A Perioperative Care Display for Understanding High Acuity Patients

Background  The data visualization literature asserts that the details of the optimal data display must be tailored to the specific task, the background of the user, and the characteristics of the data. The general organizing principle of a concept-oriented display is known to be useful for many tasks and data types. Objectives  In this project, we used general principles of data visualization and a co-design process to produce a clinical display tailored to a specific cognitive task, chosen from the anesthesia domain, but with clear generalizability to other clinical tasks. To support the work of the anesthesia-in-charge (AIC) our task was, for a given day, to depict the acuity level and complexity of each patient in the collection of those that will be operated on the following day. The AIC uses this information to optimally allocate anesthesia staff and providers across operating rooms. Methods  We used a co-design process to collaborate with participants who work in the AIC role. We conducted two in-depth interviews with AICs and engaged them in subsequent input on iterative design solutions. Results  Through a co-design process, we found (1) the need to carefully match the level of detail in the display to the level required by the clinical task, (2) the impedance caused by irrelevant information on the screen such as icons relevant only to other tasks, and (3) the desire for a specific but optional trajectory of increasingly detailed textual summaries. Conclusion  This study reports a real-world clinical informatics development project that engaged users as co-designers. Our process led to the user-preferred design of a single binary flag to identify the subset of patients needing further investigation, and then a trajectory of increasingly detailed, text-based abstractions for each patient that can be displayed when more information is needed.     

麻醉科专科护士岗位胜任力评价指标体系的构建

目的 构建适合我国的麻醉科专科护士岗位胜任力评价指标体系,为麻醉科专科护士培养及评价提供参考.方法 通过文献回顾法、小组讨论法、德尔菲专家函询法以及层次分析法,确定麻醉科专科护士岗位胜任力各级评价指标及权重.结果 麻醉科专科护士岗位胜任力评价指标体系包含专业知识、专业技术、专业能力、管理能力和个人特质5项一级指标和38项二级指标.两轮函询专家积极系数分别为89.47％和94.12％,专家权威系数分别为0.865和0.889,肯德尔协调系数分别为0.182、0.237(均P＜0.01).结论 构建的麻醉科专科护士岗位胜任力评价指标体系,可作为麻醉科专科护士岗位胜任力水平的测评工具,为麻醉科专科护士培训、考核及任用提供参考.     

Future anesthesiologists will be as much outside as inside operating theaters

During the first decade of the new millennium the intense reorganization of hospitals and of medical care will be replaced by stability and long-term goals. An anesthesiologist is now as active outside as within the operating theater, being a predominant resource in intensive care, pain management, emergency and prehospital care. The anesthesiologist will also have a key part to play in risk analysis of patients scheduled for various kinds of advanced treatment. Anesthesiologists are now also more involved in primary home care where, together with other physicians and categories of health care providers, they offer qualified treatment of various diseases at home – the environment preferred by the patient.     

Organization of sensory input to the nociceptive‐specific cutaneous trunk muscle reflex in rat,an effective experimental system for examining nociception and plasticity

Detailed characterization of neural circuitries furthers our understanding of how nervous systems perform specific functions and allows the use of those systems to test hypotheses. We have characterized the sensory input to the cutaneous trunk muscle (CTM; also cutaneus trunci [rat] or cutaneus maximus [mouse]) reflex (CTMR), which manifests as a puckering of the dorsal thoracolumbar skin and is selectively driven by noxious stimuli. CTM electromyography and neurogram recordings in naïve rats revealed that CTMR responses were elicited by natural stimuli and electrical stimulation of all segments from C4 to L6, a much greater extent of segmental drive to the CTMR than previously described. Stimulation of some subcutaneous paraspinal tissue can also elicit this reflex. Using a selective neurotoxin, we also demonstrate differential drive of the CTMR by trkA‐expressing and nonexpressing small‐diameter afferents. These observations highlight aspects of the organization of the CTMR system that make it attractive for studies of nociception and anesthesiology and plasticity of primary afferents, motoneurons, and the propriospinal system. We use the CTMR system to demonstrate qualitatively and quantitatively that experimental pharmacological treatments can be compared with controls applied either to the contralateral side or to another segment, with the remaining segments providing controls for systemic or other treatment effects. These data indicate the potential for using the CTMR system as both an invasive and a noninvasive quantitative assessment tool providing improved statistical power and reduced animal use. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:1048–1071, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Safety in the Use of Dexmedetomidine (Precedex) for Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery: Our Experience in 23 Randomized Patients

Objective: Evaluation of safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine in deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. Materials and Methods: A cohort of 23 patients, candidates for DBS for Parkinson's disease, Tourette syndrome, or obsessive‐compulsive disorder, was randomized in two groups: dexmedetomidine group and control group. Standard anesthesiologic parameters were recorded and analyzed, together with the need for other medications. A ten‐degree scale (visual analog scale) assessing patient discomfort during DBS also was recorded at the end of surgery. Results: The results demonstrated good stability of intraoperative monitoring: no respiratory depression and good overall cooperation with the neurologist, while no side‐effects were recorded. Conclusions: Our conclusion is that dexmedetomidine should be considered as a valuable option for sedation in poorly collaborating patients undergoing DBS surgery.     

East/West Visiting Scholars in Pediatric Anesthesia Program (ViSiPAP): Developing tomorrow’s pediatric anesthesia leaders

Promoting and retaining junior faculty are major challenges for many medical schools. High clinical workloads often limit time for scholarly projects and academic development, especially in anesthesiology. To address this, we created the East/West Visiting Scholars in Pediatric Anesthesia Program (ViSiPAP). The program's goal is to help “jumpstart” academic careers by providing opportunities for national exposure and recognition through invited lectures and collaborative opportunities. East/West ViSiPAP benefits the participating scholars, the home and hosting anesthesia departments, and pediatric anesthesia fellowship training programs. By fostering a sense of well‐being and inclusion in the pediatric anesthesia community, East/West ViSiPAP has the potential to increase job satisfaction, help faculty attain promotion, and reduce attrition. Faculty and trainees are exposed to new expertise and role models. Moreover, ViSiPAP provides opportunities for women and underrepresented in medicine faculty. This program can help develop today's junior faculty into tomorrow's leaders in pediatric anesthesia. We advocate for expanding the concept of ViSiPAP to other institutions in academic medicine.