A Consensus-Driven Approach to Redesigning Graduate Medical Education: The Pediatric Anesthesiology Delphi Study.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric anesthesiology fellowship education has necessarily evolved since Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accreditation in 1997. Advancements in perioperative and surgical practices, emerging roles in leadership, increasing mandates by accreditation and certification bodies, and progression toward competency-based education-among other things-have created pressure to enrich the current pediatric anesthesiology training system. The Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) formed a Task Force for Pediatric Anesthesiology Graduate Medical Education that included key leaders and subject matter experts from the society. A key element of the Task Force's charge was to identify curricular and evaluative enhancements for the fellowship program of the future. METHODS: The Task Force executed a nationally representative, stakeholder-based Delphi process centered around a fundamental theme: "What makes a pediatric anesthesiologist?" to build consensus among a demographically varied and broad group of anesthesiologists within the pediatric anesthesiology community. A total of 37 demographically and geographically varied pediatric anesthesiologists participated in iterative rounds of open- and close-ended survey work between August 2020 and July 2021 to build consensus on the current state, known deficiencies, anticipated needs, and strategies for enhancing national educational offerings and program requirements. RESULTS: Participation was robust, and consensus was almost completely achieved by round 2. This work generated a compelling Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis that suggests more strengths and opportunities in the current Pediatric Anesthesiology Graduate Medical Education program than weaknesses or threats. Stakeholders agreed that while fellows matriculate with some clinical knowledge and procedural gaps, a few clinical gaps exist upon graduation. Stakeholders agreed on 8 nonclinical domains and specific fundamental and foundational knowledge or skills that should be taught to all pediatric anesthesiology fellows regardless of career plans. These domains include (1) patient safety, (2) quality improvement, (3) communication skills, (4) supervision skills, (5) leadership, (6) medical education, (7) research basics, and (8) practice management. They also agreed that a new case log system should be created to better reflect modern pediatric anesthesia practice. Stakeholders further identified the need for the development of standardized and validated formative and summative assessment tools as part of a competency-based system. Finally, stakeholders noted that significant departmental, institutional, and national organizational support will be necessary to implement the specific recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: A Delphi process achieved robust consensus in assessing current training and recommending future directions for pediatric anesthesiology graduate medical education.

Fetal and Neonatal Anesthesia.

Anesthesia for fetal and neonatal surgery requires subspecialized knowledge and expertise. Attention to important anatomic, physiologic, and metabolic differences seen in pregnancy and at birth are essential for the optimal care of these patients. Thorough preoperative evaluations tailored intraoperative strategies and careful postoperative management are critical when devising the anesthetic approach for each of these cases.

Implementation and Assessment of a Visiting Scholar Exchange Program in Pediatric Anesthesiology to Promote Junior Faculty and Fellow Professional Development.

BACKGROUND: Junior faculty in academic medicine often struggle with establishing their careers, resulting in low promotion and high attrition rates. Fellows also grapple with the decision to pursue careers in academic medicine. We report on the implementation and evaluation of a novel faculty and fellows exchange program that promotes career development. METHODS: In 2017, the University of California San Francisco created a reciprocal faculty exchange program called the Visiting Scholars in Pediatric Anesthesia Program (ViSiPAP). ViSiPAP expanded to involve 17 institutions across the United States. Fellows from 3 of the institutions were paired with faculty mentors to create Fellow/Faculty ViSiPAP. An initial postparticipation survey was sent after each exchange, and a follow-up survey in 2020 assessed ViSiPAP's impact. RESULTS: Fifty-three faculty participated in ViSiPAP and gave 66 presentations, and 20 fellows from 3 institutions gave 20 presentations. The initial postparticipation survey response rate was 88%, and the follow-up survey response rate was 74%. Survey responses indicated that ViSiPAP enhanced fellow and faculty well-being, improved didactic conferences, and provided opportunities for networking and collaborating. The follow-up survey indicated that participation in ViSiPAP led to 45 online academic publications, 39 additional invited presentations, and 8 authorships in peer-reviewed academic journals. CONCLUSIONS: ViSiPAP is a successful professional development program for both fellows and junior faculty in pediatric anesthesia. Our program successfully introduced the participants into the pediatric anesthesia community and jumpstarted academic careers. Participation in ViSiPAP led to increased scholarly output and assisted with faculty promotion. This combined fellow/faculty exchange program is a novel approach to professional development and is broadly applicable to other disciplines in academic medicine.

Error traps in anesthesia for fetal interventions.

A wide range of fetal interventions are being performed worldwide to save the fetus's life, prevent permanent fetal organ damage, and allow a successful transition to extrauterine life. However, these are invasive procedures and can be associated with serious complications. This article focuses on promoting a culture of safety by highlighting five common error traps while anesthetizing patients for fetal interventions. They include failure to preserve uteroplacental perfusion and gas exchange, failure to achieve adequate uterine relaxation prior to hysterotomy, failure to monitor the fetus and prepare for fetal/neonatal resuscitation, failure to prepare for maternal hemorrhage, and failure to promptly treat uterine atony. Practical tips for avoiding these serious complications will also be discussed.

Use of Remifentanil for Open in utero Fetal Myelomeningocele Repair Maintains Uterine Relaxation with Reduced Volatile Anesthetic Concentration.

INTRODUCTION: Open fetal repair of myelomeningocele (MMC) is an option for prenatally diagnosed spina bifida. Historically, high-dose volatile anesthetic was used for uterine relaxation but is associated with fetal cardiovascular depression. We examined the impact of administering a supplemental remifentanil infusion on the concentration of inhaled anesthetic required for intraoperative uterine relaxation. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 22 consecutive patients who underwent open fetal MMC repair with desflurane anesthesia from 2014 to 2018. The anesthetic protocol was modified to include high-dose opioid with remifentanil in 2016. We examined intraoperative end-tidal desflurane concentrations, vasopressor use, incidence of umbilical artery Doppler abnormalities, and incidence of preterm labor and delivery. RESULTS: Patients (n = 11) who received desflurane and remifentanil (Des/Remi) were compared to patients (n = 11) who received desflurane (Des) alone. Intraoperatively, the maximum end-tidal desflurane required to maintain uterine relaxation was lower in the Des/Remi group (7.9 ± 2.2% vs. 13.1 ± 1.2%, p < 0.001). The mean phenylephrine infusion rate was also lower in the Des/Remi group (36 ± 14 vs. 53 ± 10 mcg/min, p = 0.004). DISCUSSION: Use of opioid with supplemental remifentanil was associated with lower volatile anesthetic dosing and decreased vasopressor use; fetal outcomes were not different. Remifentanil may allow for less volatile anesthetic use while maintaining adequate uterine relaxation.

East/West Visiting Scholars in Pediatric Anesthesia Program (ViSiPAP): Developing tomorrow's pediatric anesthesia leaders.

Promoting and retaining junior faculty are major challenges for many medical schools. High clinical workloads often limit time for scholarly projects and academic development, especially in anesthesiology. To address this, we created the East/West Visiting Scholars in Pediatric Anesthesia Program (ViSiPAP). The program's goal is to help "jumpstart" academic careers by providing opportunities for national exposure and recognition through invited lectures and collaborative opportunities. East/West ViSiPAP benefits the participating scholars, the home and hosting anesthesia departments, and pediatric anesthesia fellowship training programs. By fostering a sense of well-being and inclusion in the pediatric anesthesia community, East/West ViSiPAP has the potential to increase job satisfaction, help faculty attain promotion, and reduce attrition. Faculty and trainees are exposed to new expertise and role models. Moreover, ViSiPAP provides opportunities for women and underrepresented in medicine faculty. This program can help develop today's junior faculty into tomorrow's leaders in pediatric anesthesia. We advocate for expanding the concept of ViSiPAP to other institutions in academic medicine.

A Comparison of Spinal Anesthesia Versus Monitored Anesthesia Care With Local Anesthesia in Minimally Invasive Fetal Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive fetal surgery is commonly performed to treat twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome with selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation and twin-reversed arterial perfusion sequence using radiofrequency ablation. Although an increasing number of centers worldwide are performing these procedures, anesthetic management varies. Both neuraxial anesthesia and monitored anesthesia care with local anesthesia are used at different institutions. We sought to determine the efficacy and outcomes of these 2 anesthetic techniques for fetal procedures at our institution. METHODS: All patients undergoing minimally invasive fetal surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome or twin-reversed arterial perfusion sequence over a 6-year time period (2011-2016) were reviewed. Patients receiving monitored anesthesia care with local anesthesia were compared with those receiving spinal anesthesia in both selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation and radiofrequency ablation fetal procedures. The primary outcome examined between the monitored anesthesia care and spinal anesthesia groups was the difference in conversion to general anesthesia using a noninferiority design with a noninferiority margin of 5%. Secondary outcome measures included use of vasopressors, procedure times, intraoperative fluids administered, maternal complications, and unexpected fetal demise within 24 hours of surgery. RESULTS: The difference in failure rate between monitored anesthesia care and spinal was -0.5% (95% CI, -4.8% to 3.7%). Patients receiving monitored anesthesia care plus local anesthesia were significantly less likely to need vasopressors, had a shorter presurgical operating room time, and received less fluid (P < .001). Operative time did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Monitored anesthesia care plus local anesthesia is a reliable and safe anesthetic choice for minimally invasive fetal surgery. Furthermore, it decreases maternal hemodynamic instability and reduces preincision operating room time.

Incidence and Management of Umbilical Artery Flow Abnormalities during Open Fetal Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Umbilical artery (UA) Doppler ultrasound is used to assess uteroplacental insufficiency. Absent or reversed end diastolic flow (AREDF) in the UA is associated with increased perinatal mortality in fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction. We describe the incidence of UA Doppler abnormalities during open fetal surgery. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients undergoing open in utero myelomeningocele (MMC) repair between 2008 and 2015. Intermittent UA Dopplers were performed during key portions of all cases. Our primary outcome was the rate of any AREDF. Secondary outcomes included analysis of absent versus reversed end diastolic flow (EDF), vasopressor use, and volatile anesthetic and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-four of 47 fetuses developed UA Doppler abnormalities intraoperatively. Nineteen had absent EDF and 15 had reversed EDF. No AREDF was present before induction, and all AREDF resolved by postoperative day 1. Ten of 19 (52.6%) patients who received sevoflurane had reversed EDF, versus 5/28 (17.9%) for desflurane, odds ratio (95% CI) 5.11 (1.36-19.16), p = 0.02. One intraoperative fetal death occurred in the AREDF group. DISCUSSION: AREDF is a common phenomenon during open MMC repair. Anesthetic agent choice may influence this risk. Future studies of UA flow during fetal surgery are needed to further evaluate the impact of intraoperative AREDF on fetal well-being.

Thromboemboli, acute right heart failure and disseminated intravascular coagulation after intraoperative application of a topical hemostatic matrix.

Topical hemostatic agents are frequently used in spine surgeries to control or reduce bleeding. Although there are a number of commercially available products, at our institution, an absorbable gelatin powder (Surgifoam) is mixed with bovine thrombin and used for this purpose. We report the case of a patient undergoing a posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis who developed acute right heart failure, cardiac arrest, and disseminated intravascular coagulation after probable intravascular hemostatic agent-induced emboli. Clinicians need to be aware of this potentially deadly complication associated with topical hemostatic agents.

Preoperative clinic visits reduce operating room cancellations and delays.

BACKGROUND: Anesthesiologist-directed preoperative medicine clinics are used to prepare patients for the administration of anesthesia and surgery. Studies have shown that such a clinic reduces preoperative testing and consults, but few studies have examined the impact of the clinic on the day of surgery. The authors tested whether a visit to an anesthesia preoperative medicine clinic (APMC) would reduce day-of-surgery case cancellations and/or case delays. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective chart review of all surgical cases during a 6-month period at the University of Chicago Hospitals. Case cancellations and rates of first-start case delay over the 6-month period were cross-referenced with a database of APMC attendees in both the general operating rooms and the same-day surgery suite. The impact of a clinic visit on case cancellation and delay in both sites were analyzed separately. RESULTS: A total of 6,524 eligible cases were included. In the same-day surgery suite, 98 of 1,164 (8.4%) APMC-evaluated patients were cancelled, as compared with 366 of 2,252 (16.2%) in the non-APMC group (P < 0.001). In the general operating rooms, 87 of 1,631 (5.3%) APMC-evaluated patients were cancelled, as compared with 192 of 1,477 (13.0%) patients without a clinic visit (P < 0.001). For both operating areas, APMC patients had a significantly earlier room entry time than patients not evaluated in the APMC. CONCLUSIONS: An evaluation in the APMC can significantly impact case cancellations and delays on the day of surgery.