Variability in blood and blood component utilization as assessed by an anesthesia information management system.

BACKGROUND: Data can be collected for various purposes with anesthesia information management systems. The authors describe methods for using data acquired from an anesthesia information management system to assess intraoperative utilization of blood and blood components. METHODS: Over an 18-month period, data were collected on 48,086 surgical patients at a tertiary care academic medical center. All data were acquired with an automated anesthesia recordkeeping system. Detailed reports were generated for blood and blood component utilization according to surgical service and surgical procedure, and for individual surgeons and anesthesiologists. Transfusion hemoglobin trigger and target concentrations were compared among surgical services and procedures, and between individual medical providers. RESULTS: For all patients given erythrocytes, the mean transfusion hemoglobin trigger was 8.4 ± 1.5, and the target was 10.2 ± 1.5 g/dl. Variation was significant among surgical services (trigger range: 7.5 ± 1.2-9.5 ± 1.1, P = 0.0001; target range: 9.1 ± 1.2-11.3 ± 1.4 g/dl, P = 0.002), surgeons (trigger range: 7.2 ± 0.7-9.8 ± 1.0, P = 0.001; target range: 8.8 ± 0.9-11.8 ± 1.3 g/dl, P = 0.001), and anesthesiologists (trigger range: 7.2 ± 0.8-9.6 ± 1.2, P = 0.001; target range: 9.0 ± 0.9-11.7 ± 1.3 g/dl, P = 0.0004). The use of erythrocyte salvage, fresh frozen plasma, and platelets varied threefold to fourfold among individual surgeons compared with their peers performing the same surgical procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The use of data acquired from an anesthesia information management system allowed a detailed analysis of blood component utilization, which revealed significant variation among surgical services and surgical procedures, and among individual anesthesiologists and surgeons compared with their peers. Incorporating these methods of data acquisition and analysis into a blood management program could reduce unnecessary transfusions, an outcome that may increase patient safety and reduce costs.

Pilot implementation of a perioperative protocol to guide operating room-to-intensive care unit patient handoffs.

OBJECTIVES: Perioperative handoffs are a particularly high-risk period given patients' postprocedural physiology, their physical transport through the hospital, and the triad transfer of personnel, information, and technology. The authors piloted a new perioperative handoff process to guide patient transfers from the cardiac operating room (OR) to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit (CSICU). The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a standardized handoff process on patient care and provider satisfaction. DESIGN: A prospective, unblinded intervention study. SETTING: A CSICU in a teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred thirty-eight health care practitioners during the transfer of care of 60 patients. INTERVENTIONS: The implementation of a standardized handoff protocol and checklist. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: After the protocol's implementation, the presence of all handoff core team members at the bedside increased from 0% at baseline to 68% after intervention. The percentage of missed information in the surgery report decreased from 26% to 16% (p = 0.03), but the percentage of missed information in the anesthesia report showed no significant change (19% to 17%, p > 0.05). Handoff satisfaction scores among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses increased from 61% to 81%. On average, the duration of handoff increased by 1 minute. CONCLUSIONS: A standardized handoff protocol that guides the transfer of care from the OR team to the CSICU team can reduce the risk of missed information and improve satisfaction among perioperative providers.

Operating room debriefings.

This tool helps assess factors that positively and negatively contributed to an adverse event, near miss, or inefficiency during an operation-or any procedure.

Respiratory failure as a first presentation of myasthenia gravis.

BACKGROUND: Although respiratory failure commonly occurs during the course of myasthenia gravis (MG), it is rarely described at presentation in patients with previously unrecognized MG. MATERIAL/METHODS: We determined the prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients with respiratory failure associated with undiagnosed MG by review of the medical records of all patients who were diagnosed with MG related respiratory failure at four University hospitals. Respiratory failure was defined on the basis of a forced vital capacity < or =1 liter, negative inspiratory force < or =20 cm H2O, or requirement of mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: Out of 51 MG patients with respiratory failure, 7(14%) patients had no previous diagnosis of MG. Another patient was identified after the review. The mean age of these 8 patients was 56 years (range 23-76 years); six were women. Five had previous episodes of unexplained respiratory failure. On initial evaluation, ocular or bulbar signs were present in 7 patients. The diagnosis of MG was made by edrophonium test (n=3), edrophonium test with positive acetylcholine antibody levels or repetitive nerve stimulation (n=2), repetitive nerve stimulation with positive acetylcholine antibody levels (n=2), and positive acetylcholine antibody levels alone (n=1). Seven patients required mechanical ventilation. Plasma exchange (n=7) or intravenous immunoglobulins (n=1) resulted in successful extubation or resolution of symptoms in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory failure can occur at presentation in MG. A high index of suspicion should be maintained in patients with previous history of unexplained respiratory failures.

Neurologic intensive care resource use after brain tumor surgery: an analysis of indications and alternative strategies.

OBJECTIVE: Greater demand and limited resources for intensive care monitoring for patients with neurologic disease may change patterns of intensive care unit utilization. The necessity and duration of intensive care unit management for all neurosurgical patients after brain tumor resection are not clear. This study evaluates a) the preoperative and perioperative variables predictive of extended need for intensive care unit monitoring (>1 day); and b) the type and timing of intensive care unit resources in patients for whom less intensive postoperative monitoring may be feasible. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: A neurocritical care unit of a university teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Patients were 158 consecutive postoperative brain tumor resection patients admitted to a neurocritical care unit within a 1-yr period (1998-1999). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (15%) admitted to the neurocritical care unit for >24 hrs were compared with 135 (85%) patients admitted for <24 hrs. Predictors of >1-day stay in the neurocritical care unit in a logistic regression model were a tumor severity index comprising radiologic characteristics of tumor location, mass effect, and midline shift on the preoperative magnetic resonance imaging scan (odds ratio, 12.5; 95% confidence interval, 3.1-50.5); an intraoperative fluid score comprising estimated blood loss, total volume of crystalloid, and other colloid/hypertonic solutions administered (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.6); and postoperative intubation (odds ratio, 67.5; 95% confidence interval, 6.5-702.0). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the model of independent predictors for staying >1 day in the neurocritical care unit was 0.91. Neurocritical care unit resource use was reviewed in detail for 134 of 135 patients who stayed in the neurocritical care unit for <1 day. Sixty-five (49%) patients required no interventions beyond postanesthetic care and frequent neurologic exams. A total of 226 intensive care unit interventions were performed (mean +/- sd, 1.7 +/- 2.6) in 69 (51%) patients. Ninety (67%) patients had no further interventions after the first 4 hrs. Neurocritical care unit resource use beyond 4 hrs, largely consisting of intravenous analgesic use (72% of orders), was significantly associated with female gender, benign tumor on frozen section biopsy, and postoperative intubation (chi-square, p <.05). CONCLUSIONS: A small fraction of patients require prolonged intensive care unit stay after craniotomy for tumor resection. A patient's risk of prolonged stay can be well predicted by certain radiologic findings, large intraoperative blood loss, fluid requirements, and the decision to keep the patient intubated at the end of surgery. Of those patients requiring intensive care unit resources beyond the first 4 hrs, the interventions may not be critical in nature. A prospective outcome study is required to determine feasibility, cost, and outcome of patients cared for in extended recovery and then transferred to a skilled nursing ward.

Cerebrovascular response to decreased hematocrit: effect of cell-free hemoglobin, plasma viscosity, and CO2.

The effect of transfusing a nonextravasating, zero-link polymer of cell-free hemoglobin on pial arteriolar diameter, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and O2 transport (CBF x arterial O2 content) was compared with that of transfusing an albumin solution at equivalent reductions in hematocrit (approximately 19%) in anesthetized cats. The influence of viscosity was assessed by coinfusion of a high-viscosity solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), which increased plasma viscosity two- to threefold. Exchange transfusion of a 5% albumin solution resulted in pial arteriolar dilation, increased CBF, and unchanged O2 transport, whereas there were no significant changes over time in a control group. Exchange transfusion of a 12% polymeric hemoglobin solution resulted in pial arteriolar constriction and unchanged CBF and O2 transport. Coinfusion of PVP with albumin produced pial arteriolar dilation that was similar to that obtained with transfusion of albumin alone. In contrast, coinfusion of PVP with hemoglobin converted the constrictor response to a dilator response that prevented a decrease in CBF. Pial arteriolar dilation to hypercapnia was unimpaired in groups transfused with albumin or hemoglobin alone but was attenuated in the largest vessels in albumin and hemoglobin groups coinfused with PVP. Unexpectedly, hypocapnic vasoconstriction was blunted in all groups after transfusion of albumin or hemoglobin alone or with PVP. We conclude that 1) the increase in arteriolar diameter after albumin transfusion represents a compensatory response that prevents decreased O2 transport at reduced O2-carrying capacity, 2) the decrease in diameter associated with near-normal O2-carrying capacity after cell-free polymeric hemoglobin transfusion represents a compensatory mechanism that prevents increased O2 transport at reduced blood viscosity, 3) pial arterioles are capable of dilating to an increase in plasma viscosity when hemoglobin is present in the plasma, 4) decreasing hematocrit does not impair pial arteriolar dilation to hypercapnia unless plasma viscosity is increased, and 5) pial arteriolar constriction to hypocapnia is impaired at reduced hematocrit independently of O2-carrying capacity.

Intracerebral hemorrhage and postpartum cerebral vasculopathy.

INTRODUCTION: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) associated with pregnancy commonly occurs in the postpartum period in the setting of preeclampsia/eclampsia. We describe the clinical course of two patients with ICH due to postpartum cerebral vasculopathy in the absence of toxemia. METHODS: We reviewed two cases with ICH and postpartum vasculopathy in our hospital (1996-2001) and compared them with seven similar case reports from the literature. RESULTS: Mean age of all patients is 28.7+/-5.6 years (mean+/-S.D.). Toxemia of pregnancy was absent in all cases. ICHs were cortical in eight and putaminal in one patient. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was elevated in two. Two cases rehemorrhaged during the same admission. No cerebral infarctions were reported. All patients had diffuse vasculopathy on conventional catheter angiography, with no clinical manifestations or laboratory data supportive of extracerebral or systemic vasculitis. Eight patients were treated with corticosteroids, two with additional cytotoxic agents and one with nimodipine alone. Improvement on follow-up cerebral angiography (catheter or MRA) and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) was noted in eight cases. One did not have follow-up cerebral imaging but had an excellent clinical outcome. All cases had good to excellent functional recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Postpartum ICH in the absence of toxemia may be associated with isolated cerebral vasculopathy. The clinical course and functional outcome is good to excellent. This entity appears to be distinct from cerebral vasculitis, which is usually associated with poor outcome.