Anaesthesia
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We conducted a narrative review in six areas of obstetric emergencies: category-1 caesarean section; difficult and failed airway; massive obstetric haemorrhage; hypertensive crisis; emergencies related to neuraxial anaesthesia; and maternal cardiac arrest. These areas represent significant research published within the last five years, with emphasis on large multicentre randomised trials, national or international practice guidelines and recommendations from major professional societies. Key topics discussed: prevention and management of failed neuraxial technique; role of high-flow nasal oxygenation and choice of neuromuscular drug in obstetric patients; prevention of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia; management of the difficult and failed obstetric airway; current perspectives on the use of tranexamic acid, fibrinogen concentrate and cell salvage; guidance on neuraxial placement in a thrombocytopenic obstetric patient; management of neuraxial drug errors, local anaesthetic systemic toxicity and unusually prolonged neuraxial block regression; and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in maternal cardiac arrest.
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Over 1.5 million major surgical procedures take place in the UK NHS each year and approximately 25% of patients develop at least one complication. The most widely used risk-adjustment model for postoperative morbidity in the UK is the physiological and operative severity score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity. However, this model was derived more than 30 years ago and now overestimates the risk of morbidity. ⋯ Our model provides parsimonious case-mix adjustment to quantify risk of morbidity on postoperative day 7 for a UK population of patients undergoing major colorectal surgery. Despite the C-statistic of < 0.7, our model outperformed existing risk-models in widespread use. We therefore recommend application in case-mix adjustment, where incorporation into a continuous monitoring tool such as the variable life adjusted display or exponentially-weighted moving average-chart could support high-level monitoring and quality improvement of risk-adjusted outcome at the population level.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Standard and flexible tip bougie for tracheal intubation using a non-channelled hyperangulated videolaryngoscope: a randomised comparison.
Bougie impingement during tracheal intubation can increases the likelihood of prolonged intubation time, failed intubation and airway trauma. A flexible tip bougie may overcome this problem, which can occur when using a non-channelled, hyperangulated videolaryngoscope with a standard bougie. This randomised controlled study compared standard and flexible tip bougies using a non-channelled videolaryngoscope (C-MAC® D-blade) in 160 patients. ⋯ There was no significant differences in laryngoscopy time, total tracheal intubation time, first attempt success rate and postoperative sore throat between the two groups. Both the flexible tip and standard bougies can be used with a high first attempt success rate for tracheal intubation using a C-MAC D-blade videolaryngoscope. The flexible tip bougie demonstrated a significantly better modified intubation difficulty scale score and lower incidence of bougie impingement.