Monica W Harbell, Jonathan Cohen, Greg Balfanz, Emily Methangkool
{"title":"Mitigating and preventing perioperative opioid-related harm.","authors":"Monica W Harbell, Jonathan Cohen, Greg Balfanz, Emily Methangkool","doi":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001426","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001426","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Although necessary for treatment of acute pain, opioids are associated with significant harm in the perioperative period and further intervention is necessary perioperatively to mitigate opioid-related harm.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Opioid-naive patients are often first exposed to opioids when undergoing surgery, which can result in significant harm. Despite their benefits in reducing acute postsurgical pain, they are also associated with risks ranging from mild (e.g., pruritis, constipation, nausea) to potentially catastrophic (e.g. opioid-induced ventilatory impairment, respiratory depression, death). Overprescribing of opioids can lead to opioid diversion and drug driving. In this review, we will discuss opioid-related harm and what strategies can be used perioperatively to mitigate this harm. Interventions such as optimizing nonopioid analgesia, implementing Enhanced Recovery after Surgery programs, effective respiratory monitoring, patient education and opioid stewardship programs will be discussed.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>We will review policy and guidelines regarding perioperative opioid management and identify challenges and future directions to mitigate opioid-related harm.</p>","PeriodicalId":50609,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Anesthesiology","volume":" ","pages":"697-704"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142156493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karolina Brook, Aalok V Agarwala, Fenghua Li, Patrick L Purdon
{"title":"Depth of anesthesia monitoring: an argument for its use for patient safety.","authors":"Karolina Brook, Aalok V Agarwala, Fenghua Li, Patrick L Purdon","doi":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001430","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001430","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>There have been significant advancements in depth of anesthesia (DoA) technology. The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation recently published recommendations to use a DoA monitor in specific patient populations receiving general anesthesia. However, the universal use of DoA monitoring is not yet accepted. This review explores the current state of DoA monitors and their potential impact on patient safety.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>We reviewed the current evidence for using a DoA monitor and its potential role in preventing awareness and preserving brain health by decreasing the incidence of postoperative delirium and postoperative cognitive dysfunction or decline (POCD). We also explored the evidence for use of DoA monitors in improving postoperative clinical indicators such as organ dysfunction, mortality and length of stay. We discuss the use of DoA monitoring in the pediatric population, as well as highlight the current limitations of DoA monitoring and the path forward.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>There is evidence that DoA monitoring may decrease the incidence of awareness, postoperative delirium, POCD and improve several postoperative outcomes. In children, DoA monitoring may decrease the incidence of awareness and emergence delirium, but long-term effects are unknown. While there are key limitations to DoA monitoring technology, we argue that DoA monitoring shows great promise in improving patient safety in most, if not all anesthetic populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":50609,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Anesthesiology","volume":" ","pages":"689-696"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142156539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karisa Anand, Suk Hong, Kapil Anand, Joseph Hendrix
{"title":"Machine learning: implications and applications for ambulatory anesthesia.","authors":"Karisa Anand, Suk Hong, Kapil Anand, Joseph Hendrix","doi":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001410","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001410","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This review explores the timely and relevant applications of machine learning in ambulatory anesthesia, focusing on its potential to optimize operational efficiency, personalize risk assessment, and enhance patient care.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Machine learning models have demonstrated the ability to accurately forecast case durations, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) lengths of stay, and risk of hospital transfers based on preoperative patient and procedural factors. These models can inform case scheduling, resource allocation, and preoperative evaluation. Additionally, machine learning can standardize assessments, predict outcomes, improve handoff communication, and enrich patient education.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Machine learning has the potential to revolutionize ambulatory anesthesia practice by optimizing efficiency, personalizing care, and improving quality and safety. However, limitations such as algorithmic opacity, data biases, reproducibility issues, and adoption barriers must be addressed through transparent, participatory design principles and ongoing validation to ensure responsible innovation and incremental adoption.</p>","PeriodicalId":50609,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Anesthesiology","volume":" ","pages":"619-623"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11556868/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141560186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karolina Brook, Molly Wilde, Andrea Vannucci, Aalok V Agarwala
{"title":"Beyond adverse events in anesthesiology: 'unanticipated events' and strategies for improved reporting.","authors":"Karolina Brook, Molly Wilde, Andrea Vannucci, Aalok V Agarwala","doi":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001425","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001425","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Patient safety in anesthesiology has advanced significantly over the past several decades. The current process of improving care is often based on studying adverse events (AEs) and near misses. However, there is a wealth of information not captured by focusing solely on these events, potentially resulting in missed opportunities for care improvements.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>We review terms such as AEs and nonroutine events (NREs), and introduce the concept of unanticipated events (UEs), defined as events that deviate from intended care that may/may not have been caused by error, may/may not be preventable, and may/may not have caused injury to a patient. UEs incorporate AEs in addition to many other anesthetic events not routinely tracked, allowing for trend analysis over time and the identification of additional opportunities for quality improvement. We review both automated and self-reporting tools that currently exist to capture this often-neglected wealth of data. Finally, we discuss the responsibility of quality/safety leaders for data monitoring.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Consistent reporting and monitoring for trends related to UEs could allow departments to identify risks and mitigate harm before it occurs. We review various proposed methods to expand data collection, and recommend anesthesia practices pursue UE tracking through department-specific reporting interfaces.</p>","PeriodicalId":50609,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Anesthesiology","volume":" ","pages":"727-735"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142156538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Harnessing innovation to improve patient safety in anesthesiology.","authors":"Monica W Harbell","doi":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001415","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/ACO.0000000000001415","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50609,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Anesthesiology","volume":"37 6","pages":"666-668"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ignacio Ledesma, Andrea Stieger, Markus M Luedi, Carolina S Romero
{"title":"Spinal anesthesia in ambulatory patients.","authors":"Ignacio Ledesma, Andrea Stieger, Markus M Luedi, Carolina S Romero","doi":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001412","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001412","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>To assess current practice in the use of spinal anesthesia in major ambulatory surgery, highlighting its advantages over general anesthesia and identifying potential areas for improvement to facilitate a transition to a sustainable healthcare system.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Spinal anesthesia might be preferred in selected populations when compared to general anesthesia providing the highest standards of healthcare quality.The use of local anesthetics with short half-life has proven to be efficient in achieving high anesthesia success rates. Spinal anesthesia does not increase perioperative complications; instead, it has shown a reduction in postoperative nausea and vomiting, an improvement in patient comfort, and a favorable economic impact when compared to general anesthesia.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Spinal anesthesia is an appropriate method for anesthesia in ambulatory patients, offering advantages over general anesthesia in selected populations.The use of spinal anesthesia is expanding to meet surgical needs. Therefore, it is crucial to plan ahead and anticipate organizational failures in the ambulatory setting to maintain safety and efficiency during outpatient procedures and surgeries.</p>","PeriodicalId":50609,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Anesthesiology","volume":" ","pages":"661-665"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11556882/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141560187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lilibeth Fermin, Lauren Lobaugh, K Gage Parr, Morgan Currie
{"title":"The role of human factors engineering in patient safety.","authors":"Lilibeth Fermin, Lauren Lobaugh, K Gage Parr, Morgan Currie","doi":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001437","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001437","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>To explore the collaboration between human factors (HFs) experts and clinicians in order to improve perioperative patient safety.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Recent recommendations to integrate human factors into anesthesia in the United Kingdom emphasizes the value of applying disciplines outside of medicine to optimize the patient experience.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Human factors engineering is underutilized worldwide. Patient safety would benefit from collaboration with HF experts to design resilient systems. Healthcare organizations must consider HF to develop and implement user-centered solutions to improve safety for patients and professionals.</p>","PeriodicalId":50609,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Anesthesiology","volume":" ","pages":"683-688"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142479819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The electronic health record: does it enhance or distract from patient safety?","authors":"George Tewfik, Steven Rivoli, Emily Methangkool","doi":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001429","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ACO.0000000000001429","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The electronic health record (EHR) is an invaluable tool that may be used to improve patient safety. With a variety of different features, such as clinical decision support and computerized physician order entry, it has enabled improvement of patient care throughout medicine. EHR allows for built-in reminders for such items as antibiotic dosing and venous thromboembolism prophylaxis.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>In anesthesiology, EHR often improves patient safety by eliminating the need for reliance on manual documentation, by facilitating information transfer and incorporating predictive models for such items as postoperative nausea and vomiting. The use of EHR has been shown to improve patient safety in specific metrics such as using checklists or information transfer amongst clinicians; however, limited data supports that it reduces morbidity and mortality.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>There are numerous potential pitfalls associated with EHR use to improve patient safety, as well as great potential for future improvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":50609,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Anesthesiology","volume":" ","pages":"676-682"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142156496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}