Anesthesia and analgesia
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2024
Predictive Validity of Anesthesiologists' Quality of Clinical Supervision and Nurse Anesthetists' Work Habits Assessed by Their Associations With Operating Room Times.
At all Joint Commission-accredited hospitals, the anesthesia department chair must report quantitative assessments of anesthesiologists' and nurse anesthetists' (CRNAs') clinical performance at least annually. Most metrics lack evidence of usefulness, cost-effectiveness, reliability, or validity. Earlier studies showed that anesthesiologists' clinical supervision quality and CRNAs' work habits have content, convergent, discriminant, and construct validity. We evaluated predictive validity by testing for (expected) small but statistically significant associations between higher quality of supervision (work habits) and reduced probabilities of cases taking longer than estimated. ⋯ Predictive validity was confirmed, providing further evidence for using supervision and work habits scales for ongoing professional practice evaluations. Specifically, OR times were briefer when anesthesiologists supervised residents more closely, and when CRNAs had better work habits.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2024
Multicenter Study Observational StudyBrain-Hazardous Medications and Potential Subadequate Antidepressant Dosing in Older Surgical Patients Receiving Home Antidepressants: An Observational Study of a Large US Health System.
Older surgical patients with depression often experience poor postoperative outcomes. Poor outcomes may stem from brain-hazardous medications and subadequate antidepressant dosing. ⋯ Older surgical patients receiving antidepressants are frequently prescribed brain-hazardous medications and potentially subadequate antidepressant doses. Those receiving subadequate antidepressant doses may be at risk for worse postoperative outcomes compared to patients receiving adequate doses. The role of preoperative medication optimization to improve outcomes for older surgical patients should be evaluated.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2024
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyPalpation Versus Ultrasonography for Identifying the Cricothyroid Membrane in Case of a Laterally Deviated Larynx: A Randomized Trial.
Large neck circumference and displacement of the trachea due to pathology increase the risk of failed identification of the cricothyroid membrane and cricothyroidotomy. We investigated whether ultrasound aids in the successful identification of the cricothyroid membrane in a model of an obese neck with midline deviation of the trachea. ⋯ Identification of the cricothyroid membrane in a model of an obese neck with midline deviation of the trachea was more often successful with ultrasound compared to palpation. Our study supports the potential use of ultrasound before induction of anesthesia and airway management in this group of patients, and it may even be applied in emergency situations when ultrasound is readily available. Further studies in human subjects should be conducted.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2024
Novel Preoperative Risk Stratification Using Digital Phenotyping Applying a Scalable Machine-Learning Approach.
Classification of perioperative risk is important for patient care, resource allocation, and guiding shared decision-making. Using discriminative features from the electronic health record (EHR), machine-learning algorithms can create digital phenotypes among heterogenous populations, representing distinct patient subpopulations grouped by shared characteristics, from which we can personalize care, anticipate clinical care trajectories, and explore therapies. We hypothesized that digital phenotypes in preoperative settings are associated with postoperative adverse events including in-hospital and 30-day mortality, 30-day surgical redo, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and hospital length of stay (LOS). ⋯ For 3 frequently performed surgeries, we identified 3 digital phenotypes. The typical profiles of each phenotype were described and could be used to anticipate adverse postoperative events.