By Beth Gilbert HealthDay Reporter
The annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists was held from Oct. 10 to 14 in San Antonio, Texas, and attracted approximately 5,000 participants from around the world, including anesthesiologists and other health care professionals. The conference featured presentations focused on the latest advances in the relief of pain and total care of surgical patients prior to, during, and after surgery.
Bibiana Avella Molano, M.D., of Augusta University in Georgia, and colleagues presented data on two studies revealing that babies born to women in rural areas may have a greater risk for poor neonatal outcomes.
In the first study, the researchers used choropleth maps to illustrate the disparities between women living in rural versus urban areas, even when they receive care at the same medical center. Rural patients were more likely to lack prenatal care and experience non-reassuring Apgar scores. In the second study, Molano and colleagues evaluated which maternal and pregnancy factors independently predict lower Apgar scores and found that maternal age, body mass index, delivery type, and prenatal care were significant factors associated with poor outcomes.
“Together, these presentations highlight the health care disparities faced by patients in rural areas and help us identify patients who could be at greater risk for poor neonatal outcomes,” Molano said. “Our findings emphasize the need for population-level interventions to address systemic inequities, such as community outreach programs that identify and support pregnant women facing barriers to health care. Additionally, the significant factors identified through multivariate logistic regression enable us to tailor interventions in the population at risk, such as enhanced monitoring, early anesthesia involvement to optimize maternal condition, and ensuring readiness for emergent delivery.”
In another study, Gab Pasia, of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, and colleagues found that fentanyl-related overdose deaths among older adults have increased sharply in the past decade and often involve stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamines.
The researchers analyzed national mortality data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention covering 1999 through 2023 and reviewed more than 404,000 death certificates that listed fentanyl as a cause of death. Among older adults aged 65 years and older, Pasia and colleagues identified about 17,000 fentanyl-related deaths. Fentanyl-related deaths involving stimulants increased from about 9 percent in 2015 to nearly 50 percent in 2023.
“These findings fit within the broader evolution of the opioid epidemic in the United States,” Pasia said. “The crisis has unfolded in several waves: beginning with prescription opioids in the late 1990s, followed by heroin, then fentanyl, and most recently, fentanyl combined with stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine. What our study shows is that this latest ‘fourth wave’ is now impacting older adults, a group often overlooked in research and prevention efforts.”
Jeffry Takla, M.D., of the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues found that patients who experience significant daytime sleepiness before surgery may be more vulnerable to greater cognitive decline after surgery.
The researchers examined whether excessive daytime sleepiness before surgery is linked to changes in thinking and memory afterward. Among 96 older adults undergoing noncardiac surgery, Takla and colleagues found that those who reported moderate-to-severe daytime sleepiness before surgery had a greater decline in memory and thinking scores six weeks after surgery compared with patients who did not report sleepiness. This association was observed when accounting for age, sleep apnea severity, and other medical factors.
“While not every patient with sleepiness experiences worsening cognition, our findings suggest that sleep health before surgery may influence how much cognitive change occurs and how well the brain recovers after anesthesia and surgery,” Takla said. “These results suggest it may be important to screen for excessive daytime sleepiness as part of preoperative assessment, especially in older adults.”
He added: “Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine whether improving sleep before surgery can reduce postoperative cognitive decline.”
Louie Rodriguez, M.D., of the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues found that people with food insecurity or loneliness are more likely to develop long-term pain after surgery.
The researchers assessed 8,065 surgical patients and found that 7.9 percent developed persistent postoperative pain (PPP) at least one year after surgery. Food insecurity had the strongest association with PPP (odds ratio, 1.83). Loneliness increased risk, while greater social support and lower residential density were protective factors. These associations persisted in subgroup analyses, in particular among hip and knee arthroplasty patients.
“Routine social determinants of health (SDoH) screening in the perioperative setting may identify at-risk patients early and guide personalized interventions,” Rodriguez said. “The study highlights a shift toward integrating SDoH assessment into perioperative care. Screening for food insecurity, stress, and social isolation before surgery could become part of standard preoperative evaluation.”
Based on the results of these assessments, Rodriguez said, clinicians could refer patients to social support or food assistance programs to optimize recovery and reduce the risk for chronic postsurgical pain. He noted these findings emphasize “the need for multidisciplinary, patient-centered approaches that include both medical and social factors in pain prevention.”
ASA: Deaths From Fentanyl + Stimulants Rising in Older Adults
THURSDAY, Oct. 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Overdose deaths in older adults from fentanyl mixed with stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, have surged in the past eight years, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, held from Oct. 10 to 14 in San Antonio.
Read Full Text
ASA: Children Begin Fasting From Clear Liquid Before Surgery Sooner Than Recommended
THURSDAY, Oct. 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Nonadherence to American Society of Anesthesiologists preoperative clear liquid fasting guidelines is extremely common in pediatric anesthesia care, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, held from Oct. 10 to 14 in San Antonio.
Read Full Text
Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
