{"title":"Patients' experiences of awake surgery under local anaesthesia: A qualitative literature review.","authors":"Pernilla Gabrielsson, Janet Mattsson","doi":"10.1177/17504589261452125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17504589261452125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The growing adoption of local anaesthesia in surgical practice expands procedures that can be undertaken with patients fully awake. This shift introduces both opportunities and challenges for perioperative care, as patients remain conscious, and influenced by environmental, interpersonal and sensory factors.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To synthesise and interpret adult patients' experiences of undergoing surgery while awake under local anaesthesia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic qualitative literature review was conducted, drawing on peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2025. An inductive analytic approach was applied. Nine studies were included.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four overarching themes were identified: (1) the need for respectful, tailored communication; (2) the centrality of the perioperative team's presence and cohesion; (3) experiences of exposure, vulnerability and fluctuating control; and (4) strategies employed by patients to cope with intraoperative stressors. Across studies, continuous, person-centred communication and empathetic engagement reduced anxiety and enhanced perceived safety.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In awake surgery, interpersonal communication, team behaviours and the environmental context profoundly shape patients' intraoperative experiences. Person-centred communication, ethical attentiveness and a supportive perioperative presence are essential to fostering trust, reducing distress and enabling meaningful patient involvement. Theatre nurses and Operating Department Practitioners play a pivotal role in sustaining a safe, humane environment for awake patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":35481,"journal":{"name":"Journal of perioperative practice","volume":" ","pages":"17504589261452125"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148309566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aritra Kundu, Armanullah Khan, Sourav Saha, Prakash Gondode
{"title":"Comparative evaluation of traditional versus generative AI patient education material on prehabilitation.","authors":"Aritra Kundu, Armanullah Khan, Sourav Saha, Prakash Gondode","doi":"10.1177/17504589261454163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17504589261454163","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Effective patient education materials on prehabilitation are essential for optimising patients before surgery. With the growing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in health care communication, it is important to evaluate their suitability compared with established human-generated resources. We aimed to compare patient education materials on prehabilitation, generated by artificial intelligence chatbots (ChatGPT-4o, Gemini 2.5, and DeepSeek V3) with a National Health Service leaflet, assessing factual accuracy, readability, and emotional tone.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comparative observational study design was used. All four patient education materials were blinded and evaluated by ten experts using a 10-point Likert-type scale. Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Sentiment analysis was done using an online tool. Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials (PEMAT-P) scores were calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>National Health Service patient education material showed the highest mean ± SD accuracy scores 9.8 ± 0.3 from experts outperforming all artificial intelligence models (p = 0.000). Among artificial intelligence, Gemini scored highest. For readability, ChatGPT and the National Health Service were comparable. Sentiment analysis showed varying tones across all models. Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials scores showed high understandability across all patient education materials (>75%), but actionability was highest for the National Health Service (93.3%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Artificial intelligence chatbots can generate readable and promising patient education materials. Traditional materials remain superior in accuracy and completeness. A hybrid 'human-in-the-loop' approach is recommended for effective patient education.</p>","PeriodicalId":35481,"journal":{"name":"Journal of perioperative practice","volume":" ","pages":"17504589261454163"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148309582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of verbal versus visual guidance on patient positioning for spinal anaesthesia: A comparative observational study.","authors":"Kaveri Madhu Chavan, Nagendra Bv, Aparnna Baburaj, Rashmitha Balloor","doi":"10.1177/17504589261452129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17504589261452129","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective is to compare the effectiveness of verbal instructions alone versus verbal instructions combined with visual guidance in achieving optimal patient positioning for spinal anaesthesia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comparative observational study was conducted among 70 adult patients undergoing elective surgery under spinal anaesthesia in the lateral decubitus position. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A received verbal instructions alone, while Group B received verbal instructions with visual guidance. Outcomes assessed included time taken for positioning, time for needle placement, number of attempts, first-pass success, and anaesthetist satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Visual guidance improved patient positioning, reduced procedure time, decreased number of attempts, and increased first-pass success. Anaesthetist satisfaction was higher in the visual guidance group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Visual guidance is a simple and effective adjunct to verbal instructions, improving positioning and procedural efficiency in spinal anaesthesia.</p>","PeriodicalId":35481,"journal":{"name":"Journal of perioperative practice","volume":" ","pages":"17504589261452129"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148279088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cansu Ozdemir, Aksh Tailor, Chimba Mubanga, George Clews, Priya Krishnan
{"title":"Safer local anaesthetic practices through multidisciplinary engagement: A pre-post intervention study.","authors":"Cansu Ozdemir, Aksh Tailor, Chimba Mubanga, George Clews, Priya Krishnan","doi":"10.1177/17504589261454167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17504589261454167","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>A fatal cardiac arrest in 2022 caused by a local anaesthetic overdose highlighted significant gaps in local anaesthetic safety, including inconsistent documentation, variable dosing practices, and inadequate communication. This quality improvement project aimed to improve local anaesthetic safety through standardised documentation, ideal body weight-based dosing, and structured multidisciplinary communication.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A pre-post intervention study was conducted at a district general hospital in South East England. Baseline data were collected using structured questionnaires completed by Operating Department Practitioners during surgical cases. Interventions, informed by national anaesthetic safety guidance, included standardised local anaesthetic documentation, mandatory ideal body weight-based dose calculation, surgeon-led vial checks, and routine discussion of local anaesthetic use during preoperative briefings. Post-intervention data were collected using the same methodology across cases.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Documentation of local anaesthetic administration in the anaesthetic chart increased from 68% (19/28) pre-intervention to 91% (29/32) post-intervention. The use of ideal body weight-based dosing increased from 29% (8/28) to 94% (30/32). Discussion of local anaesthetic during the preoperative brief improved from 82% (23/28) to 100% (32/32). The number of local anaesthetic overdoses decreased from two cases pre-intervention to one case post-intervention, with no associated patient harm.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Targeted multidisciplinary interventions, including standardised documentation, structured communication, and ideal body weight-based dosing, resulted in substantial improvements in local anaesthetic safety. These findings support the adoption of simple, scalable safety measures to reduce dosing errors and enhance perioperative patient safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":35481,"journal":{"name":"Journal of perioperative practice","volume":" ","pages":"17504589261454167"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148266278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kellie Leatherbarrow, Robert Higgins, Christina Heaton, Helen Spickett
{"title":"Audit of a dementia healthcare passport to improve quality of care and communication for people living with dementia when attending the operating theatre department.","authors":"Kellie Leatherbarrow, Robert Higgins, Christina Heaton, Helen Spickett","doi":"10.1177/17504589261449171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17504589261449171","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>An operating department can be a challenging fast-paced environment. This audit sought to identify patients living with dementia arriving for surgery that did not have information to support their care. People living with dementia are at increased risk of functional and cognitive decline upon admittance to hospital.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A baseline clinical audit involving stakeholders assessed current practices. The Living with Dementia Theatre Passport was introduced to present key information clearly and support communication during perioperative care.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pre-intervention, none of the 12 patients had a 'This is Me' document, causing delays and increased costs. Post-intervention, 12 of 15 patients arrived with the Living with Dementia Theatre Passport. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The 'Living with Dementia Theatre Passport' has the potential to enhance the patient experience and healthcare outcomes during theatre procedures and to increase proficiency due to reduced costs associated with poor information gathering.</p>","PeriodicalId":35481,"journal":{"name":"Journal of perioperative practice","volume":" ","pages":"17504589261449171"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148164919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The impact of passive smoking on perioperative outcomes among infants and children undergoing ambulatory surgery: An observational study from a low-resource country.","authors":"Manel Kammoun, Hind Ketata, Amina Kallel, Kais Maatallah, Omar Terkaouchi, Sahar Elleuch, Anouar Jarraya","doi":"10.1177/17504589251345624","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17504589251345624","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Passive smoking among infants and children is still common in low-resource countries and may lead to several paediatric comorbidities. The aim of this study is to assess its impact on anaesthetic and surgical outcomes. In this prospective observational study, we included all children aged 6 months to 6 years, having American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) I-II classes, and undergoing ambulatory ilioinguinal surgery. Patients were divided into two groups according to their environmental tobacco exposure. The anaesthesia protocol and surgical procedures were standardised for all patients. Demographic parameters were comparable in both groups. Passive smoking increased the risk of preoperative anxiety (risk ratio = 1.857; 95% confidence interval = 1.02-3.37). The incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events was significantly increased from 14.8% among non-exposed children to 29.2% among the exposed (p = 0.003; risk ratio = 2.368; 95% confidence interval = 1.28-3.28). Passive smoking increased the incidence of delayed awakening from 19.4% to 38% (p = 0.0027; risk ratio = 1.76; 95% confidence interval = 1.04-5.34), and emergence delirium from 43.5% to 56.2% (p = 0.023; risk ratio = 1.669; 95% confidence interval = 1.037-2.684). Higher risks for hospital admission (risk ratio = 2.91; 95% confidence interval = 1.40-6.06), and delayed wound healing (risk ratio = 3.65; 95% confidence interval: 1.48-9.23) were correlated with the tobacco smoke exposure. Children exposed to the tobacco smoke have higher anaesthetic and surgical risks and may require particular cautions during their perioperative management.</p>","PeriodicalId":35481,"journal":{"name":"Journal of perioperative practice","volume":" ","pages":"389-396"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144529986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alyssa Reese, Kathryn Hobika, Katelyn Donnelly, Raymond Richards, Peter Evancho, Abeer Eddib
{"title":"A call to action: Standardisation of intravaginal hygiene product reporting in preoperative evaluation.","authors":"Alyssa Reese, Kathryn Hobika, Katelyn Donnelly, Raymond Richards, Peter Evancho, Abeer Eddib","doi":"10.1177/17504589241297802","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17504589241297802","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Preoperative checklists have demonstrated efficacy in improving patient care in the surgical setting. While the assessment of perioperative risks through patient inquiry is extensive, the menstrual status of the patient is one question that is not frequently discussed. If a patient is menstruating during their surgical procedure, unknown use of an intravaginal menstrual hygiene product, such as a tampon or menstrual cup, places the patient at risk of infection. This review seeks to bring attention to these risks by exploring <i>Boyer v. Morimoto</i>, a case where a patient developed toxic shock syndrome after a tampon was left in after surgery. We conclude with recommendations for standardised documentation of intravaginal menstrual hygiene products, with the aim to minimise perioperative risks.</p>","PeriodicalId":35481,"journal":{"name":"Journal of perioperative practice","volume":" ","pages":"345-349"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142629067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marwa Mahmoud Abdel Rady, Ghada A El Fadl, Hany Ahmed Ibraheem El-Morabaa, Kirolos Gamal Reda, Wesam Nashat Ali
{"title":"Perioperative analgesic effect of preemptive ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block and transversus abdominis plane block with dexmedetomidine versus dexamethasone for laparoscopic surgery in paediatrics: A randomised trial.","authors":"Marwa Mahmoud Abdel Rady, Ghada A El Fadl, Hany Ahmed Ibraheem El-Morabaa, Kirolos Gamal Reda, Wesam Nashat Ali","doi":"10.1177/17504589241278806","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17504589241278806","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>We aimed to assess the impact of the rectus sheath and transversus abdominis plane blocks on postoperative pain alleviation and recovery in children undergoing laparoscopic appendicectomies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Ninety patients got a transversus abdominis plane block and rectus sheath block and were randomly divided into three groups. Each patient had taken 2.5ml of 0.5% bupivacaine (1.25mg/kg). Group 1: 0.3mg/kg of dexamethasone was added to the bupivacaine. Group 2: 1μg/kg of dexmedetomidine was added to the bupivacaine. Group 3: received only bupivacaine. We recorded analgesic usage overall, postoperative pain score, time until initial analgesic use, side effects and satisfaction score.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The dexmedetomidine group had a significantly longer mean time to initial rescue analgesia (13.13 ± 2.81) compared to the control and dexamethasone groups (11.6 ± 2.99, 7.27 ± 2; p < 0.001). Within the first 24 hours following surgery, the dexmedetomidine group consumed considerably less rescue analgesia (490.5 ± 129) than the dexamethasone and control groups (556 ± 210.4, 811.5 ± 333.9; p < 0.0001). With better satisfaction, fewer analgesics were taken, and fewer side effects and lower postoperative pain levels were observed in the dexmedetomidine group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Dexmedetomidine in combined transversus abdominis plane and rectus sheath blocks can enhance postoperative pain relief, decrease analgesic use and hasten postoperative recovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":35481,"journal":{"name":"Journal of perioperative practice","volume":" ","pages":"380-388"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143677384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Anaesthesia mumps - the unseen puffy problem: A case report.","authors":"Yaal Elango, Ramya Natarajan","doi":"10.1177/17504589251343722","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17504589251343722","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Acute postoperative sialadenitis, often referred to as 'anaesthesia mumps', is a rare and transient condition that may occur following surgery. While it is generally benign, the anaesthetist must be aware of this rare possibility when a postoperative patient presents with swelling of the parotid glands.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>We report the case of a 59-year-old female patient who underwent a staging laparotomy with combined general and epidural anaesthesia. In the postoperative period, she developed an acute onset swelling of the bilateral parotid glands, which subsequently resolved without any complications.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This case report highlights the importance of considering anaesthesia mumps in the differential diagnosis of postoperative parotid swelling. It further explores potential risk factors associated with this condition and discusses relevant prevention strategies and management approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":35481,"journal":{"name":"Journal of perioperative practice","volume":" ","pages":"375-377"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144143754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}