Awake tracheal intubation involves placing an endotracheal tube in the trachea while the patient continues to spontaneously breathe. In this case the clinician does not take away the patient’s respirations or airway reflexes. This is different from rapid sequence intubation (RSI) or intubation under general anesthesia which involve induction and muscular relaxation (Schrader & Urits,
Postoperative fever is the body’s reaction to infection and other stressors that may cause tissue damage and inflammation after surgery and is mediated by pyrogenic cytokines [5]. It is defined as a temperature greater than 38.3 degrees Celsius (101 degrees Fahrenheit) occurring within the first 72 hours after surgery [1]. Postoperative fever can be caused
Workplace and environmental lead exposure spearhead many modern incidents of lead poisoning. As described by Teerasarntipan et al. (2015), chronic exposure to lead presents with a blood lead level of 70 μg/dL accumulated over a period of 12 months in symptomatic patients.1 Symptoms of lead poisoning are ambiguous and dependent on the mode of exposure,
Liver problems are increasingly frequent in the U.S. and global populations [1]. Cirrhosis is chronic liver damage caused by different liver conditions, such as hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. Today, cirrhosis is a substantial public health problem, accounting for approximately 770,000 deaths annually, and, according to autopsy studies, affecting 4.5% to 9.5% of the global population
Access to vaccines for COVID-19 varies dramatically worldwide, with roughly a third of the global population still entirely unvaccinated. Low-income countries (LICs) are the least vaccinated, with only 20.7 percent of eligible individuals in these countries having received at least one dose as of August 2022.1 While the rate of booster vaccination in LICs hovers
The use of dexmedetomidine in pediatrics has grown over the last decade as research has shown the benefits of its use in procedural sedation, anxiety management, and pediatric palliative care [1]. In contrast to other anesthetic drugs, dexmedetomidine is unique in that its pharmacological profile mimics natural sleep patterns [2]. After dexmedetomidine administration, children
The physiological effects of zero gravity have long been investigated and remain an area of active inquiry 1. Zero gravity has both short- and long-term effects on the human body, upon entry and following prolonged exposure 2 , and is known to affect the entire human body, including the neurovestibular, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and hemato-immunological systems.
One of the most difficult aspects of treating pain is maintaining analgesia without overprescribing addictive pain medications such as opioids. Enter the placebo – an approach which has typically been characterized as a way of “tricking” the mind into believing that the pain has been treated, even when it hasn’t. As a result, the patient
Two weeks ago, the FDA granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for the InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer, the first breath test for SARS-CoV-2 infection that has received such status in the US. The EUA is for the “near patient/point-of-care” setting, meaning settings in which the patient specimen is both collected and analyzed, as compared to PCR tests
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, colloquially known as heartburn, is a very common ailment all over the world. Almost everyone experiences acid reflux at some point in their lives, and for almost half those people, it occurs at least once a month [1]. Acid reflux occurs due to decreased lower esophageal sphincter tone, causing gastric acid from