Matters of the Heart: Examining Motivating Factors and Unconscious Bias in the Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to improving diversity within adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology (ACTA) and to provide possible strategies that could be implemented by evaluating the demographics of current ACTA fellows, examining motivating factors to pursue the sub-specialty, and assessing perceptions of unconscious biases during their application process and training. DESIGN: A survey was created by the authors and distributed electronically by the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists to the ACTA Fellows from April to June 2022. SETTING: A multicenter survey. PARTICIPANTS: Recent 2021 to 2022 ACTA fellows. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 68 fellows were included in the analytical sample; 37.3% were women, and 58.2% were men. Half of the participants in the sample were White race (47%), 26% were Asian, 8% Hispanic or Latinx, 5% Black, and 2% were Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian. Most fellows indicated that the complexity of cases and/or competency in transesophageal echocardiography was "very important" in their motivating factor (74.0%). When examining sex differences, female fellows reported (p value <0.05) that their experience was impacted negatively by sex and was more often treated with less respect and courtesy. There were no statistically significant differences in perceived discrimination by race and/or ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified several motivators to pursue ACTA and the perceptions of unconscious biases during the fellowship. Female fellows felt unconscious bias and a negative impact against them due to sex. Due to the small number of undergraduate enrollments, the results should be interpreted cautiously. Additionally, this provides support to complete further studies. Implicit bias training is one strategy that can be implemented to decrease unconscious bias experienced by ACTA fellows.

Racial Disparities in Compensation Among US Anesthesiologists: Results of a National Survey of Anesthesiologists.

BACKGROUND: A racial compensation disparity among physicians across numerous specialties is well documented and persists after adjustment for age, sex, experience, work hours, productivity, academic rank, and practice structure. This study examined national survey data to determine whether there are racial differences in compensation among anesthesiologists in the United States. METHODS: In 2018, 28,812 active members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists were surveyed to examine compensation among members. Compensation was defined as the amount reported as direct compensation on a W-2, 1099, or K-1, plus all voluntary salary reductions (eg, 401[k], health insurance). Covariates potentially associated with compensation were identified (eg, sex and academic rank) and included in regression models. Racial differences in outcome and model variables were assessed via Wilcoxon rank sum tests and Pearson's χ 2 tests. Covariate adjusted ordinal logistic regression estimated an odds ratio (OR) for the relationship between race and ethnicity and compensation while adjusting for provider and practice characteristics. RESULTS: The final analytical sample consisted of 1952 anesthesiologists (78% non-Hispanic White). The analytic sample represented a higher percentage of White, female, and younger physicians compared to the demographic makeup of anesthesiologists in the United States. When comparing non-Hispanic White anesthesiologists with anesthesiologists from other racial and ethnic minority groups, (ie, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander), the dependent variable (compensation range) and 6 of the covariates (sex, age, spousal work status, region, practice type, and completed fellowship) had significant differences. In the adjusted model, anesthesiologists from racial and ethnic minority populations had 26% lower odds of being in a higher compensation range compared to White anesthesiologists (OR, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Compensation for anesthesiologists showed a significant pay disparity associated with race and ethnicity even after adjusting for provider and practice characteristics. Our study raises concerns that processes, policies, or biases (either implicit or explicit) persist and may impact compensation for anesthesiologists from racial and ethnic minority populations. This disparity in compensation requires actionable solutions and calls for future studies that investigate contributing factors and to validate our findings given the low response rate.

Women Authorship Trends in the Highest-Impact Anesthesiology Journals from 2005 to 2021.

Background: Although women and men have matriculated into medical schools in similar proportions since the 1980s, recent data indicate that anesthesiology is lagging in gender equity, especially in academic leadership roles.1,2 As promotion in academic medicine is strongly influenced by publications, understanding whether a lack of women authorship is contributing to this gender gap is crucial.3,4 This article aims to assess how woman authorship trends have changed in the last 16 years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: The five highest impact journals in anesthesia were identified as Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, British Journal of Anaesthesia, Anesthesiology, PAIN, and Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. Number of total authors, including women, men, and unknown gender authors as well as incidence of woman first and/or last author, was documented from articles published in 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2021. Results: This analysis shows that women are gaining representation in anesthesia publications. Overall, there was a statistically significant increase in the total number of women authors and women first and last authorship. However, as of 2021, women still only represented ∼40% of total and first authors and ∼24% of last authors. In addition, increase in first/last woman authorship was not present in all journals when stratified. Conclusion: These journal differences may suggest the editorial evaluation process as a potential source of gender bias. There was a statistically significant relationship between women senior authors and articles with 50% or more women authors, indicating that woman mentorship is contributing to closing equity gap. These data present a starting point for further investigations into gender disparities within anesthesia to continue the forward progression for women in academic medicine.

Intraoperative Capnothorax during Robotic Diaphragmatic Endometriosis Excision.

Laparoscopic surgery is performed quite commonly and is known to have numerous advantages over traditional open surgery. Albeit rare, there are life-threatening complications as a result of laparoscopic surgery including those associated with the cardiopulmonary system. In our case, we present hemodynamically unstable capnothorax that occurred during robotic diaphragmatic endometriosis excision which was treated conservatively. It is critical for anesthesia providers to recognize when capnothorax occurs and to understand the implications and treatment in order to minimize unnecessary procedures and morbidity associated with such.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Among Anesthesiology Trainees.

Background: Historically in medicine, women and minorities have been underrepresented. This trend is especially significant in the anesthesiology workforce. Objective: The goals of this study were to quantify the current state of diversity by race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation among anesthesiology residents. Methods: An institutionally reviewed and validated survey was delivered through Qualtrics to 130 anesthesiology program directors. Topics addressed included gender identity, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic background, rationale for pursuing anesthesiology, and medical training experiences. The study was administered from February to April 2021; 135 anesthesiology residents responded to the survey. Results: The sample was 44.4% white (n = 60), 54.1% male (n = 73), and 83.7% (n = 113) of respondents self-reported as straight or heterosexual. Respondents indicated that role models/mentors were somewhat or very important in their desire to pursue anesthesiology (n = 85; 67.2%), 42% reported that having women/diverse faculty was somewhat or very important in their decision to pursue anesthesiology. Discrimination during the anesthesiology residency application process or as a resident ranged from 4.4% due to sexual orientation to 18.7% due to gender/gender identity and race/ethnicity. Conclusions: Experiences of discrimination based on race/ethnicity, gender, and gender identity continues to be a concern among anesthesiology trainees. Creating an environment that is inclusive and supportive of all trainees regardless of race/ethnicity, gender/gender identity, and sexual orientation is needed. Interventions and strategies to create an inclusive environment may improve diversity within anesthesiology.

Unilateral Hypoglossal Nerve Palsy in a Patient with a Difficult Airway Requiring Prolonged Intubation.

Isolated cranial nerve injury is a very rare complication of anesthesia. Specifically, hypoglossal nerve palsy affects mobility of the tongue and basic functions of swallowing and speech, and injury can be associated with placement and/or positioning of the endotracheal tube. Many etiologies are described that are unrelated to anesthesia such as tumors, stroke, trauma, or surgical dissection. Identification of hypoglossal neuropraxic-type injury from compression or stretching during anesthetic procedures can be difficult and tends to be a diagnosis of exclusion. Here, we present a case of a unilateral isolated hypoglossal nerve palsy following prolonged intubation in a surgery that involved large fluid shifts resulting in tongue swelling, in which establishment of the airway was initially difficult requiring two attempts. We suggest it is equally as possible that stretch injury occurred during airway instrumentation versus prolonged compression of the nerve between the endotracheal tube and the hyoid bone, possibly relating to a swollen tongue. We outline some treatments that have been used in previous reports and analyze their relation to improvements in symptoms. We conclude that instrumentation of the airway and prolonged intubation are both potential risk factors for hypoglossal nerve palsy, and identification of these risk factors can improve patient care by prompting patient discussions, guiding intraoperative management, and initiating earlier therapies.

Lateral popliteal block in foot and ankle surgery: Comparing ultrasound guidance to nerve stimulation. A prospective randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: The popliteal block has several benefits in foot and ankle surgery. It reduces postoperative pain, limits the use of narcotics and facilitates early discharge. The aim of this prospective randomized trial was to evaluate whether ultrasound guidance improves block characteristics compared to the nerve stimulation technique in lateral popliteal blocks. METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive either a lateral popliteal block using neurostimulation or ultrasound guidance. Block performance time, number of needle pricks, number of redirections were recorded. Pain upon admission to and discharge from post anesthesia care unit (PACU) was recorded. Block duration, patient satisfaction, pain at block site and amount of opioids used in PACU and between subsequent followup visits was recorded. Patients were followed for 12 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of number of pricks, time for the block to wean, pain upon admission to PACU, amount of opioids received in PACU, pain upon discharge from PACU, pain at the operative site, pain at the block site, toe motor function and toe sensation. There was a statistically significant difference in the block procedure performance time between the two groups, with the control group being faster (P<0.0001). A significantly larger number of patients in the control group required more than three needle redirections (P=0.0060). CONCLUSIONS: The lateral sciatic popliteal block using nerve stimulation had similar block characteristics and patient satisfaction with a significantly faster performance time compared to the ultrasound guided technique. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, prospective randomized study.

Liposomal bupivacaine interscalene nerve block in shoulder arthroplasty is not superior to plain bupivacaine: a double-blinded prospective randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Interscalene brachial plexus blocks are a common modality used to provide adjunctive pain relief with shoulder replacement surgery. In 2018, the Federal Drug Administration approved the use of liposomal bupivacaine (LB) for such nerve blocks. We sought to evaluate whether this formulation of bupivacaine would provide superior pain relief for shoulder replacement patients over standard bupivacaine alone. Our hypotheses were that in the LB cohort the average postoperative pain score over the first 72 hours would be significantly lower, time to block cessation would be longer, total opioid consumption would be lower, and the average patient satisfaction score regarding their pain management would be higher. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized, double-blinded study was designed comparing primary shoulder replacement surgery after an interscalene block with 25 mL of 0.5% plain bupivacaine vs. 133 mg of LB with 7.5 mL of 0.5% and 7.5 mL of 0.25% plain bupivacaine. A total of 104 patients were included in the study, with an equal number in each study arm. Patients' visual analog pain scores (VAPS) were followed for their inpatient stay, first 3 full outpatient days, and at a 3-week follow-up. Use of opioid medication was recorded for the same intervals and converted to morphine milligram equivalents. The time to first opioid rescue was documented, as well as the patients' satisfaction with their pain management at both the 3-day and 3-week intervals. RESULTS: No clinically relevant advantage to the use of LB over plain bupivacaine was found. During the second postoperative day, the mean VAPS was 2.4 with LB vs. 3.3 in the standard cohort (P = .0409). The only other statistically significant finding was a higher VAPS with LB during the third full day home compared with standard bupivacaine (4.0 vs. 2.8, respectively, P = .0197). Both of these differences were less than the minimal clinically important difference of 2 for the VAPS. Analysis of the VAPS for the first and third postoperative days, the first and second full days home, and at 3 weeks revealed no significant difference. Similarly, there was no significant difference in time to first opioid rescue, total morphine milligram equivalent use, and patient satisfaction with pain management. CONCLUSION: When used for an interscalene block to provide adjunctive pain relief in shoulder replacement surgery, the addition of LB to plain bupivacaine provides no additional clinically important benefit to the patient's pain experience over standard bupivacaine.

Perioperative considerations for patients with sickle cell disease: a narrative review.

PURPOSE: Approximately 200,000 individuals worldwide are born annually with sickle cell disease (SCD). Regions with the highest rates of SCD include Africa, the Mediterranean, and Asia, where its prevalence is estimated to be 2-6% of the population. An estimated 70,000-100,000 people in the United States have SCD. Due to enhanced newborn screening, a better understanding of this disease, and more aggressive therapy, many sickle cell patients survive into their adult years and present more frequently for surgery. SOURCE: The authors identified relevant medical literature by searching PubMed, MEDLINE®, EMBASE™, Scopus™, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases for English language publications appearing from 1972-September 2016. Case reports, abstracts, review articles, and original research articles were reviewed-with particular focus on the pathophysiology and medical management of SCD and any anesthesia-related issues. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Perioperative physicians should be familiar with the triggers of a sickle cell crisis and vaso-occlusive disease. Sickle cell disease affects various organ systems, including the central nervous, cardiovascular, pulmonary, genitourinary, and musculoskeletal systems. Preoperative assessment should focus on end-organ dysfunction. Controversy continues regarding if and when sickle cell patients should receive transfusions and which anesthetic technique (regional or general) confers any benefits. Timely, appropriate, and sufficient analgesia is critical, especially when patients experience a vaso-occlusive crisis, acute chest syndrome, or acute postoperative pain. CONCLUSION: Effective management of SCD patients in the perioperative setting requires familiarity with the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment of SCD.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy: procedural complications and pain management for the perioperative clinician.

Achalasia refers to the lack of smooth muscle relaxation of the distal esophagus. Although nonsurgical treatments such as pneumatic dilatation of the distal esophagus and botulinum toxin injections have been performed, these procedures have limited duration. Similarly, surgical treatment with Heller myotomy is associated with complications. At our institution, we perform the peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in qualified patients. Briefly, POEM involves endoscopic creation of a mid-esophageal submucosal bleb, creation of a submucosal tunnel with the endoscope, and then a distal myotomy, resulting in relaxation of the distal esophagus. The aim of our study is to document perioperative pain and associated pain management for our initial patients undergoing POEM and to review the literature for perioperative complications of this procedure. Therefore, anesthetic and pain management for our initial eleven patients undergoing POEM were reviewed. Patient demographics, pre-POEM pain medication history, perioperative pain medication requirements, and post-POEM pain scores were examined. We found post-POEM pain was usually in the mild-moderate range; a combination of medications was effective (opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen). Our literature search revealed a wide frequency range of complications such as pneumoperitoneum and subcutaneous emphysema, with rare serious events such as capnopericardium leading to cardiac arrest. In conclusion, our experience with POEM suggests pain and can be managed adequately with a combination of medications; the procedure appears to be safe and reasonable to perform in an outpatient endoscopy unit.

Angioedema: Classification, management and emerging therapies for the perioperative physician.

Angioedema is a rare condition which manifests as sudden localised, non-pitting swelling of certain body parts including skin and mucous membranes. It is vital that anaesthesiologists understand this condition, as it may present suddenly in the perioperative period with airway compromise. To identify literature for this review, the authors searched the PubMed, Medline, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science databases for English language articles covering a 10-year period, 2006 through 2016. Angioedema can be either mast-cell mediated or bradykinin-induced. Older therapies for histaminergic symptoms are well known to anaesthesiologists (e.g., adrenaline, anti-histamines and steroids), whereas older therapies for bradykinin-induced symptoms include plasma and attenuated androgens. New classes of drugs for bradykinin-induced symptoms are now available, including anti-bradykinin, plasma kallikrein inhibitor and C1 esterase inhibitors. These can be used prophylactically or as rescue medications. Anaesthesiologists are in a unique position to coordinate perioperative care for this complex group of patients.

The Chitranjan Ranawat Award: Periarticular injections and femoral & sciatic blocks provide similar pain relief after TKA: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Two of the more common methods of pain management after TKA are peripheral nerve blocks and intraarticular/periarticular injections. However, we are not aware of any study directly comparing the commonly used combination of a continuous femoral block given with a single-shot sciatic block with that of a periarticular injection after TKA. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: This randomized clinical trial compared a combined femoral and sciatic nerve block with periarticular injection as part of a multimodal pain protocol after total knee arthroplasty with respect to (1) pain; (2) narcotic use; (3) quadriceps function and length of stay; and (4) peripheral nerve complications. METHODS: One hundred sixty patients completed randomization into two treatment arms: (1) peripheral nerve blocks (PNB; n=79) with an indwelling femoral nerve catheter and a single shot sciatic block; or (2) periarticular injection (PAI; n=81) using ropivacaine, epinephrine, ketorolac, and morphine. All patients received standardized general anesthesia and oral medications. The primary outcome was postoperative pain, on a 0 to 10 scale, measured on the afternoon of postoperative day 1 (POD 1). Secondary outcomes were narcotic use, quadriceps function, length of stay, and peripheral nerve complications. RESULTS: Mean pain scores on the afternoon of POD 1 were not different between groups (PNB group: 2.9 [SD 2.4]; PAI group: 3.0 [SD 2.2]; 95% confidence interval, -0.8 to 0.6; p=0.76). Mean pain scores taken at three times points on POD 1 were also similar between groups. Hospital length of stay was shorter for the PAI group (2.44 days [SD 0.65] versus 2.84 days [SD 1.34] for the PNB group; p=0.02). Narcotic consumption was higher the day of surgery for the PAI group (PAI group: 11.7 mg morphine equivalents [SD 13.1]; PNB group: 4.6 mg [SD 9.1]; p<0.001), but thereafter, there was no difference. More patients in the PNB group had sequelae of peripheral nerve injury (mainly dysesthesia) at 6-week followup (nine [12%] versus one [1%]; p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving periarticular injections had similar pain scores, shorter lengths of stay, less likelihood of peripheral nerve dysesthesia, but greater narcotic use on the day of surgery compared with patients receiving peripheral nerve blocks. Periarticular injections provide adequate pain relief, are simple to use, and avoid the potential complications associated with nerve blocks. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.