Deborah A. Rusy

Difficult laryngoscopy and diabetes mellitus

The incidence of difficult laryngoscopy urns determined retrospectively in 40 diabetic patients having pancreas transplantations and in 75 diabetic and 112 nondiabetic patients having kidney transplantations. Diabetes was associated with a significant increase in the proportion of patients having difficult laryngoscopies in patients having renal transplants: 0.027 in patients without diabetes; 0.320 in patients with diabetes. The incidence of difficult laryngoscopy in diabetic recipients of cadaveric kidneys (0.419) was not significantly different from that in diabetic recipients of pancreas transplants (0.40), but significantly higher than that in diabetics given kidneys from living donors (0.187). Although cadaveric recipients were older than recipients of kidneys from living donors (40.8 v. 31.6 years), age at the time of transplantation ions not a significant predictor of difficulty in laryngoscopy. Groups were otherwise matched for clinical, morphologic, hematologic, and biochemical indices. Diabetic stiff joint syndrome (S/S), which predisposes a subset of Type I diabetic patients to rapidly progressive microvascular disease and subsequent need for renal and/or pancreas transplantation, may lead to difficult laryngoscopy because of involvement of the atlanto-occipital joint.

Effect of Nitrous Oxide on Neurologic and Neuropsychological Function after Intracranial Aneurysm Surgery

Background:Laboratory studies suggest that nitrous oxide augments brain injury after ischemia or hypoxia. The authors examined the relation between nitrous oxide use and outcomes using data from the Intraoperative Hypothermia for Aneurysm Surgery Trial. Methods:The Intraoperative Hypothermia for Aneurysm Surgery Trial was a prospective randomized study of the impact of intraoperative hypothermia (temperature = 33°C) versus normothermia (temperature = 36.5°C) in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage undergoing surgical clipping. Anesthesia was dictated by a limited-options protocol with the use of nitrous oxide determined by individual anesthesiologists. All patients were assessed daily for 14 days after surgery or until hospital discharge. Neurologic and neuropsychological testing were conducted at 3 months after surgery. Outcome data were analyzed via both univariate tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis correcting for factors thought to influence outcome. An odds ratio (OR) greater than 1.0 denotes a worse outcome in patients receiving nitrous oxide. Results:Outcome data were available for 1,000 patients, of which 373 received nitrous oxide. There was no difference between groups in the development of delayed ischemic neurologic deficit. At 3 months after surgery, there were no significant differences between groups in any outcome variable: Glasgow Outcome Score (OR, 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63–1.14; P = 0.268), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.96–1.73; P = 0.087), Rankin Disability Score (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.61–1.15; P = 0.284), Barthel Activities of Daily Living Index (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.68–1.51; P = 0.961), or neuropsychological testing (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.85–1.87; P = 0.252). Conclusions:In a population of patients at risk for ischemic brain injury, nitrous oxide use had no overall beneficial or detrimental impact on neurologic or neuropsychological outcomes.

Wide-bore 1.5 T MRI-guided deep brain stimulation surgery: initial experience and technique comparison☆

OBJECT We report results of the initial experience with magnetic resonance image (MRI)-guided implantation of subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulating (DBS) electrodes at the University of Wisconsin after having employed frame-based stereotaxy with previously available MR imaging techniques and microelectrode recording for STN DBS surgeries. METHODS Ten patients underwent MRI-guided DBS implantation of 20 electrodes between April 2011 and March 2013. The procedure was performed in a purpose-built intraoperative MRI suite configured specifically to allow MRI-guided DBS, using a wide-bore (70 cm) MRI system. Trajectory guidance was accomplished with commercially available system consisting of an MR-visible skull-mounted aiming device and a software guidance system processing intraoperatively acquired iterative MRI scans. RESULTS A total of 10 patients (5 male, 5 female)-representative of the Parkinson Disease (PD) population-were operated on with standard technique and underwent 20 electrode placements under MRI-guided bilateral STN-targeted DBS placement. All patients completed the procedure with electrodes successfully placed in the STN. Procedure time improved with experience. CONCLUSION Our initial experience confirms the safety of MRI-guided DBS, setting the stage for future investigations combining physiology and MRI guidance. Further follow-up is required to compare the efficacy of the MRI-guided surgery cohort to that of traditional frame-based stereotaxy.

Pediatric surgeon-directed wound classification improves accuracy.

BACKGROUND Surgical wound classification (SWC) communicates the degree of contamination in the surgical field and is used to stratify risk of surgical site infection and compare outcomes among centers. We hypothesized that by changing from nurse-directed to surgeon-directed SWC during a structured operative debrief, we will improve accuracy of documentation. METHODS An institutional review board-approved retrospective chart review was performed. Two time periods were defined: initially, SWC was determined and recorded by the circulating nurse (before debrief, June 2012-May 2013) and allowing 6 mo for adoption and education, we implemented a structured operative debriefing including surgeon-directed SWC (after debrief, January 2014-August 2014). Accuracy of SWC was determined for four commonly performed pediatric general surgery operations: inguinal hernia repair (clean), gastrostomy ± Nissen fundoplication (clean contaminated), appendectomy without perforation (contaminated), and appendectomy with perforation (dirty). RESULTS One hundred eighty-three cases before debrief and 142 cases after debrief met inclusion criteria. No differences between time periods were noted in regard to patient demographics, ASA class, or case mix. Accuracy of wound classification improved before debrief (42% versus 58.5%, P = 0.003). Before debrief, 26.8% of cases were overestimated or underestimated by more than one wound class, versus 3.5% of cases after debrief (P < 0.001). Interestingly, most after debrief contaminated cases were incorrectly classified as clean contaminated. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of a structured operative debrief including surgeon-directed SWC improves the percentage of correctly classified wounds and decreases the degree of inaccuracy in incorrectly classified cases. However, after implementation of the debriefing, we still observed a 41.5% rate of incorrect documentation, most notably in contaminated cases, indicating further education and process improvement is needed.

Perioperative Genomic Profiles Using Structure-Specific Oligonucleotide Probes

Objectives: Many complications in the perioperative interval are associated with genetic susceptibilities that may be unknown in advance of surgery and anesthesia, including drug toxicity and inefficacy, thrombosis, prolonged neuromuscular blockade, organ failure and sepsis. The aims of this study were to design and validate the first genetic testing platform and panel designed for use in perioperative care, to establish allele frequencies in a target population, and to determine the number of mutant alleles per patient undergoing surgery. Design/Setting/Participants and Methods: One hundred fifty patients at Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin, 100 patients at the Medical College of Wisconsin Zablocki Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 200 patients at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin undergoing surgery and anesthesia were tested for 48 polymorphisms in 22 genes including ABC, BChE, ACE, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, β2AR, TPMT, F2, F5, F7, MTHFR, TNFα, TNFβ, CCR5, ApoE, HBB, MYH7, ABO and Gender (PRKY, PFKFB1). Using structure-specific cleavage of oligonucleotide probes (Invader, Third Wave Technologies, Inc., Madison, WI), 96-well plates were configured so that each well contained reagents for detection of both the wild type and mutant alleles at each locus. Results: There were 21,600 genotypes confirmed in duplicate. After withdrawal of polymorphisms in non-pathogenic genes (i.e., the ABO blood group and gender-specific alleles), 376 of 450 patients were found to be homozygous for mutant alleles at one or more loci. Modes of two mutant homozygous loci and 10 mutant alleles in aggregate (i.e., the sum of homozygous and heterozygous mutant polymorphisms) were observed per patient. Conclusions: Significant genetic heterogeneity that may not be accounted for by taking a family medical history, or by obtaining routine laboratory test results, is present in most patients presenting for surgery and may be detected using a newly developed genotyping platform.

Complexity of the pediatric trauma care process: implications for multi-level awareness

Trauma is the leading cause of disability and death in children and young adults in the US. While much is known about the medical aspects of inpatient pediatric trauma care, not much is known about the processes and roles involved in in-hospital care. Using human factors engineering methods, we combine interview, archival document, and trauma registry data to describe how intra-hospital care transitions affect process and team complexity. Specifically, we identify the 53 roles directly involved in patient care in each hospital unit and describe the 3324 total transitions between hospital units and the 69 unique pathways, from arrival to discharge, experienced by pediatric trauma patients. We continue the argument to shift from eliminating complexity to coping with it and propose supporting three levels of awareness to enhance the resilience and adaptation necessary for patient safety in health care, i.e., safety in complex systems. We discuss three levels of awareness (individual, team, and organizational), and describe challenges and potential sociotechnical solutions for each. For example, one challenge to individual awareness is high time pressure. A potential solution is clinical decision support of information perception, integration, and decision-making. A challenge to team awareness is inadequate “non-technical” skills, e.g., leadership, communication, role clarity; simulation or another form of training could improve these. The complex, distributed nature of this process is a challenge to organizational awareness; a potential solution is to develop awareness of the process and the roles and interdependencies within it, using process modeling or simulation.

Things Falling Through the Cracks: Information Loss During Pediatric Trauma Care Transitions

Pediatric trauma is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children in the USA. Several clinical teams converge to support trauma care in the Emergency Department (ED); the most severe trauma cases often need surgery in the operating room (OR) and/or are admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). These care transitions can result in loss of information or transfer of incorrect information, We interviewed 18 clinicians about communication and coordination during care transitions between the ED, OR and PICU. Clinicians completed a short questionnaire about patient safety during transitions. Results show that, although many services and units involved in pediatric trauma work well together, important patient care information may be lost in the transitions. To safely manage transitions of this fragile, unstable, complex population, we need to better manage the information flow during these transitions.

Challenges of Disposition Decision Making for Pediatric Trauma Patients in the Emergency Department

About 9.2 million children visit the emergency department (ED) in the US annually because of trauma and 20% experience a missed injury. Upon arriving to the hospital, physicians evaluate the child and make the ED disposition decision of whether to admit, operate or discharge. The objective of this study is to report the challenges mentioned by healthcare professionals about ED disposition decision making. We conducted 11 interviews with 12 healthcare professionals and identified 2 challenges of ED disposition decision making. The first challenge was timing of the decision; e.g., an ED nurse explained that a quick decision by physicians is important for providing timely patient care to critically ill children. The second challenge was leadership and team organization; e.g., the OR nurse and surgery resident both mentioned the need to know who to listen to so that they can understand what to do. Analyzing these challenges to ED disposition decision making can help to identify sociotechnical solutions for enhancing team situation awareness.

Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring for Lumbo-Sacral Spine Procedures

Lumbar spine disorders are the most common causes of disability in persons under the age of 45, with annual direct and indirect costs of these disorders amounting to billions of dollars [1]. More than a half million lumbo-sacral spine surgical procedures are performed each year to treat these spine disorders. Disease states of the lumbo-sacral spine, which may require surgical correction include: scoliosis, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, herniated nucleus pulposis, spondylysis, spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, cauda equina syndrome, spinal cord tumor, tethered cord, and traumatic lumbo-sacral fractures. Surgical procedures to treat these disorders include: decompressive laminectomy, foraminotomy, anterior spinal fusion, posterolateral lumbar fusion with or without instrumentation, posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF), transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF), lumbar discectomy or microdiscectomy, lumbar corpectomy, tethered cord release, rhizotomy, and disc arthroplasty.