Impact of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Service on Burnout Development in Eight Intensive Care Units. A National Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at investigating the effects of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) service on Burnout syndrome (BOS) development in the intensive care unit (ICU). DESIGN: The authors conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study. SETTINGS: Eight ICUs within 5 tertiary hospitals in 1 country. PARTICIPANTS: Intensive care practitioners (nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapists). INTERVENTION: Using an online questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel. In addition, demographic variables, workload, salary satisfaction, and caring for COVID-19 patients were assessed. Participants were divided based on working in an ICU with ECMO (ECMO-ICU) and without (non-ECMO-ICU) ECMO service, and burnout status (burnout and no burnout). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The response rate for completing the questionnaire was 36.4% (445/1,222). Male patients represented 53.7% of the participants. The overall prevalence of burnout was 64.5%. The overall burnout prevalence did not differ between ECMO- and non-ECMO-ICU groups (64.5% and 63.7, respectively). However, personal accomplishment (PA) score was significantly lower among ECMO-ICU personnel compared with those in a non-ECMO-ICU (42.7% v 52.6, p = 0.043). Significant predictors of burnout included profession (nurse or physician), acquiring COVID-19 infection, knowing other practitioners who were infected with COVID-19, salary dissatisfaction, and extremes of workload. CONCLUSION: Burnout was equally prevalent among participants from ECMO- and non-ECMO-ICU, but PA was lower among participants in the ICU with an ECMO service. The reported high prevalence of burnout, and its predictors, requires special attention to try to reduce its occurrence.

Intraoperative conditions and quality of postoperative analgesia after adding dexmedetomidine to epidural bupivacaine and fentanyl in elective cesarean section using combined spinal-epidural anesthesia.

UNLABELLED: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of adding dexmedetomidine to regular mixture of epidural drugs for pregnant women undergoing elective cesarean section with special emphasis on their sedative properties, ability to improve quality of intraoperative, postoperative analgesia, and neonatal outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty women of ASA physical status I or II at term pregnancy were enrolled randomly to receive plain bupivacaine plus fentanyl (BF Group) or plain bupivacaine plus mixture of fentanyl and dexmedetomidine (DBF Group). Incidence of hypotension, bradycardia, Apgar scores, intraoperative pain assessment, onset of postoperative pain, sedation scores, and side effects were recorded. RESULTS: No difference in the times taken for block to reach T4 sensory level, to reach the highest level of sensory block, and interval between first neuraxial injection and onset of surgery between the groups was noted. Onset of postoperative pain was significantly delayed in the DBF group (P = 0.001), the need for supplementary fentanyl was significantly less in DBF group (P = 0.03), no significant difference was noted between both groups regarding neonatal Apgar scores as well as the incidence of hypotension, bradycardia, nausea, vomiting, and duration of motor blockade. DBF group had significantly less incidence of shivering (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Adding dexmedetomidine to regular mixture of epidural anesthetics in women undergoing elective cesarean section improved intraoperative conditions and quality of postoperative analgesia without maternal or neonatal significant side effects.