Feasibility and Rationale for Incorporating Frailty and Cognitive Screening Protocols in a Preoperative Anesthesia Clinic.

BACKGROUND: Advanced age, frailty, low education level, and impaired cognition are generally reported to be associated with postoperative cognitive complications. To translate research findings into hospital-wide preoperative assessment clinical practice, we examined the feasibility of implementing a preoperative frailty and cognitive assessment for all older adults electing surgical procedures in a tertiary medical center. We examined associations among age, education, frailty, and comorbidity with the clock and 3-word memory scores, estimated the prevalence of mild to major cognitive impairment in the presurgical sample, and examined factors related to hospital length of stay. METHODS: Medical staff screened adults ≥65 years of age for frailty, general cognition (via the clock-drawing test command and copy, 3-word memory test), and obtained years of education. Feasibility was studied in 2 phases: (1) a pilot phase involving 4 advanced nurse practitioners and (2) a 2-month implementation phase involving all preoperative staff. We tracked sources of missing data, investigated associations of study variables with measures of cognition, and used 2 approaches to estimate the likelihood of dementia in our sample (ie, using extant data and logistic regression modeling and using Mini-Cog cut scores). We explored which protocol variables related to hospital length of stay. RESULTS: The final implementation phase sample included 678 patients. Clock and 3-word memory scores were significantly associated with age, frailty, and education. Education, clock scores, and 3-word scores were not significantly different by surgery type. Likelihood of preoperative cognitive impairment was approximately 20%, with no difference by surgery type. Length of stay was significantly associated with preoperative comorbidity and performance on the clock copy condition. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty and cognitive screening protocols are feasible and provide information for perioperative care planning. Challenges to clinical adaptation include staff training, missing data, and additional administration time. These challenges appear minimal relative to the benefits of identifying frailty and cognitive impairment in a group at risk for negative postoperative cognitive outcome.

Patient-Centered Anesthesia Triage System Predicts ASA Physical Status.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to validate a patient-centered anesthesia triage system (PCATS) by examining its association with, and predictive value of, ASA physical status (PS) classification. ASA PS classification is a widely used indicator of health status and the predictor of risk of perioperative complications. Thus, ASA PS is a good triage point such that healthy surgical patients (ASA PS I and II) undergoing low-complexity surgery are assessed by telephone, whereas less-healthy patients (ASA PS III and IV) or those patients undergoing highly complex surgery are seen in person at a presurgical clinic. However, ASA PS is not commonly available in electronic health records or easily determined by nonanesthesiologists. PCATS criteria, including the number of prescription medications used daily, body mass index (BMI), age, and surgical complexity, are readily available in electronic health records. Nonclinical scheduling personnel can use PCATS to make appropriate preassessment appointments for elective surgical patients before surgery. METHODS: After getting approval from the University of Florida IRB for an exempt study, 300 consecutive patients scheduled in the presurgical clinic over a 1-week span were retrospectively enrolled. Each of the records was reviewed and collated for study identification number, number of prescription medications, BMI, and ASA PS classification assigned on the day of surgery. In addition, a surgical complexity score was assigned to each procedure (high, moderate, minimal).The association between PCATS and individual PCATS criteria and ASA PS was assessed by χ test. The utility of PCATS to discriminate between ASA PS classifications was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves as well as other indicators of clinical validity: sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and positive clinical utility index ([CIU+] = sensitivity × PPV) and negative CIU ([CIU-] = specificity × PPV). RESULTS: BMI (P = .002), age (P = .01), surgical complexity (P < .0001), and number of prescriptions (P < .001) were significantly associated with ASA PS. Definitions included as PCATS criteria were BMI > 35, age > 80 years, 5 or more prescriptions, and high surgical complexity. Eighty-seven percent of patients with any PCATS criterion were ASA PS classification III or IV. From ROC curve analysis, PCATS emerged as a significant, and moderately good, predictor of ASA PS class (area under the curve = 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69-0.83). PCATS was highly sensitive (0.88, 95% CI, 0.84-0.92) and specific (0.74; 95% CI, 0.61-0.86), and had excellent utility in confirmation/case finding (CUI+ = 0.83, 95% CI, 0.82-0.84) and moderate utility in screening out cases (CUI- = 0.43, 95% CI, 0.41-0.44). CONCLUSIONS: PCATS serves as a useful, and valid, predictor of ASA PS classification. Thus, it may also serve as a tool to triage patients to an appropriate venue for preoperative assessment that can be utilized by nonclinical schedulers. Using a simple tool such as PCATS may help streamline the presurgical patient experience and improve clinic staff utilization.

A single consent for serial anesthetics in burn surgery.

Obtaining anesthesia informed consent for a series of repetitive debridements in burn-injured patients requires a significant time investment for anesthesiologists and patient families. A single consent form was introduced that covered multiple related anesthetics in burn patients. The number of consents per patient before and after implementation was analyzed using Welch ANOVA; Tukey-Kramer post hoc test, with 99% confidence intervals for mean differences was used to examine pairwise comparisons. The mean number of consents per patient was 4.5 ± 2.8 and 1.6 ± 0.51 (P < 0.001) before (2010) and after implementation (2013), respectively. The Multiple Related Anesthetics Consent Form in this population resulted in less time spent by anesthesia providers in obtaining consent for patients undergoing multiple related procedures while providing patient- and family-centric care.

Universal intravenous access cleaning device fails to sterilize stopcocks.

BACKGROUND: Contamination of a central venous catheter may occur through use of conventional open-lumen stopcock devices (COLDs), or disinfectable, needleless, closed connectors (DNCCs). We investigated the effectiveness of a new universal IV access cleaning device (Site-Scrub) compared with 70% isopropyl alcohol prep pads for sanitizing COLDs or DNCCs inoculated with common catheter-associated pathogens. METHODS: Site-Scrub was compared with 70% alcohol prep pads for sanitizing contaminated female Luer lock COLD or DNCC filled with sterile saline or propofol and 2 common bacterial central venous catheter contaminants (Staphylococcus epidermidis or Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Devices were contaminated using a glove touch (COLD and DNCC) or syringe tip (COLD). The primary end point of the study was colony-forming units (CFU) after 24 hours. RESULTS: The use of glove touch contamination, the contaminants, S epidermidis and P aeruginosa, produced CFU in saline-filled COLDs treated with the Site-Scrub, but not in those treated with alcohol pads (P < 0.001). Similar results were observed with propofol-filled COLDs (P < 0.001). For DNCCs filled with saline or propofol, both alcohol and Site-Scrub effectively reduced CFU growth compared with contaminated controls (P < 0.001). When COLDs were contaminated by treated syringe tips, there was no significant evidence of reduction in CFU growth by using either alcohol pads or Site-Scrub compared with contaminated controls. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that when the inner surface of the COLD is contaminated, both alcohol pads and Site-Scrub were not significantly effective in decontaminating the COLD. When the COLD rim is contaminated, however, alcohol pads outperform Site-Scrub. DNCCs were uniformly decontaminated with either treatment. Future work should focus on better access systems because current COLDs are difficult to decontaminate.

Effect of Insurance Status on Mortality in Adults With Sarcoma of the Extremities and Pelvis: A SEER-Medicare Study.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have highlighted the association between insurance status and poor outcomes after surgical treatment of sarcomas in the United States.1-3 It is unclear how much of this disparity is mediated by confounding factors such as medical comorbidities and socioeconomic status and how much can be explained by barriers to care caused by insurance status. METHODS: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linkage data were procured for 7,056 patients undergoing treatment for bone and soft-tissue sarcomas in the extremities diagnosed between 2006 and 2013. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the relative contributions of insurance status, medical comorbidities, tumor factors, treatment characteristics, and other demographic factors (race, household income, education level, and urban/rural status) to overall survival. RESULTS: Patients with Medicaid insurance had a 28% higher mortality rate over the period studied, compared with patients with private insurance (hazard ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 1.60, P = 0.026), even when accounting for all other confounding variables. The 28% higher mortality rate associated with having Medicaid insurance was equivalent to being approximately 10 years older at the time of diagnosis or having a Charlson comorbidity index of 4 rather than zero (hazard ratio, 1.27). DISCUSSION: Insurance status is an independent predictor of mortality from sarcoma, with 28% higher mortality in those with pre-expansion Medicaid.4,5 This association between insurance status and higher mortality held true even when accounting for numerous other confounding factors. Additional study is necessary into the mechanism for this healthcare disparity for the uninsured and underinsured, as well as strategies to resolve this inequality.

Agents of change: the Gaston Labat awardees past, present, and future-the 2021 Gaston Labat Award lecture.

The prior recipients of the Gaston Labat Award can be thought of as change agents because of their driving desire to challenge and improve the status quo. All of us are interconnected and should seek to collectively work toward meaningful change in our communities. The 2021 Gaston Labat lecture pays tribute to past agents of change and inspires those to come by urging everyone to become involved in the solution.

Health-related quality of life after tricompartment knee arthroplasty with and without an extended-duration continuous femoral nerve block: a prospective, 1-year follow-up of a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: We previously provided evidence that extending an overnight continuous femoral nerve block to 4 days after tricompartment knee arthroplasty (TKA) provides clear benefits during the perineural infusion in the immediate postoperative period. However, it remains unknown if the extended infusion improves subsequent health-related quality of life between 7 days and 12 mo. METHODS: Patients undergoing TKA received a femoral perineural infusion of ropivacaine 0.2% from surgery until the following morning, at which time patients were randomized to either continue perineural ropivacaine (n = 25) or normal saline (n = 25) in a double-masked fashion. Patients were discharged with their catheter and a portable infusion pump, and catheters were removed on postoperative day 4. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) Index preoperatively and then at 7 days, as well as 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 mo after surgery. The WOMAC evaluates three dimensions of health-related quality of life: pain, stiffness, and physical functional disability. For inclusion in the analysis, we required a minimum of 4 of the 6 time points, including day 7 and at least 2 of mo 3, 6, and 12. RESULTS: The two treatment groups had similar WOMAC scores for the mean area under the curve calculations (point estimate for the difference in mean area under the curve for the two groups [overnight infusion group-extended infusion group] = 1.2, 95% confidence interval: -5.6 to +8.0; P = 0.72) and at all individual time points (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that extending an overnight continuous femoral nerve block to 4 days improves (or worsens) subsequent health-related quality of life between 7 days and 12 mo after TKA. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00135889.).

Health-related quality of life after hip arthroplasty with and without an extended-duration continuous posterior lumbar plexus nerve block: a prospective, 1-year follow-up of a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that extending an overnight continuous posterior lumbar plexus nerve block to 4 days after hip arthroplasty provides clear benefits during the perineural infusion in the immediate postoperative period. However, it remains unknown whether the extended infusion improves subsequent health-related quality of life. METHODS: Patients undergoing hip arthroplasty received a posterior lumbar plexus perineural infusion of ropivacaine 0.2% from surgery until the following morning, at which time patients were randomized to continue either perineural ropivacaine (n = 24) or normal saline (n = 23) in a double-masked fashion. Patients were discharged with their catheter and a portable infusion pump, and catheters were removed on postoperative Day 4. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) Index preoperatively and then at 7 days and 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 mo after surgery. The WOMAC evaluates three dimensions of health-related quality of life, such as pain, stiffness, and physical functional disability (global score of 0-96, lower scores indicate lower levels of symptoms or physical disability). For inclusion in the primary analysis, we required a minimum of three of the six timepoints, including Day 7 and at least two of Months 3, 6, and 12. RESULTS: The two treatment groups had similar global WOMAC scores for the mean area under the curve calculations (point estimate for the difference in mean area under the curve for the two groups [extended infusion group-overnight infusion group] = 0.8, 95% confidence interval: -5.3 to + 6.8 [-5.5% to + 7.1%]; P = 0.80) and at all individual timepoints (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This investigation found no evidence that extending an overnight continuous posterior lumbar plexus nerve block to 4 days improves (or worsens) subsequent health-related quality of life between 7 days and 12 mo after hip arthroplasty.

Ambulatory continuous femoral nerve blocks decrease time to discharge readiness after tricompartment total knee arthroplasty: a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The authors tested the hypotheses that, compared with an overnight continuous femoral nerve block (cFNB), a 4-day ambulatory cFNB increases ambulation distance and decreases the time until three specific readiness-for-discharge criteria are met after tricompartment total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: Preoperatively, all patients received a cFNB (n = 50) and perineural ropivacaine 0.2% from surgery until the following morning, at which time they were randomly assigned to either continue perineural ropivacaine or switch to perineural normal saline. Primary endpoints included (1) time to attain three discharge criteria (adequate analgesia, independence from intravenous analgesics, and ambulation of at least 30 m) and (2) ambulatory distance in 6 min the afternoon after surgery. Patients were discharged with their cFNB and a portable infusion pump, and catheters were removed on postoperative day 4. RESULTS: Patients given 4 days of perineural ropivacaine attained all three discharge criteria in a median (25th-75th percentiles) of 25 (21-47) h, compared with 71 (46-89) h for those of the control group (estimated ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.67; P <0.001). Patients assigned to receive ropivacaine ambulated a median of 32 (17-47) m the afternoon after surgery, compared with 26 (13-35) m for those receiving normal saline (estimated ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.85; P = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with an overnight cFNB, a 4-day ambulatory cFNB decreases the time to reach three important discharge criteria by an estimated 53% after tricompartment total knee arthroplasty. However, the extended infusion did not increase ambulation distance the afternoon after surgery. (ClinicalTrials.gov No. NCT00135889.).

Ambulatory continuous posterior lumbar plexus nerve blocks after hip arthroplasty: a dual-center, randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The authors tested the hypotheses that after hip arthroplasty, ambulation distance is increased and the time required to reach three specific readiness-for-discharge criteria is shorter with a 4-day ambulatory continuous lumbar plexus block (cLPB) than with an overnight cLPB. METHODS: A cLPB consisting of 0.2% ropivacaine was provided from surgery until the following morning. Patients were then randomly assigned either to continue ropivacaine or to be switched to normal saline. Primary endpoints included (1) time to attain three discharge criteria (adequate analgesia, independence from intravenous analgesics, and ambulation > or = 30 m) and (2) ambulatory distance in 6 min the afternoon after surgery. Patients were discharged with their cLPB and a portable infusion pump, and catheters were removed on the fourth postoperative day. RESULTS: Patients given 4 days of perineural ropivacaine (n = 24) attained all three discharge criteria in a median (25th-75th percentiles) of 29 (24-45) h, compared with 51 (42-73) h for those of the control group (n = 23; estimated ratio = 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.92; P = 0.011). Patients assigned to receive ropivacaine ambulated a median of 34 (9-55) m the afternoon after surgery, compared with 20 (6-46) m for those receiving normal saline (estimated ratio = 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.6-3.0; P = 0.42). Three falls occurred in subjects receiving ropivacaine (13%), versus none in subjects receiving normal saline. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with an overnight cLPB, a 4-day ambulatory cLPB decreases the time to reach three predefined discharge criteria by an estimated 38% after hip arthroplasty. However, the extended infusion did not increase ambulation distance to a statistically significant degree.

Infusate contamination in regional anesthesia: what every anesthesiologist should know.

Infection can be a devastating complication of regional anesthesia. Contaminated infusate as a cause of infection in neuraxial anesthesia or peripheral nerve blockade has rarely been reported in the literature. However, it may be an important source of morbidity, especially as increasing numbers of patients are being discharged with perineural catheters and portable pumps of local anesthetic, which may infuse for several days at home. Two important issues related to infusate contamination in regional anesthesia are that of "hang-time" and sterile compounding practices. Hang-time can be defined as the maximum length of time during which an admixture preparation (infusate) can be safely administered without risk of microbiological or chemical instability. In the United States, there are currently no national guidelines on the hang-times of regional anesthesia infusates. On the other hand, guidelines for the sterile compounding of infusions used in regional anesthesia are now established by United States Pharmacopeia and The National Formulary Chapter 797, entitled "Pharmaceutical Compounding, Sterile Preparations." These guidelines have significant implications for the anesthesiologist. In this review, we examined the available literature regarding contaminated infusate as a cause of infection in regional anesthesia, to discuss strategies for the prevention of such contamination including the appropriate hang-time for infusates, and to discuss the implications of United States Pharmacopeia and The National Formulary Chapter 797 for anesthesiologists.

Continuous peripheral nerve blockade for postoperative analgesia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the recent literature involving the use of continuous peripheral nerve sheath catheters in the management of postoperative pain. RECENT FINDINGS: Continuous peripheral nerve blocks provide superior analgesia and are associated with fewer opioid-induced side effects for patients undergoing extremity surgery. Ultrasound technology is being used with increasing frequency to guide the placements of continuous peripheral nerve blocks. The evidence is still equivocal regarding the superiority of stimulating versus nonstimulating catheters for the delivery of continuous peripheral nerve blockade. The incidence of major complications associated with continuous peripheral nerve blocks is very low and probably no different from single injection peripheral nerve blocks. SUMMARY: Continuous peripheral nerve blocks are an excellent additional modality to compliment other multimodal analgesics to control moderate to severe postoperative pain.

Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy Under Regional Anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic hysterectomies comprise a large proportion of all hysterectomies in the United States. Procedures completed under regional anesthesia pose a number of benefits to patients, but laparoscopic hysterectomies traditionally have been performed under general anesthesia. We describe a case of total laparoscopic hysterectomy under epidural anesthesia with the patient fully awake. CASE: A 51-year-old woman with abnormal uterine bleeding underwent an uncomplicated total laparoscopic hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, and excision of endometriosis. The procedure was completed under epidural anesthesia without intravenous sedation or systemic narcotics. Pneumoperitoneum with a pressure of 12 mm Hg and Trendelenburg to 15° allowed for adequate visualization. Anesthesia was achieved with midthoracic and low lumbar epidural catheters. Bilevel positive airway pressure was used for augmentation of respiratory function. CONCLUSION: With a committed patient, adequate planning, and knowledge of the potential intraoperative complications, regional anesthesia is an option for select women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Finite-difference modeling of the anisotropic electric fields generated by stimulating needles used for catheter placement.

The use of peripheral nerve blocks to control pain is an increasing practice. Many techniques include the use of stimulating needles to locate the nerve of interest. Though success rates are generally high, difficulties still exist. In certain deeper nerve blocks, two needles of different geometries are used in the procedure. A smaller needle first locates a nerve bundle, and then is withdrawn in favor of a second, larger needle used for injection. The distinct geometries of these needles are shown to generate different electric field distributions, and these differences may be responsible for failures of the second needle to elicit nerve stimulation when placed in the same location as the first. A 3-D finite-difference method has been employed to numerically calculate the electric field distributions for a commercial set of stimulating needles.

Falls associated with lower-extremity-nerve blocks: a pilot investigation of mechanisms.

OBJECTIVE: Documented falls after lower-extremity-nerve blocks are rare. We believe this paucity of documented falls is the result of underreporting and the lack of serious complications resulting from these falls. In addition, the mechanism(s) for falls after lower-extremity-nerve blocks has not been elucidated. CASE REPORTS: These reports highlight the mechanism of fall in a patient with a femoral-nerve block (FNB) and in a patient with a femoral-nerve and sciatic-nerve block (FNB/SNB). In addition, we report our findings when volunteers underwent FNB, sciatic-nerve block (SNB) and FNB/SNB and were studied in a gait-analysis laboratory. CONCLUSIONS: Lower-extremity-nerve blocks result in decreased leg stiffness and lateral instability, which may lead to difficulty with pivoting maneuvers.

Total knee arthroplasty as an overnight-stay procedure using continuous femoral nerve blocks at home: a prospective feasibility study.

The average duration of hospitalization after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the United States is 4-5 days. In this two-phase study we investigated the feasibility of converting TKA into an overnight-stay procedure using a continuous femoral nerve block provided at home through postoperative day 4. Nine of 10 patients met discharge criteria and were discharged home the day after surgery. Pain was well controlled, opioid requirements and sleep disturbances were minimal, and patient satisfaction was high. Additional research is required to replicate these results in a controlled trial, define the appropriate subset of patients, and assess the incidence of complications associated with this practice before its mainstream use.

Total elbow arthroplasty as an outpatient procedure using a continuous infraclavicular nerve block at home: a prospective case report.

OBJECTIVE: Total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) often results in severe postoperative pain requiring hospitalization to provide potent analgesia. This prospective series investigated the feasibility of converting TEA into an ambulatory procedure using a continuous infraclavicular nerve block provided at home with a portable infusion pump. CASE REPORT: Preoperatively, patients undergoing TEA had an infraclavicular perineural catheter and peripheral nerve block placed. Postoperatively, perineural ropivacaine was delivered through postoperative day (POD) 3 to 6. Patients were discharged home when they met specific, prospectively defined criteria as early as POD 1 for the first phase and directly from the recovery room for the second phase. Of the 2 patients in the first phase who remained hospitalized for at least 1 postoperative night, both met discharge criteria in the recovery room, required no medical interventions during their admission, and were discharged home the following morning. The patient of phase 2 met discharge criteria in the recovery room and was discharged home at that time. Postoperative pain was well controlled, opioid requirements and sleep disturbances were minimal, and patient satisfaction was high for all patients. CONCLUSIONS: These cases suggest that for a subset of patients without major comorbidities, it is feasible to convert total elbow arthroplasty into an ambulatory procedure using a continuous infraclavicular nerve block as part of a multimodal analgesic regimen provided at home. Additional research is required to replicate these results in a controlled trial, define the appropriate subset of patients, and assess the incidence of complications associated with this practice before its mainstream use.

Total hip arthroplasty as an overnight-stay procedure using an ambulatory continuous psoas compartment nerve block: a prospective feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) results in severe postoperative pain requiring hospitalization to provide potent analgesia. Consequently, the average duration of hospitalization after THA in the United States is 4 to 5 days. This prospective study investigated the feasibility of converting THA into an overnight-stay procedure using a continuous psoas compartment nerve block provided at home with a portable infusion pump. CASE REPORT: Preoperatively, patients undergoing THA had a psoas compartment perineural catheter placed. Postoperatively, perineural ropivacaine 0.2% was delivered through postoperative day (POD) 4. Patients were discharged home when they met specific, prospectively defined criteria, as early as POD 3 for the first phase and POD 1 for the second phase. Of the patients in the first phase (n = 7) who remained hospitalized for at least 3 postoperative nights, 5 met discharge criteria on POD 1 and the remainder on POD 2. Of the patients in phase 2 (n = 5), all but 1 met discharge criteria on POD 1 and 3 were discharged directly home on POD 1. Postoperative pain was well controlled, opioid requirements and sleep disturbances were minimal, and patient satisfaction high. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that for a subset of patients without major comorbidities, it is feasible to convert THA into an overnight-stay procedure using an ambulatory continuous psoas compartment nerve block as part of a multimodal analgesic regimen provided at home. Additional research is required to replicate these results in a controlled trial, define the appropriate subset of patients, and assess the incidence of complications associated with this practice before its mainstream use.