Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2017
ReviewThe Development and Implementation of Cognitive Aids for Critical Events in Pediatric Anesthesia: The Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Critical Events Checklists.
Cognitive aids such as checklists are commonly used in modern operating rooms for routine processes, and the use of such aids may be even more important during critical events. The Quality and Safety Committee of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) has developed a set of critical-event checklists and cognitive aids designed for 3 purposes: (1) as a repository of the latest evidence-based and expert opinion-based information to guide response and management of critical events, (2) as a source of just-in-time information during critical events, and (3) as a method to facilitate a shared understanding of required actions among team members during a critical event. Committee members, who represented children's hospitals from across the nation, used the recent literature and established guidelines (where available) and incorporated the expertise of colleagues at their institutions to develop these checklists, which included relevant factors to consider and steps to take in response to critical events. ⋯ Because of the rare and unpredictable nature of critical events, clinical trials that use crisis checklists are difficult to conduct; however, recent and future simulation studies with adult checklists provide a promising avenue for future validation of the SPA checklists. This article will review the developmental steps in producing the SPA crisis checklists, including creation of content, incorporation of human factors elements, and validation in simulation. Critical-events checklists have the potential to improve patient care during emergency events, and it is hoped that incorporating the elements presented in this article will aid in successful implementation of these essential cognitive aids.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2017
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyEffect of a High-Rate Versus a Low-Rate Oxytocin Infusion for Maintaining Uterine Contractility During Elective Cesarean Delivery: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial.
Oxytocin is routinely used as prophylaxis against uterine atony. During elective cesarean delivery (CD), an oxytocin bolus is used to initiate adequate uterine tone, followed by an oxytocin infusion to maintain uterine contractility. However, it is unclear whether oxytocin maintenance infusion rate influences total estimated blood loss (EBL). ⋯ Among women undergoing elective CD receiving an oxytocin maintenance infusion, EBL and uterine tone did not differ between women receiving 2.5 U/h oxytocin and those receiving 15 U/h oxytocin. Our findings suggest that efficacy can be obtained with a low oxytocin maintenance infusion rate; however, dose-finding studies are needed to determine the infusion rate that optimizes drug efficacy while minimizing side effects.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2017
ReviewThe Use of Ultrasound Guidance for Perioperative Neuraxial and Peripheral Nerve Blocks in Children: A Cochrane Review.
Objectives were to determine whether the use of ultrasound guidance offers any clinical advantage in the performance of neuraxial or peripheral nerve blocks in children in terms of increasing the success rate or decreasing the rate of complications. ⋯ Ultrasound guidance seems advantageous, particularly in young children, for whom it improves the success rate and increases block duration. Additional data are required before conclusions can be drawn on the effect of ultrasound guidance in reducing the rate of bloody puncture.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2017
Epidemiology of Cardiac Arrest During Hospitalization for Delivery in Canada: A Nationwide Study.
Cardiac arrest in pregnancy is a rare and devastating condition with high mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to generate information about maternal cardiac arrest in Canada by examining the frequency, temporal incidence, associated conditions, potential etiologies, and survival rates. ⋯ In this first Canadian study, the incidence of cardiac arrest during pregnancy was found to be 1:12,500 deliveries. The survival rate reported in our study is higher than reported previously in other countries. Our study findings contribute to better inform the development and implementation of policies and programs in an effort to prevent and manage this condition.