Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Feb 1997
Comparative StudyA written guideline implementation can lead to reductions in laboratory testing in an intensive care unit.
The impact of developing guidelines for laboratory testing in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was examined. Targeted blood tests were recorded on fifty cardiac surgery and fifty general intensive care patients retrospectively. Following the introduction of guidelines, the study was repeated with prospective data collection. ⋯ The potential cost savings for the annual admissions of 1,200 patients is N. Z.$81,636. This study shows that written guidelines can bring about major cost reduction in the short-term.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Feb 1997
Comparative StudyAnaesthesia workforce in Australia and New Zealand.
A survey of anaesthetic workforce was undertaken in departments in Australia and New Zealand approved for specialist training by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. When compared to a previous survey 17 years before, the results showed that the number of anaesthetics administered rose, the number of operating theatres (OTs) remained the same, but the surgical beds were reduced. There was a small increase (20%) in full-time specialists with a number of vacancies in establishment. ⋯ The number of trainees required to supply a steady state replacement for this specialist workforce is also derived and the current number of training positions is shown to be in excess of these requirements. When the current shortfall in specialist anaesthetists is corrected there will need to be a gradual reduction (by approximately 40%) in the number of training positions to prevent an oversupply of anaesthetists. The factors which may potentially alter this forecast are addressed and include: change in the general population; ageing of the population; change in the average number of anaesthetics administered per anaesthetist per year; alteration in anaesthetists' working lifespan; change in the age distribution of anaesthetists; increased economic usage of operating theatres and changes in the number of College approved training positions.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Feb 1997
Report of the Anaesthetic Mortality Committee of Western Australia 1990-1995.
The structure and function of the Anaesthesia Mortality Committee of Western Australia are described. Reports of 500 deaths from 1990 to 1995 are analysed and discussed. ⋯ Deaths due mainly to anaesthetic factors are estimated to occur once in every 40,000 operations in Western Australia. One or two otherwise healthy people die each year in Western Australia from an anaesthetic mishap.