• Gillian J Bedwell, Juan Scribante, Tigist D Adane, Judita Bila, Caritas Chiura, Priscilla Chizombwe, Betsy Deen, Lucy Dodoli, Mahmoud M A Elfiky, Ifeoluwapo Kolawole, Tina Makwaza, Seleman Badrlie M'Baluku, Gaone Mogapi, Christine Musee, Dominic Mutua, Worku Misganaw, Jessy Nyirenda, Lucia Ojewale, Uwayesu Roda, and Bruce M Biccard.
• From the Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
• Anesth. Analg. 2023 Jan 1; 136 (1): 172417-24.

BackgroundMortality rates among surgical patients in Africa are double those of surgical patients in high-income countries. Internationally, there is a call to improve access to and safety of surgical and perioperative care. Perioperative research needs to be coordinated across Africa to positively impact perioperative mortality.MethodsThe aim of this study was to determine the top 10 perioperative research priorities for perioperative nurses in Africa, using a research priority-setting process. A Delphi technique with 4 rounds was used to establish consensus on the top 10 perioperative research priorities. In the first round, respondents submitted research priorities. Similar research priorities were amalgamated into single priorities when possible. In round 2, respondents ranked the priorities using a scale from 1 to 10 (of which 1 is the first/highest priority, and 10 is the last/lowest priority). The top 20 (of 31) were determined after round 2. In round 3, respondents ranked their top 10 priorities. The final round was an online discussion to reach consensus on the top 10 perioperative research priorities.ResultsA total of 17 perioperative nurses representing 12 African countries determined the top research priorities, which were: (1) strategies to translate and implement perioperative research into clinical practice in Africa, (2) creating a perioperative research culture and the tools, resources, and funding needed to conduct perioperative nursing research in Africa, (3) optimizing nurse-led postoperative pain management, (4) survey of operating theater and critical care resources, (5) perception of, and adherence to sterile field and aseptic techniques among surgeons in Africa (6) surgical staff burnout, (7) broad principles of infection control in surgical wards, (8) the role of interprofessional communication to promote clinical teamwork when caring for surgical patients, (9) effective implementation of the surgical safety checklist and measures of its impact, and (10) constituents of quality nursing care.ConclusionsThese research priorities provide the structure for an intermediate-term research agenda for perioperative research in Africa.Copyright © 2022 International Anesthesia Research Society.

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