Multicentered study of model of anesthesia related adverse events in Thailand by incident report (The Thai Anesthesia Incidents Monitoring Study): results.

OBJECTIVE: The Thai Anesthesia Incidents Monitoring Study (Thai AIMS) was aimed to identify and analyze anesthesia incidents in order to find out the frequency distribution, clinical courses, management of incidents, and investigation of model appropriate for possible corrective strategies. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Fifty-one hospitals (comprising of university, military, regional, general, and district hospitals across Thailand) participated in the present study. Each hospital was invited to report, on an anonymous and voluntary basis, any unintended anesthesia incident during six months (January to June 2007). A standardized incident report form was developed in order to fill in what, where, when, how, and why it happened in both the close-end and open-end questionnaire. Each incident report was reviewed by three reviewers. Any disagreement was discussed and judged to achieve a consensus. RESULTS: Among 1996 incident reports and 2537 incidents, there were more male (55%) than female (45%) patients with ASA PS 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 = 22%, 36%, 24%, 11%, and 7%, respectively. Surgical specialties that posed high risk of incidents were neurosurgical, otorhino-laryngological, urological, and cardiac surgery. Common places where incidents occurred were operating room (61%), ward (10%), and recovery room (9%). Common occurred incidents were arrhythmia needing treatment (25%), desaturation (24%), death within 24 hr (20%), cardiac arrest (14%), reintubation (10%), difficult intubation (8%), esophageal intubation (5%), equipment failure (5%), and drug error (4%) etc. Monitors that first detected incidents were EKG (46%), Pulse oximeter (34%), noninvasive blood pressure (12%), capnometry (4%), and mean arterial pressure (1%). CONCLUSION: Common factors related to incidents were inexperience, lack of vigilance, inadequate preanesthetic evaluation, inappropriate decision, emergency condition, haste, inadequate supervision, and ineffective communication. Suggested corrective strategies were quality assurance activity, clinical practice guideline, improvement of supervision, additional training, improvement of communication, and an increase in personnel.

Multicentered study of model of anesthesia related adverse events in Thailand by incident report (the Thai Anesthesia Incident Monitoring Study): methodology.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the appropriate model for incident study of adverse or undesirable events in more extensive levels from primary to tertiary hospitals across Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The present study was mainly a qualitative research design. Participating anesthesia providers are asked to report, on anonymous and voluntary basis, by completing the standardized incident report form as soon as they find a predetermined adverse or undesirable event during anesthesia, and until 24 hours after the operation. Data from the incident report will be reviewed by three peer reviewers and analyzed to identify contributing factors by consensus. CONCLUSION: The THAI anesthesia incidents monitoring study can be used as a model for the development of a local system to provide review and feedback information. This should help generate real improvement in the patient care.

Risk factors of intraoperative oxygen desaturation: a case-control study of 152,314 anesthetics.

BACKGROUND: The present study was part of the Thai Anesthesia Incidents Study (THAI Study) of anesthetic adverse outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To determine factors related to intraoperative oxygen desaturation (SpO2 < or =85% or < 90% for more than 3 min). MATERIAL AND METHOD: During a 12-month period (February 1, 2003 - January 31, 2004), a prospective multicentered registry of patients receiving anesthesia was conducted in 20 hospitals across Thailand Anesthesia personnel filled up patient-related, surgical-related, and anesthesia related variables and adverse outcomes including intraoperative oxygen desaturation. A case-control (1:4) study of patients with and without intraoperative oxygen desaturation in the THAI Study database was done. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify factors related to intraoperative oxygen desaturation. A p-value < 0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: Among 152,314 patients without preanesthetic desaturation in the database, 328 cases of intraoperative oxygen desaturation were matched with 1312 control patients without desaturation. Variables that predict desaturation by multiple logistic regression were age less than 5 years old [OR 9.3 (95% CI 5.4-16.0)], ASA physical status 3, 4, 5 [OR 3.1 (95% CI 2.2-4.3)], history of upper respiratory tract infection [OR 10 (95% CI 1.9-51.6)], history of asthma [OR 2.9 (95% CI 1.0-9.5)], general anesthesia [OR 4.0 (95% CI 2.4-6.7)] duration of anesthesia 31-90 min [OR 1.9 (95% CI 1.2-3.0)], duration of anesthesia 91-150 min (OR 2.2 (95% CI 1.3-3.6)], and duration of anesthesia >150 min [OR 2.0 (95% CI 1.2-3.4)]. CONCLUSION: Knowing the risk factors of intraoperative oxygen desaturation helps improving personnel to improve preanesthetic conditions and facilitate early detection as well as prompt treatment of intraoperative oxygen desaturation.

Slide tracheoplasty with pericardial patch augmentation for reconstruction of severe congenital tracheal stenosis involving carina : A case report.

Objective: Slide tracheoplasty seems to be the most efficient surgical procedure for correcting long-segment funnel-shaped congenital tracheal stenosis. However, in cases of extremely long-segment or those involve carina, slide tracheoplasty when operated alone has certain degree of limitations which often need additional operative procedure. The authors report a technique of slide tracheoplasty in combination with pericardial patch augmentation in a child with congenital tracheal stenosis involving the carina. Methods: A 3-month-old girl, previously diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot and congenital tracheal stenosis, presented with severe cyanosis and serious major airway obstruction after a few days of upper respiratory tract infection (URI). Because of the failure to maintain her ventilation with a high positive pressure ventilator, an emergency slide tracheoplasty with a modified right Blalock’s Taussig shunt was performed under a cardiopulmonary bypass. The intraoperative finding revealed a complete tracheal ring stenosis involving the lower half of the trachea and carina. It was transected at the middle and a vertical incision was made at the posterior wall of the upper trachea and anterior wall of the lower and extended into orifices of the main bronchus. The upper and lower tracheal flaps were slid together and sutured with interrupted Proline 5-0. Consequently, she still had significant obstruction of the main bronchi postoperatively and needed a re-operation two days later. Under cardiopulmonary bypass support, the lower anastomotic sutures were removed and an additional bronchial incision was made into the main bronchus. The anterior upper tracheal flap was separated into two, and each equal flap was pulled down and sutured to the main bronchus. Then an autologous pericardial patch was used to cover all the airway defects. Intraoperative fiberoptic bronchoscopy demonstrated adequate tracheo-bronchial lumen. Results: The child had postoperative hyperactive airway reaction and needed prolonged ventilator support and tracheostomy for tracheal toileting. Repeated postoperative bronchoscopy found moderated granulation tissue which was easily removed by catheter suction. Unfortunately, the patient expired six months after the surgery due to uncontrolled sepsis. However, a bronchoscopic finding before the patient’s death revealed adequate major airway patency. Conclusion: Combined slide tracheoplasty with pericardial patch augmentation made reconstruction of the complex congenital tracheal stenosis involving carina or tracheal bronchus possible and minimized the result of unflavoric excessive granulation tissue forming caused by pericardial tracheoplasty alone.