British journal of anaesthesia
-
We review the development of technology in anaesthesia over the course of the past century, from the invention of the Boyle apparatus to the modern anaesthetic workstation with artificial intelligence assistance. We define the operating theatre as a socio-technical system, being necessarily comprised of human and technological parts, the ongoing development of which has led to a reduction in mortality during anaesthesia by an order of four magnitudes over a century. The remarkable technological advances in anaesthesia have been accompanied by important paradigm shifts in the approach to patient safety, and we describe the inter-relationship between technology and the human work environment in the development of such paradigm shifts, including the systems approach and organisational resilience. A better understanding of emerging technological advances and their effects on patient safety will allow anaesthesia to continue to be a leader in both patient safety and in the design of equipment and workspaces.
-
Clinical Trial
Pharmacodynamic mechanism-based interaction model for the haemodynamic effects of remifentanil and propofol in healthy volunteers.
Propofol and remifentanil are frequently combined for the induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia. Both propofol and remifentanil cause vasodilation and potentially reduce arterial BP. We aimed to develop a mechanism-based model that characterises the haemodynamic interactions between remifentanil and propofol. ⋯ NCT02043938; NCT03143972.
-
Multicenter Study
Metabolic syndrome and the risk of postoperative delirium and postoperative cognitive dysfunction: a multi-centre cohort study.
Metabolic syndrome and its components are risk factors for cognitive impairment, but their contribution to perioperative neurocognitive disorders is unknown. We examined their associations with the risk of postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in older patients. ⋯ NCT02265263.
-
The timely correction of anaemia before major surgery is important for optimising perioperative patient outcomes. However, multiple barriers have precluded the global expansion of preoperative anaemia treatment programmes, including misconceptions about the true cost/benefit ratio for patient care and health system economics. ⋯ In some health systems, billing for iron infusions could generate revenue and promote growth of treatment programmes. The aim of this work is to galvanise integrated health systems worldwide to diagnose and treat anaemia before major surgery.
-
Anaesthetic-induced unresponsiveness and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep share common neural pathways and neurophysiological features. We hypothesised that these states bear resemblance also at the experiential level. ⋯ Clinical trial registration. This study was part of a larger study registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01889004).