Short message service as a tool to improve perioperative follow-up of surgical outpatients: A before-after study.

BACKGROUND: In outpatient surgery, the patients may be called by phone for detecting and managing perioperative problems. However, phone calls consume time and can waste caregiver's time when the patient is not available. Information and communication technologies could bridge the gap between available resources and need to contact patients. METHODS: In the present before-after study, the before-implementation group was contacted by phone (phone group). The after group was contacted with a SMS or a phone call according to patient's preference (SMS group). The primary outcome was the non-inferiority of the SMS system on the occurrence of preoperative events disturbing the organisation of unit including cancellation of the case related to patient's condition the day before and the day of surgery; non-compliance with fasting rules or requirement of an escort; non-adherence to instructions regarding medication; not reporting to the surgical centre, or a delayed arrival > 30 min. RESULTS: Among 1300 included outpatients (650 per group), 381 (59%) and 542 (83%) patients were successfully contacted in the preoperative period in phone or SMS group, respectively P < 0.0001). Preoperative events were observed in 94 patients of the phone group (14.5% [CI 95% 11.9-17.3]) and in 77 patients of the SMS group (11.8% [CI 95% 9.5-14.6]), meaning that the upper bound 95% CI of the group was within the non-inferiority margin. CONCLUSIONS: In outpatient surgery, implementation of an SMS-based system, supplemented by phone calls for contacting patients is not inferior to a phone-based system in regard to preoperative events.

Intravenous magnesium re-establishes neuromuscular block after spontaneous recovery from an intubating dose of rocuronium: a randomised controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Intravenous magnesium deepens non-depolarising neuromuscular block. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether intravenous magnesium has the potential to re-establish paralysis in patients who have just recovered from a non-depolarising neuromuscular block. DESIGN: Prospective randomised double-blind controlled study. PATIENTS: Twenty non-obese patients ranging in age from 18 to 80 years were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were a history of liver, kidney or neuromuscular disease and intake of medications interacting with neuromuscular blocking agents. INTERVENTION: After spontaneous recovery from an intubating dose of rocuronium had been achieved (train-of-four ratio ≥0.9), patients were given either a bolus dose of magnesium 50 mg kg(-1) intravenously or an equivalent volume of isotonic saline over 5 min. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The train-of-four ratio was measured every minute until the end of surgery. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who experienced a decrease in train-of-four ratio following administration of magnesium or saline. RESULTS: Following infusion of the study solution, the train-of-four ratio decreased in all patients in the magnesium group in contrast to none in the saline group (P<0.001). On average, magnesium-induced train-of-four ratio depression reached a nadir of 0.49 after 10 min and lasted for 45 min. CONCLUSION: A bolus dose of intravenous magnesium 50 mg kg(-1) re-establishes a clinically relevant degree of muscle paralysis in patients who have just recovered from a non-depolarising neuromuscular block. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT.ema.europa.eu 2009-017372-24.