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2012 Course Dates Finalised

The dates for the 2012 Perioperative Medicine Short Course have been announced.

The format is similar to previous years courses:
- 6 Weeks of online/distance education
- 1 week for a mid-term break
- A second 6 week block of online/distance education
- A two day weekend, requiring physical attendance, in Melbourne, Australia.

The course commences with the online component on 4th June 2012, and runs to 9th September 2012.

Participants will have a choice of which weekend they would like to attend - either 1st & 2nd September or 8th to 9th September 2012

If you wish to place your name on the 2012 course, click here to email Ms Aushra Saldukas (Course Organiser)

The Masters in Perioperative Medicine for 2012 has been finalised.

We are proud to announce that in conjunction with Monash University and the Academic Board of Anaesthesia & Perioperative Medicine, a formal masters in medicine programme, with specialisation in perioperative medicine for 2012 will commence.

Further details are available via the Monash University handbook and website.

If you are interested in receiving further information about the 2012 short course or masters programme, click here to email Ms Aushra Saldukas (Course Organiser)

Best wishes and thank you for your interest,

Perioperative Medicine Short Course Organisers

Journal Watch

Atelectasis and perioperative pulmonary complications
Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology
February 2012 - Volume 25 - Issue 1 - p 1–10
doi: 10.1097/ACO.0b013e32834dd1eb

Atelectasis may contribute to serious PPCs including respiratory failure and pneumonia. Ventilator settings during anesthesia, especially with higher tidal volumes (VT) (>10 ml/kg), high plateau pressures (>30 cmH2O) and without positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP), are associated with lung injury even in healthy, but partially collapsed, lungs.
Read more... Link
ERAS
Enhanced Recovery After colorectal Surgery (ERAS)

Current Anaesthesia & Critical Care
Volume 21, Issue 3, Pages 121-124; Enhanced recovery after colorectal surgery; M. Grover

The author of this article presents a guideline to minimise length of stay following colorectal surgery. Using traditional approaches to surgery and anaesthesia, most patients would stay days-weeks following their surgery. The ERAS approach uses multiple evidence based techniques in the pre-operative, intraoperative and postoperative phase of surgery to allow adequate non-opioid analgesia, allow rapid mobilisation and early resumption of oral diet.
Vasopressin
Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia
Volume 24, Issue 2, April 2010, Pages 330-347

Vasopressin: A Review of Therapeutic Applications

This review examines the use and evidence behind vasopressin in management of the septic patient. It summarises particularly well the results of the VASST trial, which was one of the first trials to demonstrate a superior outcome in intensive care units with vasopressin in comparison to noradrenaline/norepinephrine. In addition the author reviews its use and indications for vasoplegic syndrome and in cardiac arrest management.