Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Simulation-based teaching versus point-of-care teaching for identification of basic transoesophageal echocardiography views: a prospective randomised study.
In recent years, the use of transoesophageal echocardiography has increased in anaesthesia and intensive care. We explored the impact of two different teaching methods on the ability of echocardiography-naïve subjects to identify cardiac anatomy associated with the 20 standard transoesophageal echocardiography imaging planes, and assessed trainees' satisfaction with these methods of training. Fifty-two subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a simulation-based and a theatre-based teaching group. ⋯ Subjects in simulation- and theatre-based teaching groups scored 40% (30-40 [20-50])% and 35% (30-40 [15-55])% in the pre-test, respectively (p = 0.52). Following echocardiography teaching, subjects within both groups improved upon their pre-test knowledge (p < 0.001). Subjects in the simulation-based teaching group significantly outperformed their theatre-based group counterparts in the post-intervention test (p = 0.0002).
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The utility of transoesophageal echocardiography for estimating right ventricular systolic pressure.
With the reduction in use of the pulmonary artery catheter, alternative methods of pulmonary pressure estimation are required. The use of echocardiographically-derived right ventricular systolic pressure has recently been questioned, but this technique has not been validated in anaesthetised surgical patients with transoesophageal echocardiography. ⋯ Simultaneous right ventricular systolic pressure and pulmonary artery systolic pressure measurements were possible in all patients, and these measurements were strongly correlated (r = 0.98, p < 0.001), with minimal bias and narrow limits of agreement (approximately -5 to +5 mmHg), across a broad range of pulmonary pressures. Measurement of right ventricular systolic pressure using tranoesophageal echocardiography is readily achievable and closely correlates with pulmonary artery systolic pressure, with minimal bias, in cardiac surgical patients undergoing general anaesthesia and positive pressure mechanical ventilation of the lungs.
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Both the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the UK NAP4 project recommend that an unspecified pre-operative airway assessment be made. However, the choice of assessment is ultimately at the discretion of the individual anaesthesiologist. We retrieved a cohort of 188 064 cases from the Danish Anaesthesia Database, and investigated the diagnostic accuracy of the anaesthesiologists' predictions of difficult tracheal intubation and difficult mask ventilation. ⋯ Likewise, difficult mask ventilation was unanticipated in 808 of 857 (94%) cases, and when anticipated (218 cases), difficult mask ventilation actually occurred in 49 (22%) cases. We present a previously unpublished estimate of the accuracy of anaesthesiologists' prediction of airway management difficulties in daily routine practice. Prediction of airway difficulties remains a challenging task, and our results underline the importance of being constantly prepared for unexpected difficulties.
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Although videolaryngoscopy can provide excellent views of the laryngeal structures as both the primary method of tracheal intubation and as a rescue technique for difficult direct laryngoscopy, the existing literature is inadequate to define expertise or even competence. We observed the performance of nine trainees during 890 intubations, with an additional 72 intubations performed by expert anaesthetists used as a control group. ⋯ Optimal performance was predicted by single laryngoscope insertion (p < 0.001) and a Cormack and Lehane grade-1 view (p < 0.001), and not by normal lifting force applied to the device (p = 0.15), with expertise reached after 76 attempts. These results indicate that expertise in videolaryngoscopy requires prolonged training and practice.