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Showing results for tags 'Anaesthesia'.
Found 146 results
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Content Article
Conscious sedation in dentistry (June 2017)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Dentist
This Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme guidance aims to promote good clinical practice through recommendations for the safe and effective provision of conscious sedation for dental care. -
Content Article
CQC. Dental mythbuster: Safe and effective conscious sedation
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Dentist
Conscious sedation can help a patient undergo dental treatment. There are several reasons why they may need sedation – anxiety, medical needs or complex treatment. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) outlines the regulations and standards of conscious sedation. -
Content Article
What Is conscious sedation? (14 September 2018)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Patient management
Conscious sedation helps reduce anxiety, discomfort, and pain during certain procedures. This is accomplished with medications and (sometimes) local anesthesia to induce relaxation. Conscious sedation is commonly used in dentistry for people who feel anxious or panicked during complex procedures like fillings, root canals, or routine cleanings. It’s also often used during endoscopies and minor surgical procedures to relax patients and minimise discomfort. Find out more about the procedure, the drugs used and the side effects. -
Content Article
Op-Ed: Surgery is forever changed by COVID (April 2021)
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Surgery
During the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems and providers scaled back non-emergency care, including cancelling non-urgent surgeries during the COVID-19. While this cautious approach was necessary early in the pandemic, it limited health systems' and providers' ability to fulfil their mission and deliver needed care to patients. In this article, published by Medpage Today, Beverly Philip, looks at how looks at how we can find a safe way forward. -
Content ArticleThis directive alert has been issued on the need to confirm intravenous (IV) lines and cannulae have been effectively flushed or removed at the end of the procedure.
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Content ArticleThis article by Robin Aldwinckle discusses the case study of a 61-year-old male patient with severe knee osteoarthritis and hypertension who was admitted for surgery under subarachnoid regional anesthesia. However at the end of the procedure, the patient remained unresponsive and was subsequently diagnosed with Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity (LAST). Whilst the patient recovered, this case highlights a lack of communication between the operating room team members concerning the safe dosing of local anesthetics and that the correct diagnosis and treatment of LAST in the operating room is critically important.
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Content Article
Perioperative approach of allergic patients
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Allergies
This research article focuses on the patient safety aspects of handling and recognising allergic reactions and severe perioperative anaphylaxis, and discusses the basic approach of the allergic patient and of patients with a suspected allergy to perioperatively administered medication. -
Content ArticleThis article on sex and gender differences discusses the definitions, general and perioperative implications and how acknowledging differences between men and women relevant to anesthesia is of paramount importance to ensuring perioperative patient safety.
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Content Article
When a patient can’t breathe by themselves, healthcare staff may decide to intubate them to make it easier to get air into and out of the lungs. A tube goes down the throat and into the windpipe, and a machine called a ventilator pumps in air with extra oxygen. It can be life-saving, but life-threatening complications can also occur during a significant number of these procedures. Sam Goodhand is a registrar in the Sussex region, specialising in anaesthetics and intensive care medicine. In this interview for Patient Safety Learning he tells us how and why he developed an accessible checklist for staff involved in intubation processes. -
Content ArticleThis report describes the impact of patient adverse events and near misses, including their use of incident reporting systems and the organisational support available.
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Content ArticleThis article describes the application of colour coding for cognitive aids to facilitate the management of an unanticipated difficult airway and its further local implementation in the form of a colour-coded difficult airway trolley. The authors conclude that the use of colour coding as a cognitive aid can enhance the management of an unanticipated difficult airway and make it simpler to obtain help from other operating room personnel who are not regularly involved in airway management. However, they note that frequent training and simulation with the material and equipment in the difficult airway trolley remains crucial.
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Content ArticleImproving patient safety during anesthesia and surgery is a major public health issue, with safety standards varying from country to country. Anesthesia safety is often hampered by complex problems in low income countries. This survey assesses the unmet anesthesia needs in Ethiopia. The author concludes that anesthesia safety in Ethiopia appears challenged by substandard continuous medical education and continuous professional development practice, and limited availability of some essential equipment and medications. The study states that while patient monitoring and anesthesia conduct are relatively good, World Health Organization surgical safety checklist application and postoperative pain management are very low, affecting the delivery of safe anesthesia conduct.
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Content ArticleThis study in Anaesthesia reviewed accidental spinal administration of tranexamic acid. The review identified 20 cases of accidental administration resulting in life-threatening neurological or cardiac complications and 10 patient deaths. These cases were analysed using a Human Factors Analysis System Classification model to identify contributing factors. Ampoule error was the cause in 20 incidents, and all were classified as skills-based errors. Organisational policy, storage of medication and preparation for anaesthesia were all identified as contributing factors. The authors concluded that all of these events could have been avoided if four published recommendations for the prevention of spinal medication administration were implemented.
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Content ArticleThis article explains some of the background to the new national standardised operating procedure to prevent wrong side block, developed by a working party of the Safe Anaesthesia Liaison Group (SALG). However, the document may seem a little unusual, since it is not presented as a barrier to wrong side block. Rather, its main aim is to standardise practice across hospitals so that any future events can be analysed against a common framework; hence the designation as a standardised operating procedure and not a guideline. As a result the incidence of wrong side blocks will diminish, but not be eliminated. ‘Prep, stop, block’ describes the process to be followed; enhancing the message of ‘stop before you block’ that the stop moment should occur just before needle insertion.
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Content ArticleSurekha Shivalkar was a 78-year-old woman who was scheduled for elective total hip replacement revision surgery. Following surgery she suffered a cardiac arrest and subsequently died. The conclusion of the inquest was that died from multi-organ failure and complications arising during anaesthesia and hip revision surgery, which led to hypotension and hypoperfusion in a woman with ischaemic heart and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In his report, the Coroner raises concerns about the lack of a use of a formal risk assessment tool prior to her surgery, communication failures between the orthopaedic surgical team and the anaesthetist and the departure of the Senior Consultant surgeon prior to the surgeries conclusion.
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Content ArticleThis article, published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, explores how medication-related adverse events in anaesthesia care are frequent and require a deeper understanding if medication harm is to be prevented. The study looked at a Spanish incident report database over a ten-year period to conclude that harm could have been mitigated.
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Content ArticleThis article, published in Best Practice & Research Clinical Anaesthesiology, looks at the importance of Incident Reporting Systems in improving patient safety and how they can be better used to have an improved impact.
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Content ArticleThe Royal College of Anaesthetists recently received a coroners report where an oesophageal intubation took place and was not recognised in time to save the life of the patient. Unrecognised oesophageal intubation is preventable through adherence to published recommendations on the monitoring of exhaled carbon dioxide (capnography) and its correct interpretation. All clinicians involved in airway management should watch the College and DAS video on capnography. Always remember 'No Trace = Wrong Place' and actively seek to exclude oesophageal intubation when a flat capnograph trace is encountered.
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Content ArticleThe Royal College of Anaesthetists is launching a campaign to prevent future deaths from unrecognised oesophageal intubation following a recently received coroner’s report where an oesophageal intubation took place and was not recognised in time to save the life of the patient. The coroner’s report highlighted the critical importance of human factors in safe anaesthetic practice. In this blog, Matt Bigwood and Chris Frerk discuss how one of the main aims of the campaign is to empower every team member, regardless of position, to be able to speak up if they spot this problem. You can also read more about the campaign here.
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Content ArticleIn this clinical case report for the Association of Anaesthetists, the authors reflect on the importance of error reporting and implementing learning from clinical mistakes. They look at several error-related incidents and examine key learning points. They highlight that cases that do not result in serious harm to the patient are not prioritised for entry into databases or national audits, meaning they are less likely to be the subject of system-based improvement projects when compared with more ‘serious’ events. They identify that this may cause gaps in clinicians' awareness of potential risks and error traps. The authors also examine the impact that learning projects based on incident reporting can have on clinicians involved in the initial incidents, highlighting that revisiting errors may prevent individuals from moving on from them.
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EventEnergy-based devices, lasers and diathermy are some of the most commonly used pieces of equipment in operating theatres today. Dangerous emissions can be produced that affect the respiratory systems of everyone in the operating theatre. This study day will look at the occupational hazards of exposure to surgical plume in the operating theatre, as well as the associated risks to the surgical team, patients and visitors. It will also highlight how to assess risk and mitigate against the dangers of surgical plume and how to implement changes. Topics Include: Electrosurgery/diathermy/laser. Anaesthetic airway fires. Laparoscopic surgery aerosolisation. Health and Safety and risk assessment. Surgical plume. Register
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EventuntilThis ASCEND (acquiring skills, career exploration, networking and development) webinar aims to help students and newly qualified practitioners to develop the practical and personal skills needed to succeed during the early years of their perioperative career. It will focus on two main skills - leadership and the management of anaesthetic emergencies. Leadership is often mistaken for something that only comes with vast experience in a particular discipline. We will be re-examining ‘what is leadership?’ and introducing some leadership opportunities available early in your perioperative career. Management of anaesthetic emergencies is a crucial part of perioperative care. This is not only relevant for anaesthetic practitioners, it incorporates the whole theatre team. Being able to identify an anaesthetic emergency is a valuable skill in your early career. Learning outcomes: An introduction into leadership opportunities available early in your perioperative career. Understand different styles of leadership and how you can deploy them in your everyday practice. Identifying anaesthetic emergencies and learning through virtual simulation. Register
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EventuntilThe Safe Anaesthesia Liaison Group Patient Safety Conference will be held in collaboration with RA-UK. The first session will include engaging lectures around the current work of SALG, and the second session will focus on topical issues in relation to regional anaesthesia safety. There will be a prize session for accepted abstracts, with a poster section and oral presentations. This online conference is being organised by SALG co-chairs, Dr Peter Young from the Association of Anaesthetists, Dr Felicity Platt, Royal College of Anaesthetists and Nat Haslam, Regional Anaesthesia UK The day will provide valuable knowledge for doctors engaged in clinical anaesthesia, pain management and intensive care medicine, and who have an interest in improving patient safety. Register
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Content ArticlePeri-operative medication safety is complex. Avoidance of medication errors is both system- and practitioner-based, and many departments within the hospital contribute to safe and effective systems. For the individual anaesthetist, drawing up, labelling and then the correct administration of medications are key components in a patient's peri-operative journey. These guidelines from the Association of Anaesthetists aim to provide pragmatic safety steps for the practitioner and other individuals within the operative environment, as well as short- to long-term goals for development of a collaborative approach to reducing errors.
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Content ArticleA recent paper (from clinicians and Human Factors specialists at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust) jointly supported by Elsevier and BJA Education clarifies what Human Factors (HF) is by highlighting and redressing key myths. The learning objectives from the paper are as follows: Identify common myths around HF Describe what HF is Discuss the importance of HF specialists in healthcare Distinguish the importance of a systems-based approach and user-centred design for HF practice. It explains that HF is a scientific discipline in its own right, a complex adaptive system very much like healthcare. Its principle have been used within healthcare for decades but often in an informal way. A link to the summary of the article on Science Direct and further links to purchase the paper can be found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2058534923000963?dgcid=author
