Anaesthesia
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Review Practice Guideline
Intrathecal catheter placement after inadvertent dural puncture in the obstetric population: management for labour and operative delivery. Guidelines from the Obstetric Anaesthetists' Association.
Recommendations:
- An intrathecal catheter may be inserted for the provision of analgesia and anaesthesia following inadvertent dural puncture during attempted epidural catheter placement. This decision must be made with consideration of potential risks and benefits (Grade C, moderate level of certainty).
- Whether using intermittent boluses or a continuous infusion technique, use the same local anaesthetic solution throughout labour (Grade I, low level of certainty).
- Maternal blood pressure should be checked every 5 min for 15 min following the first dose, and after every subsequent bolus given via an intrathecal catheter (Grade A, high level of certainty).
- As with epidural analgesia, sensory and motor block should be checked every hour during intrathecal catheter analgesia (Grade B, moderate level of certainty).
- Fetal heart rate should be continuously monitored during intrathecal analgesia (Grade B, moderate level of certainty).
- Top-ups of local anaesthetic for caesarean delivery should be given incrementally, with each bolus limited to 2.5 mg bupivacaine (or equivalent) (Grade I, low level of certainty).
- Extension of labour analgesia for caesarean delivery via an intrathecal catheter should be performed in an operating theatre (Grade B, moderate level of certainty).
- Non-invasive blood pressure, ECG and oxygen saturations should be monitored throughout the duration of intrathecal anaesthesia (Grade A, high level of certainty).
- All departments should have clear guidelines for the management of intrathecal catheters in labour and for delivery. These should highlight key risks, monitoring protocols and other safety measures (Grade A, low level of certainty).
- Only anaesthetists should administer top-ups through an intrathecal catheter, and connect, disconnect or reconnect the catheter and tubing (Grade A, low level of certainty).
- Anaesthetists should account for the dead space of the intrathecal catheter and filter when administering top-ups in labour or for operative delivery (Grade B, low level of certainty).
- An intrathecal catheter should be clearly labelled adjacent to the filter and on the front of any infusion pump (Grade A, low level of certainty).
- The multidisciplinary team (including any non-resident staff who may be called to attend the patient during labour or delivery), must be made aware of the intrathecal catheter through both verbal and written communication, including at every handover (Grade A, low level of certainty).
- Intrathecal catheters should be removed at the earliest opportunity following delivery to reduce the risk of accidental overdose and infectious complications (Grade B, low level of certainty).
- When patients who experience inadvertent dural puncture, with or without intrathecal catheter insertion, are discharged from hospital, follow-up should be in line with established guidance and include written information on headaches, ‘red flag’ symptoms, hospital contact information and communication with primary care (Grade B, low level of certainty).
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Review
Prognostic clinical prediction models for acute post-surgical pain in adults: a systematic review.
Acute post-surgical pain is managed inadequately in many patients undergoing surgery. Several prognostic risk prediction models have been developed to identify patients at high risk of developing moderate to severe acute post-surgical pain. The aim of this systematic review was to describe and evaluate the methodological conduct of these prediction models. ⋯ Effective prediction models could support the prevention and treatment of acute post-surgical pain; however, existing models are at high risk of bias which may affect their reliability to inform practice. Consideration should be given to the goals, timing of intended use and desired outcomes of a prediction model before development.
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The timing of elective surgery could affect clinical outcome because of diurnal rhythms of patient physiology as well as surgical team performance. Waiting times for elective surgery are increasing in many countries, leading to increasing interest in undertaking elective surgery in the evening or at night. We aimed to systematically review the literature on the effect of the timing of elective (but not urgent or emergency) surgery on mortality, morbidity and other clinical outcomes. ⋯ We found that evening/night-time elective surgery is associated with a higher risk of mortality compared with daytime surgery. However, the quality of evidence was graded as low, and thus, future prospective research should publish individual patient data and standardise outcome measures to allow firm conclusions and facilitate interventions.
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Multicenter Study
Evaluation of the i-gel® Plus supraglottic airway device in elective surgery: a prospective international multicentre study.
The i-gel® Plus is a modified version of the i-gel® supraglottic airway device. It contains a wider drainage port; a longer tip; ramps inside the breathing channel; and an additional port for oxygen delivery. There has been no prospective evaluation of this device in clinical practice. ⋯ The i-gel Plus appears to be an effective supraglottic airway device that is associated with a high insertion success rate and a reasonably low incidence of complications.
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There is some evidence for systematic biases and failures of research integrity in the anaesthesia literature. However, the features of problematic trials and effect of editorial selection on these issues have not been well quantified. ⋯ Identification of 'problematic' trials is frequently dependent on individual patient data, which is often unavailable after publication. Additionally, there is evidence of a risk of outcome reporting bias and p-hacking in submitted trials. Implementation of alternative research and editorial practices could reduce the risk of bias and make identification of problematic trials easier.