AANA journal
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Patients with difficult intravenous access (DIVA) often experience discomfort because of failed attempts to place peripheral venous catheters (PVCs); however, ultrasound guidance may improve this problem with catheter placement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of ultrasound when operated by nurse anesthetists for these patients. This prospective observational study with a pre/post design focused on inpatients with DIVA referred for PVC placement, a service provided by nurse anesthetists in most Scandinavian hospitals. ⋯ Procedure time was reduced from 20 to 10 minutes, discomfort was unchanged, and the median number of skin punctures decreased from 3 to 2. The incidence of central venous catheter placement dropped from 34% to 7%. Implementation of a training program and a mobile service in which nurse anesthetists performed ultrasound-guided PVC placement improved the success rate and quality of care in patients with DIVA.
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Inadequate pain relief after surgery may delay surgical recovery, decrease patient satisfaction, increase length of stay, raise the risk of hospital readmissions, and increase overall healthcare costs. One way to decrease postoperative pain for patients undergoing orthopedic surgery is through the use of peripheral nerve blocks. ⋯ A review of published studies using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane search engines was performed using predefined data fields. Based on this literature review, recommendations for practice are provided.
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Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) provide high-quality patient care to ensure patient safety. Strict vigilance and prompt response is required of the CRNA to make critical decisions. Distractions during anesthesia delivery may threaten patient safety. ⋯ Inappropriate PED use while administering anesthesia remains grossly underreported and understudied related to its impact on patient safety. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the critical need for further research in order to analyze safety risk, appropriately guide CRNA education, and properly develop and enforce media policies within organizations. Currently, PED use by the CRNA exists in ethically blurred boundaries, with potentially major patient safety and legal consequences.
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Comparative Study
Using a Structured Assessment Tool to Evaluate Nontechnical Skills of Nurse Anesthetists.
Nontechnical skills are critical for good anesthetic practice but are seldom addressed explicitly in clinical training. The purposes of this study were (1) to evaluate the reliability and validity of the observation-based assessment tool Nurse Anaesthetists' Non-Technical Skills system (N-ANTS) and (2) to evaluate the effect of training nurse anesthetist supervisors in the use of N-ANTS. This system comprises a global rating score, 4 categories, and 15 elements to rate nurse anesthetists' nontechnical skills. ⋯ It remained stable for the global rating score in N-ANTS and its category ratings, but improved at the elements level. When the raters' ratings were compared with ratings by an expert reference group, there was no statistically significant effect on training. We conclude that Danish nurse anesthetist supervisors without further rater training besides their work experience can use N-ANTS to assess nontechnical skills of nurse anesthetists.
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Obesity causes major alterations in pulmonary mechanics. Obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery present mechanical ventilation-related challenges that may lead to perioperative complications. Databases were systematically searched for clinical trials of ventilation maneuvers for obese patients and bariatric surgery. ⋯ Recruitment maneuvers followed by PEEP are effective ventilation strategies for obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. During induction, NIPPV provides further benefit. Future studies are needed to examine the postoperative effects of recruitment maneuvers with PEEP as well as the efficacy and safety of equal ratio ventilation.