ABSTRACT
Background: Preoperative patient evaluation and optimization in a preoperative evaluation center (PEC) has been shown to improve operating room (OR) efficiency and patient care. However, performing preoperative evaluation on all patients scheduled for surgery or procedure would be time- and resource-consuming. Therefore, appropriate patient selection for evaluation at PECs is one aspect of improving PEC efficiency. In this study, we evaluate the effect of an enhanced preoperative evaluation process (PEP), utilizing a nursing triage phone call and information technology (IT) optimizations, on PEC efficiency and the quality of care in bariatric surgery patients. We hypothesized that, compared to a traditional PEP, the enhanced PEP would improve PEC efficiency without a negative impact on quality. Methods: The study was a retrospective cohort analysis of 1550 patients from January 2014 to March 2017 at a large, tertiary care academic health system. The study was a before/after comparison that compared the enhanced PEP model to the traditional PEP model. The primary outcome was the efficiency of the PEC, which was measured by the reduction of in-person patient visits at the PEC. The secondary outcome was the quality of care, which was measured by delays, cancellations, and the need for additional testing on the day of surgery (DOS). Results: The enhanced PEP improved the primary outcome of efficiency, as evident by an 80% decrease in in-person patient visits to the PEC. There was no reduction in the secondary outcome of the quality of care as measured by delays, cancellations, or the need for additional testing on the DOS. The implementation of the enhanced PEP did not result in increased costs or resource utilization. Conclusions: The enhanced PEP in a multi-disciplinary preoperative process can improve the efficiency of PEC for bariatric surgery patients without any decrease in the quality of care. The enhanced PEP process can be implemented without an increase in resource utilization and can be particularly useful during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIP) constitute a large cohort of the over 200 subtypes of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most widely studied, arguably the most severe etiology of ILD and the most common IIP diagnosis. The objective of this narrative review is to outline the current evidence on optimal perioperative management of IPF. PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were analyzed for appropriate peer-reviewed references by utilizing key word search ("interstitial lung disease" OR "idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis" OR "idiopathic interstitial pneumonitis" OR "ILD" OR "IPF" AND "surgery" OR "anesthesia" OR "perioperative") within the past thirty years (1990-current). Non-English language references were excluded. A total of 205 references were curated by the authors. Eighty-seven consensus statements, clinical trials, retrospective cohort studies or case series met criteria and were incorporated into the findings of this narrative review. CONCLUSION: After review, we conclude that complications, dominated by postoperative pulmonary complications, pose a significant barrier to safe perioperative care of patients with IPF. Ensuring that the preoperative IPF patient has been medically optimized is important for minimizing this risk. Initial assessment of the ARISCAT score, pulmonary function studies and cardiopulmonary exercise testing may identify IPF patients at particularly high perioperative pulmonary risk. Identifying IPF patients with 6-12-month declines in DLCO of >15%, V02max <8.3 mL/kg/min, <80% predicted value FVC, a 50-meter reduction in the 6MWT or preoperative home oxygen use may be helpful in preoperative risk stratification. Medically optimizing treatable co-morbidities should be a priority in preoperative assessment. Regional or neuraxial anesthesia should be considered an optimal technique for the avoidance of general anesthesia related complications when indicated. Acute exacerbation and postoperative pneumonia have been identified as important postsurgical complications in both thoracic and nonthoracic surgical populations.
ABSTRACT
Blood pressure (BP) measurement during the presurgical assessment has been suggested as a way to improve longitudinal detection and treatment of hypertension. The relationship between BP measured during this assessment and home blood pressure (HBP), a better indicator of hypertension, is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to determine the positive predictive value of presurgical BP for predicting elevated HBP. We prospectively enrolled 200 patients at a presurgical evaluation clinic with clinic blood pressures (CBPs) ≥130/85 mm Hg, as measured using a previously validated automated upper-arm device (Welch Allyn Vital Sign Monitor 6000 Series), to undergo daily HBP monitoring (Omron Model BP742N) between the index clinic visit and their day of surgery. Elevated HBP was defined, per American Heart Association guidelines, as mean systolic HBP ≥135 mm Hg or mean diastolic HBP ≥85 mm Hg. Of the 200 participants, 188 (94%) returned their home blood pressure monitors with valid data. The median number of HBP recordings was 10 (interquartile range, 7-14). Presurgical CBP thresholds of 140/90, 150/95, and 160/100 mm Hg yielded positive predictive values (95% confidence interval) for elevated HBP of 84.1% (0.78-0.89), 87.5% (0.81-0.92), and 94.6% (0.87-0.99), respectively. In contrast, self-reported BP control, antihypertensive treatment, availability of primary care, and preoperative pain scores demonstrated poor agreement with elevated HBP. Elevated preoperative CBP is highly predictive of longitudinally elevated HBP. BP measurement during presurgical assessment may provide a way to improve longitudinal detection and treatment of hypertension.