Anaesthesia
-
Evidence exists that women and people from low- and middle-income countries are under-represented on the editorial boards of medical journals. This may adversely influence the journal output. We conducted a pooled, cross-sectional evaluation of the editorial board membership of anaesthesia journals. ⋯ Women and people from low- and middle-income countries are under-represented on anaesthesia journal editorial boards. The editorial boards do not reflect the anaesthesia workforce and may act as a barrier to the publication of research produced by these groups. Urgent action is required to improve diversity.
-
One of the most devastating complications that can result from medical mismanagement during labour and delivery is hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy has profound implications for the newborn and its family, as well as for the healthcare team involved. ⋯ Obstetric anaesthetists are often involved in such claims, usually in relation to a perception that provision of anaesthesia for caesarean section was unduly delayed. In the following article, using a database of over 360 cases spanning 21 years, we break down and examine the recurrent components of medicolegal claims concerning the anaesthetic involvement in hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, and consider how increased awareness of the anaesthetic contribution to this complication might reduce future harm, improve clinical standards and consequently decrease the need for litigation.
-
'Days alive and at home' is a validated measure that estimates the time spent at home, defined as the place of residence before admission to hospital. We evaluated this metric in older adults after hip fracture surgery and assessed two follow-up durations, 30 and 90 days. Patients aged ≥ 70 years who underwent hip fracture surgery were identified retrospectively via hospital admission and government mortality records. ⋯ This study supports days alive and at home as a useful patient-centred outcome measure in older adults after hip fracture surgery. We recommend that this metric should be used in clinical trials and measured at 90, rather than 30, postoperative days. As nearly half of this patient population did not return home within 30 days, the shorter time-period catches fewer meaningful events.