Critical Care Medicine Practice: A Pilot Survey of US Anesthesia Critical Care Medicine-Trained Physicians.

BACKGROUND: This survey assessed satisfaction with the practice environment among physicians who have completed fellowship training in critical care medicine (CCM) as recognized by the American Board of Anesthesiology (and are members of the American Society of Anesthesiology) and evaluated the perceived effectiveness of training programs in preparing fellows for critical care practice. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey composed of 39 multiple choice and open-ended questions was administered between August and December 2018 to all members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) who self-identified as being CCM trained. The survey instrument was developed and revised in an iterative fashion by ASA committee on CCM and the Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA). Survey results were analyzed using a mixed-method approach. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-three of the 1400 anesthesiologists who self-identified to the ASA as having CCM training (25.2%) completed the survey. Most were men (72.3%), board certified in CCM (98.7%), and had practiced a median of 5 years. Half of the respondents rated their training as "excellent." A total of 70.6% described currently working in academic centers with 53.6% providing care in open surgical intensive care units (ICUs). Most anesthesiologist intensivists (75%) spend at least 25% of their clinical time providing ICU care (versus clinical anesthesia). A total of 89% of the respondents were involved in educational activities, 60% reported being in administrative leadership roles, and 37% engaged in scholarly activity. Areas of dissatisfaction included fatigue, lack of collegiality or respect, lack of research training, decreased job satisfaction, and burnout. Analysis suggested moderate levels of job satisfaction (49%), work-life balance (52%), and high levels of burnout (74%). A significant contributor to burnout was with a perception of lack of respect (P = .005) in the work environment. Burnout was not significantly associated with gender or duration of practice. Qualitative analysis of the open-ended responses also identified these 3 variables as major themes. CONCLUSIONS: This survey of CCM-trained anesthesiologists described a high rate of board certification, practice in academic settings, and participation in resident education. Areas of dissatisfaction with an anesthesia/critical care practice included burnout, work/life balance, and lack of respect. These results may increase recruitment of anesthesiologists into critical care and inform strategies to improve satisfaction with anesthesia critical care practice, fellowship training.

The acute effectiveness and safety of the constant-flow, pressure-volume curve to improve hypoxemia in acute lung injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of the constant-flow, pressure-volume curve (PVC) to prescribe positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) in acute lung injury (ALI) and risk of cardiopulmonary deterioration during the PVC process. DESIGN: A retrospective, cohort study. SETTING: A surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary, university hospital. PATIENTS: Fifty consecutive ventilated patients diagnosed with ALI undergoing the PVC maneuver from 1999 to 2003. INTERVENTIONS: Titration of PEEP based on the lower inflection point of the constant-flow, pressure-volume curve. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients were divided into 2 groups based on PVC-guided PEEP changes of <3 cm H2O (PVC-NC or "no change") or ≥3 cm H2O (PVC-CHG or "change") from the initial empiric prescription. There was a greater increase in partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2)/fractional concentration of inspired oxygen (FiO2) in the PVC-CHG group, with a mean change of 80 ± 50 (95% confidence interval [CI] 61, 98) versus 42 ± 54 (95% CI 17, 67) in the PVC-NC group. Eighty-two percent of patients (41/50) showed an increase in ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) by 20% within 6 to 24 hours after the PVC test-greater in the PVC-CHG group (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.02, 2.01). Thirteen percent (4/30) within the PVC-CHG group and none within the PVC-NC group (0/20) required a 25% increase in vasoactive infusion rates (P = .089) in relation to the procedure. Univariate logistic regression showed that PVC-CHG was significantly associated with a 20% change in PaO2/FiO2 (OR 7.54, 95% CI 1.37, 41.41). Multivariate logistic modeling showed that PVC-guided PEEP changes of ≥3 cm H2O, age ≤65 years, and pre-PVC FiO2 ≥ .85 were significantly associated with a 20% increase in PaO2/FiO2 (receiver operator area under the curve = .86). CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of acute lung injury, use of the constant-flow, pressure-volume curve to prescribe PEEP appears associated with improvement in oxygenation with limited risk of acute, process-related, cardiopulmonary deterioration.

Hyperbaric oxygen and ovarian follicular stimulation for in vitro fertilization: a pilot study.

Our objective was to assess the safety and tolerability of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) as an adjunct to IVF therapy in women with a poor prognosis for pregnancy in a prospective observational pilot study. We conclude that HBO is well tolerated by women undergoing IVF treatment and that further study is required to determine whether this is an efficacious adjuvant therapy for women being treated by IVF.