Evaluating the Influence of IV Ketamine on Postoperative Opioid Use for Surgical Patients at a Tertiary Care Centre.

Background: Subanesthetic doses of ketamine have been shown to improve the efficacy of opioids, increase pain control, and exemplify opioid-sparing effects when used as postoperative analgesia for adults. Objectives: To determine, for surgical patients, the impact of IV ketamine infusions on opioid use in hospital, overall and within 24 h before discharge, as well as pain scores. Methods: A retrospective matched cohort study was conducted, in which surgical patients exposed to ketamine were compared with those not exposed to ketamine, among admissions from January 1, 2018, to February 28, 2020. Patients were matched for age, surgical service, and sex. Results: A total of 104 patients were included in the study. Overall, there was no significant difference in mean total opioid use in hospital for patients exposed and not exposed to ketamine (171.7 mg versus 115.5 mg oral morphine equivalent [OME], p = 0.09), nor was there any difference in opioid use in the 24 h before discharge (28.2 mg versus 18.2 mg OME, p = 0.14). Patient-reported pain scores did not differ between groups. More patients in the ketamine group experienced hallucinations than in the group not exposed to ketamine (5 versus 0, p = 0.024). Conclusions: Overall, subanesthetic doses of IV ketamine used postoperatively in surgical patients did not decrease opioid use or patient-reported pain. More patients who received ketamine had documented hallucinations. These results will help guide postoperative analgesia practice and strategies to reduce opioid use.

Contexte: Il a été démontré que des doses sous-anesthésiques de kétamine améliorent l'efficacité des opioïdes, augmentent le contrôle de la douleur et illustrent les effets d'épargne des opioïdes lorsqu'elles sont utilisées comme analgésie postopératoire chez l'adulte. Objectifs: Déterminer, pour les patients chirurgicaux, l'impact des perfusions de kétamine IV sur la consommation d'opioïdes à l'hôpital en général et dans les 24 h précédant la sortie, ainsi que les scores de douleur. Méthodes: Une étude de cohorte rétrospective appariée a été menée dans laquelle on a comparé, chez les patients chirurgicaux admis du 1er janvier 2018 au 28 février 2020, ceux qui ont été exposés à la kétamine à ceux non exposés à la kétamine. Les patients ont été appariés selon l'âge, le service chirurgical et le sexe. Résultats: Au total, 104 patients ont été inclus dans l'étude. Dans l'ensemble, il n'y avait pas de différence significative dans la consommation totale moyenne d'opioïdes à l'hôpital pour les patients exposés et non exposés à la kétamine (171,7 mg contre 115,5 mg d'équivalents de morphine orale [OME], p = 0,09), ni de différence dans la consommation d'opioïdes dans les 24 h avant la sortie (28,2 mg contre 18,2 mg OME, p = 0,14). Les scores de douleur rapportés par les patients ne différaient pas entre les groupes. Plus de patients du groupe kétamine que du groupe non exposé à la kétamine ont eu des hallucinations (5 contre 0, p = 0,024). Conclusions: Dans l'ensemble, les doses sous-anesthésiques de kétamine IV utilisées après l'opération chez les patients chirurgicaux n'ont pas diminué l'utilisation d'opioïdes ni la douleur signalée par les patients. Plus de patients ayant reçu de la kétamine avaient des hallucinations documentées. Ces résultats aideront à guider la pratique de l'analgésie postopératoire et les stratégies visant à réduire l'utilisation d'opioïdes.

Mapping the Expert Mind: Integration Method for Revising the ACES Medical Simulation Curriculum.

PURPOSE: This article shares our experience developing an integrated curriculum for the ACES (Acute Critical Event Simulation) program. The purpose of the ACES program is to ensure that health care providers develop proficiency in the early management of critically ill patients. The program includes multiple different types of educational interventions (mostly simulation-based) and targets both specialty and family physicians practicing in tertiary and community hospitals. METHODS: To facilitate integration between different educational interventions, we developed a knowledge repository consisting of cognitive sequence maps that make explicit the flow of cognitive activities carried out by experts facing different situations - the sequence maps then serving as the foundation upon which multimodal simulation scenarios would be built. To encourage participation of experts, we produced this repository as a peer-reviewed ebook. Five national organizations collaborated with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada to identify and recruit expert authors and reviewers. Foundational chapters, centered on goals/interventions, were first developed to comprehensively address most tasks conducted in the early management of a critically ill patient. Tasks from the foundational chapters were then used to complete the curriculum with situations. The curriculum development consisted of two-phases each followed by a peer-review process. In the first phase, focus groups using web-conferencing were conducted to map clinical practice approaches and in the second, authors completed the body of the chapter (e.g., introduction, definition, concepts, etc.) then provided a more detailed description of each task linked to supporting evidence. RESULTS: Sixty-seven authors and thirty-five peer reviewers from various backgrounds (physicians, pharmacists, nurses, respiratory therapists) were recruited. On average, there were 32 tasks and 15 situations per chapter. The average number of focus group meetings needed to develop a map (one map per chapter) was 6.7 (SD ± 3.6). We found that the method greatly facilitated integration between different chapters especially for situations which are not limited to a single goal or intervention. For example, almost half of the tasks of the Hypercapnic Ventilatory Failure chapter map were borrowed from other maps with some modifications, which significantly reduced the authors' workload and enhanced content integration. This chapter was also linked to 6 other chapters. CONCLUSIONS: To facilitate curriculum integration, we have developed a knowledge repository consisting of cognitive maps which organize time-sensitive tasks in the proper sequence; the repository serving as the foundation upon which other educational interventions are then built. While this methodology is demanding, authors welcomed the challenge given the scholarly value of their work, thus creating an interprofessional network of educators across Canada.

Implementation of the glucommander method of adjusting insulin infusions in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Intensive glycemic control has been associated with reduced morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Web-based, patient-specific insulin nomograms may facilitate improved glucose control. OBJECTIVE: To compare 2 algorithms for individualizing insulin infusion therapy (a web-based system [Glucommander method] and a standard paper-based nomogram) in a cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: In this prospective, before-after cohort study, measures of glycemic control for 50 patients receiving insulin according to the Glucommander system were compared with a control group (n = 50) who received insulin according to the standard paper-based nomogram used in the cardiovascular surgery ICU. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the 2 groups with respect to time to target blood glucose (5.1-8.0 mmol/L), percentage of time within the target range, or mean amplitude of glucose excursion. Patients in the intervention group spent less time above the target range (p = 0.007) and more time below the target range (p < 0.001), and the mean glucose was lower in this group compared with the control group (7.9 versus 8.6 mmol/L, p = 0.002). The percentage of blood glucose measurements below 4 mmol/L was higher in the intervention group than in the control group (3.7% versus 1.4%, p = 0.003). Satisfaction surveys revealed that the program was well accepted by the nursing staff in the cardiovascular surgery ICU. CONCLUSIONS: A web-based insulin nomogram was an easy-to-use instrument for achieving tighter glucose control for patients in the cardiovascular surgery ICU. Use of the Glucommander system led to lower mean blood glucose but an increase in episodes of hypoglycemia.

Initial vancomycin dosing recommendations for critically ill patients undergoing continuous venovenous hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Delaying appropriate antimicrobial therapy for critically ill patients increases the risk of death. Currently, there are insufficient data to guide initial vancomycin dosing for patients undergoing continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD). OBJECTIVE: To develop practical recommendations for initial dosing of vancomycin, based on the pharmacokinetics of this drug in critically ill patients undergoing CVVHD. METHODS: A chart review was conducted for 24 critically ill adult patients who had undergone concurrent CVVHD and vancomycin therapy. Mean pharmacokinetic parameters were determined, along with practical recommendations for initial vancomycin dosing that targeted steady-state trough concentrations for patients receiving intermittent infusions and steady-state levels for those receiving continuous infusions between 15 and 20 mg/L. Monte Carlo simulation was used to develop the initial vancomycin dosing recommendations. RESULTS: The mean (95% confidence interval) pharmacokinetic parameters for vancomycin (elimination rate constant 0.0315 [0.0254-0.0391], half-life 22.0 h [17.72-27.24 h], volume of distribution 0.96 L/kg [0.77-1.20 L/kg], and clearance 2.4 L/h [1.97-2.92 L/h]) indicated that initial intermittent IV dosing of 1.25-1.5 g q24h or 15 mg/kg q24h would be suitable. For continuous infusion, a 1.5-g IV loading dose followed by continuous infusion of 1-1.5 g IV over 24 h (42-62 mg/h) would be recommended. However, Monte Carlo simulation revealed that the probability of achieving desired concentrations between 15 and 20 mg/L with any of these initial regimens is low. CONCLUSIONS: There was considerable variation in vancomycin pharmacokinetics in this patient population. The observations reported here raise concerns about the reliability of numerous empiric dosing recommendations derived from small pharmacokinetic studies in heterogeneous populations. Follow-up therapeutic drug monitoring is essential to ensure that concentrations remain within the target range.