Sustainability of the Subspecialty of Anesthesiology Critical Care: An Expert Consensus and Review of the Literature.

While considerable literature exists with respect to clinical aspects of critical care anesthesiology (CCA) practice, few publications have focused on how anesthesiology-based critical care practices are organized and the challenges associated with the administration and management of anesthesiology critical care units. Currently, numerous challenges are affecting the sustainability of CCA practice, including decreased applications to fellowship positions and decreased reimbursement for critical care work. This review describes what is known about the subspecialty of CCA and leverages the experience of administrative leaders in adult critical care anesthesiologists in the United States to describe potential solutions.

Mortality Rate Increase in Elderly Patients With Hip Fractures Presenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic to a Hospital in the United States Epicenter: Minimum 30-day Follow Up Comparative Study.

The purpose of this study was to compare mortality and complication rates among geriatric patients who sustained a hip fracture before the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic began to those who presented during the peak of the pandemic. Patients greater than or equal to 50 years of age who presented with a diagnosis of hip fracture from March 16, 2020 to May 1, 2020 were compared with a historical control group who presented between December 1, 2019 and January 16, 2020. Minimum follow up was 30 days. The primary outcome was a 30-day mortality rate. Thirty-day mortality was significantly different between groups, with no deaths of 24 patients in the pre-COVID-19 cohort versus six deaths of 23 patients (26.1%) in the COVID-19 cohort (chi-squared test, p-value = 0.02). The study concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic increased mortality risk for geriatric hip fracture patients. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 32(4):232-237, 2023).

Critical Care Medicine Practice: A Pilot Survey of US Anesthesia Critical Care Medicine-Trained Physicians.

BACKGROUND: This survey assessed satisfaction with the practice environment among physicians who have completed fellowship training in critical care medicine (CCM) as recognized by the American Board of Anesthesiology (and are members of the American Society of Anesthesiology) and evaluated the perceived effectiveness of training programs in preparing fellows for critical care practice. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey composed of 39 multiple choice and open-ended questions was administered between August and December 2018 to all members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) who self-identified as being CCM trained. The survey instrument was developed and revised in an iterative fashion by ASA committee on CCM and the Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA). Survey results were analyzed using a mixed-method approach. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-three of the 1400 anesthesiologists who self-identified to the ASA as having CCM training (25.2%) completed the survey. Most were men (72.3%), board certified in CCM (98.7%), and had practiced a median of 5 years. Half of the respondents rated their training as "excellent." A total of 70.6% described currently working in academic centers with 53.6% providing care in open surgical intensive care units (ICUs). Most anesthesiologist intensivists (75%) spend at least 25% of their clinical time providing ICU care (versus clinical anesthesia). A total of 89% of the respondents were involved in educational activities, 60% reported being in administrative leadership roles, and 37% engaged in scholarly activity. Areas of dissatisfaction included fatigue, lack of collegiality or respect, lack of research training, decreased job satisfaction, and burnout. Analysis suggested moderate levels of job satisfaction (49%), work-life balance (52%), and high levels of burnout (74%). A significant contributor to burnout was with a perception of lack of respect (P = .005) in the work environment. Burnout was not significantly associated with gender or duration of practice. Qualitative analysis of the open-ended responses also identified these 3 variables as major themes. CONCLUSIONS: This survey of CCM-trained anesthesiologists described a high rate of board certification, practice in academic settings, and participation in resident education. Areas of dissatisfaction with an anesthesia/critical care practice included burnout, work/life balance, and lack of respect. These results may increase recruitment of anesthesiologists into critical care and inform strategies to improve satisfaction with anesthesia critical care practice, fellowship training.

The acute effectiveness and safety of the constant-flow, pressure-volume curve to improve hypoxemia in acute lung injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of the constant-flow, pressure-volume curve (PVC) to prescribe positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) in acute lung injury (ALI) and risk of cardiopulmonary deterioration during the PVC process. DESIGN: A retrospective, cohort study. SETTING: A surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary, university hospital. PATIENTS: Fifty consecutive ventilated patients diagnosed with ALI undergoing the PVC maneuver from 1999 to 2003. INTERVENTIONS: Titration of PEEP based on the lower inflection point of the constant-flow, pressure-volume curve. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients were divided into 2 groups based on PVC-guided PEEP changes of <3 cm H2O (PVC-NC or "no change") or ≥3 cm H2O (PVC-CHG or "change") from the initial empiric prescription. There was a greater increase in partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2)/fractional concentration of inspired oxygen (FiO2) in the PVC-CHG group, with a mean change of 80 ± 50 (95% confidence interval [CI] 61, 98) versus 42 ± 54 (95% CI 17, 67) in the PVC-NC group. Eighty-two percent of patients (41/50) showed an increase in ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) by 20% within 6 to 24 hours after the PVC test-greater in the PVC-CHG group (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.02, 2.01). Thirteen percent (4/30) within the PVC-CHG group and none within the PVC-NC group (0/20) required a 25% increase in vasoactive infusion rates (P = .089) in relation to the procedure. Univariate logistic regression showed that PVC-CHG was significantly associated with a 20% change in PaO2/FiO2 (OR 7.54, 95% CI 1.37, 41.41). Multivariate logistic modeling showed that PVC-guided PEEP changes of ≥3 cm H2O, age ≤65 years, and pre-PVC FiO2 ≥ .85 were significantly associated with a 20% increase in PaO2/FiO2 (receiver operator area under the curve = .86). CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of acute lung injury, use of the constant-flow, pressure-volume curve to prescribe PEEP appears associated with improvement in oxygenation with limited risk of acute, process-related, cardiopulmonary deterioration.

Hyperbaric oxygen and ovarian follicular stimulation for in vitro fertilization: a pilot study.

Our objective was to assess the safety and tolerability of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) as an adjunct to IVF therapy in women with a poor prognosis for pregnancy in a prospective observational pilot study. We conclude that HBO is well tolerated by women undergoing IVF treatment and that further study is required to determine whether this is an efficacious adjuvant therapy for women being treated by IVF.