Bhavani Shankar Kodali

Capnography Outside the Operating Rooms

ISTORICALLY, anesthesiologists seem to be the forerunners in implementing tools and standards for safety in the medical fraternity. In the United States, since 1985, there has been a dramatic decrease in the malpractice insurance premiums of anesthesiologists. Such a decrease has not been seen in other medical or surgical specialties over this time frame. Thanks to the foresight of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF), Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI), and the Association of Anesthesiologists in Holland, capnography was embraced and incorporated into the standards of monitoring during anesthesia to enhance patient safety. Currently, anesthesiologists in many developing countries follow these recommendations (India, Government of Andhra Pradesh Order, AST/775/F25/dated September 2011. Capnography is mandatory for laparo

Laparoscopic surgery during pregnancy.

Purpose of review In the past decade, laparoscopic procedures have become increasingly popular owing to decreased morbidity and convalescence compared with open procedures. The purpose of this review is to evaluate recent literature on laparoscopic surgery in pregnancy and make recommendations for anesthesia based on understanding of physiology of carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum. Recent findings Increasing numbers of successful cases of laparoscopic surgery are being reported. For reasons unknown, the results obtained in sheep studies do not match the observations in humans. Maternal respiratory acidosis, a common finding in sheep studies during CO2 pneumoperitoneum has not been observed in pregnant women undergoing laparoscopic surgery. A recent finding of persisting fetal sheep hypoxia beyond the duration of CO2 pneumoperitoneum calls for further investigation to determine if this finding is limited to sheep akin to sheep maternal respiratory acidosis. Summary Present evidence suggests laparoscopic surgery in pregnancy is a safe option. Left uterine displacement, maintaining end-tidal carbon dioxide between 32–34 mmHg and maternal blood pressures within 20% of baseline, and limiting abdominal insufflation pressure of carbon dioxide to 12–15 mmHg are essential hallmarks of anesthesia procedure. Although no apparent long time consequences have been reported, further studies are necessary to confirm the validity of sheep fetal hypoxia studies.

Effect of amniotic fluid on coagulation and platelet function in pregnancy: an evaluation using thromboelastography*

Amniotic fluid embolism is a rare obstetric complication. The exact pathogenesis of this syndrome remains unknown and significant controversy exists whether coagulopathy should always be present. We used thromboelastography to assess the effect of amniotic fluid on coagulation and platelet function in pregnant women. Different volumes of amniotic fluid (10–60 μl) were added to blood (330 μl) from pregnant women and thromboelastography variables determined. There were three important findings. R time, reflecting time to first clot formation, was significantly decreased with the addition of 10 μl amniotic fluid; platelet function, as determined by Reopro‐TEG technique, was increased with the addition of 30 μl of amniotic fluid; and there was no evidence of fibrinolysis in any samples studied. In conclusion, our study substantiates the hypothesis that coagulation profile changes are invariable accompaniments of amniotic fluid embolism.

Cesarean delivery in the interventional radiology suite: a novel approach to obstetric hemostasis.

BACKGROUND: The adjunctive use of interventional radiology procedures to minimize and control bleeding at the time of cesarean delivery has become increasingly common. These procedures require modern imaging equipment and supplies not available in traditional operating rooms. METHODS: We describe three women who strongly desired continued reproductive function in clinical circumstances where postpartum hemorrhage and hysterectomy were likely. RESULTS: Cesarean delivery was performed in the interventional radiology suite after selective uterine artery balloon placement and/or embolotherapy, which successfully minimized blood loss during delivery. CONCLUSION: We propose that this novel surgical location is feasible, and may offer advantages in select patients.

Capnography during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Current evidence and future directions

Capnography continues to be an important tool in measuring expired carbon dioxide (CO2). Most recent Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) guidelines now recommend using capnography to ascertain the effectiveness of chest compressions and duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Based on an extensive review of available published literature, we selected all available peer-reviewed research investigations and case reports. Available evidence suggests that there is significant correlation between partial pressure of end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2) and cardiac output that can indicate the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Additional evidence favoring the use of capnography during CPR includes definitive proof of correct placement of the endotracheal tube and possible prediction of patient survival following cardiac arrest, although the latter will require further investigations. There is emerging evidence that PETCO2 values can guide the initiation of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in refractory cardiac arrest (RCA). There is also increasing recognition of the value of capnography in intensive care settings in intubated patients. Future directions include determining the outcomes based on capnography waveforms PETCO2 values and determining a reasonable duration of CPR. In the future, given increasing use of capnography during CPR large databases can be analyzed to predict outcomes.

Capnometry in the spontaneously breathing patient.

Purpose of review Capnography has been used in the operating room by anesthesiologists for over a decade. Along with pulse oximetry, it has reduced anesthesia-related morbidity and mortality. Traditionally, capnography has been used to confirm the placement of the endotracheal tube. This review looks into the literature for an update on the use of capnography in the spontaneously breathing patient. Recent findings Several studies support the additional safety afforded by the use of capnography in patients undergoing sedation for procedures in various situations outside the operating room. Capnography has been used as an aid in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism and sleep-related disorders, as a continuous monitor of metabolic status of pediatric patients with diabetic ketoacidosis and, along with pulse oximetry, in lung-function laboratories to estimate blood gases. Summary Capnography has become a mandatory or recommended monitoring tool in the practice of anesthesiology. It is making inroads into other medical specialties as a monitoring and diagnostic tool. The use of this technology by non-anesthesiologists will continue to increase. In the opinion of the authors capnography should be used in all cases requiring sedation either in or out of the operating room.

Maternal Anesthesia for Fetal Surgery

This article describes the anesthetic management of pregnant women undergoing fetal surgery. Discussion includes general principles common to all fetal surgeries as well as specifics pertaining to open fetal surgery, minimally invasive fetal surgery, and ex utero intrapartum therapy (EXIT) procedures.

Process Redesign to Improve First Case Surgical Starts in an Academic Institution

ABSTRACT Purpose: On time start of the first surgical case improves operating room (OR) utilization, physician, and patient satisfaction and decreases delays in subsequent cases. The goal of our study was to evaluate the effect of a multidisciplinary initiative to improve first patient in the room (FPIR) and first case on time start (FCOTS) metrics in a tertiary care setting. Materials and Methods: A multidisciplinary committee focused on first case start data collection. Reasons for both anesthesia and surgical delays were analyzed. Improvement efforts focused on the timely completion of surgical consent, a requirement of a surgical, anesthesia, and nurse team member presence at the patients bedside by specific time, and parallel processing in the OR. Results: Over 65,100 OR cases were analyzed between 2007 and 2014. There was a statistically significant improvement in FPIR (82.80% versus 69.60%, p < .0001) and FCOTS (66.60% versus 55.90%, p < .0001). Surgical consent completion rate increased from 35% baseline to 68%–100%, depending on the surgical subspecialty. Improvements appeared sustainable several years following process implementation for both FPIR (84.60% versus 69.60%, p < .0001) and FCOTS (67.60% versus 55.90%, p < .0001). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a successful targeted, multidisciplinary initiative to improve first case surgical starts in an academic setting. Our approach was organizational rather than punitive or rewarding on an individual basis. Strategies included establishing concrete, time-specific goals and posting them visibly, empowering individuals to fulfill them, and ensuring no compromise in patient safety. In the complex environment of academic medicine including research protocols and teaching in the ORs, our organizational approach proved sustainable over several years.

The learning curve associated with the epidural technique using the Episure™ AutoDetect™ versus conventional glass syringe: an open-label, randomized, controlled, crossover trial of experienced anesthesiologists in obstetric patients.

BACKGROUND:The Episure™ AutoDetect™ (spring-loaded) syringe has been observed to successfully identify the epidural space in 2 pilot studies. In this study we evaluated the impact of the spring-loaded syringe on the establishment of successful epidural labor analgesia (primary outcome), elapsed time for catheter placement, and learning curve (cumulative summary analysis, i.e., Cusum) of experienced anesthesiologists. METHODS:Fourteen attending and fellow anesthesiologists were randomized to perform 50 consecutive epidural technique attempts using a spring-loaded or conventional glass syringe. Ten participants completed an additional 50 attempts with the alternate syringe in a crossover design. RESULTS:A total of 1200 epidural placement attempts were performed. Use of the spring-loaded syringe was associated with a nonsignificant difference of estimated success rate in obtaining analgesia success (absolute difference of 1.0% 95% confidence interval, CI: −8.9% to 10.8%), shorter elapsed mean time to epidural catheter placement (ratio of 0.92 95% CI, 0.89–0.96); P = 0.003) and similar Cusum curves when compared with a conventional glass syringe. Analgesia success was more common with attending versus fellow anesthesiologists (absolute difference of 34.6% 95% CI, 14.9% to 54.3%; P < 0.001), and when the initial preferred technique was loss-of-resistance to continuous saline versus intermittent air (absolute difference of 33.8% 95% CI, 12.6% to 55.0%; P < 0.001). Shorter elapsed mean times were also observed in the group exposed to the spring-loaded syringe first (ratio of 0.65 95% CI, 0.62–0.67; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS:When used by experienced obstetric anesthesiologists, the spring-loaded syringe was associated with a similar overall rate for establishing successful epidural labor analgesia, a shorter elapsed time to epidural catheter insertion, particularly when the anesthesiologist was randomized to use the novel syringe first, and a similar Cusum curve when compared with a conventional glass syringe. Attending versus fellow anesthesiologists and an initial technique preference for loss-of-resistance to continuous saline were associated with greater analgesia success with the novel syringe.

Maternal Physiological Changes During Pregnancy, Labor, and the Postpartum Period

Maternal blood volume increases during pregnancy, and this involves an increase in plasma volume as well as in red cell and white cell volumes.1 The plasma volume increases by 40–50%, whereas the red cell volume increases by only 15–20%, which causes a “physiological anemia of pregnancy” (normal hemoglobin 12 g/dL; hematocrit 35).2 Because of this hemodilution, blood viscosity decreases by approximately 20%. The exact mechanism of this increase in plasma volume is unknown. However, several mediators such as renin–angiotensin–aldosterone, atrial natriuretic peptide, estrogen, progesterone, and nitric oxide may be involved. The most likely hypothesis attributes the increase to an “underfill” state caused by initial vasodilation, which stimulates hormones such as renin, angiotensin, and aldosterone to cause fluid retention.3 Alternatively, some have proposed an “overfill” state characterized by an early increase in sodium retention (due to an increase in mineralcorticoids) that leads to fluid retention, causing an increase in blood volume, followed subsequently by vasodilation.