Underestimating the size of the problem? UK anaesthesia for patients with obesity.

We analysed data from 14,000 patients in the 2013 United Kingdom Anaesthesia Activity Survey of the Fifth National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland to examine anaesthetic, organisational and clinical practice for patients with obesity. We compared practice then with current guidance on management of this patient group. Obesity was reported in 22%, mainly Black, Afro-Caribbean and White Caucasian patients. There was minimal variation in surgical timing, anaesthetic seniority, induction location or day-case procedure rates. As BMI increased above 25kgm-2 ASA grade rose and there were modest changes in practice towards that recommended for this patient group. Some practice changes were counter-intuitive. When BMI exceeded 35kgm-2 safety based practice changed markedly. For patients receiving GA there was an increase in immediate (operative) mortality as BMI rose. UK anaesthetic practice in 2013 appears to underestimate patient levels of obesity, does not reflect recent published guidelines for the management of patients with obesity undergoing anaesthesia and, taken with the mortality findings, raises concerns over the reliability of safe management of such patients.

A survey of the dose of inhalational agents used to maintain anaesthesia in infants.

BACKGROUND: Various animal studies suggest that currently used anaesthetics are toxic to the developing brain. Many reviews advise that the total anaesthetic drug exposure should be reduced but the dose usually used in clinical practice has not been clearly elucidated. OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of the dose ranges currently used in clinical practice during the maintenance phase of anaesthesia in infants undergoing anaesthesia for noncardiac surgery and diagnostic procedures. DESIGN: A two-centre mixed prospective (London) and retrospective (Utrecht) observational cohort study. SETTING: Two independent tertiary paediatric referral centres in March and November 2013; Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), London, United Kingdom and Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), The Netherlands. PATIENTS: A total of 76 infants were included in the analysis, 38 infants from each hospital. METHODS: Patients from GOSH were matched by procedure, age and weight with patients from the UMCU. The end-tidal concentrations of the inhalational agents were investigated from anaesthetic charts during the maintenance phase and corrected for the age-specific minimal alveolar concentration (MAC), expressed as a percentage from the MAC (%MAC). RESULTS: Three different types of inhalational anaesthetics were used: sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane. The mean %MAC was 0.85. No significant differences in %MAC were found between GOSH and the UMCU (P = 0.329); the mean %MAC in GOSH was 0.87 and in the UMCU was 0.82. There was a significant increase in the %MAC in relation to age (slope = 0.036 MAC month, P < 0.001). Of all patients, 75% had an end-tidal concentration lower than 1 MAC. There was no significant effect of the use of analgesia on the end-tidal concentration of inhalational anaesthetics (P = 0.366). CONCLUSION: The concentration of inhalational anaesthetics in %MAC increased with age and was lowest in neonates. Most young infants received inhalational anaesthetics at a concentration below 1 MAC, which accords with current guidance to minimise anaesthetic drug exposure but may have unintended consequences.

Nurse led sedation for paediatric MRI: progress and issues.

AIM: This article describes the current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sedation service, the role of the nurse sedationist, results of clinical audits, and future issues within MRI. METHOD: Data from 2004 until 2006 were analysed to describe the percentage of children who were successfully sedated, and any complications. The recovery profile was investigated by a questionnaire of 100 consecutive cases. FINDINGS: Sedation was attempted in 455 cases with chloral hydrate, and 325 with temazepam and droperidol. The success rate was 97.4 and 92.6 per cent respectively. Top-up sedation was used in 10 and 29 per cent respectively. There were seven minor incidents but none required admission. Approximately 20 per cent of children were drowsy the following day. CONCLUSION: We believe that the success of the service depends upon three main factors: the deselection of children in whom sedation is unsafe or likely to be unsuccessful, the use of appropriate drugs in limited doses, and the training of experienced nurses.