Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome and Reversal With Sugammadex: A Case Report.

Postpolio syndrome (PPS) is a disabling process characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy that typically emerges decades after an initial poliomyelitis infection. Although the exact incidence of PPS is unknown, it is estimated that 25% to 40% of all poliomyelitis survivors are affected. Patients with PPS may have increased sensitivity to numerous anesthetic agents including neuromuscular blocking drugs. A case report of a patient with PPS undergoing general anesthesia for a cystoscopy procedure is presented. Because of a previous general anesthetic using traditional muscle relaxant reversal of neostigmine, which resulted in prolonged paralysis (6-8 hours) and an intensive care unit admission, sugammadex was used in the cystoscopy procedure. Excellent results were achieved. Following extubation, the patient sustained adequate respiratory effort demonstrated by respiratory rate, end-tidal carbon dioxide, and oxygen saturation within normal limits. Sugammadex administration led to a markedly improved outcome for a patient with a disabling muscle-weakening neurologic disorder. Use of this medication may be of value to other anesthesia providers caring for patients with PPS in an operative setting.

Preventable Closed Claims in the AANA Foundation Closed Malpractice Claims Database.

Medical errors are among the top 3 causes of patient deaths in the United States, with up to 400,000 preventable deaths occurring in hospitalized patients each year. Although improvements have been made in anesthesia patient safety, adverse outcomes continue to occur. This study used thematic analysis to examine anesthesia closed claims that were associated with preventable morbidity and mortality. Investigators determined that 123 closed malpractice claims files from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Foundation closed claims database involved events that the involved Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist could have prevented. Factors that were associated with preventable closed claims included communication failures, violations of the AANA Standards for Nurse Anesthesia Practice, and errors in judgment.

Transfer of Care in Perioperative Settings: A Descriptive Qualitative Study.

Transfer of care is defined as the exchange of information and professional accountability for patient care between individuals. This article describes a qualitative content analysis (N = 19) using a closed-claims database generated by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Foundation. The purpose of this study was to explore perioperative transfer-of-care events that contributed to professional malpractice claims to identify general themes, antecedents, and consequences to improve clinical practices and guide future research. A brief summary of the 6 themes that emerged in this study is as follows. (1) Patients should be transferred to an appropriate level of care based on their needs. (2) Production pressure leads to normalization of deviance. (3) Clinicians need to conduct their own patient assessments and health record reviews without relying solely on another clinician's report. (4) Interdisciplinary team communication failure is a leading cause of adverse outcomes. (5) Inadequate patient monitoring and physical assessment after the transfer of care is completed is a leading cause of adverse outcomes. (6) Transfer of care should not occur during high-risk patient care events or during periods of patient hemodynamic or respiratory instability.