Use of a Digital Air Leak Detection Device to Decrease Chest Tube Duration.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this evidence-based practice project was to determine if a digital air leak detection device could speed the identification of chest tube air leak cessation in patients after pulmonary lobectomy. Staff members assessing air leaks have varying levels of expertise, and the digital device is a limited resource in the study institution. A chest tube management algorithm is necessary to standardize care and determine which patients are most likely to benefit. IMPLEMENTATION: Twenty-five consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary lobectomy during the study period and continued to have a chest tube air leak on postoperative day 3 were monitored with digital air leak detection devices. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare chest tube duration and hospital length of stay between patients with digital devices and 259 patients who had traditional analog air leak detection devices (historical data from the departmental database over the previous 2 years). EVALUATION: Median chest tube duration and hospital stay were 1 day less in patients with digital devices than in those with traditional analog devices (P = .01 and P = .004, respectively), with a cost savings of $2659 per hospital day. Reductions in chest tube duration and length of stay aided in the development of a chest tube management algorithm. CONCLUSIONS: Critical care nurses are valued team members who treat patients after lung resections. Digital air leak detection devices can help them assess air leaks more accurately, benefiting the patients in their care.

A new leadership frontier: Nurse practitioners and physician associates as inpatient medical directors.

ABSTRACT: Nurse practitioners and physician associates (NPs and PAs) have become an integral part of health care delivery in every clinical setting. Both NPs and PAs possess the knowledge and skills to deliver quality care to patients that may otherwise go without. There is a push to have NPs and PAs work to the top of their licenses and take on leadership roles as they help reshape health care delivery in the United States. However, high-level leadership positions for this group of clinicians are not abundant, and no specific pathway has been established to develop these skills. The aim of this report is to share the early experience of a small group of NPs and PAs, given the opportunity to function as inpatient medical directors (IMD) and the qualities that make them ideal for this novel leadership role.

Intraoperative Dexmedetomidine and Ketamine Infusions in an Enhanced Recovery After Thoracic Surgery Program: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of intraoperative dexmedetomidine and ketamine on postoperative pain and opioid consumption within an ERAS program in thoracic pulmonary oncologic surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective, propensity-score matched analysis SETTING: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program. PARTICIPANTS: Patients undergoing thoracic pulmonary oncologic surgery between March 2016 and April 2020. INTERVENTIONS: Continuous infusion of dexmedetomidine and ketamine. MEASUREMENTS & MAIN RESULTS: The authors initially analyzed data of 1,630 patients undergoing thoracic pulmonary oncologic surgery within their ERAS program. In total, 117 matched pairs were included in this analysis. Patients in the intraoperative dexmedetomidine + ketamine group were more likely to be opioid-free (76.6% vs 60.9%, P<0.01). Raw analysis showed lower pain scores at PACU admission (2.8±2.0 vs 3.4±2.0, P=0.03) and less opioid consumption at PACU admission (5 MED [0-10] vs 7.5 MED [0-15], P=0.03) in the dexmedetomidine + ketamine group; however, these differences were not present after adjusting for multiplicity. There were no significant differences in the length of PACU stay (1.9 hours [1.5-2.8] vs 2.0 hours [1.4-2.9], P=0.48) or hospital stay (three days [two-five] vs three days [two-five], P=0.08). Both groups had similar rates of pulmonary complications (5.9% vs 9.4%, P=0.326), ileus (0.9% vs 0.9%, P=1.00), and 30-day readmission (2.6% vs 4.3%, P=0.722). CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption throughout their hospital stay between patients receiving concomitant dexmedetomidine and ketamine infusions versus patients who did not receive these infusions during thoracic surgery.

Roadmap to the Enhanced Thoracic Surgical Journey.

The Enhanced Recovery Program (ERP) is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that directly impacts the functional recovery and quality of life of patients after surgery. Initiated in 2013 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center by the Liver Surgery group and expanded to numerous specialties, the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Department developed a version of Enhanced Recovery After Thoracic Surgery in 2014. The benefits gained thus far include (1) decreased postoperative complications, (2) reduced hospital length of stay, (3) decreased opioid usage, (4) decreased healthcare costs, and (5) improved patient satisfaction. This article aims to provide a brief description of the history of the enhanced recovery approach and to identify the critical elements of the program necessary for improved patient care. It is intended to serve as a practical guide for program implementation in thoracic surgery departments at other institutions.