Perioperative Quality Initiative and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery-Cardiac Society Consensus Statement on the Management of Preoperative Anemia and Iron Deficiency in Adult Cardiac Surgery Patients.

Preoperative anemia is common in patients presenting for cardiac surgery, with a prevalence of approximately 1 in 4, and has been associated with worse outcomes including increased risk of blood transfusion, kidney injury, stroke, infection, and death. Iron deficiency, a major cause of anemia, has also been shown to have an association with worse outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, even in the absence of anemia. Although recent guidelines have supported diagnosing and treating anemia and iron deficiency before elective surgery, details on when and how to screen and treat remain unclear. The Eighth Perioperative Quality Initiative (POQI 8) consensus conference, in conjunction with the Enhanced Recovery after Surgery-Cardiac Surgery Society, brought together an international, multidisciplinary team of experts to review and evaluate the literature on screening, diagnosing, and managing preoperative anemia and iron deficiency in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, and to provide evidence-based recommendations in accordance with Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria for evaluating biomedical literature.

Treatment through a preoperative anemia clinic is associated with a reduction in perioperative red blood cell transfusion in patients undergoing orthopedic and gynecologic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative anemia is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and risk of transfusion. Treatment through a preoperative anemia clinic (PAC) may improve outcomes. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Adult patients undergoing elective orthopedic and gynecologic surgery with preoperative anemia were identified and referred for hemoglobin optimization with iron and/or erythropoietin from a single-site academic health center. Treated patients were propensity matched to untreated controls and compared on outcomes of erythrocyte transfusion, length of stay (LOS), and readmission. Changes in hemoglobin relative to treatment time before surgery were also measured in the treated cohort. RESULTS: One thousand three hundred thirty-two patients were evaluated between July 2015 and March 2021, of which 161 underwent optimization through the PAC. After propensity matching, 127 (98 orthopedic and 29 gynecology) PAC-treated patients were compared to 127 (98 orthopedic and 29 gynecology) control patients who did not undergo treatment. The primary outcome of perioperative transfusion was significantly lower in treated patients compared with matched controls (12.60% vs. 26.77%, p = .005). A lower LOS was demonstrated in the gynecologic PAC subgroup (2.2 [1.5, 2.4] vs. 3.1 [2.2, 3.4], p = .002). Each day of treatment time before surgery was associated with an increase of 0.040 g/dL hemoglobin (p < .001) until 65 days, after which further time did not increase hemoglobin. CONCLUSION: Treatment through a preoperative anemia clinic is associated with a reduction in perioperative transfusion and possible reduction in LOS and readmission compared with matched controls. Additionally, treatment time before surgery is correlated with a greater increase in hemoglobin up until 2 months prior to surgery.

Validation of the perioperative nutrition screen for prediction of postoperative outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative nutrition risk is often underrecognized and undertreated. The perioperative nutrition screen (PONS) was recently introduced as an efficient tool to rapidly screen for preoperative nutrition risk. The relationship between identification of "nutrition risk" via PONS and adverse postoperative outcomes remains undescribed. METHODS: Preoperative nutrition risk was assessed via PONS from 01/01/2019 to 09/30/2020. Key clinical outcomes were compared with individual and composite PONS components. RESULTS: A total of 3151 patients with PONS evaluations were analyzed. Multivariate regression adjusted for key covariates demonstrated positive responses for specific PONS questions was associated with adverse clinical outcomes as follows. (1) Unplanned weight loss (>10% in 6-months preoperatively) associated with a 22.4% increased length of stay (LOS) (P < 0.0001) and increased 30-day readmission rate (odds ratio [OR], 2.44, 95% CI, 1.73-3.44, P < 0.001). (2) History of <50% of previous oral intake in past week associated with a 25% increased LOS (P < 0.001). (3) Preoperative serum albumin level <3.0 g/L associated with a 29.9% increased LOS (P < 0.001) and increased 30-day readmission rate (OR, 2.66, 95% CI, 1.63-4.35, P < 0.001). (4) Low body mass index was not associated with increased LOS by adjusted analysis although was predictive by univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The PONS and its individual components appear to predict risk of adverse postoperative outcomes, even independent of a validated malnutrition diagnosis. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of specific preoperative nutrition interventions on adverse outcomes predicted by PONS when delivered to patients identified via PONS screen.

Duke University Medical Center Perioperative Diabetes Management Program.

Quality Improvement Success Stories are published by the American Diabetes Association in collaboration with the American College of Physicians and the National Diabetes Education Program. This series is intended to highlight best practices and strategies from programs and clinics that have successfully improved the quality of care for people with diabetes or related conditions. Each article in the series is reviewed and follows a standard format developed by the editors of Clinical Diabetes. The following article describes a project at an academic tertiary-care medical center aimed at identifying surgical patients with uncontrolled diabetes early in the preoperative process to improve their perioperative glycemic control and surgical outcomes.

Unplanned hospital admission after ambulatory surgery: a retrospective, single cohort study.

PURPOSE: We estimated the rate of unplanned hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions following ambulatory surgery centre (ASC) procedures, and identified factors associated with their occurrence. METHODS: This retrospective cohort included adult patients who underwent ASC procedures within a large community practice from January 2010 to December 2014. Patients were categorized into two groups: unplanned postoperative hospital/ICU admission within 24 hr of procedure or uneventful discharge. Demographics, comorbidities, anesthesia type, procedure type, procedure group, and ASC facility were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 211,389 patients included, there were 211,147 uneventful discharges (99.89%) and 242 unplanned hospital admissions (0.11%), of which 75 were ICU admissions (0.04%). The multivariable logistic regression model for hospital admission showed an increased risk associated with age > 50 yr (odds ratio [OR], 1.53); American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status (III vs II: OR, 1.45; IV vs II: OR, 1.88), comorbidity (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: OR, 2.63; diabetes mellitus: OR, 1.62; transient ischemic attack: OR, 2.48) procedure (respiratory: OR, 2.92; digestive: OR, 2.66; musculoskeletal system: OR, 2.53), anesthetic management (general anesthesia [GA] and peripheral nerve block vs GA: OR, 1.79), and ASC facility (189BB: OR, 2.29; 30E9A: OR, 7.41; and BD21F: OR, 1.69). The multivariable logistic regression model for ICU admission showed increased risk of unplanned ICU admission associated with ASA physical status (ASA III vs II: OR, 3.0; ASA IV vs II: OR, 8.52), procedure (musculoskeletal system: OR, 2.45), and ASC facility (00E6C: OR, 3.14; 189BB: OR, 2.77; 30E9A: OR, 2.59; and BD21F: OR, 3.71). CONCLUSION: While a small percentage of adult patients who underwent ASC procedures required unplanned hospital admission (0.07%), approximately one-third of these admissions were to the ICU (0.04%). Facility was at least as strong a predictor of hospital admission as the patient- and/or procedure-specific variables.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Nous avons estimé le taux d'admissions non planifiées à l'hôpital et à l'unité de soins intensifs (USI) après des interventions dans des centres de chirurgie ambulatoire (CCA), et identifié les facteurs associés à leur survenue. MéTHODE: Cette étude de cohorte rétrospective a porté sur des patients adultes ayant subi une intervention dans un CCA appartenant à une grande pratique communautaire entre janvier 2010 et décembre 2014. Les patients ont été catégorisés en deux groupes : admission postopératoire non planifiée à l'hôpital/USI dans les 24 h suivant l'intervention ou congé sans incident. Les données démographiques, les comorbidités, le type d'anesthésie, le type d'intervention, le groupe d'intervention et l'établissement de CCA ont été évalués. RéSULTATS: Parmi les 211 389 patients inclus, il y a eu 211 147 congés sans incident (99,89 %) et 242 admissions non planifiées à l'hôpital (0,11 %), 75 desquelles étaient des admissions à l'USI (0,04 %). Le modèle de régression logistique multivariée des admissions hospitalières a montré un risque accru associé à un âge > 50 ans (rapport de cotes [RC], 1,53); au statut physique ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) (III vs II : RC, 1,45; IV vs II : RC, 1,88), aux comorbidités (maladie pulmonaire obstructive chronique : RC, 2,63; diabète: RC, 1,62; accident ischémique transitoire : RC, 2,48); à l'intervention (respiratoire : RC, 2,92; digestive : RC, 2,66; appareil locomoteur : RC, 2,53); à la prise en charge anesthésique (anesthésie générale [AG] et bloc nerveux périphérique vs AG : RC, 1,79) et établissement de CCA (189BB : RC, 2,29; 30E9A : RC, 7,41; et BD21F : RC, 1,69). Le modèle de régression logistique multivariée des admissions à l'USI a montré un risque accru d'admission non planifiée à l'USI associé au statut physique ASA (ASA III vs II: RC, 3,0; ASA IV vs II: RC, 8,52), à l'intervention (appareil locomoteur : RC, 2,45), et à l'établissement de CCA (00E6C: RC, 3,14; 189BB: RC, 2,77; 30E9A: RC, 2,59; et BD21F: RC, 3,71). CONCLUSION: Alors qu'un faible pourcentage de patients adultes ayant subi des interventions en CCA ont nécessité une admission non planifiée à l'hôpital (0,11 %), environ un tiers de ces admissions étaient à l'USI (0,04 %). L'établissement était un prédicteur au moins aussi puissant d'admission à l'hôpital que les variables spécifiques au patient et/ou à l'intervention.

How do I develop a process to effectively treat parturients with iron deficiency anemia?

Anemia is common in pregnant women and is associated with increased morbidity for the mother and the fetus, including increased risk of allogeneic blood transfusion. Iron deficiency is the most common etiology for anemia during pregnancy. Oral iron therapy remains the standard treatment but is often poorly tolerated due to its gastrointestinal side effects. Intravenous iron has been shown to be a safe and effective way to treat iron deficiency anemia but may be challenging to do in the outpatient setting given the need for an indwelling venous catheter and a small risk of infusion reactions. To improve outcomes associated with anemia, we launched a program to refer and treat obstetric patients with iron deficiency anemia for outpatient intravenous iron therapy through our preoperative anemia clinic. Here, we describe the process and successes of our program, including the clinical outcomes (change in hemoglobin and transfusion rates) from the first 2 years of the program.

Tutorial: Development and Implementation of a Multidisciplinary Preoperative Nutrition Optimization Clinic.

Although much is known about surgical risk, little evidence exists regarding how best to proactively address preoperative risk factors to improve surgical outcomes. Preoperative malnutrition is a widely prevalent and modifiable risk factor in patients undergoing surgery. Malnutrition prior to surgery portends significantly higher postoperative mortality, morbidity, length of stay, readmission rates, and hospital costs. Unfortunately, perioperative malnutrition is poorly screened for and remains largely unrecognized and undertreated-a true "silent epidemic" in surgical care. To better address this silent epidemic of surgical nutrition risk, here we describe the rationalization, development, and implementation of a multidisciplinary, registered dietitian-driven, preoperative nutrition optimization clinic program designed to improve perioperative outcomes and reduce cost. Implementation of this novel Perioperative Enhancement Team (POET) Nutrition Clinic required a collaboration among many disciplines, as well as an identified need for multidimensional scheduling template development, data tracking systems, dashboard development, and integration of electronic health records. A structured malnutrition risk score (Perioperative Nutrition Screen score) was developed and is being validated. A structured malnutrition pathway was developed and is under study. Finally, the POET Nutrition Clinic has established a novel role for a perioperative registered dietitian as the integral point person to deliver perioperative nutrition care. We hope this structured model of perioperative nutrition assessment and optimization will allow for wide implementation and generalizability in other centers worldwide to improve recognition and treatment of perioperative nutrition risk.

Roadmap for Transforming Preoperative Assessment to Preoperative Optimization.

Preoperative assessment typically equates to evaluating and accepting the presenting condition of the patient (unless extreme) and commonly occurs only a few days before the planned surgery. While this timing enables a preoperative history and examination and mitigates unexpected findings on the day of surgery that may delay throughput, it does not allow for meaningful preoperative management of modifiable medical conditions. Evidence is limited regarding how best to balance efforts to mitigate modifiable risk factors versus the timing of surgery. Furthermore, while the concept of preoperative risk modification is not novel, evidence is lacking for successful and sustained implementation of such an interdisciplinary, collaborative program. A better understanding of perioperative care coordination and, specifically, implementing a preoperative preparation process can enhance the value of surgery and surgical population health. In this article, we describe the implementation of a collaborative preoperative clinic with the primary goal of improving patient outcomes.

Preoperative Blood Management Strategy for Elective Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.

To improve quality and outcomes, a preoperative anemia clinic (PAC) was established to screen, evaluate, and manage preoperative anemia. A retrospective review of primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty patients from August 2013 to September 2017 was conducted. Patients at "high risk" for transfusion were referred to PAC for treatment with iron, erythropoietin, or both based on anemia type. Preoperative anemia clinic referred patients were compared with a 1:3 historic propensity-matched control set of patients to help determine impact of PAC. Forty PAC patients were compared with 120 control patients. Among PAC patients, 26 (63.41%) received iron only, 3 (7.32%) received erythropoietin (EPO) only, and 12 (29.27%) received both. Preoperative hemoglobin significantly increased in the treatment group (median [interquartile range] 10.9 g/dl [10.3-11.2] vs. 12.0 g/dl [11.2-12.7]; p < .001). Four PAC patients (10.00%) received red blood cell transfusions compared with 29 (24.17%) from matched controls (p = .055). In addition, the PAC cohort had higher postoperative nadir hemoglobin levels (mean [SD] 9.7 g/dl [1.31] vs. 8.7 g/dl [1.25]; p < .001). High-risk patients appropriately treated with iron and/or EPO before surgery demonstrate a significant increase in preoperative hemoglobin, trend toward decrease perioperative transfusion, and increased hemoglobin levels postoperatively compared with matched controls.

Perioperative Quality Initiative consensus statement on intraoperative blood pressure, risk and outcomes for elective surgery.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative mortality is now rare, but death within 30 days of surgery remains surprisingly common. Perioperative myocardial infarction is associated with a remarkably high mortality. There are strong associations between hypotension and myocardial injury, myocardial infarction, renal injury, and death. Perioperative arterial blood pressure management was thus the basis of a Perioperative Quality Initiative consensus-building conference held in London in July 2017. METHODS: The meeting featured a modified Delphi process in which groups addressed various aspects of perioperative arterial pressure. RESULTS: Three consensus statements on intraoperative blood pressure were established. 1) Intraoperative mean arterial pressures below 60-70 mm Hg are associated with myocardial injury, acute kidney injury, and death. Injury is a function of hypotension severity and duration. 2) For adult non-cardiac surgical patients, there is insufficient evidence to recommend a general upper limit of arterial pressure at which therapy should be initiated, although pressures above 160 mm Hg have been associated with myocardial injury and infarction. 3) During cardiac surgery, intraoperative systolic arterial pressure above 140 mm Hg is associated with increased 30 day mortality. Injury is a function of arterial pressure severity and duration. CONCLUSIONS: There is increasing evidence that even brief durations of systolic arterial pressure <100 mm Hg and mean arterial pressure <60-70 mm Hg are harmful during non-cardiac surgery.

Preoperative Optimization Checklists Within the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Bundle Have Not Decreased Hospital Returns for Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model has resulted in the evolution of preoperative optimization programs to decrease costs and hospital returns. At the investigating institution, one center was not within the CJR bundle and has dedicated fewer resources to this effort. The remaining centers have adopted an 11 metric checklist designed to identify and mitigate modifiable preoperative risks. We hypothesized that this checklist would improve postoperative metrics that impact costs for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients eligible for participation in CJR. METHODS: Patients undergoing TKA from 2014 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Only patients with eligible participation in CJR were included. Outcome variables including length of stay, disposition, 90-day emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions were explored. Analysis was performed to determine differences in outcomes between CJR participating and non-CJR participating hospitals within the healthcare system. RESULTS: In total, 2308 TKA patients including 1564 from a CJR participating center and 744 from a non-CJR center were analyzed. There was no significant difference in patient age or gender. Patients at the non-CJR hospital had significantly higher body mass index (P < .001) and American Society of Anesthesiologists scores (P < .001), while those in the CJR network had fewer skilled nursing facility discharges (P = .028) and shorter length of stay (P < .001). However, there was no reduction in 90-day emergency department visits or readmissions. CONCLUSION: The resources utilized at CJR participating hospitals, including patient optimization checklists, did not effectively alter patient outcomes following discharge. Likely, a checklist alone is insufficient for risk mitigation and detailed optimization protocols for modifiable risk factors must be investigated.

A Perioperative Medicine Model for Population Health: An Integrated Approach for an Evolving Clinical Science.

Health care delivery in the United States continues to balance on the tight rope that connects its transition from volume to value. Value in economic terms can be defined as the amount something exceeds its commodity price and is determined by extraordinary reputation, quality, and/or service, whereas its destruction can be a consequence of poor management, unfavorable policy, decreased demand, and/or increased competition. Going forward, payment for health care delivery will increasingly be based on services that contribute to improvements in individual and/or population health value, and funds to pay for health care delivery will become increasingly vulnerable to competitive market forces. Therefore, a sustainable population health strategy needs to be comprehensive and thus include perioperative medicine as an essential component of the complete cycle of patient-centered care. We describe a multidisciplinary integrated program to support perioperative medicine services that are integral to a comprehensive population health strategy.

Is Compliance With Surgical Care Improvement Project Cardiac (SCIP-Card-2) Measures for Perioperative ß-Blockers Associated With Reduced Incidence of Mortality and Cardiovascular-Related Critical Quality Indicators After Noncardiac Surgery?

BACKGROUND: While continuation of ß-blockers (BBs) perioperatively has become a national quality improvement measure, the relationship between BB withdrawal and mortality and cardiovascular-related critical quality indicators has not been studied in a contemporary cohort of patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. METHODS: For this retrospective study, the quality assurance database of a large community-based anesthesiology group practice was used to identify 410,288 surgical cases, 18 years of age or older, who underwent elective or emergent noncardiac surgical procedures between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2014. Each surgical case that was withdrawn from BBs perioperatively was propensity matched by clinical and surgical characteristics to 4 cases that continued BBs perioperatively. Subsequently, multivariable conditional logistic regression analyses were performed in the matched cohort to determine the extent to which withdrawal of perioperative BBs was independently associated with mortality as the primary outcome and cardiovascular-related critical quality indicators as the secondary outcome (need for vasopressor, electrocardiographic changes requiring treatment, unplanned admission to intensive care unit, postanesthesia care unit stay >2 hours, and a combination of cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction) within 48 hours postoperatively. RESULTS: Of the 66,755 (16%) cases in the cohort admitted on BB therapy, BBs were withdrawn in 3829 (6%) and continued in 62,926 (94%). Propensity score matching resulted in an analysis cohort of 19,145 cases. Withdrawal of perioperative BBs in the multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis was significantly associated with an increased risk for mortality (odds ratio [OR], 3.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.75-7.35; P = .0003), but a significantly decreased risk for need of blood pressure support requiring vasopressor initiation (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76-0.92; P = .0003) and extended postanesthesia care unit stay (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.54-0.88; P = .004) within 48 hours after noncardiac surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative withdrawal of BBs was associated with increased risk for mortality within 48 hours after noncardiac surgery and with decreased risk for need of vasopressor during the early postoperative period and a shorter stay in the postanesthesia care unit.

Temporal Trends in Difficult and Failed Tracheal Intubation in a Regional Community Anesthetic Practice.

BACKGROUND: When tracheal intubation is difficult or unachievable before surgery or during an emergent resuscitation, this is a critical safety event. Consensus algorithms and airway devices have been introduced in hopes of reducing such occurrences. However, evidence of improved safety in clinical practice related to their introduction is lacking. Therefore, we selected a large perioperative database spanning 2002 to 2015 to look for changes in annual rates of difficult and failed tracheal intubation. METHODS: Difficult (more than three attempts) and failed (unsuccessful, requiring awakening or surgical tracheostomy) intubation rates in patients 18 yr and older were compared between the early and late periods (pre- vs. post-January 2009) and by annual rate join-point analysis. Primary findings from a large, urban hospital were compared with combined observations from 15 smaller facilities. RESULTS: Analysis of 421,581 procedures identified fourfold reductions in both event rates between the early and late periods (difficult: 6.6 of 1,000 vs. 1.6 of 1,000, P < 0.0001; failed: 0.2 of 1,000 vs. 0.06 of 1,000, P < 0.0001), with join-point analysis identifying two significant change points (2006, P = 0.02; 2010, P = 0.03) including a pre-2006 stable period, a steep drop between 2006 and 2010, and gradual decline after 2010. Data from 15 affiliated practices (442,428 procedures) demonstrated similar reductions. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective assessment spanning 14 yr (2002 to 2015), difficult and failed intubation rates by skilled providers declined significantly at both an urban hospital and a network of smaller affiliated practices. Further investigations are required to validate these findings in other data sets and more clearly identify factors associated with their occurrence as clues to future airway management advancements. VISUAL ABSTRACT: An online visual overview is available for this article at http://links.lww.com/ALN/B635.

Fluid resuscitation practices in cardiac surgery patients in the USA: a survey of health care providers.

BACKGROUND: Fluid resuscitation during cardiac surgery is common with significant variability in clinical practice. Our goal was to investigate current practice patterns of fluid volume expansion in patients undergoing cardiac surgeries in the USA. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of 124 cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiovascular anesthesiologists, and perfusionists. Survey questions were designed to assess clinical decision-making patterns of intravenous (IV) fluid utilization in cardiovascular surgery for five types of patients who need volume expansion: (1) patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) without bleeding, (2) patients undergoing CPB with bleeding, (3) patients undergoing acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH), (4) patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or use of a ventricular assist device (VAD), and (5) patients undergoing either off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCABG) surgery or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). First-choice fluid used in fluid boluses for these five patient types was requested. Descriptive statistics were performed using Kruskal-Wallis test and follow-up tests, including t tests, to evaluate differences among respondent groups. RESULTS: The most commonly preferred indicators of volume status were blood pressure, urine output, cardiac output, central venous pressure, and heart rate. The first choice of fluid for patients needing volume expansion during CPB without bleeding was crystalloids, whereas 5% albumin was the most preferred first choice of fluid for bleeding patients. For volume expansion during ECMO or VAD, the respondents were equally likely to prefer 5% albumin or crystalloids as a first choice of IV fluid, with 5% albumin being the most frequently used adjunct fluid to crystalloids. Surgeons, as a group, more often chose starches as an adjunct fluid to crystalloids for patients needing volume expansion during CPB without bleeding. Surgeons were also more likely to use 25% albumin as an adjunct fluid than were anesthesiologists. While most perfusionists reported using crystalloids to prime the CPB circuit, one third preferred a mixture of 25% albumin and crystalloids. Less interstitial edema and more sustained volume expansion were considered the most important colloid traits in volume expansion. CONCLUSIONS: Fluid utilization practice patterns in the USA varied depending on patient characteristics and clinical specialties of health care professionals.