European Society of Anaesthesiology.

Patients exposed to a surgical safety checklist experience better postoperative outcomes, but this could simply reflect wider quality of care in hospitals where checklist use is routine.

No abstract

BackgroundExcessive or inadequate intravenous fluid given in the perioperative period can affect outcomes. A number of guidelines exist but these can conflict with the entrenched practice, evidence base and prescriber knowledge. We conducted a multi-centre audit of intraoperative and postoperative intravenous fluid therapy to investigate fluid administration practice and frequency of postoperative electrolyte disturbances.MethodsA retrospective audit was done in five hospitals of adult patients undergoing elective major abdominal, gastrointestinal tract or orthopaedic surgery. The type, volume and quantity of fluid and electrolytes administered during surgery and in 3 days postoperatively was calculated, and electrolyte disturbances were studied using clinical records.ResultsData from four hundred thirty-one patients in five hospitals covering 1157 intravenous fluid days were collected. Balanced crystalloid solutions were almost universally used in the operating theatre and were also the most common fluid administered postoperatively, followed by hypotonic dextrose-saline solutions and 0.9 % sodium chloride. For three common uncomplicated elective operations, the volume of fluid administered intraoperatively demonstrated considerable variability. Over half of the patients received no postoperative fluid on day 1, and even more were commenced on free oral fluids immediately postoperatively or on day 1. Postoperative quantities of sodium exceeded the recommended amounts for maintenance in half of the patients who continued to receive intravenous fluids. Potassium administration in those receiving intravenous fluids was almost universally inadequate. Hypokalaemia and hyponatraemia were the common findings.ConclusionsWe documented the current clinical practice and confirmed that early free oral fluids and cessation of any intravenous fluids is common postoperatively in keeping with the aims of enhanced recovery after surgery programmes. Excessive sodium and water and inadequate potassium in those given intravenous fluids postoperatively is common and needs to be investigated. The variation in intraoperative fluid volume administration for three common procedures is considerable and in keeping with other international studies. Future trials of fluid therapy should include the intraoperative and postoperative phases.

Background: Lung protective ventilation with tidal volumes (V T) of 6-8 ml per kg ideal body weight have been shown to reduce mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and reduce post-operative pulmonary complications in major abdominal surgery. Following a local audit on weight recording, the Southcoast Perioperative Audit and Research Collaboration (SPARC) conducted a regional multidisciplinary survey on the current practice in lung protective ventilation in the Wessex region. This resulted in a quality improvement project improving lung protective ventilation across these intensive care units. Methods: Over one-week period in January over two consecutive years, lung protective ventilation parameters of mandatory ventilated patients (above the age of 18 years) were audited in intensive care units in the Wessex region. Results: A total 1843 hours of mandatory ventilation were audited. The quality improvement project led to an improvement of lung protective ventilation with an average of 30% higher duration of ventilation with V T < 8 ml/kg ideal body weight. There was a suggestion that documentation of height and weight on admission to intensive care units improved compliance with lung protective ventilation. Conclusions: Adherence to lung protective ventilation is variable across intensive care units but can be improved by recording patient's weight and height accurately and using simple chart to help calculate the appropriate tidal volume. Additionally, this project demonstrates how a regional audit and quality improvement network can help to facilitate regional quality improvement.