A Mobile Post Anesthesia Care Unit Order Reminder System Improves Timely Order Entry.

Transition to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) requires timely order placement by anesthesia providers. Computerized ordering enables automated order reminder systems, but their value is not fully understood. We performed a single-center, retrospective cohort study to estimate the association between automated PACU order reminders and primary outcomes (1) on-time order placement and (2) the degree of delay in placement. As a secondary post-hoc analysis, we studied the association between late order placement and PACU outcomes. We included patients with a qualifying postprocedure order from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2023. We excluded cases transferred directly to the ICU, whose anesthesia provider was involved in the pilot testing of the reminder system, or those with missing covariate data. Order reminder system usage was defined by the primary attending anesthesiologist's receipt of a push notification reminder on the day of surgery. We estimated the association between reminder system usage and timely order placement using a logistic regression. For patients with late orders, we performed a survival analysis of order placement. The significance level was 0.05. Patient (e.g., age, race), procedural (e.g., anesthesia duration), and provider-based (e.g., ordering privileges) variables were used as covariates within the analyses. Reminders were associated with 51% increased odds of order placement prior to PACU admission (Odds Ratio: 1.51; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.43, 1.58; p ≤ 0.001), reducing the incidence of late PACU orders from 17.5% to 12.6% (p ≤ 0.001). In patients with late orders, the reminders were associated with 10% quicker placement (Hazard Ratio: 1.10; 95% CI 1.05, 1.15; p < 0.001). On-time order placement was associated with decreased PACU duration (p < 0.001), decreased odds of peak PACU pain score (p < 0.001), and decreased odds of multiple administration of antiemetics (p = 0.02). An order reminder system was associated with an increase in order placement prior to PACU arrival and a reduction in delay in order placement after arrival.

Development and Validation of an Automated, Real-Time Predictive Model for Postpartum Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a predictive model for postpartum hemorrhage that can be deployed in clinical care using automated, real-time electronic health record (EHR) data and to compare performance of the model with a nationally published risk prediction tool. METHODS: A multivariable logistic regression model was developed from retrospective EHR data from 21,108 patients delivering at a quaternary medical center between January 1, 2018, and April 30, 2022. Deliveries were divided into derivation and validation sets based on an 80/20 split by date of delivery. Postpartum hemorrhage was defined as blood loss of 1,000 mL or more in addition to postpartum transfusion of 1 or more units of packed red blood cells. Model performance was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and was compared with a postpartum hemorrhage risk assessment tool published by the CMQCC (California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative). The model was then programmed into the EHR and again validated with prospectively collected data from 928 patients between November 7, 2023, and January 31, 2024. RESULTS: Postpartum hemorrhage occurred in 235 of 16,862 patients (1.4%) in the derivation cohort. The predictive model included 21 risk factors and demonstrated an AUC of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.79-0.84) and calibration slope of 1.0 (Brier score 0.013). During external temporal validation, the model maintained discrimination (AUC 0.80, 95% CI, 0.72-0.84) and calibration (calibration slope 0.95, Brier score 0.014). This was superior to the CMQCC tool (AUC 0.69 [95% CI, 0.67-0.70], P <.001). The model maintained performance in prospective, automated data collected with the predictive model in real time (AUC 0.82 [95% CI, 0.73-0.91]). CONCLUSION: We created and temporally validated a postpartum hemorrhage prediction model, demonstrated its superior performance over a commonly used risk prediction tool, successfully coded the model into the EHR, and prospectively validated the model using risk factor data collected in real time. Future work should evaluate external generalizability and effects on patient outcomes; to facilitate this work, we have included the model coefficients and examples of EHR integration in the article.

Neuraxial clonidine is not associated with lower post-cesarean opioid consumption or pain scores in parturients on chronic buprenorphine therapy: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Adequate post-cesarean delivery analgesia can be difficult to achieve for women diagnosed with opioid use disorder receiving buprenorphine. We sought to determine if neuraxial clonidine administration is associated with decreased opioid consumption and pain scores following cesarean delivery in women receiving chronic buprenorphine therapy. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary care teaching hospital of women undergoing cesarean delivery with or without neuraxial clonidine administration while receiving chronic buprenorphine. The primary outcome was opioid consumption (in morphine milligram equivalents) 0-6 h following cesarean delivery. Secondary outcomes included opioid consumption 0-24 h post-cesarean, median postoperative pain scores 0-24 h, and rates of intraoperative anesthetic supplementation. Multivariable analysis evaluating the adjusted effects of neuraxial clonidine on outcomes was conducted using linear regression, proportional odds model, and logistic regression separately. RESULTS: 196 women met inclusion criteria, of which 145 (74%) received neuraxial clonidine while 51 (26%) did not. In univariate analysis, there was no significant difference in opioid consumption 0-6 h post-cesarean delivery between the clonidine (8 [IQR 0, 15]) and control (1 [IQR 0, 8]) groups (P = 0.14). After adjusting for potential confounders, there remained no significant association with neuraxial clonidine administration 0-6 h (Difference in means 2.77, 95% CI [- 0.89 to 6.44], P = 0.14) or 0-24 h (Difference in means 8.56, 95% CI [- 16.99 to 34.11], P = 0.51). CONCLUSION: In parturients receiving chronic buprenorphine therapy at the time of cesarean delivery, neuraxial clonidine administration was not associated with decreased postoperative opioid consumption, median pain scores, or the need for intraoperative supplementation.

Implementation of an Epidural Rounding Reminder in the Electronic Medical Record Improves Performance of Standardized Patient Assessments during Labor.

BACKGROUND: Poorly functioning labor epidural catheters lead to pain and dissatisfaction. Regular catheter assessment ensures timely identification of malfunction and may improve safety by facilitating rapid and successful conversion to general anesthesia for emergency cesarean. Informatics-based systems encourage standardization of care to identify epidural malfunctions earlier. OBJECTIVES: This article demonstrates that visual epidural rounding reminder display on an electronic patient board would alert clinicians to elapsed time and decrease mean time between assessments. METHODS: As a quality initiative, we implemented an epidural rounding reminder on our obstetric patient board. The reminder indicated the number of elapsed minutes since placement or last patient assessment. We retrospectively reviewed labor epidural charts 3 months prior to and 5 months following reminder implementation, with a 4-week washout period. The primary outcome was mean time between documented epidural assessments, with secondary outcomes including maximum time between assessments, total number of assessments during labor, catheter replacement rates, and patient satisfaction. Unadjusted comparisons between pre- and postimplementation groups were conducted using Wilcoxon's rank-sum and Pearson's chi-square tests, as appropriate. A test for equal variances was conducted for time between assessment outcomes. RESULTS: Following implementation, mean time between assessments decreased from a median of 173 (interquartile range [IQR]: 53, 314) to 100 (IQR: 74, 125) minutes (p <0.001), and maximum time between assessments decreased from median 330 (IQR: 60, 542) to 162 (IQR: 125, 212) minutes (p < 0.001). Total number of evaluations during labor increased from 3 (IQR: 2, 4) to 5 (IQR: 3, 7; p < 0.001). Decreased variance in mean and maximum time between assessments was noted following reminder implementation (p < 0.001). Epidural replacement rates decreased from 14 to 5% postimplementation (p < 0.001). Patient satisfaction was unchanged. CONCLUSION: Implementation of an informatics-based solution can promote standardization of care. A simple epidural rounding reminder prompted clinicians to perform more frequent labor epidural assessments. In the future, these process improvements must be linked to improvements in patient experiences and outcomes.

Risk assessment tools to predict postpartum hemorrhage.

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, and accurate risk assessments may allow providers to anticipate and prevent serious hemorrhage-related adverse events. Multiple category-based tools have been developed by national societies through expert consensus, and these tools assign low, medium, or high risk of hemorrhage based on a review of each patient's risk factors. Validation studies of these tools show varying performance, with a wide range of positive and negative predictive values. Risk prediction models for PPH have been developed and studied, and these models offer the advantage of more nuanced and individualized prediction. However, there are no published studies demonstrating external validation or successful clinical use of such models. Future work should include refinement of these models, study of best practices for implementation, and ultimately linkage of prediction to improved patient outcomes.

Post-cesarean gabapentin is not associated with lower opioid consumption or pain scores in women on chronic buprenorphine therapy: A 10-year retrospective cohort study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine if postoperative gabapentin administration is associated with decreased opioid consumption or pain scores following cesarean delivery in women on chronic buprenorphine. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Postoperative recovery area and postpartum inpatient unit. PATIENTS: 214 women undergoing cesarean delivery while on chronic buprenorphine at a single institution between 2007 and 2017. INTERVENTIONS: Gabapentin treatment for post-cesarean analgesia. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was opioid consumption in morphine milligram equivalents, comparing patients who received ≥1 dose of gabapentin within 24 h of cesarean delivery to those who did not. Secondary outcomes included opioid consumption 24-48 and 48-72 h post-cesarean and postoperative numerical rating scale pain scores. MAIN RESULTS: Of 214 included patients, 64 (30%) received gabapentin while 150 (70%) did not. Gabapentin patients were more likely than controls to have received neuraxial fentanyl (30% vs. 14%, p = 0.01) and transversus abdominis plane block (6% vs. 1%, p = 0.05) and overall received higher doses of ketorolac and acetaminophen. Control patients were more likely to have received neuraxial morphine (78% vs. 90%, p = 0.04) and received higher doses of ibuprofen. In unadjusted analysis, there was no significant difference in morphine milligram equivalent consumption 0-24 h postoperatively between gabapentin (55 mg [IQR 26,84]) and control (53 mg [IQR 28,75]) groups (p = 0.38). After controlling for potential confounders, there remained no significant effect of gabapentin administration (overall effect p = 0.99). Opioid consumption and pain scores were also not significantly different at any other time points. CONCLUSIONS: In parturients receiving chronic buprenorphine, inclusion of gabapentin in a multimodal analgesic regimen was not associated with lower opioid consumption or pain scores during the first 72 h after cesarean delivery. Prospective randomized studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Current State and Future Direction of Postpartum Hemorrhage Risk Assessment.

In the United States, postpartum hemorrhage is a leading preventable cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. To reduce morbidity from postpartum hemorrhage, risk assessment is an important starting point for informing decisions about risk management and hemorrhage prevention. Current perinatal care guidelines from the Joint Commission recommend that all patients undergo postpartum hemorrhage risk assessment at admission and after delivery. Three maternal health organizations-the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, AWHONN, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Safe Motherhood Initiative-have developed postpartum hemorrhage risk-assessment tools for clinical use. Based on the presence of risk factors, each organization categorizes patients as low-, medium-, or high-risk, and ties pretransfusion testing recommendations to these categorizations. However, the accuracy of these tools' risk categorizations has come under increasing scrutiny. Given their low positive predictive value, the value proposition of pretransfusion testing in all patients classified as medium- and high-risk is low. Further, 40% of all postpartum hemorrhage events occur in low-risk patients, emphasizing the need for early vigilance and treatment regardless of categorization. We recommend that maternal health organizations consider alternatives to category-based risk tools for evaluating postpartum hemorrhage risk before delivery.

Labor prior to cesarean delivery associated with higher post-discharge opioid consumption.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute post-cesarean delivery (CD) pain has been associated with an increased risk for persistent pain and postpartum depression. Identification of women at increased risk for pain can be used to optimize post-cesarean analgesia. The impact of labor prior to CD (intrapartum CD) on acute post-operative pain and opioid use is unclear. We hypothesized that intrapartum CD, which has been associated with both increased inflammation and affective distress related to an unexpected surgical procedure, would result in higher postoperative pain scores and increased opioid intake. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study examining opioid use up to 2 weeks following CD. Women undergoing CD at six academic medical centers in the United States 9/2014-3/2016 were contacted by phone two weeks following discharge. Participants completed a structured interview that included questions about postoperative pain scores and opioid utilization. They were asked to retrospectively estimate their maximal pain score on an 11-point numeric rating scale at multiple time points, including day of surgery, during hospitalization, immediately after discharge, 1st week, and 2nd week following discharge. Pain scores over time were assessed utilizing a generalized linear mixed-effects model with the patient identifier being a random effect, adjusting for an a priori defined set of confounders. A multivariate negative binomial model was utilized to assess the association between intrapartum CD and opioid utilization after discharge, also adjusting for the same confounders. In the context of non-random prescription distribution, this model was constructed with an offset for the number of tablets dispensed. RESULTS: A total of 720 women were enrolled, 392 with and 328 without labor prior to CD. Patients with intrapartum CD were younger, less likely to undergo repeat CD or additional surgical procedures, and more likely to experience a complication of CD. Women with intrapartum CD consumed more opioid tablets following discharge than women without labor (median 20, IQR 10-30 versus 17, IQR 6-30; p = 0.005). This association persisted after adjustment for confounders (incidence rate ratio 1.16, 95% CI 1.05-1.29; p = 0.004). Pain scores on the day of surgery were higher in women with intrapartum CD (difference 0.91, 95% CI 0.52-1.30; adj. p = <0.001) even after adjustment for confounders. Pain scores at other time points were not meaningfully different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Intrapartum CD is associated with worse pain on the day of surgery but not other time points. Opioid requirements following discharge were modestly increased following intrapartum CD.

Improving ACGME Compliance for Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellows Using an Automated Email Notification System.

BACKGROUND: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education establishes minimum case requirements for trainees. In the subspecialty of obstetric anesthesiology, requirements for fellow participation in nonobstetric antenatal procedures pose a particular challenge due to the physical location remote from labor and delivery and frequent last-minute scheduling. OBJECTIVES: In response to this challenge, we implemented an informatics-based notification system, with the aim of increasing fellow participation in nonobstetric antenatal surgeries. METHODS: In December 2014 an automated email notification system to inform obstetric anesthesiology fellows of scheduled nonobstetric surgeries in pregnant patients was initiated. Cases were identified via daily automated query of the preoperative evaluation database looking for structured documentation of current pregnancy. Information on flagged cases including patient medical record number, operating room location, and date and time of procedure were communicated to fellows via automated email daily. Median fellow participation in nonobstetric antenatal procedures per quarter before and after implementation were compared using an exact Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test due to low baseline absolute counts. The fraction of antenatal cases representing nonobstetric procedures completed by fellows before and after implementation was compared using a Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The number of nonobstetric antenatal cases logged by fellows per quarter increased significantly following implementation, from median 0[0,1] to 3[1,6] cases/quarter (p = 0.007). Additionally, nonobstetric antenatal cases completed by fellows as a percentage of total antenatal cases completed increased from 14% in preimplementation years to 52% in postimplementation years (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Through an automated email system to identify nonobstetric antenatal procedures in pregnant patients, we were able to increase the number of these cases completed by fellows during 3 years following implementation.

Risk Factors for Atonic Postpartum Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and quantify risk factors for atonic postpartum hemorrhage. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science, and and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched for English language studies with no restrictions on date or location. Studies included randomized trials, prospective or retrospective cohort studies, and case-control studies of pregnant patients who developed atonic postpartum hemorrhage and reported at least one risk factor. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: Title, abstract, and full-text screening were performed using the Raayan web application. Of 1,239 records screened, 27 studies were included in this review. Adjusted or unadjusted odds ratios (ORs), relative risks, or rate ratios were recorded or calculated. For each risk factor, a qualitative synthesis of low and moderate risk of bias studies classifies the risk factor as definite, likely, unclear, or not a risk factor. For risk factors with sufficiently homogeneous definitions and reference ranges, a quantitative meta-analysis of low and moderate risk of bias studies was implemented to estimate a combined OR. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Forty-seven potential risk factors for atonic postpartum hemorrhage were identified in this review, of which 15 were judged definite or likely risk factors. The remaining 32 assessed risk factors showed no association with atonic postpartum hemorrhage or had conflicting or unclear evidence. CONCLUSION: A substantial proportion of postpartum hemorrhage occurs in the absence of recognized risk factors. Many risk factors for atonic hemorrhage included in current risk-assessment tools were confirmed, with the greatest risk conferred by prior postpartum hemorrhage of any etiology, placenta previa, placental abruption, uterine rupture, and multiple gestation. Novel risk factors not currently included in risk-assessment tools included hypertension, diabetes, and ethnicity. Obesity and magnesium were not associated with atonic postpartum hemorrhage in this review. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42020157521.

Terminology, communication, and information systems in nonoperating room anaesthesia in the COVID-19 era.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Nonoperating room anaesthesia (NORA) is a rapidly growing and important area of anaesthesia care. We would contend that anaesthesia informatics principles and innovations that have been widely applied in numerous diverse domains could be successfully applied in NORA environments, resulting in significant improvements in anaesthesia care delivery. RECENT FINDINGS: We highlight key recent studies from the perioperative and informatics literature, placing each in the context of how it has, or how it may conceivably be applied to, improved NORA care. SUMMARY: There is significant opportunity for anaesthesiologists and clinical informaticians to collaborate and apply major advances in the perioperative informatics field to NORA environments, particularly given rapid recent changes in the field during the COVID-19 epidemic. Given the complexity of NORA patients and care delivered in NORA environments, applied clinical informatics has the potential to drastically improve care delivered.

Association of Interindividual Variation in Plasma Oxytocin With Postcesarean Incisional Pain.

Oxytocin has known antinociceptive effects and is upregulated perinatally. This pilot study investigated the association of plasma oxytocin and postcesarean incisional pain. Plasma samples from 18 patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery were drawn at 1 hour preoperatively and 1 and 24 hours postoperatively and analyzed by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pain was assessed at 1 day, 8 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Incisional pain at 24 hours was inversely correlated with 1- and 24-hour oxytocin levels, with higher plasma oxytocin associated with lower pain (ρ, -0.52 and -0.66; P < .05).