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Relative blood pressure drops track with postoperative pneumonia; clear video view does not ensure easy intubation; CRNA pay rises 6.3%
THE SHORT READ
Intraoperative hypotension defined as a relative drop from baseline mean arterial pressure was more consistently tied to postoperative pneumonia than absolute thresholds in a 151,036-patient cohort published Oct. 2 in Anaesthesia. A 44-hospital study found a good glottic view on videolaryngoscopy did not ensure easy intubation. Authors of a New York City study said their findings support deactivating central nitrous oxide pipelines, and a SullivanCotter survey found pay for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) rose 6.3%.
THE DETAILS
- Research Oct 2, 2026The retrospective study in Anaesthesia covered adults having non-cardiac surgery under general anesthesia at three Chinese hospitals and tested 12 hypotension metrics across nine thresholds. Postoperative pneumonia occurred in 3,486 patients (2.3%). At a 20% reduction from baseline mean arterial pressure, the presence of intraoperative hypotension was associated with pneumonia (subdistribution hazard ratio 1.108), while absolute thresholds were not consistently associated after adjustment. The authors said keeping blood pressure close to baseline may be more relevant to pulmonary risk than fixed absolute thresholds.Source: Anaesthesia
- Research Oct 2, 2026The prospective study analyzed 5,302 videolaryngoscopic intubations with paired assessments using a three-part classification covering blade geometry, glottic view by percentage of glottic opening (POGO) and tube delivery. Even with a POGO score above 75%, the initial strategy was difficult or failed in 252 of 4,025 cases (6.3%), and 37 of 151 intubations (24.5%) with a poor view were rated easy. The authors wrote in Anaesthesia that documentation based on laryngeal view alone does not reliably reflect intubation performance.Source: Anaesthesia
- Research Sept 28, 2026The interrupted time-series study in Anesthesia & Analgesia analyzed 148,762 general anesthetics at 11 NYC Health + Hospitals facilities from April 2022 through December 2025. Pipeline deactivation was associated with the largest reduction in nitrous oxide-attributable emissions, though its association with total emissions was not statistically significant. At Bellevue, 94.6% of centrally supplied nitrous oxide was lost before reaching patients, about 2,136 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. The authors said the findings support a 2024 American Society of Anesthesiologists recommendation to deactivate piped nitrous oxide.Source: Anesthesia & Analgesia
- Workforce Oct 1, 2026SullivanCotter's 2026 Advanced Practice Provider Compensation and Productivity Survey Report, released Oct. 1, found median total cash compensation rose 6.3% for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and 8.2% for certified anesthesiologist assistants from 2025 to 2026. From 2023 to 2026, median pay grew 19.3% for CRNAs and 30.2% for certified anesthesiologist assistants. Pay for hospital-based nurse practitioners and physician assistants rose about 2%, compared with more than 5% the year before. The survey drew on data from 892 organizations.