Isolating steps instead of learners: Use of deliberate practice and validity evidence in coronavirus disease (COVID)-era procedural assessment.

BACKGROUND: In surgical training, assessment tools based on strong validity evidence allow for standardized evaluation despite changing external circumstances. At a large academic institution, surgical interns undergo a multimodal curriculum for central line placement that uses a 31-item binary assessment at the start of each academic year. This study evaluated this practice within increased in-person learning restrictions. We hypothesized that external constraints would not affect resident performance nor assessment due to a robust curriculum and assessment checklist. METHODS: From 2018 to 2020, 81 residents completed central line training and assessment. In 2020, this curriculum was modified to conform to in-person restrictions and social distancing guidelines. Resident score reports were analyzed using multivariate analyses to compare performance, objective scoring parameters, and subjective assessments among "precoronavirus disease" years (2018 and 2019) and 2020. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in average scores or objective pass rates over 3 years. Significant differences between 2020 and precoronavirus disease years occurred in subjective pass rates and in first-time success for 4 checklist items: patient positioning, draping, sterile ultrasound probe cover placement, and needle positioning before venipuncture. CONCLUSION: Modifications to procedural training within current restrictions did not adversely affect residents' overall performance. However, our data suggest that in 2020, expert trainers may not have ensured learner acquisition of automated procedural steps. Additionally, although 2020 raters could have been influenced by logistical barriers leading to more lenient grading, the assessment tool ensured training and assessment integrity.

'Adiós Bacteriemias': a multi-country quality improvement collaborative project to reduce the incidence of CLABSI in Latin American ICUs.

QUALITY PROBLEM: The incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in Latin America has been estimated at 4.9 episodes per 1000 central line (CL) days, compared to a pooled incidence of 0.9 in the United States. CLABSI usually result from not adhering to standardized health procedures and can be prevented using evidence-based practices. INITIAL ASSESSMENT: The first phase of the 'Adiós Bacteriemias' Collaborative was implemented in 39 intensive care units (ICUs) from Latin America from September 2012 to September 2013 with a 56% overall reduction in the incidence of CLABSI. CHOICE OF SOLUTION: Bundles of care for the processes of insertion and maintenance of CLs have proven to be effective in the reduction of CLABSI across different settings. IMPLEMENTATION: Building on the results of the first phase, we implemented a second phase of the 'Adiós Bacteriemias' Collaborative between June 2014-July 2015. We adapted the Breakthrough Series (BTS) Collaborative model to guide the adoption of bundles of care for CLABSI prevention through virtual learning sessions and continuous feedback. EVALUATION: Eighty-three ICUs from five Latin American countries actively reported process and outcome measures. The overall reduction in the CLABSI incidence rate was 22% (incidence rate 0.78; 95% CI 0.65, 0.95), from 2.58 episodes per 1000 CL days at baseline to 2.02 episodes per 1000 CL days (P < 0.01) during the intervention period. LESSONS LEARNED: Adiós Bacteriemias was effective in reducing the incidence of CLABSI and improving the adherence to good practices for CL insertion and maintenance processes in participating ICUs in Latin America.

Rapid Central Vein Assessment (RaCeVA): A systematic, standardized approach for ultrasound assessment before central venous catheterization.

Ultrasound technology has revolutionized the practice of safer vascular access, for both venous and arterial cannulation. The ability to visualize underlying structures of the chest, neck, and upper/lower extremities provides for greater success, speed, and safety with all vascular access procedures. Ultrasound not only yields superior procedural advantages but also provides a platform to perform a thorough assessment of the vascular structures to evaluate vessel health, viability, size, and patency, including the location of other important and best avoided anatomical structures-prior to performing any procedures. Such assessment is best performed using a systematic and standardized approach, as the Rapid Central Vein Assessment, described in this study.

The effects of graduate competency-based education and mastery learning on patient care and return on investment: a narrative review of basic anesthetic procedures.

BACKGROUND: Despite the widespread implementation of competency-based education, evidence of ensuing enhanced patient care and cost-benefit remains scarce. This narrative review uses the Kirkpatrick/Phillips model to investigate the patient-related and organizational effects of graduate competency-based medical education for five basic anesthetic procedures. METHODS: The MEDLINE, ERIC, CINAHL, and Embase databases were searched for papers reporting results in Kirkpatrick/Phillips levels 3-5 from graduate competency-based education for five basic anesthetic procedures. A gray literature search was conducted by reference search in Google Scholar. RESULTS: In all, 38 studies were included, predominantly concerning central venous catheterization. Three studies reported significant cost-effectiveness by reducing infection rates for central venous catheterization. Furthermore, the procedural competency, retention of skills and patient care as evaluated by fewer complications improved in 20 of the reported studies. CONCLUSION: Evidence suggests that competency-based education with procedural central venous catheterization courses have positive effects on patient care and are both cost-effective. However, more rigorously controlled and reproducible studies are needed. Specifically, future studies could focus on organizational effects and the possibility of transferability to other medical specialties and the broader healthcare system.

A Primer on Hemodialysis From an Interventional Radiology Perspective.

Interventional radiologists play a central role in the care of patients with end-stage renal disease receiving renal replacement therapy. Ensuring that a patient׳s dialysis access remains suitable for high-quality dialysis is of paramount importance. However, although much has been spoken and written about endovascular techniques and outcomes based on angiographic criteria, little is generally known regarding the function and therefore the requirements of hemodialysis. In this article, we provide a heuristic overview of the mechanics of hemodialysis, with an emphasis on the "breaking points" in the extracorporeal circuit that trigger a patient׳s referral to Interventional Radiology. We also describe how dialysis quality is increasingly becoming linked with dialysis reimbursements. It is thus becoming progressively incumbent on the interventional radiologist to not only ensure that a patient receives high-quality outpatient dialysis but also that the patient׳s dialysis center meets its performance metrics.

Validation of a performance checklist for ultrasound-guided internal jugular central lines for use in procedural instruction and assessment.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Tools created to measure procedural competency must be tested in their intended environment against an established standard in order to be validated. We previously created a checklist for ultrasound-guided internal jugular central venous catheter (US IJ CVC) insertion using the modified Delphi method. We sought to further validate the checklist tool for use in an educational environment. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cohort study involving 15 emergency medicine interns being evaluated on their skill in US IJ CVC placement. We compared the checklist tool with a modified version of a clinically validated global rating scale (GRS) for procedural performance. RESULTS: The correlation between the GRS tool and the checklist tool was excellent, with a correlation coefficient (Pearson's r) of 0.90 (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This checklist represents a useful tool for measuring procedural competency.

A multicentre snapshot study of the incidence of serious procedural complications secondary to central venous catheterisation.

Despite the high number of central venous access devices inserted annually, there are limited data on the incidence of the associated procedural complications, many of which carry substantial clinical risk. This point was highlighted in the recently published Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland 'Safe vascular access 2016' guidelines. This trainee-led snapshot study aimed to identify the number of central venous catheter insertions and the incidence of serious complications across multiple hospital sites within a fixed two-week period. Secondary aims were to identify the availability of resources and infrastructure to facilitate safe central venous catheter insertion and management of potential complications. Fifteen hospital sites participated, completing an initial resource survey and daily identification of all adult central venous catheter insertions, with subsequent review of any complications detected. A total of 487 central venous catheter insertions were identified, of which 15 (3.1%) were associated with a significant procedural complication. The most common complication was failure of insertion, which occurred in seven (1.4%) cases. Facilities to enable safer central venous catheter insertion and manage complications varied widely between hospitals, with little evidence of standardisation of guidelines or protocols.

An economic analysis of adherence engineering to improve use of best practices during central line maintenance procedures.

OBJECTIVE: Adherence engineering applies human factors principles to examine non-adherence within a specific task and to guide the development of materials or equipment to increase protocol adherence and reduce human error. Central line maintenance (CLM) for intensive care unit (ICU) patients is a task through which error or non-adherence to protocols can cause central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). We conducted an economic analysis of an adherence engineering CLM kit designed to improve the CLM task and reduce the risk of CLABSI. METHODS: We constructed a Markov model to compare the cost-effectiveness of the CLM kit, which contains each of the 27 items necessary for performing the CLM procedure, compared with the standard care procedure for CLM, in which each item for dressing maintenance is gathered separately. We estimated the model using the cost of CLABSI overall ($45,685) as well as the excess LOS (6.9 excess ICU days, 3.5 excess general ward days). RESULTS: Assuming the CLM kit reduces the risk of CLABSI by 100% and 50%, this strategy was less costly (cost savings between $306 and $860) and more effective (between 0.05 and 0.13 more quality-adjusted life-years) compared with not using the pre-packaged kit. We identified threshold values for the effectiveness of the kit in reducing CLABSI for which the kit strategy was no longer less costly. CONCLUSION: An adherence engineering-based intervention to streamline the CLM process can improve patient outcomes and lower costs. Patient safety can be improved by adopting new approaches that are based on human factors principles.

Notes From the Field: Direct Observation Versus Rating by Videos for the Assessment of Central Venous Catheterization Skills.

Blinded assessments of technical skills using video-recordings may offer more objective assessments than direct observations. This study seeks to compare these two modalities. Two trained assessors independently assessed 18 central venous catheterization performances by direct observation and video-recorded assessments using two tools. Although sound quality was deemed adequate in all videos, portions of the video for wire handling and drape handling were frequently out of view (n = 13, 72% for wire-handling; n = 17, 94% for drape-handling). There were no differences in summary global rating scores, checklist scores, or pass/fail decisions for either modality (p > 0.05). Inter-rater reliability was acceptable for both modalities. Of the 26 discrepancies identified between direct observation and video-recorded assessments, three discrepancies (12%) were due to inattention during video review, while one (4%) discrepancy was due to inattention during direct observation. In conclusion, although scores did not differ between the two assessment modalities, techniques of video-recording may significantly impact individual items of assessments.

Cost-effectiveness of a quality improvement programme to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections in intensive care units in the USA.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost-effectiveness of a multifaceted quality improvement programme focused on reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections in intensive care units. DESIGN: Cost-effectiveness analysis using a decision tree model to compare programme to non-programme intensive care units. SETTING: USA. POPULATION: Adult patients in the intensive care unit. COSTS: Economic costs of the programme and of central line-associated bloodstream infections were estimated from the perspective of the hospital and presented in 2013 US dollars. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Central line-associated bloodstream infections prevented, deaths averted due to central line-associated bloodstream infections prevented, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed. RESULTS: Compared with current practice, the programme is strongly dominant and reduces bloodstream infections and deaths at no additional cost. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that there was an almost 80% probability that the programme reduces bloodstream infections and the infections' economic costs to hospitals. The opportunity cost of a bloodstream infection to a hospital was the most important model parameter in these analyses. CONCLUSIONS: This multifaceted quality improvement programme, as it is currently implemented by hospitals on an increasingly large scale in the USA, likely reduces the economic costs of central line-associated bloodstream infections for US hospitals. Awareness among hospitals about the programme's benefits should enhance implementation. The programme's implementation has the potential to substantially reduce morbidity, mortality and economic costs associated with central line-associated bloodstream infections.

Reducing the rate of catheter-associated bloodstream infections in a surgical intensive care unit using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Central Line Bundle.

BACKGROUND: Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are a significant source of morbidity and mortality. This study sought to determine whether implementation of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Central Line Bundle would reduce the incidence of CLABSIs. METHODS: The IHI Central Line Bundle was implemented in a surgical intensive care unit. Patient demographics and the rate of CLABSIs per 1,000 catheter days were compared between the pre- and postintervention groups. Contemporaneous infection rates in an adjacent ICU were measured. RESULTS: Baseline demographics were similar between the pre- and postintervention groups. The rate of CLABSIs per catheter days decreased from 19/3,784 to 3/1,870 after implementation of the IHI Bundle (1.60 vs 5.02 CLABSIs per 1,000 catheter days; rate ratio .32 [.08 to .99, P < .05]). There was no significant change in CLABSIs in the control ICU. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the IHI Central Line Bundle reduced the incidence of CLABSIs in our SICU by 68%, preventing 12 CLABSIs, 2.5 deaths, and saving $198,600 annually.

Implementation of a children's hospital-wide central venous catheter insertion and maintenance bundle.

BACKGROUND: Central venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections in children are an increasingly recognized serious safety problem worldwide, but are often preventable. Central venous catheter bundles have proved effective to prevent such infections. Successful implementation requires changes in the hospital system as well as in healthcare professionals' behaviour. The aim of the study is to evaluate process and outcome of implementation of a state-of-the-art central venous catheter insertion and maintenance bundle in a large university children's hospital. METHODS/DESIGN: An interrupted time series design will be used; the study will encompass all children who need a central venous catheter. New state-of-the-art central venous catheter bundles will be developed. The Pronovost-model will guide the implementation process. We developed a tailored multifaceted implementation strategy consisting of reminders, feedback, management support, local opinion leaders, and education. Primary outcome measure is the number of catheter-associated infections per 1000 line-days. The process outcome is degree of adherence to use of these central venous catheter bundles is the secondary outcome. A cost-effectiveness analysis is part of the study. Outcomes will be monitored during three periods: baseline, pre-intervention, and post-intervention for over 48 months. DISCUSSION: This model-based implementation strategy will reveal the challenges of implementing a hospital-wide safety program. This work will add to the body of knowledge in the field of implementation. We postulate that healthcare workers' willingness to shift from providing habitual care to state-of-the-art care may reflect the need for consistent care improvement. Trial registration: Dutch trials registry, trial # 3635. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch trials registry (http://www.trialregister.nl), trial # 3635.

Catheter venography for the assessment of internal jugular veins and azygous vein: position statement by expert panel of the International Society for Neurovascular Disease.

This document by an expert panel of the International Society for Neurovascular Disease is aimed at presenting current technique and interpretation of catheter venography of the internal jugular veins, azygous vein and other veins draining the central nervous system. Although interventionalists agree on general rules, significant differences exist in terms of details of venographic technique and interpretations of angiographic pictures. It is also suggested that debatable findings should be investigated using multimodal diagnostics. Finally, the authors recommend that any publication on chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency should include detailed description of venographic technique used, to facilitate a comparison of published results in this area.

Achieving zero central line-associated bloodstream infection rates in your intensive care unit.

Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is one of the most common health care-associated infections in the United States. The costs associated with CLABSIs include an estimated 28,000 deaths in the intensive care unit and up to $2.3 billion annually. Best practice guidelines, checklists, and establishing a culture of safety in hospitals are all initiatives designed to reduce the rate of CLABSI to zero.

International evidence-based recommendations on ultrasound-guided vascular access.

PURPOSE: To provide clinicians with an evidence-based overview of all topics related to ultrasound vascular access. METHODS: An international evidence-based consensus provided definitions and recommendations. Medical literature on ultrasound vascular access was reviewed from January 1985 to October 2010. The GRADE and the GRADE-RAND methods were utilised to develop recommendations. RESULTS: The recommendations following the conference suggest the advantage of 2D vascular screening prior to cannulation and that real-time ultrasound needle guidance with an in-plane/long-axis technique optimises the probability of needle placement. Ultrasound guidance can be used not only for central venous cannulation but also in peripheral and arterial cannulation. Ultrasound can be used in order to check for immediate and life-threatening complications as well as the catheter's tip position. Educational courses and training are required to achieve competence and minimal skills when cannulation is performed with ultrasound guidance. A recommendation to create an ultrasound curriculum on vascular access is proposed. This technique allows the reduction of infectious and mechanical complications. CONCLUSIONS: These definitions and recommendations based on a critical evidence review and expert consensus are proposed to assist clinicians in ultrasound-guided vascular access and as a reference for future clinical research.

Modeling and simulation approaches to evaluate pharmacokinetic sampling contamination from central venous catheters in pediatric pharmacokinetic studies of actinomycin-D: a report from the children's oncology group.

BACKGROUND: The binding of drugs to catheters can be a source variation in dosing chemotherapeutics. Drug contamination from the dosing central venous line (CVL) can impact the reporting of pharmacokinetic (PK) results and analysis. Peripheral venipuncture avoids binding complications from the CVL but dissuades patients from enrolling. Our group has developed a catheter clearing procedure to minimize the extent of contamination so that dosing and sampling from the CVL can ensue, promoting patient willingness to participate in phase I pediatric oncology trials. OBJECTIVES: To develop a population pharmacokinetic model of actinomycin-D (AMD) in children with cancer incorporating expressions for drug contamination from PK samples obtained via indwelling CVLs and to evaluate the efficiency of a catheter clearing procedure in removing contamination as well as the impact of contamination on PK results. METHODS: A dataset of 199 AMD plasma concentration measurements from 36 patients (age 1.6-20.3 years) was analyzed using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling. Quantitative modeling approaches, including baseline contamination model, covariate model, and catheter clearance model, were evaluated to describe catheter contamination. Monte Carlo simulations mimicking a prospective study in children with cancer were performed to assess the performance of the final model and impact of catheter contamination on PK reporting. RESULTS: The PK of AMD was best described by a linear 3-compartment model with first-order elimination. A baseline contamination model including a contamination factor proportional to the model-predicted concentration for samples obtained from central catheters was chosen as the most parsimonious and accurate among competing models. The final model parameters were allometrically scaled to a 70 kg person. The estimated mean parameter values were 11 L/h, 5.79, 24.2, 490 L, 17.7, and 42.8 L/h for total clearance, central volume of distribution, peripheral volume 1, peripheral volume 2, inter-compartmental clearance 1, and inter-compartmental clearance 2, respectively. The proportional contamination factor was 19.3 % immediately post-drug administration and decreased at a first-order rate of 0.0932 h(-1). Simulations precisely re-estimated kinetic parameters with catheter contamination adjustment. Large uncertainty and poor estimation were observed when contamination was ignored. CONCLUSIONS: Drug contamination from sampling catheter can impact AMD PK results and should be accounted for in the analysis. We provide a framework for evaluating catheter contamination and guidance on adjustment in the PK model.

Comparing the use of global rating scale with checklists for the assessment of central venous catheterization skills using simulation.

The use of checklists is recommended for the assessment of competency in central venous catheterization (CVC) insertion. To explore the use of a global rating scale in the assessment of CVC skills, this study seeks to compare its use with two checklists, within the context of a formative examination using simulation. Video-recorded performances of CVC insertion by 34 first-year medical residents were reviewed by two independent, trained evaluators. Each evaluator used three assessment tools: a ten-item checklist, a 21-item checklist, and a nine-item global rating scale. Exploratory principal component analysis of the global rating scale revealed two factors, accounting for 84.1% of the variance: technical ability and safety. The two checklist scores correlated positively with the weighted factor score on technical ability (0.49 [95% CI 0.17-0.71] for the 10-item checklist; 0.43 [95% CI 0.10-0.67] for the 21-item checklist) and negatively with the weighted factor score on safety (-0.17 [95% CI -0.48-0.18] for the 10-item checklist; -0.13 [95% CI -0.45-0.22] for the 21-item checklist). A checklist score of <80% was strong indication of incompetence. However, a high checklist score did not preclude incompetence. Ratings using the global rating scale identified an additional 11 candidates (32%) who were deemed incompetent despite scoring >80% on both checklists. All these candidates committed serious errors. In conclusion, the practice of universal adoption of checklists as the preferred method of assessment of procedural skills should be questioned. The inclusion of global rating scales should be considered.

Time to move away from damage control strategy in hemodialysis vascular access management: a view from Saudi Arabia.

For the last 40 years, most of the research and publications on hemodialysis access, has focused on the management of its complications e.g. thrombosis, infection, aneurysms. In other words, a damage control strategy. While this is undoubtedly an important part of access management, it is a deficient reactive strategy that does not enhance a better quality of life for patients or help reduce the burden on health care resources. To achieve these objectives, efforts should be directed at ways which provide a longer access life with fewer complications. Such an approach would save costs and reduce the suffering of the patient. In this paper we will focus on hemodialysis management in Saudi Arabia, describe the reasons for the current unsatisfactory situation, and highlight possible remedies.

Zero risk for central line-associated bloodstream infection: are we there yet?.

OBJECTIVE: Identify the longest period a central line remains free from central line-associated bloodstream infection during an 18-month insertion-bundle project. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: New South Wales adult intensive care units at university teaching hospitals between July 2007 and December 2008. PATIENTS: Intensive care unit adult patients whose central line was inserted in the intensive care unit. INTERVENTION: Compliance with the insertion bundle for central lines during the first 12-month roll-out period and the last 6 months. MAIN OUTCOMES: The cumulative line days that remained close to infection-free before the lowest probability of central line-associated bloodstream infection, 1 in 100 chances, was identified using conditional probability modeling. An adjusted central line-associated bloodstream infection rate was calculated for these cumulated line days and thereafter where the probability for infection increased with additional dwell time. RESULTS: The lowest probability identified for central line-associated bloodstream infection was 1 in 100 chances regardless of the phase of the project or central line type. During the first 12 months of the project, the close to infection-free period finished by the end of day 7 giving an adjusted central line-associated bloodstream infection rate of 1.8 (95% confidence interval 0.9-3.3)/1000 line days. By the last 6 months of the project the close to infection-free period was extended by 2 additional line days to the end of day 9, giving an adjusted central line-associated bloodstream infection rate of 0.9 (95% confidence interval 0.5-1.5)/1,000 line days. For dialysis and unspecified central line types, the close to infection-free period was extended by 5 additional line days, from day 2 with a rate of 4.3 (95% confidence interval 0.9-12.5)/1,000 line days to day 7, giving a rate of 0.6 (95% confidence interval 0.2-2.4)/1,000 line days. CONCLUSION: The success of the insertion bundle was identified by improved analysis that identified that the safest dwell time was extended to the first 9 days for centrally inserted lines and up to day 7 for dialysis, peripherally inserted central catheters, and unspecified central line types. Given that three quarters of intensive care unit patients have their central line removed by day 7, zero risk for central line-associated bloodstream infection should be achievable in the majority of patients where clinicians comply with the clinician and patient insertion bundles.