2 to 3 years. Often, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures are performed with the assistance of oxygenation via nasal cannula. However, oxygenation achieved through a nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) device could be a more optimized strategy for patients without any sacrifice in efficacy compared to nasal cannula. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 28 patients at Baylor University Medical Center who presented to the operating room for a TAVR between January and October 2021. Fourteen patients received oxygenation via nasal cannula (control group) and 14 received oxygenation with nCPAP. Information gathered included method of oxygenation, length of stay, episodes of hypoxia (defined as sustained oxygen saturation <92% for at least 1 minute), paravalvular leak, pacemaker placement, and mean atrial valve (AV) gradient before and after the procedure. Results: In the nCPAP group, the average length of stay was 2.79 days vs 2.71 days in the nasal cannula group. In the nCPAP group, no patient required a permanent pacemaker, while the nasal cannula group had a 40% rate of permanent pacemaker placement. The average preprocedure AV gradient was 51.14 in the nCPAP group and 42.57 in the nasal cannula group. The average postprocedure AV gradient was 8.5 in the nCPAP group and 5.36 in the nasal cannula group. Both groups had an intensive care unit admission rate of 0%. The rate of paravalvular leak was 35.7% in the nCPAP group and 28.6% in the nasal cannula group. The nCPAP group had an average of 0 episodes of hypoxia and the nasal cannula group had an average of 0.93 episodes of hypoxia. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the viability of nCPAP as an effective method of oxygenation during intravenous sedation of TAVR patients when compared to oxygenation achieved via nasal cannula during TAVRs.

Tranexamic Acid Use Intra-Operatively Decreases the Need for Blood Transfusions and Post-Operative Edema in Temporomandibular Joint Surgeries.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgeries cover a vast assortment of surgical procedures such as tooth extractions, tissue biopsies, and extensive maxillofacial surgeries. Major complications that occur during and after TMJ surgeries include uncontrolled bleeding, considerable blood loss, serious infections, and edema. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic agent that reduces blood loss by inhibiting the enzymatic breakdown of fibrin. Currently, TXA is widely used in various orthopedic surgeries to reduce bleeding and decrease the need for blood transfusions. In this study, we observed five patients undergoing major TMJ replacement surgeries and administered TXA during the procedure. The principal aim of this study was to examine the association between TXA administration during TMJ replacement surgery and blood loss and tissue edema.

Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure as a Preferred Airway Management During IV Sedation of Obese Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Undergoing Functional Luminal Imaging Probe Panometry.

The functional luminal imaging probe (FLIP) utilizes high-resolution planimetry to provide information regarding esophagogastric junction (EGJ) diameter, EGJ distensibility, and reactive contractile patterns of the esophageal body. This is an FDA-approved measurement tool utilized to both diagnose and measure various upper gastrointestinal disorders. While patients are sedated during FLIP panometry, significant respiratory variations can affect the quality of FLIP panometry results. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can be utilized to prevent intraoperative or postoperative hypoxia in obese patients as well as those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In this retrospective chart review, we compared obese patients with a diagnosis of OSA who underwent FLIP panometry utilizing nasal CPAP as airway management against a group who underwent the same procedure with a nasal cannula to evaluate the incidence of hypoxia, hypercapnia, variation in cardiovascular dynamics, and the quality of FLIP panometry readings.

Iatrogenic Arteriovenous Fistula Secondary to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Causing Severe Decompensated Heart Failure.

Congestive heart failure has long been a well-known cause of both morbidity and mortality for thousands of people worldwide. Consequences of decompensated heart failure are systemic and widespread, including but not limited to pulmonary edema, dyspnea, hypoxia, peripheral edema, and end-organ hypoperfusion. Common etiologies of congestive heart failure include systemic hypertension, coronary artery disease, longstanding alcohol abuse, valvular dysfunctions, and myocarditis. While the vast majority of congestive heart failure cases are secondary to one of these common etiologies, there is a subset of cases that cannot be traced to any of these causes and are most often grouped under the category of idiopathic. One rarely seen etiology of decompensated heart failure is an arteriovenous fistula, whether naturally occurring or iatrogenic. We report a case of an iatrogenic AV fistula secondary to percutaneous coronary intervention causing severe decompensated heart failure that was successfully treated with surgical ligation.

Target acquisition with UAVs: vigilance displays and advanced cuing interfaces.

Vigilance and threat detection are critical human factors considerations in the control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Utilizing a vigilance task in which threat detections (critical signals) led observers to perform a subsequent manual target acquisition task, this study provides information that might have important implications for both of these considerations in the design of future UAV systems. A sensory display format resulted in more threat detections, fewer false alarms, and faster target acquisition times and imposed a lighter workload than did a cognitive display format. Additionally, advanced visual, spatial-audio, and haptic cuing interfaces enhanced acquisition performance over no cuing in the target acquisition phase of the task, and they did so to a similar degree. Thus, in terms of potential applications, this research suggests that a sensory format may be the best display format for threat detection by future UAV operators, that advanced cuing interfaces may prove useful in future UAV systems, and that these interfaces are functionally interchangeable.