Hong Kong Society of Clinical Blood Management recommendations for implementation of patient blood management.

Patient blood management (PBM) is a patient-centred, multidisciplinary approach to optimise red cell mass, minimise blood loss, and manage tolerance to anaemia in an effort to improve patient outcomes. Well-implemented PBM improves patient outcomes and reduces demand for blood products. The multidisciplinary approach of PBM can often allow patients to avoid blood transfusions, which are associated with less favourable clinical outcomes. In Hong Kong, there has been increasing demand for blood in the ageing population, and there are simultaneous blood safety and donor issues that are adversely affecting the blood supply. To address these challenges, the Hong Kong Society of Clinical Blood Management recommends implementation of a PBM programme in Hong Kong, including strategies such as optimising red blood cell mass, improving anaemia management, minimising blood loss, and rationalising the use of blood and blood products.

Implication of Major Adverse Postoperative Events and Myocardial Injury on Disability and Survival: A Planned Subanalysis of the ENIGMA-II Trial.

BACKGROUND: Globally, >300 million patients have surgery annually, and ≤20% experience adverse postoperative events. We studied the impact of both cardiac and noncardiac adverse events on 1-year disability-free survival after noncardiac surgery. METHODS: We used the study cohort from the Evaluation of Nitrous oxide in Gas Mixture of Anesthesia (ENIGMA-II) trial, an international randomized trial of 6992 noncardiac surgical patients. All were ≥45 years of age and had moderate to high cardiac risk. The primary outcome was mortality within 1 postoperative year. We defined 4 separate types of postoperative adverse events. Major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) included myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac arrest, and myocardial revascularization with or without troponin elevation. MI was defined using the third Universal Definition and was blindly adjudicated. A second cohort consisted of patients with isolated troponin increases who did not meet the definition for MI. We also considered a cohort of patients who experienced major adverse postoperative events (MAPEs), including unplanned admission to intensive care, prolonged mechanical ventilation, wound infection, pulmonary embolism, and stroke. From this cohort, we identified a group without troponin elevation and another with troponin elevation that was not judged to be an MI. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models for death at 1 year and assessments of proportionality of hazard functions were performed and expressed as an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: MACEs were observed in 469 patients, and another 754 patients had isolated troponin increases. MAPEs were observed in 631 patients. Compared with control patients, patients with a MACE were at increased risk of mortality (aHR, 3.36 [95% CI, 2.55-4.46]), similar to patients who suffered a MAPE without troponin elevation (n = 501) (aHR, 2.98 [95% CI, 2.26-3.92]). Patients who suffered a MAPE with troponin elevation but without MI had the highest risk of death (n = 116) (aHR, 4.29 [95% CI, 2.89-6.36]). These 4 types of adverse events similarly affected 1-year disability-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: MACEs and MAPEs occur at similar frequencies and affect survival to a similar degree. All 3 types of postoperative troponin elevation in this analysis were associated, to varying degrees, with increased risk of death and disability.

A randomised comparison of InnoScope and Macintosh laryngoscope in simulated difficult tracheal intubation in manikins.

We conducted a crossover randomised study to evaluate the performance of a novel optical stylet, the InnoScope, for tracheal intubation in simulated normal and difficult airways. Twenty-five anaesthetists attempted tracheal intubation on a SimMan 3G simulator using the InnoScope first followed by the Macintosh laryngoscope or vice versa. Three airway scenarios were tested: (1) normal airway; (2) difficult airway with swollen pharynx; and (3) limited neck movement. In each scenario, the laryngeal view, duration of and success rate for tracheal intubation were recorded. Compared with the Macintosh laryngoscope, the use of InnoScope increased the percentage of glottic opening seen by 17% in normal airway, 23% in the difficult airway and 32% with limited neck movement, p < 0.01. Despite this better laryngeal view, successful tracheal intubation achieved with the InnoScope (88.0%) was lower than that for the Macintosh laryngoscope (98.7%), p = 0.008. Using the InnoScope, tracheal intubation during the first attempt was only successful in 48% of cases with difficult airway. In this scenario, the median (interquartile range [range]) duration of tracheal intubation was significantly longer with [corrected] InnoScope compared with the Macintosh laryngoscope, (70 (19-120 [15-120)] s vs 30 [21-58 (15-120)] s, [corrected] p = 0.01. We conclude that an improved laryngeal view with the use of the InnoScope did not translate into better conditions for tracheal intubation.

A double-blind randomised comparison of intravenous patient-controlled remifentanil with intramuscular pethidine for labour analgesia.

In a prospective, double-blind, randomised controlled trial, we compared the efficacy of patient-controlled analgesia using remifentanil (25-30 µg per bolus) with intramuscular pethidine (50-75 mg) for labour analgesia in 69 parturients. Parturients receiving patient-controlled analgesia reported less pain than those receiving intramuscular pethidine throughout the study period (p < 0.001), with maximal reduction in visual analogue pain score at 2 h after commencement of analgesia (mean (SD) 20 (17) in the patient-controlled analgesia group and 36 (22) in the intramuscular pethidine group. The median (95% CI) time to the first request for rescue analgesics was significantly longer with patient-controlled analgesia (8.0 (6.8-9.2) h) compared with intramuscular pethidine (4.9 (3.8-5.4) h, p < 0.001). Maternal satisfaction scores were also higher with remifentanil compared with intramuscular pethidine (p= 0.001). There was no report of sedation, aponea or oxygen desaturation in either group, and Apgar scores were similar between groups. We conclude that patient-controlled analgesia with remifentanil provides better labour analgesia and maternal satisfaction than intramuscular pethidine. At this dose, maternal and fetal side effects were uncommon.

Recall of preoperative anaesthesia information in Hong Kong Chinese patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of patients to recall information provided during a preoperative visit. DESIGN: Qualitative study. SETTING: Regional hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS: Sixty patients scheduled for elective surgery under general anaesthesia or central neuro-axial block. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Satisfactory recall of preoperative information, defined as the ability to remember at least 75% of adverse effects described. RESULTS: Fifty-nine (98.3%) patients were satisfied with the preoperative information. Forty-two (70%) patients rated anaesthetic complications as important. At the interview on the day of the operation, 57 (95%) patients had satisfactory recall of the information provided. Eighty-five percent of patients remembered that the information was provided by an anaesthesiologist. After the operation, of those who experienced adverse effects, 48 (96%) patients remembered being told to anticipate the adverse anaesthetic event. Univariate analysis found that age, sex, education level, occupation, and the modality of anaesthesia did not affect patient recall of preoperative information on the day of surgery or 1 day postsurgery. CONCLUSION. There was satisfactory recall of preoperative information by the majority of patients in the study. Most patients expressed satisfaction with the information provided.