Anesthesiology
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A modified critical-incident analysis technique was used in a retrospective examination of the characteristics of human error and equipment failure in anesthetic practice. The objective was to uncover patterns of frequently occurring incidents that are in need of careful prospective investigation. Forty-seven interviews were conducted with staff and resident anesthesiologists at one urban teaching institution, and descriptions of 359 preventable incidents were obtained. ⋯ Overt equipment failures constituted only 14 per cent of the total number of preventable incidents, but equipment design was indictable in many categories of human error, as were inadequate experience and insufficient familiarity with equipment or with the specific surgical procedure. Other factors frequently associated with incidents were inadequate communication among personnel, haste or lack of precaution, and distraction. Results from multi-hospital studies based on the methodology developed could be used for more objective determination of priorities and planning of specific investments for decreasing the risk associated with anesthesia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Epidural anesthesia with bupivacaine for Cesarean section: neonatal blood levels and neurobehavioral responses.
A recent study found no neurobehavioral change in infants whose mothers received bupivacaine epidural anesthesia (112 +/- 7 mg) for labor and vaginal delivery. The present study was undertaken to examine the possibility that the larger doses of bupivicaine necessary for cesarean section might cause neurobehavioral changes in the neonate. Ten infants delivered by cesarean section with bupivacaine epidural anesthesia (168 +/- 7 mg) was assessed by Scanlon's neonatal neurobehavioral examination. ⋯ By 24 hours of age bupivacaine was no longer detectable in newborn blood samples. Infants in the experimental group were indistinguishable from control infants in terms of their motor organization, responsiveness to external stimuli, and habituation to repetitive stimuli. Detectable neurobehavioral effects were absent despite the fact that 1.5 times the dose of bupivacaine used for labor and vaginal delivery was employed in this study.