Cognitive Aids for the Management of Thoracic Anesthesia Emergencies: Consensus Guidelines on Behalf of a Canadian Thoracic Taskforce.

A cognitive aid is a tool used to help people accurately and efficiently perform actions. Similarly themed cognitive aids may be collated into a manual to provide relevant information for a specific context (eg, operating room emergencies). Expert content and design are paramount to facilitate the utility of a cognitive aid, especially during a crisis when accessible memory may be limited and distractions may impair task completion. A cognitive aid does not represent a rigid approach to problem-solving or a replacement for decision-making. Successful cognitive aid implementation requires dedicated training, access, and culture integration. Here the authors present a set of evidence-based cognitive aids for thoracic anesthesia emergencies developed by a Canadian thoracic taskforce.

Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia - Revised Edition 2021.

OVERVIEW: The Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia Revised Edition 2021 (the Guidelines) were prepared by the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society (CAS), which reserves the right to determine their publication and distribution. The Guidelines are subject to revision and updated versions are published annually. The Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia Revised Edition 2021 supersedes all previously published versions of this document. Although the CAS encourages Canadian anesthesiologists to adhere to its practice guidelines to ensure high-quality patient care, the CAS cannot guarantee any specific patient outcome. Anesthesiologists should exercise their own professional judgement in determining the proper course of action for any patient's circumstances. The CAS assumes no responsibility or liability for any error or omission arising from the use of any information contained in its Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia.

RéSUMé: Le Guide d'exercice de l'anesthésie, version révisée 2021 (le Guide), a été préparé par la Société canadienne des anesthésiologistes (SCA), qui se réserve le droit de décider des termes de sa publication et de sa diffusion. Le Guide est soumis à révision et des versions mises à jour sont publiées chaque année. Le Guide d'exercice de l'anesthésie, version révisée 2021, remplace toutes les versions précédemment publiées de ce document. Bien que la SCA incite les anesthésiologistes du Canada à se conformer à son guide d'exercice pour assurer une grande qualité des soins dispensés aux patients, elle ne peut garantir les résultats d'une intervention spécifique. Les anesthésiologistes doivent exercer leur jugement professionnel pour déterminer la méthode d'intervention la mieux adaptée à l'état de leur patient. La SCA n'accepte aucune responsabilité ou imputabilité de quelque nature que ce soit découlant d'erreurs ou d'omissions ou de l'utilisation des renseignements contenus dans son Guide d'exercice de l'anesthésie.

Transesophageal Echocardiography-Guided Ventriculoatrial Shunt Insertion.

BACKGROUND: Determining an optimal location within the right atrium (RA) for placement of the distal ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt catheter offer several operative challenges that place patients at risk for perioperative complications and downstream VA shunt failure. Utilizing transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guidance to place distal VA shunt catheters may help to circumvent these risks. OBJECTIVE: To review our current practice of VA shunt insertion using TEE guidance. METHODS: A retrospective review of all consecutive patients who underwent VA shunt procedures between December 19, 2016 and January 22, 2019, during which time intraoperative TEE was used for shunt placement was performed. Data on the time required for shunt placement and total procedure time, baseline echocardiography findings, and short- and long-term complications of shunt placement were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 33 patients underwent VA shunt procedures, with a median follow-up time of 250 (88-412) d. The only immediate complication related to shunt placement or TEE use was transient ectopy in 1 patient. The mean time for atrial catheter insertion was 12.6 ± 4.8 min. Right-heart catheters were inserted between the RA-superior vena cava junction and 22 mm within the RA in all but 3 procedures. A total of 7/33 patients (21%) underwent shunt revision. Indications for revisions included distal clots, proximal obstruction, positive blood culture, and shunt valve revision. No other complications of VA shunt insertion were reported. CONCLUSION: VA shunt insertion using TEE allows for precise distal catheter placement. Early patient experience confirms this technique has a low complication rate.

Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia - Revised Edition 2020.

OVERVIEW: The Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia Revised Edition 2020 (the Guidelines) were prepared by the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society (CAS), which reserves the right to determine their publication and distribution. The Guidelines are subject to revision and updated versions are published annually. The Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia Revised Edition 2020 supersedes all previously published versions of this document. Although the CAS encourages Canadian anesthesiologists to adhere to its practice guidelines to ensure high-quality patient care, the CAS cannot guarantee any specific patient outcome. Anesthesiologists should exercise their own professional judgement in determining the proper course of action for any patient's circumstances. The CAS assumes no responsibility or liability for any error or omission arising from the use of any information contained in its Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia.

Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia - Revised Edition 2019.

OVERVIEW: The Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia Revised Edition 2019 (the Guidelines) were prepared by the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society (CAS), which reserves the right to determine their publication and distribution. The Guidelines are subject to revision and updated versions are published annually. The Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia Revised Edition 2019 supersedes all previously published versions of this document. Although the CAS encourages Canadian anesthesiologists to adhere to its practice guidelines to ensure high-quality patient care, the CAS cannot guarantee any specific patient outcome. Anesthesiologists should exercise their own professional judgement in determining the proper course of action for any patient's circumstances. The CAS assumes no responsibility or liability for any error or omission arising from the use of any information contained in its Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia.

Coagulation after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: a retrospective cohort analysis.

PURPOSE: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) benefit patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Nevertheless, this therapy is associated with considerable postoperative pain due to the extensive abdominal incision. While epidural analgesia offers efficacious pain control, CRS and HIPEC therapy is associated with perioperative coagulopathy that may impact its use. The purpose of this retrospective study is to characterize the postoperative coagulopathy in this patient subset and to develop a model that will help predict those at risk. METHODS: Our database of patients treated with CRS and HIPEC (n = 171) was reviewed to assess perioperative changes in platelet count, international normalized ratio (INR), and partial thromboplastin time (PTT). Abnormal coagulation was defined by platelet count < 100 × 10-9·L-1, INR ≥ 1.5, or PTT ≥ 45 sec. Severe abnormality in coagulation was defined by platelet count < 50 ×10-9·L-1, INR > 2.0, and/or PTT > 60 sec. A logistic regression model was developed to determine if patient, disease, and/or surgical factor(s) were associated with the development of postoperative coagulopathy. Epidural catheter management in this patient population was also reviewed. RESULTS: Significant differences (adjusted P < 0.007) were noted between median preoperative and postoperative platelet and INR values on postoperative days (POD) 0 through 6 and days 0 through 3, respectively. Highest observed median differences between preoperative and postoperative values showed a decrease in platelet count of 94 × 10-9·L-1 (POD 2 and POD 3), an increase in INR of 0.2 (POD 0 to POD 2), and a decrease in PTT of 3.1 sec (POD 5). Coagulopathy and severe coagulopathy occurred in 38% and 4.7% of patients, respectively. Predictors of coagulopathy included intraoperative transfusion of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) and perhaps the peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI). Epidural catheters were inserted in 26 patients for a median [IQR] duration of 7.0 [5.0-7.0] days without complication. At the time of their removal, no blood products were required to correct abnormal coagulation values. CONCLUSIONS: Altered coagulation may appear during the postoperative period in approximately 40% of our patients treated with CRS and HIPEC. Intraoperative transfusion of RBCs and possibly increased PCI are associated with abnormal postoperative coagulation. Close monitoring of coagulation parameters is required to help ensure safe removal of an epidural catheter.