Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
Abstract Preeclampsia affects 6% to 8 % of all pregnancies in the United States and is a significant cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Disease management includes judicious…
Drugs Affecting the Renin-Angiotensin System
Case Synopsis A 95-kg, 70-year-old man is scheduled to have a left internal carotid endarterectomy. He takes amlodipine (5 mg/day) and irbesartan (150 mg/day), an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, for…
Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders in the Operating Room
Abstract Many anesthesiologists, surgeons, and operating room nurses assume that do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders can and even should automatically be suspended in the circumstances of anesthesia and surgery. However, both ethical…
Dialysis-Dependent Patients
Abstract End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major health problem in the United States, with about 650,000 patients affected in 2012. These patients have a higher perioperative mortality rate due…
Chronic Opioid Use
Abstract The use of opioids to treat chronic noncancer pain has increased significantly over the last 15 years, in spite of very limited evidence to document its safety or efficacy….
Chemical Dependency: Opioids
Abstract Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by relapse and low recovery rates in the general population. Outcome research in these populations indicates that diverging results are because of factors…
Chemical Dependency: Nonopioids
Case Synopses Alcohol Dr. P is a 60-year-old white male anesthesiologist with a 40-year history of alcohol abuse. Five years ago, he was questioned about alcohol on his breath before…
Alzheimer’s Disease
Abstract The cognitive health of surgical patients over the age of 60 is of increasing concern to the providers, patients, and their families. Many elderly patients present with cognitive impairment…
Adrenal Insufficiency
Abstract Acute adrenal insufficiency, although not common, is an often unrecognized disorder in critically ill patients. Even minor degrees of adrenal insufficiency can increase the mortality of critically ill or…
