Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Investigating faculty assessment of anesthesia trainees and the failing-to-fail phenomenon: a randomized controlled trial.
A growing body of evidence has shown that supervisors may "fail to fail" trainees even when they have judged their performance unsatisfactory. This has significant implications for the implementation of a nationwide competency-based education model of residency training. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of "failing to fail" clearly underperforming residents. ⋯ Though often discussed, this is the first study to quantitatively show that the "failing-to-fail" phenomenon likely occurs during residency training performance evaluations. Passing underperforming learners can potentially affect patient safety and result in severe personal consequences to the learner. The results indicate the need for better performance assessment training for faculty members.
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There is no consensus on how to best achieve a low central venous pressure during hepatectomy for the purpose of reducing blood loss and red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. We analyzed the associations between intraoperative hypovolemic phlebotomy (IOHP), transfusions, and postoperative outcomes in cancer patients undergoing hepatectomy. ⋯ The use of IOHP during hepatectomy was associated with less RBCs transfused on the same day of surgery. Trials comparing IOHP with other techniques to reduce blood loss and transfusion are needed in liver surgery.
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Tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces red blood cell transfusion in various orthopedic surgeries, yet the degree of practice variation in its use among anesthesiologists and surgeons has not been described. To target future knowledge transfer and implementation strategies, and to better understand determinants of variability in prophylactic TXA use, our primary objective was to evaluate the influence of surgical team members on the variability of prophylactic TXA administration. ⋯ We confirmed the routine use of TXA in primary THA, while observing lower utilization with more variability in hip fracture and spine fusion surgery. Further study is warranted to understand variations in use and the barriers to TXA implementation in a broader population of orthopedic surgical patients at high risk for transfusion.
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Intraoperative nerve dysfunction has been difficult to investigate because of its rarity and unpredictable occurrence. The diagnostic test attributes of nerve function monitors have not been clearly defined. This proof-of-concept study aimed to assess the feasibility of using brachial plexus blockade (BPB) in awake patients as an experimental model for nerve dysfunction to characterize the diagnostic test attributes of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs). ⋯ This study found that BPB can produce sufficient differential nerve dysfunction to allow adequate evaluation of the diagnostic test attributes of SSEPs as a nerve monitor. The results of this study may stimulate further work on refining intraoperative nerve dysfunction models and diagnostic nerve function monitors.