Do It Often, Do It Better: Association Between Pairs of Experienced Subspecialty Anesthesia Caregivers and Postoperative Outcomes. A Retrospective Observational Study

Effect of Telemedicine Support for Intraoperative Anaesthesia Care on Postoperative Outcomes: The TECTONICS Randomised Clinical Trial

Background

Novel applications of telemedicine can improve care quality and patient outcomes. Telemedicine for intraoperative decision support has not been rigorously studied.

Methods

This single centre randomised clinical trial ( clinicaltrials.gov NCT03923699 ) of unselected adult surgical patients was conducted between July 1, 2019 and January 31, 2023. Patients received usual care or decision support from a telemedicine service, the Anesthesiology Control Tower (ACT). The ACT provided real-time recommendations to intraoperative anaesthesia clinicians based on case reviews, machine-learning forecasting, and physiologic alerts. ORs were randomised 1:1. Co-primary outcomes of 30-day all-cause mortality, respiratory failure, acute kidney injury (AKI), and delirium were analysed as intention-to-treat.

Results

The trial completed planned enrolment with 71927 surgeries (35956 ACT; 35971 usual care). After multiple testing correction, there was no significant effect of the ACT vs. usual care on 30-day mortality [641/35956 (1.8%) vs 638/35971 (1.8%), risk difference 0.0% (95% CI -0.2% to 0.3%), p=0.96], respiratory failure [1089/34613 (3.1%) vs 1112/34619 (3.2%), risk difference -0.1% (95% CI -0.4% to 0.3%), p=0.96], AKI [2357/33897 (7%) vs 2391/33795 (7.1%), risk difference -0.1% (-0.6% to 0.4%), p=0.96], or delirium [1283/3928 (32.7%) vs 1279/3989 (32.1%), risk difference 0.6% (-2.0% to 3.2%), p=0.96]. There were no significant differences in secondary outcomes or in sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

In this large RCT of a novel application of telemedicine-based remote monitoring and decision support using real-time alerts and case reviews, we found no significant differences in postoperative outcomes. Large-scale intraoperative telemedicine is feasible, and we suggest future avenues where it may be impactful.

Team-based care of the thoracic surgical patient

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Although team-based care has been shown in many sectors to improve outcomes, very little work has been done with the thoracic surgical patient. This review article focuses on this and, extrapolating from other closely related surgical fields, teamwork in thoracic surgery will be reviewed for outcome efficacy and substance.

RECENT FINDINGS

The optimal team has been shown to display behaviors that allow them to model future needs, predict disaster, be adaptable to change, and promote team cohesiveness all with a positive effect on perioperative outcome. The suboptimal team will have transactional leadership, poor communication, ineffective conflict resolution, and hold rigid beliefs about other team members.

SUMMARY

To improve outcome, the thoracic surgical team, centered on the anesthesiologist and surgeon, will display the 'Big 5' attributes of highly effective teams. There are attributes of poor teams, which the dyad should avoid in order to increase the team's function and thus outcome.

Variation in Anesthesiology Provider-Volume for Complex Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery: A Population-Based Study

OBJECTIVE

Examine between-hospital and between-anesthesiologist variation in anesthesiology provider-volume (PV) and delivery of high-volume anesthesiology care.

BACKGROUND

Better outcomes for anesthesiologists with higher PV of complex gastrointestinal cancer surgery have been reported. The factors linking anesthesiology practice and organization to volume are unknown.

METHODS

We identified patients undergoing elective esophagectomy, hepatectomy, and pancreatectomy using linked administrative health data sets (2007-2018). Anesthesiology PV was the annual number of procedures done by the primary anesthesiologist in the 2 years before the index surgery. High-volume anesthesiology was PV>6 procedures/year. Funnel plots to described variation in anesthesiology PV and delivery of high-volume care. Hierarchical regression models examined between-anesthesiologist and between-hospital variation in delivery of high-volume care use with variance partition coefficients (VPCs) and median odds ratios (MORs).

RESULTS

Among 7893 patients cared for at 17 hospitals, funnel plots showed variation in anesthesiology PV (median ranging from 1.5, interquartile range: 1-2 to 11.5, interquartile range: 8-16) and delivery of HV care (ranging from 0% to 87%) across hospitals. After adjustment, 32% (VPC 0.32) and 16% (VPC: 0.16) of the variation were attributable to between-anesthesiologist and between-hospital differences, respectively. This translated to an anesthesiologist MOR of 4.81 (95% CI, 3.27-10.3) and hospital MOR of 3.04 (95% CI, 2.14-7.77).

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial variation in anesthesiology PV and delivery of high-volume anesthesiology care existed across hospitals. The anesthesiologist and the hospital were key determinants of the variation in high-volume anesthesiology care delivery. This suggests that targeting anesthesiology structures of care could reduce variation and improve delivery of high-volume anesthesiology care.

Demonstrating the Value of Routine Anesthesiologist Involvement in Acute Stroke Care: A Retrospective Chart Review

INTRODUCTION

The value of routine involvement of anesthesiologists during endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke has not been clearly demonstrated. At some institutions, anesthesiologists are involved only as needed, while at other institutions, anesthesiologists are involved from the beginning for every EVT.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the workflow, intraprocedural variables and complications, and outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing EVT at a comprehensive stroke center after implementation of routine involvement of an anesthesia team and compared this cohort with patients who received care from sedation-trained nurses working under the supervision of neurointerventionalists with the involvement of anesthesiologists on an as-needed basis.

RESULTS

Routine involvement of anesthesiologists was associated with improved workflow performance measures, including decreased median door-to-arterial puncture time (68 min; interquartile range (IQR), 15.5-94.5 min vs. 81 min; IQR, 53-104 min; P =0.001), in-room to arterial puncture time (11 min; IQR, 8-14 min vs. 15 min; IQR, 9-21 min; P <0.0001), and procedure time (51 min; IQR, 40-64 min vs. 60 min; IQR, 40-88.5 min; P =0.007). It was also associated with a nonsignificant trend towards lower rates of desaturation events (8.2% vs. 3.4%; P =0.082) and lower rates of conversion to general anesthesia (1.7% vs. 0%; P =0.160). Ninety-day modified Rankin scores were similar regardless of provider type.

CONCLUSION

Implementation of routine involvement of an anesthesia team during EVT was not associated with improved outcomes but was associated with improved efficiency and greater adherence to guidelines-based physiological parameters, supporting the routine involvement of anesthesiologists during EVT.

The Association Between Hospital High-volume Anesthesiology Care and Patient Outcomes for Complex Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery: A Population-based Study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association of between hospital rates of high-volume anesthesiology care and of postoperative major morbidity.

BACKGROUND

Individual anesthesiology volume has been associated with individual patient outcomes for complex gastrointestinal cancer surgery. However, whether hospital-level anesthesiology care, where changes can be made, influences the outcomes of patients cared at this hospital is unknown.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of adults undergoing esophagectomy, pancreatectomy, or hepatectomy for cancer from 2007 to 2018. The exposure was hospital-level adjusted rate of high-volume anesthesiology care. The outcome was hospital-level adjusted rate of 90-day major morbidity (Clavien-Dindo grade 3-5). Scatterplots visualized the relationship between each hospital's adjusted rates of high-volume anesthesiology and major morbidity. Analyses at the hospital-year level examined the association with multivariable Poisson regression.

RESULTS

For 7893 patients at 17 hospitals, the rates of high-volume anesthesiology varied from 0% to 87.6%, and of major morbidity from 38.2% to 45.4%. The scatter plot revealed a weak inverse relationship between hospital rates of high-volume anesthesiology and of major morbidity (Pearson: -0.23). The adjusted hospital rate of high-volume anesthesiology was independently associated with the adjusted hospital rate of major morbidity (rate ratio: 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95-0.98; P <0.001 for each 10% increase in the high-volume rate).

CONCLUSIONS

Hospitals that provided high-volume anesthesiology care to a higher proportion of patients were associated with lower rates of 90-day major morbidity. For each additional 10% patients receiving care by a high-volume anesthesiologist at a given hospital, there was an associated reduction of 4% in that hospital's rate of major morbidity.

Factors affecting nurses' decision to undergo a specialist education and to choose a specialty

AIMS

The aims of the study were to identify factors affecting nurses' decision to undergo specialist education and choose a specialty and to describe differences between specialization areas with different types of care.

DESIGN

A descriptive cross-sectional design.

METHODS

A survey was conducted among specialist nurse students in three nursing colleges in Sweden (n = 227). Instruments such as Big Five Inventory and RAND-36 and items earlier used by Bexelius and Olsson were included. Survey data were analysed by using descriptive and analytical statistics, and for open-ended question qualitative content analysis was used.

RESULTS

Wage benefit during the education was regarded by 47% as an incentive to start studies. Most of the specialist nurse students considered an opportunity for new tasks (75%), new areas of responsibility (75%), intellectual challenges (72%) and higher wages (71%) to be of high importance when choosing a specialty. However, the students in specialization areas with transitory care-rated challenges regarding the practical skills (84%) and the occurrence of acute events (82%) higher.

CONCLUSION

Although higher wages were important to make nurses feel that they will get value from the education, there were also other important aspects, such as opportunity for new tasks, new areas of responsibility and intellectual challenges that influenced nurses' willingness to undergo a specialist education. Our findings provide employers with the useful information to guide and influence nurses' decisions to enter specialist education and their choice of specialist area.

Anesthesiologist-related factors associated with risk-adjusted pediatric anesthesia-related cardiopulmonary arrest: a retrospective two level analysis

BACKGROUND

Pediatric anesthesia-related cardiac arrest is an uncommon but catastrophic adverse event which has been, in a previous study, associated with anesthesiologist-related factors such as number of days per year providing pediatric anesthesia. We aimed to replicate this and assess other anesthesiologist-related risk factors for anesthesia-related cardiac arrest after adjusting for known underlying risk factors present in the case mix.

METHODS

We analyzed a large retrospectively collected patient cohort of anesthetics administered from 2006 to 2016 to children at a tertiary pediatric hospital. Three reviewers independently reviewed cardiac arrests and categorized whether they appeared to be related to anesthesia care. Anesthesiologist-related factors including academic rank, experience, recent case mix, and days per year delivering pediatric anesthesia were assessed for association with anesthesia-related cardiac arrest after adjustment for underlying case mix.

RESULTS

Cardiac arrest occurred in 240 of 109 775 anesthetics (incidence 22/10 000 anesthetics); 82 (7/10 000 anesthetics) were classified as anesthesia-related. In univariable analyses, anesthesia-related cardiac arrest was associated with age, (infants ≤180 days, p < .001) American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status, (>2, p < .001) American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Emergency, (p = .0035) cardiac surgery, (p < .001) operating room location, (p = .0066) and resident/fellow supervision, (p = .009) but none of the anesthesiologist factors. Even after adjusting for age and American Society of Anesthesiologist Status, none of the anesthesiologist factors were associated with anesthesia-related cardiac arrest.

CONCLUSIONS

Case mix explained all associations between higher risk of pediatric anesthesia-related cardiac arrest and anesthesiologist-related variables at our institution.

Institutional factors associated with adherence to enhanced recovery protocols for colorectal surgery: Secondary analysis of a multicenter study

INTRODUCTION

Adherence to Enhanced Recovery Protocols (ERPs) is associated with faster functional recovery, better patient satisfaction, lower complication rates and reduced length of hospital stay. Understanding institutional barriers and facilitators is essential for improving adherence to ERPs. The purpose of this study was to identify institutional factors associated with adherence to an ERP for colorectal surgery.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of a nationwide study was conducted including 686 patients who underwent colorectal surgery across twenty-one institutions in Spain. Adherence to ERPs was calculated based upon the components recommended by the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) Society. Institutional characteristics (i.e., case volume, ERP duration, anesthesia staff size, multidisciplinary meetings, leadership discipline) were captured from each participating program. Multivariable regression was performed to determine characteristics associated with adherence.

RESULTS

The median adherence to ERAS was 68.2% (IQR 59.1%-81.8%). Multivariable linear regression revealed that anesthesiologist leadership (+5.49%, 95%CI +2.81% to +8.18%, P < 0.01), duration of ERAS implementation (+0.46% per year, 95%CI +0.06% to +0.86%, P < 0.01) and the use of regular multidisciplinary meetings (+4.66%, 95%CI +0.06 to +7.74%, P < 0.01) were independently associated with greater adherence. Case volume (-2.38% per 4 cases weekly, 95%CI -3.03 to -1.74, P < 0.01) and number of anesthesia providers (-1.19% per 10 providers, 95%CI +2.23 to -8.18%, P < 0.01) were negatively associated with adherence.

CONCLUSION

Adherence to ERPs is strongly associated with anesthesiology leadership, regular multidisciplinary meetings, and program duration, whereas case volume and the size of the anesthesia staff were potential barriers. These findings highlight the importance of strong leadership, experience and establishing a multidisciplinary team when developing an ERP for colorectal surgery.