26 Oct 10
Posted in Anesthesia at 20:57 by Laci
By T Cook, S Payne, E Skryabina, D Hurford, E Clow and A Georgiou
Anaesthesia 2010;65:1069-1079
The National Patient Safety Agency has issued a Patient Safety Alert with the aim of eliminating Luer connectors from equipment for lumbar puncture and subarachnoid injections by 1 April 2011, and from all neuraxial and regional anaesthesia equipment in 2013. B-link (UK) Ltd and InterVene Ltd have produced non-Luer connectors for neuraxial devices: the Neurax® and Spinalok® respectively. Using an adult spinal simulator, 59 experienced clinicians performed neuraxial procedures using these devices and reported on specific performance characteristics and overall usability. Cross-connectivity between non-Luer and Luer connectors was also examined. The median (IQR [range]) overall assessment scores (0–10 scale) of usability for the standard, Neurax and Spinalok systems were 8 (8–9 [7–10]), 6 (5–7 [0–8]) and 7 (6–8 [1–9]) for spinal procedures and 8 (8–9 [6–10]), 7 (5–8 [1–9]) and 4 (3–6 [0–9]) for epidural procedures, respectively. Both study systems scored significantly lower than standard equipment for overall performance of spinal and epidural procedures, although the performance of non-Luer devices was mostly rated ‘adequate’ or better. Both non-Luer connectors could cross-connect with one or more Luer connectors. Following feedback to the manufacturers, both systems have been modified and cross-connectivity apparently has been eliminated. Our results indicate that clinicians may not find non-Luer devices immediately ‘user-friendly’. More importantly, some cross-connectivity with Luer devices was possible. Our findings illustrate that introducing equipment that is fully compliant with the National Patient Safety Agency alert poses a significant challenge to manufacturers and clinicians. We conclude that before introducing any non-Luer device into widespread use, independent, formal evaluation should be carried out.
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Posted in Anesthesia at 20:56 by Laci
By I Walker, R Griffiths and I Wilson
Anaesthesia 2010;65:1059-1063
At the time of writing, all NHS trusts and independent healthcare institutions in England and Wales will be required to take action to use spinal needles with non-Luer connectors by 1 April 2011. This important target follows repeated calls to design a solution to make it physically impossible to connect medications intended for intravenous administration to spinal needles. However, < 6 months from the implementation date, new devices are only just beginning to appear on the market and there is only one clinical study of a connector prototype in the peer-reviewed literature.
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22 Oct 10
Posted in Anticoagulation, Antiplatelet therapy, Pre-operatie evaluation at 0:35 by Laci
By J Rabbitts, G Nuttall, M Brown, A Hanson, W Oliver, D Holmes, C Rihal, Charanjit
Anesthesiology 2008;109:596-604
The American College of Cardiology released a scientific advisory that included a recommendation to delay elective of noncardiac surgery (NCS) for 1 yr after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with a drug-eluting stent (DES).
Methods
This single-center, retrospective study examined the risk for complications of NCS performed within 2 yr after DES placement and examined whether this risk changed based on the time between procedures. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) during the hospitalization for NCS. Bleeding events were analyzed as a secondary endpoint.
Results
From April 22, 2003, to December 31, 2006, a total of 520 patients underwent NCS within 2 yr after PCI with a DES at Mayo Clinic. The majority, 84%, of the DES placed were Cypher stents. The frequency of MACE was not found to be significantly associated with the time between PCI and NCS (rate of MACEs 6.4, 5.7, 5.9, and 3.3% at 0-90, 91-180, 181-365, and 366-730 days after PCI with DES, respectively; P = 0.727 for comparison across groups). Characteristics found to be associated with MACEs in univariate analysis were advanced age (P = 0.031), emergent NCS (P = 0.006), shock at time of PCI (P = 0.035), previous history of myocardial infarction (P = 0.046), and continuation of a thienopyridine (ticlopidine or clopidogrel) into the preoperative period (P = 0.040). The rate of transfusion did not seem to be associated with antiplatelet therapy use.
Conclusions
The risk of MACEs with NCS after DES placement was not significantly associated with time from stenting to surgery, but observed rates of MACEs were lowest after 1 yr.
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14 Oct 10
Posted in Antiplatelet therapy, Coronary artery disease, Pre-operatie evaluation at 10:00 by Laci
By The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand
Coronary stent thrombosis is an uncommon but clinically devastating complication of coronary artery stenting that usually results in significant myocardial infarction or death. The pathophysiology of stent thrombosis is related to non-endothelialisation of the stent struts, often due to inadequate deployment or delayed healing in the case of drug eluting stents.
Approximately 40% of reported cases have occurred in the context of non-cardiac surgery (NCS) performed in patients with coronary artery stents, in whom dual antiplatelet therapy or clopidogrel alone has been ceased.
In patients with coronary disease cessation of aspirin or clopidogrel is associated with an approximate 2-3 fold increase in subsequent death or myocardial infarction. This risk is further elevated in patients with intracoronary stent and is of added concern because the dramatic consequences of stent occlusion. There is uncertainty regarding the risks of stent thrombosis in individual patients, and in particular how to balance this risk against that of surgical complications if antiplatelet therapy is continued throughout the perioperative period.
This guideline provides consensus advice regarding the use of antiplatelet therapy in patients with intracoronary stents for whom non-cardiac invasive procedures are planned. It is designed for cardiologists, anaesthetists, surgeons and dentists preparing patients for these procedures.
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