Objectives/Hypothesis The Aerodigestive Program (the Aero Program) at Children's Hospital Colorado is a multidisciplinary program focused on airway, digestive, and lung disorders in complex children, involving collaboration between gastroenterology, pulmonology, anesthesiology, and otolaryngology in clinic and operating room. These programs have proliferated as institutions focus on providing greater care coordination and family satisfaction. However, few cost, charge, and satisfaction data exist to support these resource‐intensive programs. The goal of this study was to investigate the value of combined triple endoscopy delivered by the Aero Program through analysis of institutional charges, direct costs, operating room efficiency metrics, and parent satisfaction. Study Design Program evaluation. Methods Finance, satisfaction, efficiency, and quality‐of‐care metrics were evaluated within and outside of the Aero Program through retrospective queries of electronic health records, administrative databases, and parent surveys at our institution. Results Mean anesthesia time in the Aero Program was 54 minutes (49–60; 95% confidence interval), which was significantly less (P < .0001) than the estimated 89 minutes of having the three procedures done separately. Average charges and average direct costs for triple endoscopy were 38.8% and 41.9% less than the sum of the averages for separate procedures, respectively. Parent satisfaction was high for the Aero Program care. Conclusions As organizations move toward greater coordination of care for complex patients, multidisciplinary programs must demonstrate their value by delivering cost‐effective care. Aerodigestive programs have the potential to provide satisfying care that is less costly to the organization, insurer, and family. These programs represent a step in the evolution toward higher value care and value‐based payment methodology. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 130:521–525, 2020
Summary Respiratory adverse events in adults with COVID‐19 undergoing general anaesthesia can be life‐threatening. However, there remains a knowledge gap about respiratory adverse events in children with COVID‐19. We created an international observational registry to collect airway management outcomes in children with COVID‐19 who were having a general anaesthetic. We hypothesised that children with confirmed or suspected COVID‐19 would experience more hypoxaemia and complications than those without. Between 3 April 2020 and 1 November 2020, 78 international centres participated. In phase 1, centres collected outcomes on all children (age ≤ 18 y) having a general anaesthetic for 2 consecutive weeks. In phase 2, centres recorded outcomes for children with test‐confirmed or suspected COVID‐19 (based on symptoms) having a general anaesthetic. We did not study children whose tracheas were already intubated. The primary outcome was the incidence of hypoxaemia during airway management. Secondary outcomes included: incidence of other complications; and first‐pass success rate for tracheal intubation. In total, 7896 children were analysed (7567 COVID‐19 negative and 329 confirmed or presumed COVID‐19 positive). The incidence of hypoxaemia during airway management was greater in children who were COVID‐19 positive (24 out of 329 (7%) vs. 214 out of 7567 (3%); OR 2.70 (95%CI 1.70–4.10)). Children who had symptoms of COVID‐19 had a higher incidence of hypoxaemia compared with those who were asymptomatic (9 out of 51 (19%) vs. 14 out of 258 (5%), respectively; OR 3.7 (95%CI 1.5–9.1)). Children with confirmed or presumed COVID‐19 have an increased risk of hypoxaemia during airway management in conjunction with general anaesthesia.
Background: Pediatric anesthesiology has been greatly impacted by COVID-19 in the delivery of care to patients and to the individual providers. With this study, we sought to survey pediatric centers and highlight the variations in care related to perioperative medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the availability of protective equipment, the practice of pediatric anesthesia, and economic impact. Aim:The aim of the survey was to determine how COVID-19 directly impacted pediatric anesthesia practices during the study period. Methods: A survey concerning four major domains (testing, safety, clinical management/policy, economics) was developed. It was pilot tested for clarity and content by members of the Pediatric Anesthesia COVID-19 Collaborative. The survey was administered by email to all Pediatric Anesthesia COVID-19 Collaborative members on September 1, 2020. Respondents had six weeks to complete the survey and were instructed to answer the questions based on their institution's practice during September 1 -October 13, 2020.Results: Sixty-three institutions (100% response rate) participated in the COVID-19 Pediatric Anesthesia Survey. Forty-one hospitals (65%) were from the United States, and 35% included other countries. N95 masks were available to anesthesia teams at 91% of institutions (n = 57) (95% CI: 80%-96%). COVID-19 testing criteria of anesthesia staff and guidelines to return to work varied by institution. Structured simulation training aimed at improving COVID-19 safety and patient care occurred at 62% of institutions (n = 39). Pediatric anesthesiologists were economically affected by a reduction in their employer benefits and restriction of travel due to employer imposed quarantine regulations. Conclusion:Our data indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the testing, safety, clinical management, and economics of pediatric anesthesia practice. Further investigation into the long-term consequences for the specialty is indicated. | 721 SONERU Et al.
There are over 150 million people that live at altitudes over 2500 m.More than half live in Asia and roughly one quarter in the Andes.A much greater number live at moderate altitudes of over 1500 m, and many people who live at low elevations come to high-altitude locations for recreation. A sizable percentage of these populations are children. Many physiological differences occur at moderate or high altitude that affect the health of this population, can affect the delivery of anesthetics in these locations, and can alter the reaction of our patients to anesthesia. This monograph will discuss the basics of altitude physiology and pathophysiology, how these affect the delivery of anesthetics, and some of the issues specific to pediatric patients in the high-altitude environment.As early as the mid-19th century, it has been appreciated that the administration of anesthesia at high altitudes poses a unique set of challenges, requiring the anesthesiologist to have an awareness and appreciation for both the physiologic adaptations and pharmacologic nuances that occur in a hypoxic environment. Firth provides a fascinating account of early anesthetics administered at high altitude. 1
BACKGROUND: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of rare epithelial disorders caused by abnormal or absent structural proteins at the epidermal-dermal junction. As a result, patients experience blisters and wounds from mild shearing forces. Some forms of EB are complicated by resultant scarring and contractures. The perioperative anesthetic management of patients with EB is complex and requires a systems-based approach to limit harm. We reviewed our experience with providing general anesthesia to patients at our tertiary EB referral center, including adverse events related to anesthetic care, outcomes in the immediate perioperative period, and details of anesthetic management. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all patients with EB anesthetized at the Children's Hospital Colorado between January 2011 and December 2016. A subset of pediatric anesthesiologists cared for all patients using a standardized clinical care pathway. Patient demographics, detailed anesthetic methods, immediate perioperative outcomes, and adverse events were characterized. RESULTS: Over a 6-year period, 37 patients underwent 202 general anesthetics. Most patients (75.7%) had dystrophic EB (DEB). Female patients comprised 48.6%. The majority (56.7%) traveled >50 miles to receive care, and many (35.1%) traveled >150 miles for their care. Common adaptations to care included avoidance of electrocardiogram leads (88.6%) and temperature probes (91.6%). Nasal fiberoptic intubation (n = 160) was performed, or natural airway/mask (n = 27) was maintained for most patients. Supraglottic devices were not used for airway management during any of the anesthetics. Anesthesia preparation time was longer (average 25.8 minutes [standard deviation {SD} = 12.7]) than our average institutional time (14 minutes). Succinylcholine was never used, and nondepolarizing muscle relaxants were used in only 1.5% of patient encounters. Blood was transfused in 16.3% of cases and iron infused in 24.8%. Average length of stay in the postanesthesia care unit was comparable to our institutional average (average 40.1 [SD = 28.6] vs 39 minutes). New skin or mucosal injury occurred in 8 encounters (4%), and desaturation occurred in 43 cases (21.3%). There were no major adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: By using a specialized team and a standardized clinical care pathway, our institution was able to minimize adverse events caused by the anesthetic and surgical care of patients with EB. We recommend natural airway or nasal fiberoptic airway management, meticulous avoidance of shear stress on the skin, and a multidisciplinary approach to care. Supportive therapy such as perioperative blood transfusions and iron infusions are feasible for the treatment of chronic anemia in this population.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.