The effect of implementing an aseptic practice bundle for anaesthetists to reduce postoperative infections, the Anaesthetists Be Cleaner (ABC) study: protocol for a stepped wedge, cluster randomised, multi-site trial

Background

Postoperative infection is a serious problem in New Zealand and internationally with considerable human and financial costs. Also, in New Zealand, certain factors that contribute to postoperative infection are more common in Māori and Pacific populations. To date, most efforts to reduce postoperative infection have focussed on surgical aspects of care and on antibiotic prophylaxis, but recent research shows that anaesthesia providers may also have an impact on infection transmission. These providers sometimes exhibit imperfect hand hygiene and frequently transfer the blood or saliva of their patients to their work environment. In addition, intravenous medications may become contaminated whilst being drawn up and administered to patients. Working with relevant practitioners and other experts, we have developed an evidence-informed bundle to improve key aseptic practices by anaesthetists with the aim of reducing postoperative infection. The key elements of the bundle are the filtering of compatible drugs, context-relevant hand hygiene practices and enhanced maintenance of clean work surfaces.

Methods

We will seek support for implementation of the bundle from senior anaesthesia and hospital leadership and departmental “champions”. Anaesthetic teams and recovery room staff will be educated about the bundle and its potential benefits through presentations, written material and illustrative videos. We will implement the bundle in operating rooms where hip or knee arthroplasty or cardiac surgery procedures are undertaken in a five-site, stepped wedge, cluster randomised, quality improvement design. We will compare outcomes between approximately 5000 cases before and 5000 cases after implementation of our bundle. Outcome data will be collected from existing national and hospital databases. Our primary outcome will be days alive and out of hospital to 90 days, which is expected to reflect all serious postoperative infections. Our secondary outcome will be the rate of surgical site infection. Aseptic practice will be observed in sampled cases in each cluster before and after implementation of the bundle.

Discussion

If effective, our bundle may offer a practical clinical intervention to reduce postoperative infection and its associated substantial human and financial costs.

Trial registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12618000407291. Registered on 21 March 2018.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-019-3402-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Practice patterns and perceptions of Australian and New Zealand anaesthetists towards perioperative oxygen therapy

We conducted a survey of Australian and New Zealand anaesthetists to determine self-reported practice of perioperative oxygen administration and to quantify perceptions regarding the perceived benefits and risks resulting from liberal oxygen therapy delivered in a manner consistent with the current World Health Organization guidelines. In addition, we sought feedback on the acceptability of several proposed clinical trial designs aiming to assess the overall effect of liberal and restricted perioperative oxygen regimens on patient outcomes. We developed a 23-question electronic survey that was emailed to 972 randomly selected Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) Fellows. We received responses from 282 of 972 invitees (response rate 29%). The majority of survey participants indicated that they routinely titrate inspired oxygen to a level they feel is safe (164/282, 58%) or minimise oxygen administration (82/282, 29%), while 5% of respondents indicated that they aim to maximise oxygen administration. The mean value for targeted intraoperative fraction inspired oxygen (FiO2) was 0.41 (standard deviation 0.12). Of the survey respondents, 2/282 (0.7%) indicated they believe that routine intra- and postoperative administration of ≥80% oxygen reduces the risk of surgical site infection. Well-designed and conducted randomised trials on this topic may help to better direct clinicians' choices. A high level of willingness to participate (80% of responses) in a study designed to investigate the impact of differing approaches to perioperative oxygen administration suggests that recruitment is likely to be feasible in a future study.

Measurement of patient-reported outcomes after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures (PROMs) are increasingly used as endpoints in surgical trials. PROs need to be consistently measured and reported to accurately evaluate surgical care. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is a commonly performed procedure which may be evaluated by PROs. We aimed to evaluate the frequency and consistency of PRO measurement and reporting after LC.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for prospective studies reporting PROs of LC, between 2013 and 2016. Data on the measurement and reporting of PROs were extracted.

RESULTS

A total of 281 studies were evaluated. Forty-five unique multi-item questionnaires were identified, most of which were used in single studies (n = 35). One hundred and ten unique rating scales were used to assess 358 PROs. The visual analogue scale was used to assess 24 different PROs, 17 of which were only reported in single studies. Details about the type of rating scale used were not given for 72 scales. Three hundred and twenty-three PROs were reported in 162 studies without details given about the scale or questionnaire used to evaluate them.

CONCLUSIONS

Considerable variation was identified in the choice of PROs reported after LC, and in how they were measured. PRO measurement for LC is focused on short-term outcomes, such as post-operative pain, rather than longer-term outcomes. Consideration should be given towards the development of a core outcome set for LC which incorporates PROs.

Capturing the experience of the hospital-stay journey from admission to discharge using diaries completed by patients in their own words: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

To capture and better understand patients' experience during their healthcare journey from hospital admission to discharge, and to identify patient suggestions for improvement.

DESIGN

Prospective, exploratory, qualitative study. Patients were asked to complete an unstructured written diary expressed in their own words, recording negative and positive experiences or anything else they considered noteworthy.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Patients undergoing vascular surgery in a metropolitan hospital.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Complete diary transcripts underwent a general inductive thematic analysis, and opportunities to improve the experience of care were identified and collated.

RESULTS

We recruited 113 patients in order to collect 80 completed diaries from 78 participants (a participant response rate of 69%), recording patients' experiences of their hospital-stay journey. Participating patients were a median (range) age of 69 (21-99) years and diaries contained a median (range) of 197 (26-1672) words each. Study participants with a tertiary education wrote more in their diaries than those without-a median (range) of 353.5 (48-1672) vs 163 (26-1599) words, respectively (Mann-Whitney U test, p=0.001). Three primary and eight secondary themes emerged from analysis of diary transcripts-primary themes being: (1) communication as central to care; (2) importance of feeling cared for and (3) environmental factors shaping experiences. In the great majority, participants reported positive experiences on the hospital ward. However, a set of 12 patient suggestions for improvement were identified, the majority of which could be addressed with little cost but result in substantial improvements in patient experience. Half of the 12 suggestions for improvement fell into primary theme 1, concerning opportunities to improve communication between healthcare providers and patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Unstructured diaries completed in a patient's own words appear to be an effective and simple approach to capture the hospital-stay experience from the patient's own perspective, and to identify opportunities for improvement.

Examining reliability of WHOBARS: a tool to measure the quality of administration of WHO surgical safety checklist using generalisability theory with surgical teams from three New Zealand hospitals

OBJECTIVES

To extend reliability of WHO Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scale (WHOBARS) to measure the quality of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist administration using generalisability theory. In this context, extending reliability refers to establishing generalisability of the tool scores across populations of teams and raters by accounting for the relevant sources of measurement errors.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional random effect measurement design assessing surgical teams by the five items on the three Checklist phases, and at three sites by two trained raters simultaneously.

SETTING

The data were collected in three tertiary hospitals in Auckland, New Zealand in 2016 and included 60 teams observed in 60 different cases with an equal number of teams (n=20) per site. All elective and acute cases (adults and children) involving surgery under general anaesthesia during normal working hours were eligible.

PARTICIPANTS

The study included 243 surgical staff members, 138 (50.12%) women.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Absolute generalisability coefficient that accounts for variance due to items, phases, sites and raters for the WHOBARS measure of the quality of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist administration.

RESULTS

The WHOBARS in its present form has demonstrated good generalisability of scores across teams and raters (G absolute=0.83). The largest source of measurement error was the interaction between the surgical team and the rater, accounting for 16.7% (95% CI 16.4 to 16.9) of the total variance in the data. Removing any items from the WHOBARS led to a decrease in the overall reliability of the instrument.

CONCLUSIONS

Assessing checklist administration quality is important for promoting improvement in its use, and WHOBARS offers a reliable approach for doing this.

Improving the quality of administration of the Surgical Safety Checklist: a mixed methods study in New Zealand hospitals

While the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (the Checklist) can improve patient outcomes, variable administration can erode benefits. We sought to understand and improve how operating room (OR) staff use the Checklist. Our specific aims were to: determine if OR staff can discriminate between good and poor quality of Checklist administration using a validated audit tool (WHOBARS); to determine reliability and accuracy of WHOBARS self-ratings; determine the influence of demographic variables on ratings and explore OR staff attitudes to Checklist administration.

DESIGN

Mixed methods study using WHOBARS ratings of surgical cases by OR staff and two independent observers, thematic analysis of staff interviews.

PARTICIPANTS

OR staff in three New Zealand hospitals.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Reliability of WHOBARS for self-audit; staff attitudes to Checklist administration.

RESULTS

Analysis of scores (243 participants, 2 observers, 59 cases) supported tool reliability, with 87% of WHOBARS score variance attributable to differences in Checklist administration between cases. Self-ratings were significantly higher than observer ratings, with some differences between professional groups but error variance from all raters was less than 10%. Key interview themes (33 interviewees) were: Team culture and embedding the Checklist, Information transfer and obstacles, Raising concerns and 'A tick-box exercise'. Interviewees felt the Checklist could promote teamwork and a safety culture, particularly enabling speaking up. Senior staff were of key importance in setting the appropriate tone.

CONCLUSIONS

The WHOBARS tool could be useful for self-audit and quality improvement as OR staff can reliably discriminate between good and poor Checklist administration. OR staff self-ratings were lenient compared with external observers suggesting the value of external audit for benchmarking. Small differences between ratings from professional groups underpin the value of including all members of the team in scoring. We identified factors explaining staff perceptions of the Checklist that should inform quality improvement interventions.

Is Conventional Bypass for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery a Misnomer?

Although recent trials comparing on vs. off-pump revascularization techniques describe cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) as "conventional," inadequate description and evaluation of how CPB is managed often exist in the peer-reviewed literature. We identify and subsequently describe regional and center-level differences in the techniques and equipment used for conducting CPB in the setting of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. We accessed prospectively collected data among isolated CABG procedures submitted to either the Australian and New Zealand Collaborative Perfusion Registry (ANZCPR) or Perfusion Measures and outcomes (PERForm) Registry between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2015. Variation in equipment and management practices reflecting key areas of CPB is described across 47 centers (ANZCPR: 9; PERForm: 38). We report average usage (categorical data) or median values (continuous data) at the center-level, along with the minimum and maximum across centers. Three thousand five hundred sixty-two patients were identified in the ANZCPR and 8,450 in PERForm. Substantial variation in equipment usage and CPB management practices existed (within and across registries). Open venous reservoirs were commonly used across both registries (nearly 100%), as were "all-but-cannula" biopassive surface coatings (>90%), whereas roller pumps were more commonly used in ANZCPR (ANZCPR: 85% vs. PERForm: 64%). ANZCPR participants had 640 mL absolute higher net prime volumes, attributed in part to higher total prime volume (1,462 mL vs. 1,217 mL) and lower adoption of retrograde autologous priming (20% vs. 81%). ANZCPR participants had higher nadir hematocrit on CPB (27 vs. 25). Minimal absolute differences existed in exposure to high arterial outflow temperatures (36.6°C vs. 37.0°C). We report substantial center and registry differences in both the type of equipment used and CPB management strategies. These findings suggest that the term "conventional bypass" may not adequately reflect real-world experiences. Instead of using this term, authors should provide key details of the CPB practices used in their patients.

Medical students, sensitive examinations and patient consent: a qualitative review

AIM

We set out to explore the question, what ethical challenges do medical students identify when asked to perform or observe a sensitive examination, given a historical background relevant to this context.

METHOD

Thematic analysis of 21 Ethics Reports from 9 female and 12 male students.

RESULTS

Overall 14 students undertook a sensitive examination without the patient's consent; three did not carry out a sensitive examination because of a lack of consent; and two students (or their senior colleagues) gained the patient's written consent for the student to undertake the examination. One patient refused the student's request for consent to perform a digital rectal examination; and in the final case, verbal consent was given by the patient for the student to observe a bimanual examination only. Three interrelated core themes arose from thematic analysis of the research question: systemic constraints on getting consent; internal conflicts of interest; and, power and hierarchy.

CONCLUSIONS

A number of senior medical students at our institution disclosed observing or performing sensitive examinations on patients without the patients' knowledge or consent.

Reporting of complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Consistent measurement and reporting of outcomes, including adequately defined complications, is important for the evaluation of surgical care and the appraisal of new surgical techniques. The range of complications reported after LC has not been evaluated. This study aimed to identify the range of complications currently reported for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), and the adequacy of their definitions.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for prospective studies reporting clinical outcomes of LC, between 2013 and 2016.

RESULTS

In total 233 studies were included, reporting 967 complications, of which 204 (21%) were defined. One hundred and twenty-two studies (52%) did not provide definitions for any of the complications reported. Conversion to open cholecystectomy was the most commonly reported complication, reported in 135 (58%) studies, followed by bile leak in 89 (38%) and bile duct injury in 75 (32%). Mortality was reported in 89 studies (38%).

CONCLUSION

Considerable variation was identified between studies in the choice of measures used to evaluate the complications of LC, and in their definitions. A standardised set of core outcomes of LC should be developed for use in clinical trials and in evaluating the performance of surgical units.

The New Zealand Surgical Site Infection Improvement (SSII) Programme: a national quality improvement programme reducing orthopaedic surgical site infections

AIMS

The New Zealand Surgical Site Infection Improvement (SSII) Programme was established in 2013 to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) in publicly funded hip and knee arthroplasties in New Zealand hospitals.

METHODS

The programme pursued a three-pronged strategy: 1. Surveillance of SSI with a nationwide system 2. Promotion of consistent adherence to evidence-based practices proven to reduce SSI 3. Monitoring and publicly reporting changed practice and outcome data.

RESULTS

Between quarter 3 2013 and quarter 4 2016 there has been a nationwide increase in compliance with all process measures: correct timing for antibiotic prophylaxis; use of the recommended antibiotic in the recommended dose and alcohol-based skin antisepsis. The SSI rate in hip and knee arthroplasties has shown a significant improvement. The nationwide median rate has fallen to 0.91% since June 2015, compared with 1.36% during the baseline period of April 2013 to March 2014 (p<0.01). This equates to approximately 55 fewer infections between August 2015 and June 2017, savings of NZD$2.2 million in avoided treatment and avoided disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of NZD$5 million.

CONCLUSIONS

The introduction of a nationwide SSI reduction programme for hip and knee arthroplasties resulted in an increase in compliance across the country with best practice that was associated with a reduction in incidence of SSI since June 2015 from the baseline period of April 2013 to March 2014, sustained to June 2017.

The incidence of hyperthermia during craniotomy

There is evidence that even mild hyperthermia may exacerbate brain injury. There seem reasonable grounds for considering patients undergoing craniotomy as at risk for brain injury. A retrospective observational study was undertaken to measure the incidence of mild hyperthermia in craniotomy cases in which the patient was initially normothermic. Auckland City Hospital's database of electronic anaesthetic records was searched for adult patients who were normothermic (≤37°C) prior to undergoing craniotomy procedures. For each case, demographic data, intraoperative naso- or oropharyngeal temperature measurements, and paracetamol use were extracted. We identified the proportion of patients whose temperature rose to exceed normal (>37°C) and subdivided that group into the proportion in whom the temperature rose to ≥38°C. Two thousand, nine hundred and thirty-five craniotomy cases began their operations while normothermic and had adequate temperature data collected. There were 984 (33.5%) cases that had at least one temperature reading >37°C, for a mean (standard deviation [SD]) time of 66.0 (64.6) minutes, and 49 (1.7%) cases that had at least one reading ≥38°C for a mean (SD) time of 40.4 (38.1) minutes. The majority (77.8%) who became mildly hyperthermic remained so at the end of the procedure. New mild hyperthermia occurs commonly during craniotomy. In view of the compelling evidence of potential harm arising from mild hyperthermia in brain injury, these findings suggest an opportunity for practice improvement in the anaesthetic management of craniotomy patients. Reasonable steps should be taken by anaesthetists to avoid intraoperative hyperthermia of any degree.

Ward calls not so scary for medical students after interprofessional simulation course: a mixed-methods cohort evaluation study

Background

An interprofessional simulation ‘ward call’ course—WardSim—was designed and implemented for medical, pharmacy and nursing students. We evaluated this intervention and also explored students’ experiences and ideas of both the course and of ward calls.

Methods

We used a mixed-methods cohort study design including survey and focus groups. Descriptive statistical analysis and general purpose thematic analysis were undertaken.

Results

Survey respondents who participated in WardSim subsequently attended more ward calls and took a more active role than the control cohort, with 34% of the intervention cohort attending ward calls under indirect supervision, compared with 15% from the control cohort (P=0.004). Focus group participants indicated that the situation they were most anxious about facing in the future was attending a ward call. They reported that their collective experiences on WardSim alleviated such anxiety because it offered them experiential learning that they could then apply in real-life situations. They said they had learnt how to work effectively with other team members, to take on a leadership role, to make differential diagnoses under pressure and to effectively communicate and seek help.

Conclusions

An interprofessional, simulated ward call course increased medical students’ sense of preparedness for and participation in ward calls in the next calendar year.

A framework of comfort for practice: An integrative review identifying the multiple influences on patients' experience of comfort in healthcare settings

Purpose

Comfort is central to patient experience but the concept of comfort is poorly defined. This review aims to develop a framework representing patients' complex perspective of comfort to inform practice and guide initiatives to improve the quality of healthcare.

Data sources

CINAHL, MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO and Google Scholar (November 2016); reference lists of included publications.

Study selection

Qualitative and theoretical studies advancing knowledge about the concept of comfort in healthcare settings. Studies rated for methodological quality and relevance to patients' perspectives.

Data extraction

Data on design, methods, features of the concept of comfort, influences on patients' comfort. Data were systematically coded and categorized using Framework method.

Results of data synthesis

Sixty-two studies (14 theoretical and 48 qualitative) were included. Qualitative studies explored patient and staff perspectives in varying healthcare settings including hospice, emergency departments, paediatric, medical and surgical wards and residential care for the elderly. From patients' perspective, comfort is multidimensional, characterized by relief from physical discomfort and feeling positive and strengthened in one's ability to cope with the challenges of illness, injury and disability. Different factors are important to different individuals. We identified 10 areas of influence within four interrelated levels: patients' use of self-comforting strategies; family presence; staff actions and behaviours; and environmental factors.

Conclusion

Our data provide new insights into the nature of comfort as a highly personal and contextual experience influenced in different individuals by different factors that we have classified into a framework to guide practice and quality improvement initiatives.

What are we injecting with our drugs?

In preparation for a case, an anaesthetist opened a 20 ml glass vial of propofol and aspirated the propofol into a syringe via a blunt drawing-up needle. Increased resistance was felt with aspiration. On inspection, a shard of glass was found at the tip of the drawing-up needle. The shard was presumed to be from the propofol ampoule, and to have fallen into the solution upon snapping open its glass tip. This illustrative case raises the issue of contamination of drugs by particles introduced during the drawing-up process. It also highlights the possibility that during the drawing-up process, intravenous drugs may become contaminated not just with particles, but with microorganisms on the surface of the particles. In this article, we discuss relevant recent research of the implications of this type of drug contamination. We draw attention to the need for meticulous care in drawing up and administering intravenous drugs during anaesthesia, particularly propofol.