Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.039
Thomas W. Schnider , Charles F. Minto , Jamie W. Sleigh
{"title":"Association of intraoperative hypotension and cumulative norepinephrine dose with postoperative acute kidney injury in patients having noncardiac surgery: causal implications of the drug titration paradox. Br J Anaesth 2025; 134: 54–62","authors":"Thomas W. Schnider , Charles F. Minto , Jamie W. Sleigh","doi":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.039","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.039","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9250,"journal":{"name":"British journal of anaesthesia","volume":"136 1","pages":"Pages 423-424"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145404669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.036
Xiaoxiao Li , Pan Chang , Wensheng Zhang
{"title":"Photoacoustic detection of propofol in breath gas for monitoring depth of anaesthesia: achieving clinical application. Comment on Br J Anaesth 2025; 135: 1203–11","authors":"Xiaoxiao Li , Pan Chang , Wensheng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.036","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9250,"journal":{"name":"British journal of anaesthesia","volume":"136 1","pages":"Pages 420-422"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145447390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.11.006
Henrik Rüffert, Robyn Gillies, Philip M Hopkins, Klaus P E Glahn, Stephan Johannsen, Erik-Jan Kamsteeg, Anna Hellblom, Kathryn Stowell, Jonathan Bilmen, Martina Klincova, Thierry Girard
Since malignant hyperthermia (MH) was first described in 1960, the number of cases of this potentially life-threatening reaction to anaesthesia with fatal or serious outcomes has been markedly reduced thanks to continuous advances in knowledge about triggering, clinical course, and treatment. Another essential and evolving pillar of patient safety remains diagnostics, which serve to confirm or rule out suspected cases of MH and to identify other individuals at risk of MH for prevention. For more than 40 yr, the British Journal of Anaesthesia has published the updated consensus diagnostic protocols of the European Malignant Hyperthermia Group at regular intervals. The presented diagnostic guidelines have been comprehensively revised 10 yr after the last update after substantial advances in DNA-based testing methods. In addition to the previous classification of MH susceptibility by the in vitro halothane/caffeine contracture test, a new diagnostic designation, the MH genotype, has been introduced. The latter is reflected in the revised diagnostic pathways, which also include the adapted European Malignant Hyperthermia Group curation system for the classification of genetic variants with regard to their relevance to MH. In addition to minor changes in the in vitro halothane/caffeine contracture test protocol, the guidelines address updated patient referral criteria and clinical interpretation of diagnostic results. And for the first time, the guidelines provide a consensus definition of a clinical MH event.
{"title":"European Malignant Hyperthermia Group 2025 guidelines for the investigation of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility.","authors":"Henrik Rüffert, Robyn Gillies, Philip M Hopkins, Klaus P E Glahn, Stephan Johannsen, Erik-Jan Kamsteeg, Anna Hellblom, Kathryn Stowell, Jonathan Bilmen, Martina Klincova, Thierry Girard","doi":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.11.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2025.11.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since malignant hyperthermia (MH) was first described in 1960, the number of cases of this potentially life-threatening reaction to anaesthesia with fatal or serious outcomes has been markedly reduced thanks to continuous advances in knowledge about triggering, clinical course, and treatment. Another essential and evolving pillar of patient safety remains diagnostics, which serve to confirm or rule out suspected cases of MH and to identify other individuals at risk of MH for prevention. For more than 40 yr, the British Journal of Anaesthesia has published the updated consensus diagnostic protocols of the European Malignant Hyperthermia Group at regular intervals. The presented diagnostic guidelines have been comprehensively revised 10 yr after the last update after substantial advances in DNA-based testing methods. In addition to the previous classification of MH susceptibility by the in vitro halothane/caffeine contracture test, a new diagnostic designation, the MH genotype, has been introduced. The latter is reflected in the revised diagnostic pathways, which also include the adapted European Malignant Hyperthermia Group curation system for the classification of genetic variants with regard to their relevance to MH. In addition to minor changes in the in vitro halothane/caffeine contracture test protocol, the guidelines address updated patient referral criteria and clinical interpretation of diagnostic results. And for the first time, the guidelines provide a consensus definition of a clinical MH event.</p>","PeriodicalId":9250,"journal":{"name":"British journal of anaesthesia","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145888739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.05.060
Vikas Kaura , Leon Chang , Philip Morgan Hopkins , Marie-Anne Shaw
Background
Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially fatal hypermetabolic reaction to general anaesthesia arising from skeletal muscle calcium dysregulation. Previous studies of resting cells support an association between MH susceptibility, mitochondrial dysfunction, and defects in fatty acid metabolism, which are understood to be downstream consequences of calcium dysregulation. We hypothesised that in mouse models of MH susceptibility, genotypes associated with higher cytoplasmic calcium concentrations would have a proportionally higher mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR). We aimed to test this and validate a cell-based assay system.
Methods
A high-throughput mitochondrial assay was used to compare OCR between myotubes derived from control and three different genotypes of mice containing ryanodine receptor 1 variants (p.G2435R heterozygous and homozygous, p.T4826I heterozygous) that confer susceptibility to MH.
Results
Baseline comparisons showed effects of genotype on OCR (P<0.0001), with Ryr1 p.G2435R homozygous myotubes having the highest basal normalised OCR (P<0.01). Ryr1 p.G2435R homozygous required a greater proportion of basal respiration to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and had a higher proton leak and greater non-mitochondrial OCR (P<0.01). All genotypes except Ryr1 p.G2435R homozygous were primarily dependent on the glucose/pyruvate pathway for achieving their maximal OCR upon uncoupling.
Conclusions
The high-throughput method used produced data consistent with findings in skeletal muscle fibres, but with a greater sensitivity to genotypic effects. This validates the use of cultured myotubes in lieu of muscle fibres in studying mitochondrial bioenergetics in models of MH, and indicates that mitochondrial bioenergetics are not directly affected by myoplasmic calcium concentrations in young MH mice.
{"title":"Mitochondrial bioenergetics and intracellular calcium concentration in primary myotubes from mouse models of malignant hyperthermia","authors":"Vikas Kaura , Leon Chang , Philip Morgan Hopkins , Marie-Anne Shaw","doi":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.05.060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.05.060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially fatal hypermetabolic reaction to general anaesthesia arising from skeletal muscle calcium dysregulation. Previous studies of resting cells support an association between MH susceptibility, mitochondrial dysfunction, and defects in fatty acid metabolism, which are understood to be downstream consequences of calcium dysregulation. We hypothesised that in mouse models of MH susceptibility, genotypes associated with higher cytoplasmic calcium concentrations would have a proportionally higher mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR). We aimed to test this and validate a cell-based assay system.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A high-throughput mitochondrial assay was used to compare OCR between myotubes derived from control and three different genotypes of mice containing ryanodine receptor 1 variants (p.G2435R heterozygous and homozygous, p.T4826I heterozygous) that confer susceptibility to MH.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Baseline comparisons showed effects of genotype on OCR (<em>P</em><0.0001), with <em>Ryr1</em> p.G2435R homozygous myotubes having the highest basal normalised OCR (<em>P</em><0.01). <em>Ryr1</em> p.G2435R homozygous required a greater proportion of basal respiration to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and had a higher proton leak and greater non-mitochondrial OCR (<em>P</em><0.01). All genotypes except <em>Ryr1</em> p.G2435R homozygous were primarily dependent on the glucose/pyruvate pathway for achieving their maximal OCR upon uncoupling.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The high-throughput method used produced data consistent with findings in skeletal muscle fibres, but with a greater sensitivity to genotypic effects. This validates the use of cultured myotubes in lieu of muscle fibres in studying mitochondrial bioenergetics in models of MH, and indicates that mitochondrial bioenergetics are not directly affected by myoplasmic calcium concentrations in young MH mice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9250,"journal":{"name":"British journal of anaesthesia","volume":"136 1","pages":"Pages 333-342"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144899248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.004
Kaylyssa Philip , Amber Jolly , Calvin Diep , Rachel D. Savage , Duminda N. Wijeysundera , Christopher Witiw , Karim S. Ladha
Background
Loneliness and social isolation are highly prevalent public health concerns. However, their impacts in acute care settings such as the postoperative period are unclear. This study explored whether loneliness, social isolation, or both are associated with a primary composite outcome of 30-day major postoperative complication, 30-day postoperative emergency admission, and 90-day mortality.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study used the UK Biobank. Individuals with complete loneliness and social isolation data, an eligible surgery within 1 yr of baseline, and national health registry linkage were included. Loneliness and social isolation were defined with validated, self-reported measures. Participants were stratified into four groups by baseline loneliness and social isolation status. Logistic regression models assessed associations between loneliness–social isolation groups and postoperative outcomes with comprehensive covariate adjustment.
Results
Some 27 905 UK Biobank participants met eligibility criteria. Individuals who were socially isolated but not lonely had increased odds of the primary outcome (adjusted odds ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval 1.10–1.68, P=0.004), mainly driven by higher odds of 30-day major postoperative complication (odds ratio 1.35, 95% confidence interval 1.04–1.72, P=0.018). In a subgroup analysis, this association remained statistically significant in males but not females.
Conclusions
Individuals, particularly males, who were socially isolated but not lonely had increased odds of postoperative complications. Our results are consistent with other reports that loneliness and social isolation are weakly correlated, and that social isolation is more consistently associated with adverse physical outcomes. These findings suggest that targeted, interventional programmes addressing social isolation in surgical patients might assist in mitigating postoperative risks.
{"title":"Association of loneliness and social isolation with postoperative outcomes: a retrospective registry study","authors":"Kaylyssa Philip , Amber Jolly , Calvin Diep , Rachel D. Savage , Duminda N. Wijeysundera , Christopher Witiw , Karim S. Ladha","doi":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Loneliness and social isolation are highly prevalent public health concerns. However, their impacts in acute care settings such as the postoperative period are unclear. This study explored whether loneliness, social isolation, or both are associated with a primary composite outcome of 30-day major postoperative complication, 30-day postoperative emergency admission, and 90-day mortality.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This retrospective cohort study used the UK Biobank. Individuals with complete loneliness and social isolation data, an eligible surgery within 1 yr of baseline, and national health registry linkage were included. Loneliness and social isolation were defined with validated, self-reported measures. Participants were stratified into four groups by baseline loneliness and social isolation status. Logistic regression models assessed associations between loneliness–social isolation groups and postoperative outcomes with comprehensive covariate adjustment.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Some 27 905 UK Biobank participants met eligibility criteria. Individuals who were socially isolated but not lonely had increased odds of the primary outcome (adjusted odds ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval 1.10–1.68, <em>P</em>=0.004), mainly driven by higher odds of 30-day major postoperative complication (odds ratio 1.35, 95% confidence interval 1.04–1.72, <em>P</em>=0.018). In a subgroup analysis, this association remained statistically significant in males but not females.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Individuals, particularly males, who were socially isolated but not lonely had increased odds of postoperative complications. Our results are consistent with other reports that loneliness and social isolation are weakly correlated, and that social isolation is more consistently associated with adverse physical outcomes. These findings suggest that targeted, interventional programmes addressing social isolation in surgical patients might assist in mitigating postoperative risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9250,"journal":{"name":"British journal of anaesthesia","volume":"136 1","pages":"Pages 247-254"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145357722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.10.023
Bruce D. Spiess
Vasoplegia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after cardiopulmonary bypass. Current treatments are not improving outcomes. Use of hydroxocobalamin (vitamin B-12) is a novel approach to increase perfusion pressure. Zakaria and colleagues demonstrate its efficacy, although it is not universal. The mechanisms by which vitamin B-12 works merit understanding and investigation. Vitamin B-12 is an antioxidant that protects proteins, DNA, and lipids from attack by the unpaired electrons of free radicals. The observations that vitamin B-12 and other antioxidants, including ascorbic acid and methylene blue, all partially treat vasoplegia should signal to cardiac teams that focused research on the effects of oxidation-reduction dysregulation by inflammation needs further exploration.
{"title":"Vasoplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass: role of oxidation-reduction dysregulation as a mechanism and therapeutic target","authors":"Bruce D. Spiess","doi":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.10.023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.10.023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vasoplegia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after cardiopulmonary bypass. Current treatments are not improving outcomes. Use of hydroxocobalamin (vitamin B-12) is a novel approach to increase perfusion pressure. Zakaria and colleagues demonstrate its efficacy, although it is not universal. The mechanisms by which vitamin B-12 works merit understanding and investigation. Vitamin B-12 is an antioxidant that protects proteins, DNA, and lipids from attack by the unpaired electrons of free radicals. The observations that vitamin B-12 and other antioxidants, including ascorbic acid and methylene blue, all partially treat vasoplegia should signal to cardiac teams that focused research on the effects of oxidation-reduction dysregulation by inflammation needs further exploration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9250,"journal":{"name":"British journal of anaesthesia","volume":"136 1","pages":"Pages 20-23"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145559073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.10.044
Koray Durak , Christian Puelacher , Danielle Menosi Gualandro , Christian Mueller
{"title":"Robotic process automation to identify patients at high risk for perioperative myocardial infarction or injury. Response to Br J Anesth 2025; 135: 1868–9","authors":"Koray Durak , Christian Puelacher , Danielle Menosi Gualandro , Christian Mueller","doi":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.10.044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bja.2025.10.044","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9250,"journal":{"name":"British journal of anaesthesia","volume":"136 1","pages":"Pages 464-465"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145560116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}