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There are more of you here every day, and honestly? It’s the best kind of motivation. I’ve been writing less than I’d like lately, but the spark is back. Your inbox is about to get a lot more anecrit in the next few weeks. Thanks for sticking with me—hope you love this issue!

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Anesthesiology:

Guidelines & Consensus:

1- General:

1. The definition and aims of Anesthesia: a Delphi-based consensus statement, Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine, January 2026, Link

2- Cardiovascular & Hemodynamics:

2. Management of anaesthesia for transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation: an Italian interdisciplinary consensus statement, BJA, 2 January 2026, Link
3. Perioperative hemodynamic optimization - Adults including obstetrics, Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine, January 2026, Link

3- Obstetrics & Gynecology:

4. Prevention and Treatment of Maternal Stroke in Pregnancy and Postpartum: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association, Stroke, 28 January 2026, Link

4- Pediatric:

5. Perioperative hemodynamic optimization - Paediatrics, Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine, January 2026, Link

Systematic reviews & meta-analyses:

1- General:

6. Prevalence of perioperative functional disability using WHODAS 2.0 and associated adverse outcomes in surgical populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine, January 2026, Link
7. Eight strategic elements that support successful implementation of beneficial nutritional interventions in the perioperative setting: A systematic review, Clinical Nutrition, Janaury 2026, Link

2- Airway & Mechanical Ventilation:

8. Efficacy of High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy During Bronchoscopy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Journal of Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology, April 2026, Link

3- Cardiovascular & Hemodynamics:

9. Topical versus Intravenous Tranexamic Acid in Cardiac Surgery: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 20 January 2026, Link
10. Acute normovolaemic haemodilution after cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials, BJA, 19 January 2026, Link
11. Cognitive Outcomes in Randomized Controlled Trials of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery From 2005 to 2025: A Systematic Review, Journal of the American Heart Association, 14 January 2026, Link
12. Efficacy of Hemoadsorption in Cardiac Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 14 January 2026, Link

4- Neuro:

13. Effects of EEG-guided anesthetic depth monitoring on delirium incidence across different age groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis, BMC Anesthesiology ,28 January 2026, Link

5- Pediatric:

14. Erector spinae plane block in pediatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis, BMC Anesthesiology, 17 January 2026, Link
15. Intranasal esketamine plus dexmedetomidine versus dexmedetomidine alone for emergence delirium in pediatric patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, BMC Anesthesiology, 17 January 2026, Link
16. Perioperative Monitoring of Regional Oxygen Saturation in Congenital Heart Disease: Systematic Review of Literature up to 2023, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, 12 January 2026, Link
17. Impact of preoperative fasting duration on perioperative complications in elective paediatric procedures: a systematic review and meta-analysis, BJA, January 2026, Link

6- Regional Anesthesia & Pain Management:

18. Superficial parasternal intercostal plane block for analgesia after cardiac surgery: an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with meta-regression and trial sequential analysis, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 19 January 2026, Link
19. Analgesic efficacy of multiple regional nerve block techniques in laparoscopic hepatectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis, BMC Anesthesiology, 17 January 2026, Link
20. The effect of fascia Iliaca compartment block in patients with total hip arthroplasty under general vs. spinal anesthesia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, BMC Anesthesiology, 13 January 2026, Link
21. Dexmedetomidine for opioid-sparing postoperative analgesia: a systematic review and meta-analysis, BMC Anesthesiology, 13 January 2026, Link
22. Transversus abdominis plane block for postoperative pain management and opioid sparing: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials, BJA, January 2026, Link
23. Safety of clonidine and dexmedetomidine in peripheral nerve blocks: a systematic review of preclinical evidence, BJA, January 2026, Link
24. Comparative Efficacy of Adductor Canal Block in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, A&A practice, January 2026, Link

Clinical trials:

1- General:

25. Effect of low-dose propofol infusion with sevoflurane versus propofol-only total intravenous anesthesia on postoperative nausea and vomiting in high-risk patients: a single-blind randomized controlled clinical trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 28 January 2026, Link
26. Could Taurine supplementation improve graft functions after liver transplantation? A randomized clinical trial among liver transplant Recipients, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 26 January 2026, Link
27. Dose-dependent effects of esketamine on the prevention of propofol-induced injection pain: a randomized controlled trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 17 January 2026, Link
28. Low dose of sugammadex versus neostigmine for reversal of rocuronium-induced moderate neuromuscular block: a randomized controlled trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 17 January 2026, Link
29. Conscious analgesia with oxycodone improves the efficacy and safety in patients at high risk of aspiration during gastroscopy: a randomized double-blind trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 14 January 2026, Link
30. Novel Immune-Modulating Formula Versus Standard Formula for Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients at Risk of Malnutrition Undergoing Surgery: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 26 January 2026, Link
31. A single-centre, randomised comparison of the performance and safety of a novel mechanomyography sensor with electromyography, BJA, 7 January 2026, Link

2- Airway & Mechanical Ventilation:

32. Effect of supraglottic endotracheal tube inserted transorally on preventing hypoxemia in obese patients undergoing sedated bidirectional endoscopy: a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 9 January 2026, Link

3- Cardiovascular & Hemodynamics:

33. Comparison of performance characteristics of flexible bronchoscopy or video laryngoscopy-assisted versus blind insertion of transesophageal echocardiography probe in adults undergoing cardiac surgery: A randomized controlled study, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 21 January 2026, Link
34. Impaired endotoxin inactivation, rather than gut translocation, is associated with organ injury in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass: An ancilliary analysis of a randomised control trial, EJA, 14 January 2026, Link
35. Evaluation of the Effect of Intravenous Lidocaine on the Systemic Inflammatory Response Associated with Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Valvular and/or Coronary Cardiac Surgery: Protocol for a Double-Blind Randomised Clinical Trial, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 10 January 2026, Link
36. Impact of continuing renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors before surgery on intraoperative hypotensive events: a secondary analysis of the STOP-or-NOT Trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 8 January 2026, Link
37. Individualized intraoperative blood pressure control with norepinephrine reduces kidney injury biomarkers but not creatinine-defined acute kidney injury in older patients with hypertension undergoing major abdominal surgery: a single-center randomized controlled trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 6 January 2026, Link
38. Low dose of landiolol does not prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery in non-Asian patients: a multicentre randomised study, BJA, January 2026, Link
39. Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Outcomes After Cardiac Surgery (DOCS): a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, BJA, January 2026, Link

4- Thoracic:

40. Lateral Decubitus Strategy is Superior to Ventilatory Strategy in Preventing Atelectasis From Obscuring Targets During Robotic Bronchoscopy, Leading to Improved Procedural Outcomes (Lateral Decubitus Strategy vs Ventilatory Strategy to Prevent Atelectasis Trial), CHEST, 8 January 2026, Link

5- Neuro:

41. Opioid-free Anesthesia for Craniotomy in Supratentorial Tumors: An Open-labeled Single-blinded Randomized Controlled Study, Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology, 15 January 2026, Link

6- Obstetrics & Gynecology:

42. Prophylactic esketamine to reduce postpartum depression in primiparae: A multicentre, double-blind, randomised clinical trial, EJA, 29 Janaury 2026, Link

7- Pediatric:

43. High-Flow Nasal Oxygenation in Infants Undergoing Tracheal Intubation: A Single-center Randomized Controlled Trial, Anesthesiology, 20 January 2026, Link
44. Comparison of oral versus rectal NSAIDs for perioperative analgesia in pediatric circumcision using a disposable circumcision suture device: a randomized controlled trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 8 January 2026, Link
45. Optimal remimazolam dosage for pediatric painless gastrointestinal endoscopy: a randomized controlled trial comparing efficacy and safety of three doses combined with sufentanil and propofol, BMC Anesthesiology, 2 January 2026, Link

8- Orthopedic:

46. Effect of continuous intraoperative intravenous dexmedetomidine infusion on postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing lower extremity orthopedic surgery under neuraxial anesthesia: a prospective single-center controlled clinical trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 20 January 2026, Link

9- Regional Anesthesia & Pain Management

47. Oblique subcostal transversus abdominis plane block versus transmuscular quadratus lumborum block for postoperative analgesia and quality of recovery in laparoscopic gynecological surgery: a prospective randomized controlled double-blind trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 24 January 2026, Link
48. Dexmedetomidine as adjuvant of transversus abdominal plane block for cesarean delivery under multimodal analgesia: a randomized clinical trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 23 January 2026, Link
49. Effect of Combined Deep and Superficial Serratus Anterior Plane Block versus Deep Serratus Anterior Plane Block on Postoperative Pain After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Trial, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 21 January 2026, Link
50. Comparison of the analgesic efficacy of superficial and deep serratus anterior plane blocks in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery: a prospective randomized single blind study, BMC Anesthesiology, 15 January 2026, Link
51. Perineural injection or intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine in ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block combined with serratus anterior plane block for analgesia after thoracoscopic surgery: a randomized controlled study, BMC Anesthesiology, 14 January 2026, Link
52. Impact of interscalene versus superior trunk blocks as sole anesthetics on respiratory outcomes for shoulder arthroscopy: a randomized controlled trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 14 January 2026, Link
53. Different local anesthetic volumes for unilateral spinal anesthesia in varicose vein surgery: a prospective randomized clinical trial, BMC Anesthesiology, 10 January 2026, Link
54. Intravenous Esketamine Versus Erector Spinae Plane Block for Postoperative Recovery Quality Following Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Non-Inferiority Trial, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 3 January 2026, Link

Reviews:

1- General:

55. Preoperative Evaluation of Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery: Recommendations, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations, Anesthesiology, 26 Janaury 2026, Link
56. Beyond observational data: understanding anaesthesia research better with causal diagrams: An introductory review, EJA, 20 January 2026, Link
57. Climate resilience as a strategic lever for long-term healthcare sustainability: a narrative review, BJA, January 2026, Link
58. The role of the anaesthetist in mitigating the environmental impacts of nitrous oxide: a narrative review, BJA, January 2026, Link

2- Cardiovascular & Hemodynamics:

59. Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury, BJA Edu, February 2026, Link
60. Management of Chronic Antihypertensive Medications in the Perioperative Period: A Clinical Focus Review, Anesthesiology, 27 Janaury 2026, Link
61. Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders in Elderly Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Prevention, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 21 January 2026, Link
62. Echocardiography in structural heart disease, Current Opinion in Anesthesiology, 9 January 2026, Link
63. Current Affairs of the Heart: Hydration Status in Cardiac Patients Assessed by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 6 January 2026, Link

3- Neuro:

64. Anaesthesia for cervical spine surgery. Part 1: elective surgery, BJA Edu, February 2026, Link
65. Targeting glycolysis and maintaining glucose homeostasis for treating perioperative neurocognitive disorder: a narrative review, BJA, January 2026, Link

4- Obstetrics & Gynecology:

66. Enhanced recovery after Caesarean delivery. Part 2: postoperative considerations and quality indicators, BJA Edu, 27 January 2026, Link
67. Enhanced recovery after Caesarean delivery. Part 1: preoperative and intraoperative considerations, BJA Edu, 20 January 2026, Link

5- Pediatric:

68. Anaesthesia for children with cervical spine anomalies, BJA Edu, 27 January 2026, Link

6- Regional Anesthesia & Pain Management

69. Intraoperative methadone: promise and pitfalls, Current Opinion in Anesthesiology, 9 January 2026, Link
70. Stellate ganglion block in perioperative practice: a narrative review, BJA, January 2026, Link

Critical Care:

Guidelines & Consensus:

1- Cardiovascular & Hemodynamics:

1. American Association for the Surgery of Trauma—World Society of Emergency Surgery Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of cervical vascular injuries, Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 13 January 2026, Link

2- Thorax/Lungs/Airways/Mechanical ventilation:

2. American Association for the Surgery of Trauma–World Society of Emergency Surgery guidelines on the diagnosis and management of major thoracic vascular injuries, Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, February 2026, Link
3. Guidelines 2024: Emergency intubation of an adult outside the operating room and intensive care unit, Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine, 22 January 2026, Link

3- Neuro-muscular:

4. 2026 Guideline for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, Stroke, 26 January 2026, Link
5. Guidelines for Neuroprognostication in Critically Ill Adults with Status Epilepticus, Neurtocritical Care, 8 January 2026, Link

4- Renal:

6. Multidisciplinary guidelines on renal replacement therapy in intensive care medicine, Critical Care, 14 January 2026, Link

5- Infectious Diseases:

7. A consensus of international experts on definition, sampling, treatment, and prevention of peripheral extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannula-site infection obtained by the Delphi method: the SAVECMO study, Intensive Care Medicine, 8 Janaury 2026, Link

6- Other:

8. Proceedings of an International Summit on Frailty in the Critically Ill: A Consensus on Future Research Directions, CHEST Critical care, 28 Janaury 2026, Link

Systematic reviews & meta-analyses:

1- Cardiovascular & Hemodynamics:

9. Prognostic Factors Among Patients Receiving Microaxial Flow Pump for Acute Myocardial Infarction-Related Cardiogenic Shock: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Critical Care Medicine, 8 January 2026, Link
10. Multi-omics in cardiac arrest: a systematic review, Resuscitation Plus, January 2026, Link
11. Incidence and prognostic impact of delirium after cardiac arrest: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Resuscitation Plus, January 2026, Link
12. Intravenous magnesium administration errors, attributing factors and associated respiratory or cardiopulmonary arrest in obstetric and non-obstetric patients—A systematic review, Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine, January 2026, Link

2- Thorax/Lungs/Airways/Mechanical ventilation:

13. Tracheal Intubation using Video Laryngoscopy as Compared to Direct Laryngoscopy During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, Resuscitation, 20 January 2026, Link
14. Approaches to Converting Spo₂/Fio₂ Ratio to Pao₂/Fio₂ Ratio for Assessment of Respiratory Failure in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review, Critical Care Medicine, 6 January 2026, Link
15. Inhaled nitric oxide for acute respiratory distress syndrome in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Journal of Intensive Care, 2 January 2026, Link

3- Neuro-muscular:

16. Neuroprognostication After Cardiac Arrest Using Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Critical Care Medicine, 15 January 2026, Link
17. Systematic Review of Direct Hospital Costs Associated with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Management, Neurtocritical Care, 15 January 2026, Link

4- Blood & hemostasis:

18. Should platelet transfusion be used to reverse preinjury antiplatelet agents in traumatic brain injury? A systematic review and meta-analysis, Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 12 January 2026, Link

5- Infectious Diseases:

19. The diagnostic accuracy of serum procalcitonin for sepsis in critically ill adults. A systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis, Journal of Critical Care, April 2026, Link
20. Low-dose corticosteroids in cirrhotic patients with septic shock or vasopressor-dependent shock: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Journal of Critical Care, April 2026, Link
21. Effects on mortality of blood purification techniques in severe septic shock patients. An updated Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Journal of Critical Care, April 2026, Link
22. Prognostic factors associated with mortality in septic shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis, The Lancet Respiartory Medicine, 28 Janauary 2026, Link

6- Sedation & analgesia:

23. Continuous ketamine infusion for surgical patients in the intensive care unit: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with GRADE assessment, Critical Care, 23 January 2026, Link

7- Pediatric critical care:

24. Video Versus Direct Laryngoscopy for Pediatric Intubation During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Simulation-based Trials, Pediatric Emergency Care, 21 January 2026, Link

8- Other:

25. Discovery of data quality issues in electronic health records: profound consequences for critical care medicine applications – a systematized review, Critical Care, 8 January 2026, Link

Clinical trials:

1- Cardiovascular & Hemodynamics:

26. Effects of mild hypercapnia on myocardial injury among ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A exploratory post-hoc study of the TAME trial, Resuscitation, 21 January 2026, Link
27. Prehospital transesophageal echocardiography versus conventional advanced life support in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (PHTEE–OHCA) – a randomized controlled pilot study, Critical care, 23 January 2026, Link
28. Vasopressin, steroids, and epinephrine in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest – a protocol for a randomized controlled trial (OHCA REVIVES trial), Resuscitation Plus, January 2026, Link

2- Thorax/Lungs/Airways/Mechanical ventilation:

29. Ventilator settings for fiberoptic bronchoscopy during mechanical ventilation: a randomized adjudicator-blinded controlled trial VentSetFib, Critical Care, 27 January 2026, Link
30. Lung perfusion estimation by saline-contrast EIT without breath hold: a randomized cross-over trial, Critical care, 5 January 2026, Link

3- Neuro-muscular:

31. Properties of testosterone transdermal gel in restoring serum testosterone levels in critically ill patients: the TestICU-1 pilot study, Journal of Critical Care, April 2026, Link
32. Serum biomarkers of postanoxic encephalopathy in relation to ghrelin treatment. A secondary analysis of the GRECO trial, Resuscitation, 20 January 2026, Link
33. Efficacy of suspension-based lower-limb rehabilitation device in enhancing lower limb function among patients with ICU-acquired weakness: a self-controlled randomized clinical trial, Critical Care, 16 January 2026, Link

4- Renal:

34. Association between anemia and trauma-related severe acute kidney injury in trauma patients at risk of major bleeding: A post-hoc analysis of the RESTRIC trial, Journal of Critical Care, April 2026, Link

5- Nutrition:

35. Early Supplemental Parenteral Nutrition Shortens Ventilation and Intensive Care Unit Stay in ICU Patients Aged ≥60 Years Requiring Mechanical Ventilation: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 19 January 2026, Link

6- Infectious Diseases:

36. Seven days versus extended duration antibiotic therapy for multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections in critically ill patients: A pooled analysis of the OPTIMISE and REGARD-VAP trials, Journal of Critical Care, April 2026, Link
37. Early Methylene Blue for Mortality Reduction in High-Dose VasoPREssor-Dependent Septic Shock (EMPRESS): protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial, Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine, 24 January 2026, Link
38. Impact of renal vein doppler ultrasound-guided CVP titration in sepsis: a pilot randomized controlled trial, Critical Care, 24 January 2026, Link
39. Causal effects of serum testosterone on septic shock mortality: a Mendelian randomization study, Critical Care, 23 January 2026, Link
40. Hospital-adapted inhaled phage therapy for ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae: a comparative pilot study, Critical care, 13 January 2026, Link
41. Ceftriaxone to Prevent Early-Onset Pneumonia in Comatose Patients Following Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial and Resistome Assessment (PROTECT), CHEST, January 2026, Link

7- Sedation & analgesia:

42. Remimazolam Besylate Versus Dexmedetomidine As a Sedative in ICU Patients Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation: A Multicenter, Single-blinded, Randomized, Noninferiority Trial, Critical Care Medicine, 12 January 2026, Link

8- Other:

43. Cyclosporine versus placebo pretreatment of brain-dead donors and kidney graft function (Cis-A-Rein trial): a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, Intensive Care Medicine, 8 Janauary 2026, Link

Reviews:

1- Cardiovascular & Hemodynamics:

44. Cardiogenic Shock: Current Evidence, Guideline Perspectives, and Outcomes, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 24 January 2026, Link
45. Diagnosis of occlusion myocardial infarction, Current Opinion in Critical Care, 20 January 2026, Link
46. Early management of acute heart failure, Current Opinion in Critical Care, 20 January 2026, Link
47. Femoral vein Doppler ultrasound for assessing venous congestion and right heart function: a scoping review, ICM Experimental, 14 January 2026, Link
48. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for tropical infections: a scoping review, Journal of Intensive Care, 12 January 2026, Link
49. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation following cardiac surgery: a scoping review, Resuscitation Plus, January 2026, Link
50. Key physiological indicators and technological trends in physiology-directed cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A narrative review, Resuscitation Plus, January 2026, Link
51. Artificial Intelligence in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training – A scoping review, Resuscitation Plus, January 2026, Link
52. Effects of peri-arrest hypertonic/hyperoncotic fluid treatment on clinical outcomes in non-trauma-related resuscitation – A scoping review, Resuscitation Plus, January 2026, Link