Modelling the economic constraints and consequences of anaesthesia associate expansion in the UK National Health Service: a narrative review.

Shortages in the physician anaesthesia workforce have led to proposals to introduce new staff groups, notably in the UK National Health Service (NHS) Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) who have shorter training periods than doctors and could potentially contribute to workflow efficiencies in several ways. We analysed the economic viability of the most efficient staffing model, previously endorsed by both the UK Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Association of Anaesthetists, wherein one physician supervises two AAs across two operating lists (1:2 model). For this model to be economically rational (something which neither national organisation considered), the employment cost of the two AAs should be equal to or less than that of a single supervisor physician (i.e. AAs should be paid <50% of the supervisor's salary). As the supervisor can be an autonomous specialty and specialist (SAS) doctor, this sets the economically viable AA salary envelope at less than £40,000 per year. However, we report that actual advertised AA salaries greatly exceed this, with even student AAs paid up to £48,472. Economically, one way to justify such salaries is for AAs to become autonomous such that they eventually replace SAS doctors at a lower cost. We discuss some other options that might increase AA productivity to justify these salaries (e.g. ≥1:3 staffing ratios), but the medico-political consequences of each of them are also profound. Alternatively, the AA programme should be terminated as economically nonviable. These results have implications for any country seeking to introduce new models of working in anaesthesia.

Effects of fatigue on anaesthetist well-being and patient safety: a narrative review.

The elements that render anaesthesia a captivating profession can also foster stress and fatigue. Professionals considering anaesthesia as a career choice should have a comprehensive understanding of the negative consequences of fatigue and its implications for clinical performance and of the available preventive measures. Available evidence suggests that factors unrelated to patient characteristics or condition can affect clinical outcomes where anaesthetists are involved. Workload, nighttime work, and fatigue are persistent issues in anaesthesia and are perceived as presenting greater perioperative risks to patients. Fatigue seems to negatively affect both physical and mental health of anaesthetists. Existing evidence justifies specific interventions by institutions, stakeholders, and scientific societies to address the effects of anaesthetist fatigue. This narrative review summarises current knowledge regarding the effects of fatigue on anaesthetist well-being and patient safety, and discusses potential preventive solutions.

Continuing professional development (CPD) for anesthetists: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: In accordance with the focus on patient safety and quality in healthcare, continuing professional development (CPD) has received increasing levels of attention as a means to ensure physicians maintain their clinical competencies and are fit to practice. There is some evidence of a beneficial effect of CPD, though few studies have evaluated its effect within anesthesia. The primary aim of this systematic review was to establish which CPD activities anesthetists are engaged in and their effectiveness. The secondary aim was to explore which methods are employed to evaluate anesthetists' clinical performance. METHODS: Databases searched: Medline, Embase and Web of Science, in May 2023. Additional papers were identified through searching the references of included studies. Eligible studies included anesthetists, either exclusively or combined with other healthcare professionals, who underwent a learning activity or assessment method as part of a formalized CPD program or a stand-alone activity. Non-English language studies, non-peer reviewed studies and studies published prior to 2000 were excluded. Eligible studies were quality assessed and narratively synthesized, with results presented as descriptive summaries. RESULTS: A total of 2112 studies were identified, of which 63 were eligible for inclusion, encompassing more than 137,518 participants. Studies were primarily of quantitative design and medium quality. Forty-one studies reported outcomes of single learning activities, whilst 12 studies investigated different roles of assessment methods in CPD and ten studies evaluated CPD programs or combined CPD activities. A 36 of the 41 studies reported positive effects of single learning activities. Investigations of assessment methods revealed evidence of inadequate performance amongst anesthetists and a mixed effect of feedback. Positive attitudes and high levels of engagement were identified for CPD programs, with some evidence of a positive impact on patient/organizational outcomes. DISCUSSION: Anesthetists are engaged in a variety of CPD activities, with evidence of high levels of satisfaction and a positive learning effect. However, the impact on clinical practice and patient outcomes remains unclear and the role of assessment is less well-defined. There is a need for further, high-quality studies, evaluating a broader range of outcomes, in order to identify which methods are most effective to train and assess specialists in anesthesia.

Audio podcast and procedural video use in anaesthesiology and intensive care: A nationwide survey of Swedish anaesthetists.

BACKGROUND: Digital modalities which enable asynchronous learning, such as audio podcasts and videos demonstrating procedures, may benefit acquisition and retention of knowledge and clinical skills. The main objective of this nationwide cross-sectional survey study was to evaluate key aspects and factors related to usage of audio podcasts and procedural videos in anaesthesiology and intensive care. METHODS: A 20-item multiple-choice-question online survey was created through a consensus process including pilot testing among residents and consultants. Data were collected over a 3-month period, September-November 2023. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 466 anaesthetists. More than a third reported using procedural videos ≥1 time per week, whereas fewer than one in four participants used audio podcasts at least once per week. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that working at a university hospital, male sex, and younger age were independently associated with podcast use ≥1 time per week, with the highest odds ratio (OR) for younger age (<40 years vs. ≥40 years old; OR 5.86 (95% confidence interval 3.55-9.67), p < .001). Younger age was also significantly associated with higher frequency of video use (OR 1.71 (1.13-2.58), p = .011), while working predominantly in intensive care was associated with a lower frequency of video use. Podcasts were often used during commuting (42.3%), household work (30.7%), and exercise (24.9%), indicating a role in multi-tasking. Approximately half of respondents expressed that audio podcast-based learning has a moderate to very large positive impact on acquisition of theoretical knowledge, as well as practical skills. A vast majority, 85.2%, reported that procedural videos have a moderate to very large impact on development of clinical skills. CONCLUSION: Audio podcasts and procedural videos are appreciated tools with potential to supplement more traditional didactic techniques in anaesthesiology and intensive care. Procedural video use is common, with perceived large effects on development of clinical skills. Further data are needed to fully understand learning outcomes, quality of peer-review processes, and potential sex-differences.

Emergency treatment of peri-operative anaphylaxis: Resuscitation Council UK algorithm for anaesthetists.

Peri-operative anaphylaxis is a rare but potentially catastrophic event which must be considered whenever unexpected and significant cardiovascular or respiratory compromise occurs during anaesthesia. The Resuscitation Council UK algorithm for peri-operative anaphylaxis highlights the importance of early intravenous adrenaline and fluid resuscitation and provides guidance on the treatment of refractory anaphylaxis and immediate follow-up. This algorithm is endorsed by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, Association of Anaesthetists, British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and Clinical Immunology Professional Network of the British Society for Immunology. This document was produced by the Perioperative Allergy Network steering committee in collaboration with the Resuscitation Council UK.

Anaesthesia associates' clinical activity, case mix, supervision and involvement in peri-operative cardiac arrest: analysis from the 7th National Audit Project.

BACKGROUND: We analysed the clinical practice of anaesthesia associates in the UK, as reported to the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, and compared these with medically qualified anaesthetists. METHODS: We included data from our baseline survey, activity survey and case registry as with other reports from the project. RESULTS: Among 197 departments of anaesthesia, 52 (26%) employed anaesthesia associates. Of 10,009 responding anaesthesia care providers, 71 (< 1%) were anaesthesia associates, of whom 33 (47%) reporting working nights or weekends (compared with 97% of medically qualified anaesthetists in training and > 90% of consultants). Anaesthesia associates reported less training and confidence in managing peri-operative cardiac arrest and its aftermath compared with medically qualified anaesthetists. Anaesthesia associates were less directly involved in the management and the aftermath of peri-operative cardiac arrest than medically qualified anaesthetists, and the psychological impacts on professional and personal life appeared to be less. Among 24,172 cases, anaesthesia associates attended 432 (2%) and were the senior anaesthesia care provider in 63 (< 1%), with indirect supervision in 27 (43%). Anaesthesia associates worked predominantly in a small number of surgical specialties during weekdays and working daytime hours. Complication rates were low in cases managed by anaesthesia associates, likely reflecting case mix. However, activity and registry case mix data show anaesthesia associates do manage high-risk cases (patients who are older, comorbid, obese and frail) with the potential for serious complications. Registry cases included higher risk cases with respect to the clinical setting and patient factors. CONCLUSION: Anaesthesia associates work in enhanced roles, relative to the scope of practice at qualification agreed by organisations. Recent changes mean the Royal College of Anaesthetists and Association of Anaesthetists do not currently support an enhanced scope of practice.

Peri-operative decisions about cardiopulmonary resuscitation among adults as reported to the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

Current guidance recommends that, in most circumstances, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be attempted when cardiac arrest occurs during anaesthesia, and when a patient has a pre-existing 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' recommendation, this should be suspended. How this guidance is translated into everyday clinical practice in the UK is currently unknown. Here, as part of the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, we have: assessed the rates of pre-operative 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' recommendations via an activity survey of all cases undertaken by anaesthetists over four days in each participating site; and analysed our one-year case registry of peri-operative cardiac arrests to understand the rates of cardiac arrest in patients who had 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' decisions pre-operatively. In the activity survey, among 20,717 adults (aged > 18 y) undergoing surgery, 595 (3%) had a 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' recommendation pre-operatively, of which less than a third (175, 29%) were suspended. Of the 881 peri-operative cardiac arrest reports, 54 (6%) patients had a 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' recommendation made pre-operatively and of these 38 (70%) had a clinical frailty scale score ≥ 5. Just under half (25, 46%) of these 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' recommendations were formally suspended at the time of anaesthesia and surgery. One in five of these patients with a 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' recommendation who had a cardiac arrest survived to leave hospital and of the seven patients with documented modified Rankin Scale scores before and after cardiac arrest, four remained the same and three had worse scores. Very few patients who had a pre-existing 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' recommendation had a peri-operative cardiac arrest, and when cardiac arrest did occur, return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 57%, although > 50% of these patients subsequently died before discharge from hospital.

Independent sector and peri-operative cardiac arrest as reported to the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

The 7th National Audit Project (NAP7) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists studied peri-operative cardiac arrest including those that occurred in the independent healthcare sector, which provides around 1 in 6 NHS-funded care episodes. In total, 174 (39%) of 442 independent hospitals contacted agreed to participate. A survey examining provider preparedness for cardiac arrest had a response rate of 23 (13%), preventing useful analysis. An activity survey with 1912 responses (from a maximum of 45% of participating hospitals) showed that, compared with the NHS caseload, the independent sector caseload was less comorbid, with fewer patients at the extremes of age or who were severely obese, and with a large proportion of elective orthopaedic surgery undertaken during weekday working hours. The survey suggested suboptimal compliance rates with monitoring recommendations. Seventeen reports of independent sector peri-operative cardiac arrest comprised 2% of NAP7 reports and underreporting is likely. These patients were lower risk than NHS cases, reflecting the sector's case mix, but included cases of haemorrhage, anaphylaxis, cardiac arrhythmia and pulmonary embolus. Good and poor quality care were seen, the latter including delayed recognition and treatment of patient deterioration, and poor care delivery. Independent sector outcomes were similar to those in the NHS, though due to the case mix, improved outcomes might be anticipated. Assessment of quality of care was less often favourable for independent sector reports than NHS reports, though assessments were often uncertain, reflecting poor quality reports. Overall, NAP7 is unable to determine whether peri-operative care relating to cardiac arrest is more, equally or less safe than in the NHS.

Peri-operative cardiac arrest: epidemiology and clinical features of patients analysed in the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

The 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists studied peri-operative cardiac arrest in the UK, a topic of importance to patients, anaesthetists and surgeons. Here we report the results of the 12-month registry, from 16 June 2021 to 15 June 2022, focusing on epidemiology and clinical features. We reviewed 881 cases of peri-operative cardiac arrest, giving an incidence of 3 in 10,000 anaesthetics (95%CI 3.0-3.5 per 10,000). Incidence varied with patient and surgical factors. Compared with denominator survey activity, patients with cardiac arrest: included more males (56% vs. 42%); were older (median (IQR) age 60.5 (40.5-80.5) vs. 50.5 (30.5-70.5) y), although the age distribution was bimodal, with infants and patients aged > 66 y overrepresented; and were notably more comorbid (73% ASA physical status 3-5 vs. 27% ASA physical status 1-2). The surgical case-mix included more weekend (14% vs. 11%), out-of-hours (19% vs. 10%), non-elective (65% vs. 30%) and major/complex cases (60% vs. 28%). Cardiac arrest was most prevalent in orthopaedic trauma (12%), lower gastrointestinal surgery (10%), cardiac surgery (9%), vascular surgery (8%) and interventional cardiology (6%). Specialities with the highest proportion of cases relative to denominator activity were: cardiac surgery (9% vs. 1%); cardiology (8% vs. 1%); and vascular surgery (8% vs. 2%). The most common causes of cardiac arrest were: major haemorrhage (17%); bradyarrhythmia (9%); and cardiac ischaemia (7%). Patient factors were judged a key cause of cardiac arrest in 82% of cases, anaesthesia in 40% and surgery in 35%.

Successful return to work in anaesthesia after maternity leave: a qualitative study.

Returning to work after maternity leave poses significant challenges, with potential long-term implications including decreased engagement or attrition of clinicians. Many quantitative studies have identified challenges and supports for women during pregnancy, maternity leave and re-entry to clinical practice. This qualitative study explored the experiences of anaesthetists returning to clinical work after maternity leave, to identify influential factors with the aim of providing a framework to assist planning re-entry. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 anaesthetists. Attendees of a re-entry programme were invited to participate, with purposive sampling and snowball recruitment to provide diversity of location and training stage, until data saturation was reached at 13 interviews. Five themes were identified: leave duration; planning re-entry; workplace culture; career impact and emotional impact. Leave duration was influenced by concerns about deskilling, but shorter periods of leave had logistical challenges, including fatigue. Most participants started planning to return to work with few or no formal processes in the workplace. Workplace culture, including support for breastfeeding, was identified as valuable, but variable. Participants also experienced negative attitudes on re-entry, including difficulty accessing permanent work, with potential career impacts. Many participants identified changes to professional and personal identity influencing the experience with emotional sequelae. This research describes factors which may be considered to assist clinicians returning to work after maternity leave and identifies challenges, including negative attitudes, which may pose significant barriers to women practising in anaesthesia and may contribute to lack of female leadership in some workplaces.

Peri-operative cardiac arrest: management and outcomes of patients analysed in the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

The 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists studied peri-operative cardiac arrest in the UK, a topic of importance to patients, anaesthetists and surgeons. We report the results of the 12-month registry phase, from 16 June 2021 to 15 June 2022, focusing on management and outcomes. Among 881 cases of peri-operative cardiac arrest, the initial rhythm was non-shockable in 723 (82%) cases, most commonly pulseless electrical activity. There were 665 (75%) patients who survived the initial event and 384 (52%) who survived to hospital discharge. A favourable functional outcome (based on modified Rankin Scale score) was reported for 249 (88%) survivors. Outcomes varied according to arrest rhythm. The highest rates of survival were seen for bradycardic cardiac arrests with 111 (86%) patients surviving the initial event and 77 (60%) patients surviving the hospital episode. The lowest survival rates were seen for patients with pulseless electrical activity, with 312 (68%) surviving the initial episode and 156 (34%) surviving to hospital discharge. Survival to hospital discharge was worse in patients at the extremes of age with 76 (40%) patients aged > 75 y and 9 (45%) neonates surviving. Hospital survival was also associated with surgical priority, with 175 (88%) elective patients and 176 (37%) non-elective patients surviving to discharge. Outcomes varied with the cause of cardiac arrest, with lower initial survival rates for pulmonary embolism (5, 31%) and bone cement implantation syndrome (9, 45%), and hospital survival of < 25% for pulmonary embolism (0), septic shock (13, 24%) and significant hyperkalaemia (1, 20%). Overall care was rated good in 464 (53%) cases, and 18 (2%) cases had overall care rated as poor. Poor care elements were present in a further 245 (28%) cases. Care before cardiac arrest was the phase most frequently rated as poor (92, 11%) with elements of poor care identified in another 186 (21%) cases. These results describe the management and outcomes of peri-operative cardiac arrest in UK practice for the first time.

Cardiac arrest in vascular surgical patients receiving anaesthetic care: an analysis from the 7th National Audit Project (NAP7) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

The 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists studied peri-operative cardiac arrest in the UK. We report the results of the vascular surgery cohort from the 12-month case registry, from 16 June 2021 to 15 June 2022. Anaesthesia for vascular surgery accounted for 2% of UK anaesthetic caseload and included 69 (8%) reported peri-operative cardiac arrests, giving an estimated incidence of 1 in 670 vascular anaesthetics (95%CI 1 in 520-830). The high-risk nature of the vascular population is reflected by the proportion of patients who were ASA physical status 4 (30, 43%) or 5 (19, 28%); the age of patients (80% aged > 65 y); and that most cardiac arrests (57, 83%) occurred during non-elective surgery. The most common vascular surgical procedures among patients who had a cardiac arrest were: aortic surgery (38, 55%); lower-limb revascularisation (13, 19%); and lower-limb amputation (8, 12%). Among patients having vascular surgery and who had a cardiac arrest, 28 (41%) presented with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. There were 48 (70%) patients who had died at the time of reporting to NAP7 and 11 (16%) were still in hospital, signifying poorer outcomes compared with the non-vascular surgical cohort. The most common cause of cardiac arrest was major haemorrhage (39, 57%), but multiple other causes reflected the critical illness of the patients and the complexity of surgery. This is the first analysis of the incidence, management and outcomes of peri-operative cardiac arrest during vascular anaesthesia in the UK.

Peri-operative cardiac arrest due to suspected anaphylaxis as reported to the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

The 7th National Audit Project (NAP7) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists studied peri-operative cardiac arrest. Among 59 cases reported as possible anaphylaxis, 33 (56%) were judged to be so by the review panel with high or moderate confidence. Causes in excluded cases included: isolated severe hypotension; bronchospasm; and oesophageal intubation. Severe bronchospasm leading to cardiac arrest was uncommon, but notably in one case led to a reported flat capnograph. In the baseline survey, anaesthetists estimated anaphylaxis as the cause of 10% of cases of peri-operative cardiac arrests and to be among the four most common causes. In a year-long registry of peri-operative cardiac arrest, suspected anaphylaxis was the seventh most common cause accounting for 4% of reports. Initial management was most often with low-dose intravenous adrenaline, and this was without complications. Both the NAP7 baseline survey and case registry provided evidence of reluctance to starting chest compressions when systolic blood pressure had fallen to below 50 mmHg and occasionally even when it was unrecordable. All 33 patients were resuscitated successfully but one patient later died. The one death occurred in a relatively young patient in whom chest compressions were delayed. Overall, peri-operative anaphylaxis leading to cardiac arrest occurred with a similar frequency and patterns of presentation, location, initial rhythm and suspected triggers in NAP7 as in the 6th National Audit Project (NAP6). Outcomes in NAP7 were generally better than for equivalent cases in NAP6.

Cardiac arrest in obstetric patients receiving anaesthetic care: results from the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

The 7th National Audit Project (NAP7) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists studied peri-operative cardiac arrest. Additional inclusion criteria for obstetric anaesthesia were: cardiac arrest associated with neuraxial block performed by an anaesthetist outside the operating theatre (labour epidural analgesia); and cardiac arrest associated with remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia. There were 28 cases of cardiac arrest in obstetric patients, representing 3% of all cardiac arrests reported to NAP7, giving an incidence of 7.9 per 100,000 (95%CI 5.4-11.4 per 100,000). Obstetric patients were approximately four times less likely to have a cardiac arrest during anaesthesia care than patients having non-obstetric surgery. The single leading cause of peri-operative cardiac arrest in obstetric patients was haemorrhage, with underestimated severity and inadequate early resuscitation being contributory factors. When taken together, anaesthetic causes, high neuraxial block and bradyarrhythmia associated with spinal anaesthesia were the leading causes overall. Two patients had a cardiac arrest related to labour neuraxial analgesia. There were no cardiac arrests related to failed airway management or remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia.

Airway and respiratory complications during anaesthesia and associated with peri-operative cardiac arrest as reported to the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

The 7th National Audit Project (NAP7) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists studied complications of the airway and respiratory system during anaesthesia care including peri-operative cardiac arrest. Among 24,721 surveyed cases, airway and respiratory complications occurred commonly (n = 421 and n = 264, respectively). The most common airway complications were: laryngospasm (157, 37%); airway failure (125, 30%); and aspiration (27, 6%). Emergency front of neck airway was rare (1 in 8370, 95%CI 1 in 2296-30,519). The most common respiratory complications were: severe ventilation difficulty (97, 37%); hyper/hypocapnia (63, 24%); and hypoxaemia (62, 23%). Among 881 reports to NAP7 and 358 deaths, airway and respiratory complications accounted for 113 (13%) peri-operative cardiac arrests and 32 (9%) deaths, with hypoxaemia as the most common primary cause. Airway and respiratory cases had higher and lower survival rates than other causes of cardiac arrest, respectively. Patients with obesity, young children (particularly infants) and out-of-hours care were overrepresented in reports. There were six cases of unrecognised oesophageal intubation with three resulting in cardiac arrest. Of these cases, failure to correctly interpret capnography was a recurrent theme. Cases of emergency front of neck airway (6, approximately 1 in 450,000) and pulmonary aspiration (11, approximately 1 in 25,000) leading to cardiac arrest were rare. Overall, these data, while distinct from the 4th National Audit Project, suggest that airway management is likely to have become safer in the last decade, despite the surgical population having become more challenging for anaesthetists.

Still a 'boys' club': a qualitative analysis of how gender affects a career in anaesthesia in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Gender inequity remains an issue in anaesthesia despite increasing numbers of women training and achieving fellowship in the speciality. Women are under-represented in all areas of anaesthetic research, academia and leadership. The Gender Equity Subcommittee of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists recently conducted a survey asking "Does gender still matter in the pursuit of a career in anaesthesia in 2022?". The survey was distributed to a randomly selected sample of 1225 anaesthetic consultants and completed by 470 respondents (38% response rate) with 793 free-text comments provided. Three overarching themes were identified: gender effects on the career and family interface; women do not fit the mould; and gender equity changes the status quo. Women respondents described a need to make a choice between career and family, which was not described by men, as well as stigmatisation of part-time work, a lack of access to challenging work and negative impacts of parental leave. Women respondents also described a sense of marginalisation within anaesthesia due to a 'boys' club' mentality, a lack of professional respect and insufficient structural supports for women in leadership. This was compounded for women from ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds. A need for specific strategies to support anaesthetic careers for women was described as well as normalisation of flexibility in workplaces, combined with a broadening of our definition of success to allow people of all genders to experience fulfilment both at home and at work. This study is the first published qualitative data on factors affecting gender equity for anaesthetists in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. It highlights the need for further exploration, as well providing a foundation for changes in attitude and structural changes towards advancing gender equity.

Peri-operative pain management in adults: a multidisciplinary consensus statement from the Association of Anaesthetists and the British Pain Society.

BACKGROUND: Nearly half of adult patients undergoing surgery experience moderate or severe postoperative pain. Inadequate pain management hampers postoperative recovery and function and may be associated with adverse outcomes. This multidisciplinary consensus statement provides principles that might aid postoperative recovery, and which should be applied throughout the entire peri-operative pathway by healthcare professionals, institutions and patients. METHODS: We conducted a directed literature review followed by a four-round modified Delphi process to formulate recommendations for organisations and individuals. RESULTS: We make recommendations for the entire peri-operative period, covering pre-admission; admission; intra-operative; post-anaesthetic care unit; ward; intensive care unit; preparation for discharge; and post-discharge phases of care. We also provide generic principles of peri-operative pain management that clinicians should consider throughout the peri-operative pathway, including: assessing pain to facilitate function; use of multimodal analgesia, including regional anaesthesia; non-pharmacological strategies; safe use of opioids; and use of protocols and training for staff in caring for patients with postoperative pain. CONCLUSIONS: We hope that with attention to these principles and their implementation, outcomes for adult patients having surgery might be improved.

Does higher performance in a national licensing examination predict better quality of care? A longitudinal observational study of Ethiopian anesthetists.

BACKGROUND: Ethiopia made a national licensing examination (NLE) for associate clinician anesthetists a requirement for entry into the practice workforce. However, there is limited empirical evidence on whether the NLE scores of associate clinicians predict the quality of health care they provide in low-income countries. This study aimed to assess the association between anesthetists' NLE scores and three selected quality of patient care indicators. METHODS: A multicenter longitudinal observational study was conducted between January 8 and February 7, 2023, to collect quality of care (QoC) data on surgical patients attended by anesthetists (n = 56) who had taken the Ethiopian anesthetist NLE since 2019. The three QoC indicators were standards for safe anesthesia practice, critical incidents, and patient satisfaction. The medical records of 991 patients were reviewed to determine the standards for safe anesthesia practice and critical incidents. A total of 400 patients responded to the patient satisfaction survey. Multivariable regressions were employed to determine whether the anesthetist NLE score predicted QoC indicators. RESULTS: The mean percentage of safe anesthesia practice standards met was 69.14%, and the mean satisfaction score was 85.22%. There were 1,120 critical incidents among 911 patients, with three out of five experiencing at least one. After controlling for patient, anesthetist, facility, and clinical care-related confounding variables, the NLE score predicted the occurrence of critical incidents. For every 1% point increase in the total NLE score, the odds of developing one or more critical incidents decreased by 18% (aOR = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.70 = 0.96; p = 0.016). No statistically significant associations existed between the other two QoC indicators and NLE scores. CONCLUSION: The NLE score had an inverse relationship with the occurrence of critical incidents, supporting the validity of the examination in assessing graduates' ability to provide safe and effective care. The lack of an association with the other two QoC indicators requires further investigation. Our findings may help improve education quality and the impact of NLEs in Ethiopia and beyond.

Drug administration errors among anaesthesia providers in South Africa: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Drug administration errors (DAEs) in anaesthesia are common, the aetiology multifactorial and though mostly inconsequential, some lead to substantial harm. The extend of DAEs remain poorly quantified and effective implementation of prevention strategies sparse. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using a peer-reviewed survey questionnaire, circulated to 2217 anaesthetists via a national communication platform. The aim was to determine the self-reported frequency, nature, contributing factors and reporting patterns of DAEs among anaesthesia providers in South Africa. RESULTS: Our cohort had a response rate was 18.9%, with 420 individuals populating the questionnaire. 92.5% of surveyed participants have made a DAE and 89.2% a near-miss. Incorrect route of administration, potentially resulting in serious harm, accounted for 8.2% (n = 23/N = 279) of these errors. DAEs mostly reported in cases involving adult patients (80.5%, n = 243/N = 302), receiving a general anaesthetic (71.8%, n = 216/N = 301), where the drug-administrator prepared the drugs themselves (78.7%, n = 218/N = 277), during normal daytime hours (69.9%, n = 202/N = 289) with good lightning conditions (93.0%, n = 265/N = 285). 26% (n = 80/N = 305) of DAEs involved ampoule misidentification, whilst syringe identification error reported in 51.6% (n = 150/N = 291) of cases. DAEs are often not reported (40.3%, n = 114/N = 283), with knowledge of correct reporting procedures lacking. 70.5% (n = 198/N = 281) of DAEs were never discussed with the patient. CONCLUSIONS: DAEs in anaesthesia remain prevalent. Known error traps continue to drive these incidents. Implementation of system based preventative strategies are paramount to guard against human error. Efforts should be made to encourage scrupulous reporting and training of anaesthesia providers, with the aim of rendering them proficient and resilient to handle these events.

Improving compliance with personal protective equipment among anaesthetists through behaviour-changing interventions during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic.

Since 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has seen many changes in our daily infection prevention behaviours so as to reduce healthcare-associated transmission of COVID-19 in patients and healthcare workers. In the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, there was much emphasis on compliant personal protective equipment utilization in the operating theatres (OTs) for COVID-19-positive patients. However, during this period, there was a lack of international validated protocols on the appropriate handling and subsequent storage of personal protective equipment in the context of aerosol-generating procedures in OTs for asymptomatic antigen rapid test (ART)-negative patients. Given the potential for transmission even with a negative ART due to the incubation period, our team developed a checklist of eye protection (e.g. goggles/face shield) and N95 mask handling and storage in non-isolation OTs for these patients. We sought to improve the compliance of best practices from 20% to 80% amongst junior anaesthetists in Singapore General Hospital so as to prevent infection transmission and cross-contamination in the OT through education and behaviour-changing interventions. This quality improvement project took place over 19 weeks from June to October 2020 by our team of anaesthetists and nurse clinicians in the non-isolation OT setting. To analyse the problem, we performed a root cause analysis to understand attitudes and beliefs driving their behaviour. The top 80% of cited root causes for non-compliance then guided prioritization of resources for subsequent behaviour-changing interventions. Using the comprehensive infection control checklist, we conducted several plan-do-study-act cycles while implementing this new checklist amongst junior anaesthetists. A total of 227 assessments of junior anaesthetists were made in the care of asymptomatic ART-negative patients. Compliance with correctly handling goggles post-intubation started out as 33.3% in Week 1, which improved to 78.5% by Week 19. Compliance with goggle storage and face shield disposal started out at 13.6% in Week 1 and increased to 78.6% by Week 19. We attributed this improvement to education and behaviour-changing interventions. This quality improvement project focusing on improving compliance with personal protective equipment utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic in the management of asymptomatic ART-negative patients in non-isolation OTs demonstrated the importance of interventions of education, persuasion, modelling, and training in effecting and sustaining organizational behaviour change in physicians and other healthcare personnel.