Nurse competence in the post-anaesthesia care unit in Sweden: a qualitative study of the nurse’s perspective

Background To enable safe and successful recovery for surgery patients, nurses working in post-anaesthesia care units need competence in postoperative care. No consensus defines what this specific competence includes, and it has not been studied from the perspective of nurses working in post-anaesthesia care units. The aim of this study is twofold: 1) To explore and describe nurses’ perception of the competence needed to work in post-anaesthesia care units. 2) To explore and describe nurses’ perception of what characterizes an expert nurse in post-anaesthesia care units. Methods This qualitative inductive study uses individual interviews. Sixteen nurses were recruited from two post-anaesthesia care units located in different parts of Sweden. Inclusion criteria were nurses employed in the post-anaesthesia care units for ≥1 years. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted; data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results The interview analysis identified six subthemes and three themes. The themes being adaptable in an ever-changing environment and creating safe care represent the overarching meaning of competence required when working as a nurse in a Swedish post-anaesthesia care unit. Nurses must possess various technical and nontechnical skills, which are core competences that are described in the sub-themes. The theme seeing the bigger picture describes the nurse’s perception of an expert nurse in the post-anaesthesia care unit. Conclusions Nurse competence in post-anaesthesia care units entails specific knowledge, acknowledging the patient, and working proactively at a fast pace with the patient and team to provide safe, high-quality care. An expert nurse in post-anaesthesia care units can see the bigger picture, helping share knowledge and develop post-anaesthesia care. The expert competence to see a bigger picture can be used in supervising novices and creating a knowledge base for postgraduate education in order to promote safe, high-quality post-anaesthesia care.

National quality improvement indicators project: an initial descriptive study

Background Anaesthesia Quality Improvement New Zealand developed a set of five quality improvement indicators pertaining to postoperative nausea and vomiting, pain, respiratory distress, hypothermia and a prolonged post-anaesthesia care unit stay. This study sought to assess the proportion of eligible institutions that were able to measure and provide data on these indicators, produce an initial national estimate of these, and a measure of variability in the quality improvement indicators across hospitals in New Zealand. Methods All public hospitals that provide a representative to Anaesthesia Quality Improvement New Zealand were eligible for inclusion. Participating institutions were required to provide the number and proportion of patients with each of the five quality improvement indicators over a continuous 2-week period between 1 June 2019 and 25 October 2019. The overall percentage of patients and the median percentage with each outcome were calculated. Results A total of 79.2% of eligible hospitals participated. The median incidence of the indicators ranged from 1.67% for respiratory distress to 6.31% for prolonged post-anaesthesia care unit stay. The indicator with the largest interquartile range was hypothermia and the smallest was respiratory distress (13.48 and 2.29, respectively). A large variation was seen for prolonged post-anaesthesia care unit stay, hypothermia, pain and postoperative nausea and vomiting. Conclusion The majority of eligible institutions were able to measure and provide data on the quality improvement indicators. There was a low rate of respiratory distress with low variability. A large amount of variability was observed in the other indicators. Future studies are needed to explore the nature of this variability.

EFFECT OF DEXAMETHASONE GARGLE AND MgSO4 GARGLE ON INCIDENCE AND SEVERITY OF POST OPERATIVE SORE THROAT IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING SURGERY UNDER GA : A RANDOMISED COMPARATIVE STUDY

BACKGROUND: Post operative sore throat (POST) is an unpleasant and troublesome sequelae after endotracheal intubation . The present study compares the efcacy of dexamethasone gargle versus magnesium sulphate gargle on incidence and severity of post operative sore throat in patients under General Anaesthesia. METHODS : 60 patients were randomly allocated to receive either magnesium sulphate gargle or dexamethasone gargle . 15 mins prior to induction of GA , the dexamethasone gargle group (n=30) received 8mg dexamethasone dissolved in 20ml of 5% dextrose whereas the magnesium sulphate gargle group received 1 gm of MgSO4 dissolved in 20ml of 5% of dextrose. Patients were assessed for incidence and severity of post operative sore throat , cough and hoarseness of voice in post anaesthesia care unit at 0hr, 2hrs, 4hrs, 6hrs and 24 hrs . RESULTS : Our study revealed that there was signicant (p<0.01) difference in the severity of sore throat between the groups at 0 hr, 2 hrs, 4 hrs , 6 hrs with patients receiving MgSO4 gargles showing decreased severity than gargling with dexamethasone. The two groups were found to be demographically comparable . In our current study , the mean duration of surgery in both groups was 2-2.5 hours and difference was statistically insignicant . SUMMARY : Among patients who gargled with 1gm of MgSO4 exhibited lower incidence and severity of POST as compared to patients who gargled with 8mg of dexamethasone

Comparison of the Effect of Ketamine, Ketamine-Midazolam and Ketamine-Propofol on Post-Tonsillectomy Agitation in Children

Background: Emergence agitation (EA) in children is one of the most common complications following anaesthesia. We aimed to compare the effect of ketamine, ketaminemidazolam and ketamine-propofol on EA after tonsillectomy. Methods: This study was a randomised, double-blind clinical trial conducted on 162 children undergoing adenotonsillectomy surgery. The participants were randomly divided into three groups of receiving ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) (N = 54), ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) + propofol (1 mg/kg) (N = 54) and ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) + midazolam (0.01 mg/kg) (N = 54) 10 min before the end of the operation. At the time of the patients’ entry into the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) and at intervals of 5 min, 10 min and 20 min after that, consciousness, mobility, breathing, circulation and SpO2 were recorded. Modified Aldrete recovery score (MARS), the objective pain score (OPS) and Richmond agitation-sedation scale (RASS) were also evaluated. Results: At the time of entrance to the PACU and 5 min later, the ketamine-midazolam and ketamine-propofol groups had lower RASS scores than the ketamine group (P < 0.001); after 10 min and 20 min, the ketamine-propofol group showed the lowest RASS score (P < 0.001). Ketamine-propofol group had a significantly lower MARS score at all-time points (P < 0.001). Recovery time was the longest for the ketamine-propofol group (P = 0.008). Conclusion: The ketamine-midazolam group had lower RASS, greater haemodynamic stability and MARS values without delayed awakening.

Risk factors of post-anaesthesia care unit delirium in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery in Singapore

Introduction: Post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) delirium affects 5%–45% of patients after surgery and is associated with postoperative delirium and increased mortality. Up to 40% of PACU delirium is preventable but it remains under-recognised due to a lack of awareness for its diagnosis. Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (Nu-DESC) has been validated in diagnosing PACU delirium but is not routine locally. This study aim was to use the Nu-DESC to establish the incidence and risk factors of PACU delirium in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery in the surgical population. Methods: With IRB approval and informed consent, we conducted an audit of eligible patients undergoing major surgery in three major public hospitals in Singapore over one week. Patients were assessed for delirium 30–60 minutes following their arrival in the PACU using the Nu-DESC with a score of ≥ 2 as indicative of delirium. Results: A total of 478 patients were assessed. The overall incidence rate of PACU delirium was 18/478 (3.8%) and 9/146 (6.2%) in patients over 65 years old. PACU delirium was more common in females, patients with malignancy and those who underwent longer operations. Logistic Regression analysis showed that the use of BIS (p < 0.001) and the presence of malignancy (p<0.001) were significantly associated with a higher incidence of PACU delirium. Conclusion: In this first local study, the incidence of PACU delirium was 3.8%, with the incidence increasing to 6.2% in those older than 65 years old. Understanding these risk factors will form the basis for which protocols can be established to optimise resource management and prevent long term morbidities and mortality of PACU delirium.

Screening for postoperative vital signs abnormalities, and particularly hemodynamic ones, by continuous monitoring: protocol for the Biobeat-Postop cohort study

Background: Postoperative hypotension associated with postoperative morbidity and early mortality has been studied previously. Hypertension and other hemodynamic, respiratory, and temperature abnormalities have comparatively understudied during the first postoperative days. Methods: This bi-centre observational cohort study will include 114 adult patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery hospitalized on an unmonitored general care floor and wearing a multi-signal wearable sensor, allowing remote monitoring (Biobeat Technologies Ltd, Petah Tikva, Israel). The study will cover the first 72 hours after discharge of the patient from the post-anaesthesia care unit. Several thresholds will be used for each variable (arterial pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and skin temperature). Data obtained using the sensor will be compared to data obtained during the routine nurse follow-up. The primary outcome is hemodynamic abnormality. The secondary outcomes are postoperative respiratory and temperature abnormalities, artefacts and blank/null outputs from the wearable device, postoperative complications, and finally, the ease of use of the device. We hypothesize that remote monitoring will detect abnormalities in vital signs more often or more quickly than the detection by nurses’ routine surveillance. Discussion: A demonstration of the ability of wireless sensors to outperform standard monitoring techniques paves the way for the creation of a loop which includes this monitoring mode, the automated creation of alerts, and the sending of these alerts to caregivers. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04585178. Registered on October 14, 2020

Perioperative Hypothermia—A Narrative Review

Unintentional hypothermia (core temperature < 36 °C) is a common side effect in patients undergoing surgery. Several patient-centred and external factors, e.g., drugs, comorbidities, trauma, environmental temperature, type of anaesthesia, as well as extent and duration of surgery, influence core temperature. Perioperative hypothermia has negative effects on coagulation, blood loss and transfusion requirements, metabolization of drugs, surgical site infections, and discharge from the post-anaesthesia care unit. Therefore, active temperature management is required in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative period to diminish the risks of perioperative hypothermia. Temperature measurement should be done with accurate and continuous probes. Perioperative temperature management includes a bundle of warming tools adapted to individual needs and local circumstances. Warming blankets and mattresses as well as the administration of properly warmed infusions via dedicated devices are important for this purpose. Temperature management should follow checklists and be individualized to the patient’s requirements and the local possibilities.