Assessing Preoperative Anxiety: Nurses Versus Health Care Assistants.

PURPOSE: Our objective was to compare the difference in anxiety levels self-reported by patients and those estimated by health care assistants and nurses in two ambulatory surgery settings. DESIGN: We performed a prospective study. METHODS: Patients' preoperative anxiety was graded using a visual analog scale. FINDINGS: Between September 1 and November 31, 2019, a total of fifteen health care assistants and fourteen nurses assessed anxiety scores of 170 patients, including 92 women and 78 men. At admission, the mean visual analog scale anxiety score declared to health care assistants and nurses was 5.3 (SD = 2.9) and 4.2 (SD = 3.1), respectively (P = .02). The correlation between health care assistants' assessment of the patients' anxiety and the declared level of anxiety was significantly higher than nurses' assessment (r = 0.83 vs r = 0.12; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Nurse assistants estimate patients' preoperative anxiety with more accuracy than nurses in our hospital. Nursing education curriculum should continue to include addressing preoperative patient anxiety.

Incidence and risk factors for maternal hypoxaemia during induction of general anaesthesia for non-elective Caesarean section: a prospective multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women are at increased risk of hypoxaemia during general anaesthesia. Our aim was to determine the incidence and the risk factors that contribute to hypoxaemia in this setting. METHODS: Every woman 18 yr or older who underwent a non-elective Caesarean section under general anaesthesia was eligible to participate in this multicentre observational study. The primary endpoint was the incidence of hypoxaemia defined as the SpO2 ≤95%. The secondary endpoint was the incidence of difficult intubation defined as more than two attempts or failed intubation. RESULTS: During the study period, 895 women were prospectively included in 17 maternity hospitals, accounting for 79% of women who had general anaesthesia for non-elective Caesarean section. Maternal hypoxaemia was observed in 172 women (19%; confidence interval [CI], 17-22%). Risk factors associated with hypoxaemia in the multivariate analysis were difficult or failed intubation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=19.1 [8.6-42.7], P<0.0001) and BMI >35 kg m-2 (aOR=0.53 [0.28-0.998], P=0.0495). Intubation was difficult in 40 women (4.5%; CI, 3.3-6%) and failed intubation occurred in five women (0.56%; CI, 0.1-1%). In the multivariate analysis, use of a hypnotic drug other than propofol was associated with difficult or failed intubation (aOR=25 [2-391], P=0.02). A propensity score confirmed that propofol was associated with a significant decreased risk of difficulty or failure to intubate (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hypoxaemia during Caesarean sections was observed in 19% of women and was significantly associated with difficult or failed intubation. The use of propofol may protect against the occurrence of difficult intubation.

A retrospective comparison between delayed and early hip fracture surgery in patients taking clopidogrel: same total bleeding but different timing of blood transfusion.

PURPOSE: Managing hip fracture surgery in patients taking clopidogrel is challenging. The optimal timing for surgery remains unclear. Early surgery in such patients potentially increases peri-operative bleeding, whereas delayed surgery has been shown to be associated with worse postoperative outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a delay to surgery affects total blood loss, bleeding kinetics, blood transfusion requirements, or post-operative outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective monocentric study including all hip fracture patients treated with clopidogrel between 2011 and 2016 (39 patients) was carried out. Patients who underwent delayed surgery after withholding clopidogrel for five days or more, from 2011 to 2013, were compared to patients who benefited from earlier surgical procedures (within 48 hours of admission) from 2014 to 2016. RESULTS: Total blood loss, amount of blood transfusion and rate of postoperative complications did not differ between the two groups. However, the timing of bleeding was significantly different; blood loss occurred during the pre-operative phase in the delayed surgery group (p < 0.0001), whereas it occurred during the intra-operative phase in the early surgery group (p = 0.005). The length of the hospital stay was significantly shorter for the early surgery group than for the delayed surgery group: 11 ± three versus 15 ± four days (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Early surgical treatment of hip fracture in patients receiving clopidogrel does not increase the overall red blood cell loss or the transfusion requirement, but may affect the timing of blood transfusion. Hip fracture surgery should preferably be performed without delay in patients taking clopidogrel.

Is it safe to use telephone for anaesthesia consultation in high-risk patients before non-invasive surgery? A pilot study in ophthalmology.

BACKGROUND: Although telemedicine with video support for preoperative evaluation has been found effective, there is limited research on anaesthesia consultation by phone without video support, particularly among high-risk patients. To evaluate the effectiveness, safety and potential benefits of performing pre-anaesthesia evaluation by phone before eye surgery in patients having non-invasive surgery, we performed an observational study in a French teaching hospital. METHOD: All elective patients having elective ophthalmic surgery were included to have a consultation by phone instead of an in-person consultation, regardless of the type of anaesthesia or ASA score. The incidence of day-of-surgery cancellations, patient satisfaction and time/distance saved through phone consultations were assessed. RESULTS: From February to October 2022, data of 3480 patients were analyzed, including 370 (11%) high-risk patients (ASA 3-4). Anaesthesia-related day-of-surgery cancellation rate was 0.5% (n = 20) due to non-compliance with pre-operative instructions. No cancellation was due to inadequate pre-operative evaluation. No difference in cancellation rate was observed between low-risk patients and high-risk patients. Telephone consultations saved patients a mean of 126 min and 86 km. A younger age, an active status and living far from the hospital were associated with phone consultation preference. CONCLUSION: Phone anaesthesia consultation seems to be effective and safe before ophthalmic surgery, regardless of patient's perioperative risk. In addition, phone consultation provides significant time and distance savings. Our results must be confirmed through a multicentric randomised study comparing phone and traditional consultation in ophthalmology as well as in other non-invasive surgical procedures in a high-risk patients population.

How anesthesiology can deal with innovation and new technologies?

Innovation and new technologies have always impacted significantly the anesthesiology practice all along the perioperative course, as it is recognized as one of the most transformative medical specialties specifically regarding patient's safety. Beside a number of major changes in procedures, equipment, training, and organization that aggregated to establish a strong safety culture with effective practices, anesthesiology is also a stakeholder in disruptive innovation. The present review is not exhaustive and aims to provide an overview on how innovation could change and improve anesthesiology practices through some examples as telemedicine (TM), machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). For example, postoperative complications can be accurately predicted by AI from automated real-time electronic health record data, matching physicians' predictive accuracy. Clinical workflow could be facilitated and accelerated with mobile devices and applications, assuming that these tools should remain at the service of patients and care providers. Care providers and patients connections have improved, thanks to these digital and innovative transformations, without replacing existing relationships between them. It also should give time back to physicians and nurses to better spend it in the perioperative care, and to provide "personalized" medicine keeping a high level of standard of care.

Investigating pupillometry to detect preoperative anxiety: a pilot study.

Guidelines from the European Society of Anesthesia (ESA) insist on the importance of preoperative anxiety management. However, its assessment currently relies on questionnaires that are long to submit and sometimes difficult to interpret. Exploring the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic neural systems through the use of pupillometry is a promising path to identify anxiety and thus provides an objective and reproducible assessment tool. A single-center prospective observational study was conducted in a population of ambulatory ophthalmological surgery patients. Preoperative anxiety was assessed using the Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ). Measurements were taken using an Algiscan® (IDMed) type pupillometer before, during, and after insertion of the peripheral IV catheter. A statistical correlation test was carried out between the different evaluations of anxiety and the coefficient of variation of the pupillary diameter (VCPD). A total of 71 patients were included in the study between July 2020 and February 2021, with a median SFQ score of 23 [IQR 11-34]. No significant statistical correlation was found between the baseline pupillary diameter, or VCPD, and preoperative anxiety levels. Similarly, the pupillometric variables did not differ significantly when adjusting for the level of anxiety during and after painful stimulation due to canulation. More studies are necessary to explore the potential correlation between preoperative anxiety and pupillometry.

Construction of reference criteria to admit patients to intermediate care units in France: a Delphi survey of intensivists, anaesthesiologists and emergency medicine practitioners (first part of the UNISURC project).

OBJECTIVES: No consensus criteria describe the medical eligibility of the patients to intermediate care units (IMCUs). In this first part of the UNISURC project, we aimed to develop criteria based on a consensus of physicians from the main specialties involved in IMCU admission decisions. DESIGN: We selected criteria from IMCU literature, scoring systems and intensive care unit nursing workload. We submitted these criteria to a panel of experts in a Delphi survey. We used a two-round Delphi survey procedure to assess the validity and feasibility of each criterion. SETTING: Medical practitioners in either public or private French institutions and proposed by the national scientific societies of anaesthesiology, emergency medicine and intensive care. The Delphi rounds took place in 2015-2016. OUTCOME MEASURES: Validity and feasibility of the proposed criteria; uniformity of the judgement across the primary specialty and the hospital category of the responders. RESULTS: The criteria submitted to vote were classified as one of: chronic factor (CF); acute factor (AF); specific pathway (SP); nursing activity (NA) and hospital environment (HE). Of 189 experts invited, 81 (41%) responded to the first round and 62 of them (76%) responded to the second round. A definite selection of 63 items was made, distributed across 6 CF, 18 AF, 31 SP, 3 NA and 5 HE. Validity and feasibility were influenced by the specialty or the public/private status of the institution of the responders for a few items. CONCLUSION: We created a set of 63 consensus criteria with acceptable validity and feasibility to assess the medical eligibility of the patients to IMCUs. The second part of the UNISURC project will assess the distribution of each criterion in a prospective multicentre national cohort. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02590172.

Rocuronium with sugammadex as a rescue reversal agent to solve conflicting recommendations for thyroid or parathyroid surgery. A prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: For thyroid or parathyroid surgery, there is a challenge to select a muscle relaxant agent allowing a good quality for tracheal intubation without any residual effect at the time of intraoperative neural monitoring. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this monocentric study, non-morbidly obese adult patients without risk factors for difficult tracheal intubation who underwent thyroid or parathyroid surgery with intraoperative neural monitoring were prospectively included. After rocuronium injection (0.5 mg.kg-1) during propofol-sufentanil induction, intubation conditions were evaluated using the Copenhagen score. The surgeon positioned the electrodes NIM® and tested the vagal nerve before recurrent nerve dissection. The signal was considered positive when the wave amplitude exceeded 100 µV. If not, sugammadex (2 mg.kg-1) was administered. The dissection began when the signal was positive. RESULTS: From January 2022 to June 2022, 48 out of 50 patients, 39 (81%) female, met inclusion criteria and were prospectively recruited in the study (two patients had predictable difficult intubation criteria). Intubation conditions were clinically acceptable for 46/48 (96%) of patients. The time delay from rocuronium injection to vagal stimulation was 43 min (mean) +/- 11 (SD). The vagal stimulation was positive in 45 patients (94%). In the 3 remaining patients, sugammadex successfully reversed residual curarization and allowed positive vagal stimulation. DISCUSSION: This prospective study shows that the use of 0.5 mg.kg-1 rocuronium with sugammadex as a rescue reversal agent allows good quality and safety for intubation conditions and intraoperative neural monitoring in patients scheduled for thyroid or parathyroid surgery.

Sample size considerations for studies comparing intubating conditions using quantitative monitoring versus a fixed interval during onset of neuromuscular blockade.

INTRODUCTION: Data in the literature are still scarce to establish any recommendations on the use of quantitative monitoring during tracheal intubation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this monocentric study, non-morbidly obese adult female patients without risk factors for difficult tracheal intubation were prospectively included. After 0.5 mg.kg-1 atracurium during propofol-sufentanil anaesthesia, intubation conditions were evaluated using the Copenhague and Cormack-Lehane classification at the complete twitch suppression at the TOF to the AP (monitor group) or after a fixed 3 min waiting time after atracurium injection (3-min group). We also examined sample size for future studies. RESULTS: We included 102 (monitor group) and 97 (3-min group) adult non-obese female patients without different characteristics. Intubation conditions were acceptable in 96/102 (94%) in the monitor group vs. 84/97 (87%) in the 3-min group, p = 0.07. The presence of a Cormack and Lehane view of 1 was marginally better in the monitor group as compared to the 3-min group, p = 0.041. We propose two possibility of sample size based on a difference of observed events based on acceptable intubation conditions, n = 602, or on excellent intubation conditions, n = 550. DISCUSSION: This observational study shows that the use of a neuromuscular TOF monitoring of the ulnar nerve as compared to a fixed 3-min waiting time after atracurium injection could improve laryngoscopic view and show a tendency to better intubation conditions without conclusive statistical significance. We suggest that researchers consider our recommendations in terms of the sample size to include in their future research, keeping in mind the limitations of our study.

Extended antibiotic prophylaxis after pancreatoduodenectomy reduces postoperative abdominal infection in high-risk patients: Results from a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative biliary stenting before pancreatoduodenectomy is associated with a greater risk of bacteribilia and thus could lead to more frequent and severe surgical site infections. We hypothesized that an extended antibiotic prophylaxis could reduce the risk of surgical site infections for these high-risk patients compared with standard antibiotic prophylaxis. METHODS: All consecutive patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2016 were included in a tricentric retrospective cohort and classified according to the risk of surgical site infections (high or low) and the type of antibiotic prophylaxis (standard or extended). Extended antibiotic prophylaxis was defined by the use of high-rank ß-lactams >2 days after surgery. Standard antibiotic prophylaxis concerned all single dose of low-rank ß-lactams antibiotic prophylaxis. The primary outcome was postoperative surgical site infections. RESULTS: Three hundred and eight patients were included; 146 (47%) were high-risk patients, and 81 (55%) received extended antibiotic prophylaxis, mostly composed of piperacilline-tazobactam and gentamicin. There were significantly fewer surgical site infections in high-risk patients receiving extended antibiotic prophylaxis versus standard antibiotic prophylaxis (odds ratio = 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.8; P = .011), even after adjusting on age, sex, and duration of the surgical procedure (adjusted odds ratio = 0.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.7; P = .0071). There was no statistical difference in 28-day mortality (P = .32) or 90-day mortality (P = .13). Microorganisms identified in bile culture were more often sensitive to antibiotic prophylaxis in high-risk extended antibiotic prophylaxis group than in high-risk standard antibiotic prophylaxis group (64% versus 38%; P = .01). CONCLUSION: Extended antibiotic prophylaxis is associated with a reduced risk of surgical site infections for high-risk patients with no significant reduction on 28-day mortality. Additional studies are required to determine the optimal duration of extended antibiotic prophylaxis for these patients.

The StarvAnx Study-Comparison Between the Effects of Non-fasting Vs. Fasting Strategy on Surgical Outcomes, Anxiety and Pain in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery Under Topical Anesthesia: A Randomized, Crossover, Controlled Trial.

Background: Fasting is usually recommended in patients undergoing cataract surgery under topical anesthesia. However, starving before surgery may increase preoperative anxiety and affect surgical outcomes. It is not known which fasting or non-fasting strategy is best for cataract surgery. The aim of this study was to compare non-fasting and fasting strategy in patients undergoing cataract surgery under topical anesthesia with regard to surgical outcomes, anxiety and pain. Methods: This randomized, crossover, controlled trial enrolled patients undergoing surgery for bilateral cataract under topical anesthesia at Cochin Hospital (Paris, France), from February to May 2021. Patients were randomly assigned to the non-fasting or fasting group for the first eye surgery and were switched to the other group for the second eye surgery. The primary endpoint was to compare the rate of anesthetist's interventions during surgery. The secondary endpoints included intra-operative complications, duration of surgery, surgeon perception of surgical difficulty, anesthesia-related complications and anxiety and pain level. Results: one hundred and nine consecutive patients were included, with 60 of them being fasted first and non-fasted for the second eye surgery, while the other 59 were non-fasted first and fasted for the next surgery. The number of patients requiring sedation was significantly lower in the non-fasting group compared with the fasting group [1%; 95%IC (0-3.2) vs. 6%; 95%IC (2.9-8.9), P = 0.04]. No anesthesia-related complications were observed. There was no difference in the number of intra-operative complications between the non-fasting and the fasting groups (,respectively, 0 and 1; P = 1). Anxiety level and surgical pain were significantly lower in the non-fasting group compared to the fasting group (,respectively, 2.3 ± 2.0 vs. 4.1 ± 2.4, P = 0.01 and 0.6 ± 0.6 vs. 2.6 ± 3.4, P = 0.003). The mean duration of surgery was significantly shorter in the non-fasting group compared with the fasting group (,respectively, 16.0 ± 5.9 vs. 22.3 ± 6.1 min; P = 0.03). Conclusion: In conclusion pre-operatory non-fasting strategy provides a better patient experience with regards to preoperative anxiety and surgical pain. It allows to reduce operating times and is safe and well-tolerated as regards the anesthetic intervention.

Perioperative outcomes of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma surgery preceded by Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas can induce severe cardiovascular manifestations such as Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy. What the perioperative outcomes are of patients presenting with pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas preceded by Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy remains an unresolved question. METHODS: From 2006 to 2019, all patients who underwent surgery for pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas preceded by Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy were included from 3 high-volume centers, with specific attention to perioperative hemodynamic instability and postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, 37 patients were included, with a median age of 45 years. Patients were operated on 2 months (1-4) after a Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy episode; 33 (89%) had a laparoscopic approach. All those who underwent surgery presented in a hemodynamically stable situation. All except 1 of the pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas patients had at least 1 antihypertensive treatment at the time of surgery. The median preoperative systolic blood pressure in the Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy group was 120 mm Hg (95-132). Overall, 27/34 (79%) of patients required vasoactive drugs during surgery with nicardipine (n = 22), esmolol (n = 12), and/or norepinephrine (n = 8). No patient presented a catecholamine-induced life-threatening complication such as hypertensive crisis, cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary edema, cardiac ischemia, or Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy in the perioperative period. Severe morbi-mortality was nil. The systematic review identified 5 studies including 38 pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas patients with at least 1 episode of acute heart failure considered as Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy before surgery, of which 28 patients had delayed surgery with 1 postoperative death. CONCLUSION: Hemodynamically stabilized patients with pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas preceded by Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy can be safely scheduled for an elective pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas surgery, with similar intra and postoperative outcomes as those without Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy.