Anaesthesia
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Safety of patients in the operating theatre relies on a cordial and efficient working relationship between all members of the theatre team. A team that communicates well, defines the roles of its members and is aware of their limitations will provide safe patient care. In this review, we will examine how human factors engineering - the science of how to design processes, equipment and environments to optimise the human contributions to performance - can be used to improve safety and efficiency of surgery. Although these are often dismissed as 'common sense', we will explain how these solutions emerge not from healthcare but from diverse disciplines such as psychology, design and engineering.
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An ageing population and rising healthcare costs are challenging cost-efficient hospital systems wanting to adapt, employing novel organisational structures designed to merge diverse skill sets. This needs not only physician and nursing leadership but also new models of care. ⋯ Shared decision-making is more likely to be manifest in a flat hierarchy in which each member of the team brings their own experience and skills to optimise patient care. Successful surgery is best achieved by a coordinated, multidisciplinary team, embedded in a culture of collaboration and safety.
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Patients eligible for emergency laparotomy who do not proceed to surgery are not as well characterised as patients who do proceed to surgery. We studied patients eligible for laparotomy, as defined by National Emergency Laparotomy Audit criteria, from August 2015 to October 2016. We analysed the association of individual variables with survival and two composite scores: P-POSSUM and a general survival model. ⋯ Our study supports the contention that survival beyond 30 postoperative days could be predicted reasonably accurately. Survival in patients who did not have laparotomy was shorter than expected. Emergency laparotomy might have prolonged survival in some patients.
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Multicenter Study
Variation in the practice of tracheal intubation in Europe after traumatic brain injury: a prospective cohort study.
Traumatic brain injury patients frequently undergo tracheal intubation. We aimed to assess current intubation practice in Europe and identify variation in practice. We analysed data from patients with traumatic brain injury included in the prospective cohort study collaborative European neurotrauma effectiveness research in traumatic brain injury (CENTER-TBI) in 45 centres in 16 European countries. ⋯ In conclusion, patient and injury characteristics are key drivers of tracheal intubation. Between-centre differences were also substantial. Further studies are needed to improve the evidence base supporting recommendations for tracheal intubation.