The Perinatal Birth Environment: Communication Strategies and Processes for Adherence to a Standardized Guideline in Women Undergoing Second-Stage Labor With Epidural Anesthesia.

Key to any perinatal safety initiative is buy-in and strong leadership from obstetric and pediatric providers, advanced practice nurses, and labor and delivery nurses in collaboration with ancillary staff. In the fall of 2007, executives of a large Midwestern hospital system created the Zero Birth Injury Initiative. This multidisciplinary group sought to eliminate birth injury using the Institute of Healthcare Improvement Perinatal Bundles. Concurrently, the team implemented a standardized second-stage labor guideline for women who choose epidural analgesia for pain management to continue the work of eliminating birth injuries in second-stage labor. The purpose of this article was to describe the process of the modification and adaptation of a standardized second-stage labor guideline, as well as adherence rates of these guidelines into clinical practice. Prior to implementation, a Web-based needs assessment survey of providers was conducted. Most (77% of 180 respondents) believed there was a need for an evidence-based guideline to manage the second stage of labor. The guideline was implemented at 5 community hospitals and 1 academic health center. Data were prospectively collected during a 3-month period for adherence assessment at 1 community hospital and 1 academic health center. Providers adhered to the guideline in about 57% of births. Of patients whose provider followed the guideline, 75% of women were encouraged to delay pushing compared with only 28% of patients delayed pushing when the provider did not follow the guideline.

Harlequin syndrome as a complication of epidural anesthesia.

Harlequin syndrome is a rare neurological condition that results in unilateral facial flushing and sweating. Although the syndrome is generally a benign condition with complete resolution if appropriate treatment is initiated, unilateral facial flushing can be a sign of several serious conditions and should be thoroughly investigated. Sudden onset of facial flushing related to harlequin syndrome developed in a patient who had bilateral lung transplant with postoperative epidural anesthesia for pain control. Differential diagnosis includes neurovascular disease (acute stroke), malignant neoplasm of brain or lung, Horner syndrome, idiopathic hyperhidrosis, and Frey syndrome. Harlequin syndrome is often easily treated by discontinuing the anesthetic or adjusting placement of the epidural catheter.

Bladder drainage during labor: a randomized controlled trial.

AIM: To compare two bladder draining methods during labor on time to delivery, cost and nursing preference. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This trial randomized 139 women with singleton pregnancies in active labor or undergoing induction of labor. Eligibility required an anticipated vaginal delivery with a clinical indication for bladder catheterization (epidural). Participants were randomly assigned to either indwelling or intermittent catheterization. The primary outcome was time to delivery; secondary outcomes were nurse preference, cost and route of delivery. A sample size of 138 women would be needed for 80% power to detect a 30 min difference in the time to delivery interval with a 0.05 alpha error. RESULTS: Outcome data was available for 138 patients (72 indwelling and 66 intermittent). The time to delivery was similar among the two groups (13.8 h for indwelling and 14.4 h for intermittent). Route of delivery and cost estimate was similar in both groups; however, nurses preferred the indwelling method. CONCLUSION: Indwelling catheterization is recommended as the standard method for bladder drainage in laboring women with epidural.

Lumbar epidural catheter placement in the presence of low back tattoos: a review of the safety concerns.

Current fashion in body art includes low back tattoos of varying designs and colors, a trend that presents unique concerns for anesthesia providers. Does the placement of epidural catheters risk the introduction of tattoo pigment dyes into the epidural space through the process of coring? Are there specific risks associated with tattoo dyes and epidural needle placement? We performed a comprehensive review of the literature using multiple search databases with the intent to form guidelines for practice using a level of evidence taxonomy. The available evidence does not identify any specific risks associated with epidural catheter placement through low back tattoos, although tissue coring with tissue transport to deeper sites has been confirmed. Continued investigation is necessary before comprehensive practice guidelines regarding the practice of placing epidural needles and catheters through lumbar tattoos can be developed. We suggest avoidance of piercing tattoos when performing epidural punctures until there is sound evidence of short-term and long-term safety.

Case report: anesthetic management of acute fatty liver of pregnancy in the postpartum period.

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is a potentially fatal metabolic disorder that manifests during the third trimester. Early diagnosis, termination of pregnancy, and treatment of complications associated with AFLP significantly reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. While most cases of AFLP occur before delivery, some may occur after vaginal delivery. Anesthesia providers should have a high level of suspicion for AFLP in a patient with altered mental status and elevated liver function test results in the postpartum period. Anesthetic implications include early recognition of liver dysfunction and aggressive resuscitation and treatment of hypoglycemia, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, and other associated complications and reduction or avoidance of medications with substantial hepatic metabolism. This is a case report describing the management of a woman with AFLP in whom acute liver failure rapidly developed after a vaginal delivery with epidural analgesia at a small overseas hospital.

Material para la anestesia regional / Nursing basics in anesthesia: material to carry out. Regional anesthesia technics

Enfermería tiende a una gran especialización en las distintas áreas asistenciales; por este motivo, la introducción de la figura de la enfermera de anestesia obliga a un conocimiento específico de todo cuanto influya en esta disciplina. La continua evolución de la tecnología aplicada al diseño de nuevas agujas, ecógrafos u otro tipo de aparataje para la realización de técnicas anestésicas regionales, hace imprescindible la actualización de nuestros conocimientos en este campo. Este artículo pretende mostrar al lector interesado (enfermeras que se dedican al campo de la anestesiología y profesionales que pueden verse vinculados en áreas quirúrgicas o de dolor) una visión actual sobre el material y otro aparataje que más se utiliza en la realización de los distintos tipos de bloqueos nerviosos en anestesia regional; siendo su objetivo proporcionar a quien se inicia en esta disciplina una herramienta útil y rápida de introducción a la anestesia regional, y a los profesionales más expertos una actualización contrastada. El trabajo se estructura de forma clásica: introducción, bloqueos centrales (subaracnoideo y epidural), blo-queos periféricos, anestesia regional intravenosa, bloqueo del ojo, asepsia y conclusiones(AU)

Nursing career tend to specialize more each time in the different specialties, for this reason the introduction of the specialist nurse in anaesthesia required a specific knowledge on this medical discipline. The evolution of technologies applied to the design of new needles, echography machines and other equipment for regional anaesthesia techniques make essential to update of our knowledge in this area. This piece of work pretend to show the readers (nurses working in anaesthesia and others practitioners involved in surgical areas or pain management) a current view about the material and other instruments, mostly used in the different types of nerve blocks in regional anaesthesia. The aim of this, is provided an easy introduction of the regional anaesthesia to the junior practitioners, and updated evidence to the senior practitioner. The work is structured in a classic way: introduction, central blocks (subarachnoid and epidural), peripheral blocks, regional intravenous anaesthesia, eye block, asepsis and conclusions(AU)

Anesthetic management of an obstetric patient with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: a case study.

Additional documentation of regional anesthesia in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is needed to guide practitioners and patients in exploring appropriate options for anesthesia and analgesia management. This case report describes the successful use of a combined spinal-epidural technique for labor progressing to cesarean delivery in a patient with CMT. Previous similar case reports were reviewed and an extensive literature search was conducted to organize the limited body of research regarding use of regional anesthesia in patients with CMT. Opinions regarding regional anesthesia in patients with neuromuscular diseases such as CMT are often contradictory and based on theory rather than documented practice. This case report confirms what seems to be the developing consensus in anesthesia that regional management is a safe alternative to general anesthesia in these patients. Considering that CMT is among the most common of hereditary neuromuscular diseases, it seems valid to establish a more research-driven recommendation for practice.

Complications in obstetric anesthesia: nursing's role to anticipate, recognize, and respond.

Anesthetic complications require immediate recognition and intervention. With the many options and high anesthesia rates among laboring women, today's perinatal nurses need education not only in the choices of anesthesia but also in the complications that can result from these choices. Most orientation programs briefly discuss the subject, leaving the amount of information and training insufficient for the nurses to feel confident in their understanding of the complications and competent to respond. This educational need could also extend to experienced staff who lack current knowledge and appropriate competence in responding to obstetric anesthesia emergencies. The purpose of this article is to address the major complications of obstetric anesthesia and how nurses need to respond, with the goal of improving patient safety in these rare but high-risk situations. Recommendations in didactic content are presented to assist hospital educators in achieving this goal.

Designing a postepidural fall risk assessment score for the obstetric patient.

The effects of an epidural combined with the need for early ambulation in the postpartum patient create a high risk for falls. We developed a standardized assessment score, based on 8 areas of assessment, to evaluate the fall risk of a postepidural patient. This score was developed using 2 other assessment tools, as well as considering the unique issues associated with the post-epidural patient. The scoring system is user-friendly and applicable to the labor and delivery setting.

Knowledge to action: implementing a guideline for second stage labor.

PURPOSE: To quantify practice changes associated with implementing a clinical practice guideline for the second stage of labor in term nulliparous women with epidural anesthesia and to describe the lessons learned about knowledge translation. The main clinical practice guideline recommendation was waiting up to 2 hours before pushing after full dilatation. DESIGN AND METHODS: Pre- and post-evaluation of clinical outcomes and knowledge translation strategies associated with implementing the second stage of labor clinical practice guideline at two birthing units within a large teaching hospital. RESULTS: The implementation of the clinical practice guideline resulted in a significant increase in median waiting time before pushing of 33 minutes at Site 1. This change was also reflected in the twofold increase in the proportion of women waiting longer than 120 minutes before pushing at this site. There was no change in waiting time at Site 2. The duration of the second stage did not change significantly at either site. The median pushing time decreased at both sites but was only statistically significant at Site 1. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Bringing about practice change in obstetrics is complex. The measured change in this study was less than we expected. Greater success might have been achieved by enhancing feedback to care providers and more frequent audits of practice. We need to better understand the subtle influences in attitude and culture that prevented successful implementation in one site. For units considering a similar process, we recommend a commensurately greater level of presence in the units to encourage compliance with the clinical practice guideline in order to achieve the desired level of practice change.

Epidural conduction device fractures and complications of retained fragments.

During the past 3 years, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received a growing number of adverse event reports on the breakage or fracturing and retention of anesthetic conduction device tips with associated complications. Serious injuries and other problems such as spinal stenosis, nerve root compression, and subcutaneous effusion can result. Several case reports demonstrate how the problems occur; some illustrate the severity of the problem. All cases are from adverse event reports in the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database. Frequently, in the interest of not causing patient harm, a device fragment might not be removed as long as the patient is not neurologically compromised or at risk for infection or there is little potential for migration of the fragmented piece. On many occasions, the fragments remain in patients without their knowledge. The FDA wants to raise awareness of the problem and its potential impact in creating complications, encourage the practice of informing patients of the fragmented device, and promote reporting of such incidents to CDRH via the MedWatch reporting system. Based on a search of the current literature, recommendations for prevention are suggested.

Labor epidural anesthetics comparing loss of resistance with air versus saline: does the choice matter?

This study examined whether air or saline, used for the loss-of-resistance (LOR) technique, resulted in a difference in pain relief or adverse events for laboring parturients. Previous studies had mixed findings regarding the onset of analgesia and subsequent pain relief. Research questions were as follows: Is there difference in analgesic onset for patients receiving air vs saline during the LOR technique? Do women receiving the air method for LOR experience any difference in the quality of pain relief from that of women receiving saline? Is there any difference in the incidence of analgesic distribution or segmental pain relief in women receiving the air vs the saline method? Is there any difference in the incidence of adverse effects in women receiving air vs saline during the LOR technique? This was an experimental, prospective study with 50 women. Subjects were randomized to receive air or saline. The visual analogue scale was used to measure pain. A dermatome level recorded the spread of analgesia. No significant differences were found between groups for onset or quality of analgesia. There was a significant increase in the number of subjects who experienced segmental blocks after receiving air during the LOR technique.