Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2026.

Advances in the understanding and management of hospital-acquired anemia.

Hospital-acquired anemia (HAA) is a common complication associated with adverse outcomes, including increased transfusion requirements and prolonged hospital length of stay. The precise etiology of HAA remains elusive, and preventive or therapeutic strategies are inconsistently applied or lacking altogether. This review summarizes current evidence on the incidence, underlying mechanism, clinical consequences, and available interventions for HAA.

JMIR Form Res. 2026.

Using a Wearable-Based Animated Patient Avatar to Improve Patients' Perception of Vital Signs: Multicenter Computer-Based Study.

Visual patient avatars are an innovative patient monitoring technology that can be used to translate numerical and waveform data into intuitive, avatar-based representations of patient conditions. Previous research indicates that this technology improves health care providers' situational awareness compared to conventional monitoring methods. As patient-worn continuous vital sign monitoring continues to evolve, we introduce the Visual Patient Wearable device to provide avatar-based visualization tailored to this application.

BJA Open. 2026.

Interventions for iron deficiency with or without anaemia in visceral surgery: recommendations for future research.

J Clin Med. 2026.

Who Needs Most? Multicenter Subanalysis of Blood Transfusion Profiles in the German Patient Blood Management Network Registry.

: Blood transfusion practices have evolved significantly in order to enhance patient care. The optimal strategies for administering red blood cell (RBC) transfusions is becoming rather clear; however, a comprehensive understanding of patients requiring transfusions of other blood components remains inadequate, leading to variability in clinical practice and outcomes. Here we examine surgical patients that could benefit from perioperative risk stratification. : We analyzed subgroups of a prospective, multicenter follow-up study and identified three distinct transfusion profiles across surgical disciplines: low (n = 1,035,588, 92.0%), moderate (n = 81,243, 7.2%), and high (n = 8413, 0.7%). These profiles are characterized by varying requirements for RBC, plasma, and platelet units. : While most patients were clustered in the low transfusion profile, blood component use only increased significantly in the high transfusion profile. Notably, patients in the high transfusion profile benefited from Patient Blood Management (PBM) interventions with a reduction of the predefined composite endpoint of in-hospital mortality and postoperative complications (ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, pneumonia, sepsis and acute renal failure with renal replacement therapy) from 28.2% to 26.0% and an OR of 0.90 (95% CI 0.80-1.00, = 0.048) compared to the moderate transfusion profile. Conversely, the low transfusion profile encompassed patients with minimal transfusion needs, presenting opportunities to refine resource allocation and risk stratification. : These findings underscore the potential for improving patient outcomes and indicate that implementing targeted PBM interventions can reduce the risk of adverse events and mortality. This study advances the field by identifying specific transfusion profiles that can guide future research and clinical practices towards more personalized and efficient blood management in perioperative care.

Br J Anaesth. 2026.

Responsible use of large language models in manuscript authorship, peer review, and editorial processes: a Delphi consensus among editors-in-chief of anaesthesia and pain medicine journals (RULE-AP).

This article presents a Delphi consensus developed by a panel of editors-in-chief of anaesthesiology and pain medicine journals to guide the responsible use of large language models (LLMs) in academic publishing. LLMs offer potential benefits for scientific writing, including language editing, summarisation, translation, information organisation, and support for non-native English speakers, but their misuse raises concerns about accuracy, transparency, confidentiality, and research integrity. Through a three-round modified Delphi process involving 53 editors-in-chief or their delegates, 59 statements were generated and categorised into guidance for authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers with a particular attention to LLM disclosure practices and perceived risks. The consensus recognises that LLMs are useful tools in academic publishing for authors, reviewers, and editors. However, their use must be guided by ethics, legality, and principles of transparency and accountability. LLMs may assist with limited editorial and authorial tasks provided that their use is fully disclosed and all outputs are verified by humans. The consensus also emphasises the inappropriateness of using LLMs to generate original or ideative content, which should remain a strictly human responsibility. Moreover, LLMs must not generate data, references, conclusions, or entire manuscripts, nor be used for editorial decisions or peer-review reports. Editors expressed concerns about 'hallucinations', erosion of critical skills, confidentiality breaches, and the proliferation of low-quality LLM-generated manuscripts. The resulting guidance highlights transparency, human accountability, and careful verification as essential principles for integrating LLMs into scholarly workflows while preserving the integrity of scientific publishing.

Blood Transfus. 2026.

Transfusion practice in elderly patients across surgical disciplines in Germany - a secondary data analysis of over 21 million patients.

Clinicians are increasingly confronted with elderly patients across nearly all surgical disciplines. Advanced age is an independent risk factor for complications, prolonged hospitalization, and particularly for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. The elderly suffer more frequently from anemia, which is associated with higher perioperative transfusion requirements, increased complication rates, and mortality Surgical disciplines differ not only in primary diagnoses but also in the demographics of their typical patient population.

BMC Anesthesiol. 2026.

Mind the gap: a prospective observational study of interprofessional differences in ASA-PS assessments between surgeons and anaesthesiologists.

The American Society of Anaesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS) classification system is the most widely used tool for estimating perioperative risk. Despite its widespread application, the ASA-PS is based solely on the subjective assessment of the patient’s clinical condition and comorbidities, which leads to considerable inter-rater variability. The aim of this study was to investigate interprofessional differences in ASA-PS scoring between surgeons and anaesthesiologists.

Anaesthesiologie. 2026.

[Anesthetic diversity: a pillar of healthcare system resilience and a strategic imperative in an era of uncertainty].

Infection. 2026.

Think sepsis, write sepsis, code sepsis - patient characteristics associated with sepsis (under-)coding in administrative health data.

Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, yet its documentation and coding in administrative health data remain unreliable. Accurate coding is essential for epidemiological surveillance, quality assurance, and reimbursement. This study aims to identify patient characteristics associated with under-diagnosis and under-coding of sepsis in German inpatient administrative health data (IAHD).

Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2026.

Protecting clinician autonomy and patient safety within the climate debate: the case for desflurane in modern anaesthesia.

The anaesthesia community should play a more active role in shaping sustainable healthcare practices. Current environmental measures, such as the European Commission's impending restriction on desflurane (an inhaled anaesthetic) from January 2026, risk unintended consequences for patient care and clinical autonomy.

Anaesthesiologie. 2026.

Anesthetic diversity: a pillar of healthcare system resilience and a strategic imperative in an era of uncertainty.

Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 2026.

[Patient Blood Management in Women].

In women of reproductive age, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth, patient blood management (PBM) plays an important role in reducing the risk of anemia and hemorrhage. These conditions are leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. By promoting early detection and treatment of iron deficiency anaemia, the implementation of a holistic PBM programme enables better outcomes for both, the mother and child. Implementing PBM protocols in perioperative care of women and perinatal care of parturients is essential to enhancing women's, maternal and neonatal health on a global scale.

Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 2026.

[Gender-specific Differences in Anesthesiology].

Gender specific differences are a current and increasingly discussed topic. Cardiovascular conditions in women are often diagnosed later and with more advanced severity. Similarly, women are frequently underrepresented in studies investigating the effects of anesthetics on the central nervous system. In the field of anesthesiology, scientific interest in this topic has grown rapidly. Gender specific differences arise from anatomical, physiological, and psychosocial factors, all of which can significantly influence the perioperative and postoperative management. This highlights the importance of awareness and appropriately addressing these differences. The aim of this review article is to summarize the most relevant sex-specific differences in the field of anesthesiology.

Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 2026.

[Gender-specific Aspects and Patient Blood Management - New Perspectives for Anesthesiology].

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2026.

Preservation of Platelet Function After Intraoperative Cell Salvage Using the i-SEP Same Device in Cardiac Surgery.

To evaluate whether platelet function is preserved after intraoperative autotransfusion using the Same system, a device designed to retain both red blood cells and platelets in patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery.