User Perceptions of Visual Clot in a High-Fidelity Simulation Study: Mixed Qualitative-Quantitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Viscoelastic hemostatic assays, such as rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) or thromboelastography, enable prompt diagnosis and accelerate targeted treatment. However, the complex interpretation of the results remains challenging. Visual Clot-a situation awareness-based visualization technology-was developed to assist clinicians in interpreting viscoelastic tests. OBJECTIVE: Following a previous high-fidelity simulation study, we analyzed users' perceptions of the technology, to identify its strengths and limitations from clinicians' perspectives. METHODS: This is a mixed qualitative-quantitative study consisting of interviews and a survey. After solving coagulation scenarios using Visual Clot in high-fidelity simulations, we interviewed anesthesia personnel about the perceived advantages and disadvantages of the new tool. We used a template approach to identify dominant themes in interview responses. From these themes, we defined 5 statements, which were then rated on Likert scales in a questionnaire. RESULTS: We interviewed 77 participants and 23 completed the survey. We identified 9 frequently mentioned topics by analyzing the interview responses. The most common themes were "positive design features," "intuitive and easy to learn," and "lack of a quantitative component." In the survey, 21 respondents agreed that Visual Clot is easy to learn and 16 respondents stated that a combination of Visual Clot and ROTEM would help them manage complex hemostatic situations. CONCLUSIONS: A group of anesthesia care providers found Visual Clot well-designed, intuitive, and easy to learn. Participants highlighted its usefulness in emergencies, especially for clinicians inexperienced in coagulation management. However, the lack of quantitative information is an area for improvement.

Make a difference: implementation, quality and effectiveness of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist-a narrative review.

Background and Objective: The positive effects of the WHO Surgery Safety Checklist (WHO SSC) have been demonstrated by a large amount of quantitative studies. With this review, the focus changes to the content of qualitative studies on WHO SSC to identify possible research gaps. In this way, gaps in the content of the execution of individual checklists can be closed. Methods: The two research platforms "Ovid Medline" and "PubMed" formed a solid basis for the literature research. The search was conducted until the 19th of September 2022. The following group terms were used: "checklist", "surgery", "implementation", and "WHO Surgical Safety Checklist". Subsequently, the literature research was limited to studies between 2011 and 2021 in either English or German. Key Content and Findings: Overall, a positive effect was found in all qualitative studies on WHO SSC with respect to leadership, teamwork, timing and acceptance. Acceptance through effective implementation of the SSC deserves special mention. Several studies highlighted the lack of understanding and training, which led to variation in execution. A large number of studies agree that the WHO SSC is fostering teamwork and improving communication. However, there are also hurdles and barriers in the application that seem to have an influence on the effectiveness. Conclusions: The exact mechanisms of the advantage and application of the checklist are still poorly understood. Further research in this area is needed for a better understanding of the underlying work culture and consequently improving patient safety.

Coagulation Management of Critically Bleeding Patients With Viscoelastic Testing Presented as a 3D-Animated Blood Clot (The Visual Clot): Randomized Controlled High-Fidelity Simulation Study.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend using viscoelastic coagulation tests to guide coagulation management, but interpreting the results remains challenging. Visual Clot, a 3D animated blood clot, facilitates interpretation through a user-centered and situation awareness-oriented design. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the effects of Visual Clot versus conventional viscoelastic test results (rotational thrombelastometry [ROTEM] temograms) on the coagulation management performance of anesthesia teams in critical bleeding situations. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomized, high-fidelity simulation study in which anesthesia teams (consisting of a senior anesthesiologist, a resident anesthesiologist, and an anesthesia nurse) managed perioperative bleeding scenarios. Teams had either Visual Clot or ROTEM temograms available to perform targeted coagulation management. We analyzed the 15-minute simulations with post hoc video analysis. The primary outcome was correct targeted coagulation therapy. Secondary outcomes were time to targeted coagulation therapy, confidence, and workload. In addition, we have conducted a qualitative survey on user acceptance of Visual Clot. We used Poisson regression, Cox regression, and mixed logistic regression models, adjusted for various potential confounders, to analyze the data. RESULTS: We analyzed 59 simulations. Teams using Visual Clot were more likely to deliver the overall targeted coagulation therapy correctly (rate ratio 1.56, 95% CI 1.00-2.47; P=.05) and administer the first targeted coagulation product faster (hazard ratio 2.58, 95% CI 1.37-4.85; P=.003). In addition, participants showed higher decision confidence with Visual Clot (odds ratio 3.60, 95% CI 1.49-8.71; P=.005). We found no difference in workload (coefficient -0.03, 95% CI -3.08 to 2.88; P=.99). CONCLUSIONS: Using Visual Clot led to a more accurate and faster-targeted coagulation therapy than using ROTEM temograms. We suggest that relevant viscoelastic test manufacturers consider augmenting their complex result presentation with intuitive, easy-to-understand visualization to ease users' burden from unnecessary cognitive load and enhance patient care.

"Asking for help is a strength"-how to promote undergraduate medical students' teamwork through simulation training and interprofessional faculty.

The ability to team up and safely work in any kind of healthcare team is a critical asset and should be taught early on in medical education. Medical students should be given the chance to "walk the talk" of teamwork by training and reflecting in teams. Our goal was to design, implement and evaluate the feasibility of a simulation-based teamwork training (TeamSIM) for undergraduate medical students that puts generic teamwork skills centerstage. We designed TeamSIM to include 12 learning objectives. For this pre-post, mixed-methods feasibility study, third-year medical students, organized in teams of 11-12 students, participated and observed each other in eight simulations of different clinical situation with varying degrees of complexity (e.g., deteriorating patient in ward; trauma; resuscitation). Guided by an interprofessional clinical faculty with simulation-based instructor training, student teams reflected on their shared experience in structured team debriefings. Using published instruments, we measured (a) students' reactions to TeamSIM and their perceptions of psychological safety via self-report, (b) their ongoing reflections via experience sampling, and (c) their teamwork skills via behavior observation. Ninety four students participated. They reported positive reactions to TeamSIM (M = 5.23, SD = 0.5). Their mean initial reported level of psychological safety was M = 3.8 (SD = 0.4) which rose to M = 4.3 (SD = 0.5) toward the end of the course [T(21) = -2.8, 95% CI -0.78 to-0.12, p = 0.011 (two-tailed)]. We obtained n = 314 headline reflections from the students and n = 95 from the faculty. For the students, the most frequent theme assigned to their headlines involved the concepts taught in the course such as "10 s for 10 min." For the faculty, the most frequent theme assigned to their headlines were reflections on how their simulation session worked for the students. The faculty rated students' teamwork skills higher after the last compared to the first debriefing. Undergraduate medical students can learn crucial teamwork skills in simulations supported by an experienced faculty and with a high degree of psychological safety. Both students and faculty appreciate the learning possibilities of simulation. At the same time, this learning can be challenging, intense and overwhelming. It takes a team to teach teamwork.

Data-driven resuscitation training using pose estimation.

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training improves CPR skills while heavily relying on feedback. The quality of feedback can vary between experts, indicating a need for data-driven feedback to support experts. The goal of this study was to investigate pose estimation, a motion detection technology, to assess individual and team CPR quality with the arm angle and chest-to-chest distance metrics. METHODS: After mandatory basic life support training, 91 healthcare providers performed a simulated CPR scenario in teams. Their behaviour was simultaneously rated based on pose estimation and by experts. It was assessed if the arm was straight at the elbow, by calculating the mean arm angle, and how close the distance between the team members was during chest compressions, by calculating the chest-to-chest distance. Both pose estimation metrics were compared with the expert ratings. RESULTS: The data-driven and expert-based ratings for the arm angle differed by 77.3%, and based on pose estimation, 13.2% of participants kept the arm straight. The chest-to-chest distance ratings by expert and by pose estimation differed by 20.7% and based on pose estimation 63.2% of participants were closer than 1 m to the team member performing compressions. CONCLUSIONS: Pose estimation-based metrics assessed learners' arm angles in more detail and their chest-to-chest distance comparably to expert ratings. Pose estimation metrics can complement educators with additional objective detail and allow them to focus on other aspects of the simulated CPR training, increasing the training's success and the participants' CPR quality. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

User Perceptions of ROTEM-Guided Haemostatic Resuscitation: A Mixed Qualitative-Quantitative Study.

Viscoelastic point-of-care haemostatic resuscitation methods, such as ROTEM or TEG, are crucial in deciding on time-efficient personalised coagulation interventions. International transfusion guidelines emphasise increased patient safety and reduced treatment costs. We analysed care providers' perceptions of ROTEM to identify perceived strengths and areas for improvement. We conducted a single-centre, mixed qualitative-quantitative study consisting of interviews followed by an online survey. Using a template approach, we first identified themes in the responses given by care providers about ROTEM. Later, the participants rated six statements based on the identified themes on five-point Likert scales in an online questionnaire. Seventy-seven participants were interviewed, and 52 completed the online survey. By analysing user perceptions, we identified ten themes. The most common positive theme was "high accuracy". The most common negative theme was "need for training". In the online survey, 94% of participants agreed that monitoring the real-time ROTEM temograms helps to initiate targeted treatment more quickly and 81% agreed that recurrent ROTEM training would be beneficial. Anaesthesia care providers found ROTEM to be accurate and quickly available to support decision-making in dynamic and complex haemostatic situations. However, clinicians identified that interpreting ROTEM is a complex and cognitively demanding task that requires significant training needs.

Helping healthcare teams to debrief effectively: associations of debriefers' actions and participants' reflections during team debriefings.

BACKGROUND: Debriefings help teams learn quickly and treat patients safely. However, many clinicians and educators report to struggle with leading debriefings. Little empirical knowledge on optimal debriefing processes is available. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of specific types of debriefer communication to trigger participants' reflection in debriefings. METHODS: In this prospective observational, microanalytic interaction analysis study, we observed clinicians while they participated in healthcare team debriefings following three high-risk anaesthetic scenarios during simulation-based team training. Using the video-recorded debriefings and INTERACT coding software, we applied timed, event-based coding with DE-CODE, a coding scheme for assessing debriefing interactions. We used lag sequential analysis to explore the relationship between what debriefers and participants said. We hypothesised that combining advocacy (ie, stating an observation followed by an opinion) with an open-ended question would be associated with participants' verbalisation of a mental model as a particular form of reflection. RESULTS: The 50 debriefings with overall 114 participants had a mean duration of 49.35 min (SD=8.89 min) and included 18 486 behavioural transitions. We detected significant behavioural linkages from debriefers' observation to debriefers' opinion (z=9.85, p<0.001), from opinion to debriefers' open-ended question (z=9.52, p<0.001) and from open-ended question to participants' mental model (z=7.41, p<0.001), supporting our hypothesis. Furthermore, participants shared mental models after debriefers paraphrased their statements and asked specific questions but not after debriefers appreciated their actions without asking any follow-up questions. Participants also triggered reflection among themselves, particularly by sharing personal anecdotes. CONCLUSION: When debriefers pair their observations and opinions with open-ended questions, paraphrase participants' statements and ask specific questions, they help participants reflect during debriefings.

Exposure to incivility does not hinder speaking up: a randomised controlled high-fidelity simulation-based study.

BACKGROUND: Speaking up with concerns is critical for patient safety. We studied whether witnessing a civil (i.e. polite, respectful) response to speaking up would increase the occurrence of further speaking up by hospital staff members as compared with witnessing a pseudo-civil (i.e. vague and slightly dismissive) or rude response. METHODS: In this RCT in a single, large academic teaching hospital, a single simulated basic life support scenario was designed to elicit standardised opportunities to speak up. Participants in teams of two or three were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions in which the degree of civility in reacting to speaking up was manipulated by an embedded simulated person. Speaking up behaviour was assessed by behaviour coding of the video recordings of the team interactions by applying 10 codes using The Observer XT 14.1. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling. RESULTS: The sample included 125 interprofessional hospital staff members (82 [66%] women, 43 [34%] men). Participants were more likely to speak up when they felt psychologically safe (γ=0.47; standard error [se]=0.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09-0.85; P=0.017). Participants were more likely to speak up in the rude condition than in the other conditions (γ=0.28; se=0.12; 95% CI, 0.05-0.52; P=0.019). Across conditions, participants spoke up most frequently by structuring inquiry (n=289, 31.52%), proactive (n=240, 26.17%), and reactive (n=148, 16.14%) instruction statements, and gestures (n=139, 15.16%). CONCLUSION: Our study challenges current assumptions about the interplay of civility and speaking up behaviour in healthcare.

Visual Attention of Anesthesia Providers in Simulated Anesthesia Emergencies Using Conventional Number-Based and Avatar-Based Patient Monitoring: Prospective Eye-Tracking Study.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate situational awareness accounts for two-thirds of preventable complications in anesthesia. An essential tool for situational awareness in the perioperative setting is the patient monitor. However, the conventional monitor has several weaknesses. Avatar-based patient monitoring may address these shortcomings and promote situation awareness, a prerequisite for good decision making. OBJECTIVE: The spatial distribution of visual attention is a fundamental process for achieving adequate situation awareness and thus a potential quantifiable surrogate for situation awareness. Moreover, measuring visual attention with a head-mounted eye-tracker may provide insights into usage and acceptance of the new avatar-based patient monitoring modality. METHODS: This prospective eye-tracking study compared anesthesia providers' visual attention on conventional and avatar-based patient monitors during simulated critical anesthesia events. We defined visual attention, measured as fixation count and dwell time, as our primary outcome. We correlated visual attention with the potential confounders: performance in managing simulated critical anesthesia events (task performance), work experience, and profession. We used mixed linear models to analyze the results. RESULTS: Fifty-two teams performed 156 simulations. After a manual quality check of the eye-tracking footage, we excluded 57 simulations due to technical problems and quality issues. Participants had a median of 198 (IQR 92.5-317.5) fixations on the patient monitor with a median dwell time of 30.2 (IQR 14.9-51.3) seconds. We found no significant difference in participants' visual attention when using avatar-based patient monitoring or conventional patient monitoring. However, we found that with each percentage point of better task performance, the number of fixations decreased by about 1.39 (coefficient -1.39; 95% CI -2.44 to -0.34; P=.02), and the dwell time diminished by 0.23 seconds (coefficient -0.23; 95% CI: -0.4 to -0.06; P=.01). CONCLUSIONS: Using eye tracking, we found no significant difference in visual attention when anesthesia providers used avatar-based monitoring or conventional patient monitoring in simulated critical anesthesia events. However, we identified visual attention in conjunction with task performance as a surrogate for situational awareness.

How to train thoracic anesthesia for residents and consultants?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The training of anesthesiologists in thoracic surgery is a significant challenge. International professional societies usually provide only a case number-based or time-based training concept. There are only a few concepts of simulation trainings in thoracic anesthesia and interprofessional debriefings on a daily basis are rarely applied. In this review, we will show how professional curricula should aim for competence rather than number of cases and why simulation-based training and debriefing should be implemented. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent curricula recommend so-called entrustable professional activities (EPAs)as a way out of the dilemma between the number of cases vs. competence. With these EPAs, competence can be mapped and prerequisites defined.Training concepts from simulation in healthcare have so far not explicitly reached anesthesia for thoracic surgery. In addition to mere technical training, combined technical-behavioral training forms have proven to be an effective training targeting the entire team in the context of the actual working environment in the operating theatre. SUMMARY: Interdisciplinary and interprofessional learning can take place in simulation trainings and on a daily basis through postevent debriefings. When these debriefings are conducted in a structured way, an improvement in the performance of the entire team can be the result. The basis for these debriefings - as well as for other training approaches - is psychological safety, which should be established and maintained together with all professions involved.

Associations of form and function of speaking up in anaesthesia: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Speaking up with concerns in the interest of patient safety has been identified as important for the quality and safety of patient care. The study objectives were to identify how anaesthesia care providers speak up, how their colleagues react to it, whether there is an association among speak up form and reaction, and how this reaction is associated with further speak up. METHODS: Data were collected over 3 months at a single centre in Switzerland by observing 49 anaesthesia care providers while performing induction of general anaesthesia in 53 anaesthesia teams. Speaking up and reactions to speaking up were measured by event-based behaviour coding. RESULTS: Instances of speaking up were classified as opinion (59.6%), oblique hint (37.2%), inquiry (30.7%), and observation (16.7%). Most speak up occurred as a combination of different forms. Reactions to speak up included short approval (36.5%), elaboration (35.9%), no verbal reaction (26.3%), or rejection (1.28%). Speaking up was implemented in 89.1% of cases. Inquiry was associated with an increased likelihood of recipients discussing the respective issue (odds ratio [OR]=13.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.9-31.5; P<0.0001) and with a decreased likelihood of implementing the speak up during the same induction (OR=0.27; 95% CI, 0.08-0.88; P=0.03). Reacting with elaboration to the first speak up was associated with decreased further speak up during the same induction (relative risk [RR]=0.42; 95% CI, 0.21-0.83; P=0.018). CONCLUSION: Our study provides insights into the form and function of speaking up in clinical environments and points to a perceived dilemma of speaking up via questions.

Pulmonary fibrosis combined with lung cancer following lung transplantation: should we do more?

Currently, lung transplantation is the standard of care for patients with end-stage lung disease, with interstitial lung disease (ILD) being the most common reason in the recent years In the other hand, in cases where stage II and III lung cancer have been identified following lung transplantation, long-term survival outcomes are poor when compared to lung cancer patients that have not received a lung transplant because the use of immunosuppressant and the problem of rejection and infection and the treatment of recurrence and so on. However, there is no statistical difference observed in stage I (pT1N0M0) patients. In this paper we report about a patient with ILD receiving left lung transplantation in the early time. A lesion of the right lung which was considered the normal ILD tissue and without enough attention. Post-transplant it showed progress and finally the whole right lung (native lung) was occupied by the tumor. Some ground glass changes could also be found in the transplanted lung several months later. A secondary lung transplant was performed for this patient, and there has been no postoperative recurrence thus far. For lung transplant patients with high-risk factors, effective surveillance methods are required for the early detection of lung cancer.

Avatar-based patient monitoring in critical anaesthesia events: a randomised high-fidelity simulation study.

BACKGROUND: Failures in situation awareness cause two-thirds of anaesthesia complications. Avatar-based patient monitoring may promote situation awareness in critical situations. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomised, high-fidelity simulation study powered for non-inferiority. We used video analysis to grade anaesthesia teams managing three 10 min emergency scenarios using three randomly assigned monitoring modalities: only conventional, only avatar, and split-screen showing both modalities side by side. The primary outcome was time to performance of critical tasks. Secondary outcomes were time to verbalisation of vital sign deviations and the correct cause of the emergency, perceived workload, and usability. We used mixed Cox and linear regression models adjusted for various potential confounders. The non-inferiority margin was 10%, or hazard ratio (HR) 0.9. RESULTS: We analysed 52 teams performing 154 simulations. For performance of critical tasks during a scenario, split-screen was non-inferior to conventional (HR=1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96-1.33; not significant in test for superiority); the result for avatar was inconclusive (HR=0.98; 95% CI, 0.83-1.15). Avatar was associated with a higher probability for verbalisation of the cause of the emergency (HR=1.78; 95% CI, 1.13-2.81; P=0.012). We found no evidence for a monitor effect on perceived workload. Perceived usability was lower for avatar (coefficient=-23.0; 95% CI, -27.2 to -18.8; P<0.0001) and split-screen (-6.7; 95% CI, -10.9 to -2.4; P=0.002) compared with conventional. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed non-inferiority of split-screen compared with conventional monitoring for performance of critical tasks during anaesthesia crisis situations. The patient avatar improved verbalisation of the correct cause of the emergency. These results should be interpreted considering participants' minimal avatar but extensive conventional monitoring experience.

Perioperative Anaesthesiological Management of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Patients Undergoing Extrapleural Pneumonectomy (EPP) and Extended Pleurectomy/Decortication ((E)PD).

INTRODUCTION: Macroscopic complete resection (MCR) within a multimodality treatment concept offers currently the best survival for malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. The current standardised therapy is within a multimodality approach including (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy followed by macroscopic complete resection (MCR). However, MCR in form of extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) or extended pleurectomy/decortication ((E)PD) is correlated with significant morbidity and mortality if not performed in high volume centres as described previously according to the literature. In addition, there exist no standardised anaesthesiological protocol for this surgical approach according to the literature. METHODS: At our institution, diagnosed mesothelioma patients up to an International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG) stage III receive induction chemotherapy followed by either EPP or (E)PD and in certain cases additional adjuvant therapy. In the period 1999-end 2019, 362 patients were intended to be treated and 303 underwent induction chemotherapy followed by MCR. MCR can be achieved either by EPP or (E)PD. Both procedures request a good teamwork between the surgeon and the anaesthesiologist. CONCLUSION: Although, there has been a shift lately from EPP towards lung sparing procedure (E)PD, both surgical approaches are still performed to date and is a challenging procedure for both, the surgeon as well as the anaesthesiologist. Herewith, we present our institutional perioperative standard operating procedures for the surgical and anaesthesiological management of EPP or (E)PD according to international terms of reference.

Establishing a non-intubated thoracoscopic surgery programme for bilateral uniportal sympathectomy.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Non-intubated, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (NiVATS) has been successfully developed in several centres worldwide. Local anaesthesia techniques and techniques to perform thoracoscopic surgery on a spontaneously breathing lung are the two key elements which must be adopted to establish a NiVATS programme. We established NiVATS by performing bilateral, uniportal sympathectomies, and compared it to classical video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) under general anaesthesia with double-lumen intubation. METHODS: Ten consecutive bilateral VATS sympathectomies were compared with ten consecutive NiVATS procedures. Nineteen of the procedures were for palmar hyperhidrosis and one was for facial blushing. Duration of anaesthesia, surgery and hospitalisation, perioperative complications, side effects and quality of life before and after sympathectomy were analysed. RESULTS: Median age was 26.5 years (range 17–55) and mean BMI in the NiVATS group was 21.8 (range 19.1–26.3). NiVATS sympathectomies were performed as outpatient procedures significantly more often (9/10 vs 3/10, p = 0.008). Quality of life was significantly increased after sympathectomy in all patients, with no significant differences between the NiVATS and the VATS groups. There were no differences between the two groups regarding compensatory sweating (40 vs 50%, p = 0.66). The duration of anaesthesia, not including the time required for the surgery, was significantly shorter in the NiVATS group (p <0.001). The duration of surgery, from the first local anaesthesia until the last skin suture, was significantly longer in the NiVATS group (p = 0.04), but showed a constant decline during the learning curve, from 95 minutes initially to 48 minutes for the last procedure. Costs were significantly lower in the NiVATS group (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Thoracoscopic sympathectomy is a suitable procedure with which to establish a NiVATS programme. Patients are usually young and of healthy weight, facilitating the learning curve for the local anaesthesia techniques and the surgery. Compared to VATS, sympathectomy is more likely to be performed as an outpatient procedure and has a lower cost, while safety and efficacy are maintained.

Predictors of blood loss in lung transplant surgery-a single center retrospective cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study aims to identify clinical predictors of intraoperative blood loss during lung transplantation. While for other surgical specialties predictors of blood loss have been identified such as previous likewise located surgery, poor preoperative health status of patients, blood coagulation status, and use of extra corporeal circulation, predictors of blood loss during lung transplantation are not yet established. METHODS: A total of 326 lung transplants were performed between January 2000 and February 2014 at a tertiary hospital. The primary aim was to associate blood loss with the following potential predictors: pulmonary arterial hypertension, pre- or intraoperative extracorporeal life support (ECLS), previous thoracic surgery, previous lung transplant, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Postoperative complications and 30-day mortality were secondary endpoints of the study. RESULTS: Median estimated blood loss during lung transplant was 1,500 mL (IQR, 1,000-2,875 mL). Pre- and intraoperative ECLS (P=0.02, P<0.001) independently increased blood loss by 59% and 107%, respectively. The higher blood loss during re-transplant marginally missed the significance level (P=0.05). Pulmonary arterial hypertension, previous thoracic surgery and high CCI were not associated with increased blood loss. As secondary outcomes, postoperative complications were more common in patients with a higher blood loss (P=0.04) but was not associated with higher 30-day mortality (P=0.18). CONCLUSIONS: Pre- and intraoperative ECLS were significant risk factors for higher blood loss during lung transplantation. Higher blood loss was associated with higher incidence of postoperative complications but not with a higher 30-day mortality.

Anaesthesia management for bronchoscopic and surgical lung volume reduction.

Optimizing the patient's condition before the lung volume reduction (LVR) according to recommendations by American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline on perioperative cardiovascular evaluation is mandatory. Implementation of a multimodal analgesia concept and the use short-acting anaesthetics enhances recovery and avoids postoperative pulmonary complications. Normovolemia, normothermia, lung protective ventilation and an evidence-based concept of airway management (i.e., double-lumen tube, bronchus blocker) are suggested for intraoperative management of surgical lung volume reduction (SLVR). General anaesthesia (using remifentanil, propofol and mivacurium) with an i-gel® supraglottic airway device should be used for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR). Jet ventilation through rigid bronchoscopy or with a jet catheter may be an alternative concept. Experienced consultants should perform anaesthesia for LVR.

Established and potential predictors of blood loss during lung transplant surgery.

Lung transplantation is an established therapeutic procedure for end stage lung diseases. Its success may be impaired by perioperative complications. Intraoperative blood loss and the resulting blood transfusion are among the most common complications. The various factors contributing to increased blood loss during lung transplantation are only scarcely investigated and not yet completely understood. This is in sharp contrast to other surgical fields, as in orthopedic surgery, liver transplantation and cardiac surgery the contributors to blood loss are well identified. This narrative review article aims to highlight the acknowledged factors influencing blood loss in lung transplantation (such as double vs. single lung transplant) and to discuss potential factors that may be of interest for further research or helpful to develop strategies targeting risk factors in order to minimize blood loss during lung transplantation and finally improve patient outcome.