Guidelines for the practice of anesthesia in Norway

The 2024 revision of the Norwegian standard for the safe practice of anaesthesia

The Norwegian standard for the safe practice of anaesthesia was first published in 1991, and revised in 1994, 1998, 2005, 2010 and 2016 respectively. The 1998 version was published in English for the first time in Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica in 2002. It must be noted that this is a national standard, reflecting the specific opportunities and challenges in a Norwegian setting, which may be different from other countries in some respects. A feature of the Norwegian healthcare system is the availability, on a national basis, of specifically highly trained and qualified nurse anaesthetists. Another feature is the geography, with parts of the population living in remote areas. These may be served by small, local emergency hospitals. Emergency transport of patients to larger hospitals is not always achievable when weather conditions are rough. These features and challenges were considered important when designing a balanced and consensus-based national standard for the safe practice of anaesthesia, across Norwegian clinical settings. In this article, we present the 2024 revision of the document. This article presents a direct translation of the complete document from the Norwegian original.

Anaesthesia nursing education in the Nordic countries: Literature review

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this review was to analyse post-registration anaesthesia nursing education in the Nordic countries. The analysis was based on key determinants fundamental to analysing nursing education: 1) the sys]tem of anaesthesia nursing education, 2) entry requirements, 3) credits, the duration and the title or degree awarded, and 4) the amount of practical training.

METHODS

A scoping review was approached in a systematic manner. The literature was analysed using deductive content analysis. Data was gathered based on key determinants. The data were quantified into frequencies and percentages to compare the similarities and differences of anaesthesia nursing.

RESULTS

The Nordic countries have different types of post-registration anaesthesia nursing education from non-degree supplementary programmes to Master's degree programmes. Even though the entry requirements correspond between countries, many more differences than similarities in anaesthesia nursing education were noted. A title granting the right to work as a nurse anaesthetist can be obtained through a variety of educational systems, credit requirements, the duration, and the amount of practical training in post-registration anaesthesia nursing programmes.

CONCLUSION

This aim of the study was to analyse post-registration anaesthesia nursing education from the Nordic perspective. Harmonising the educational system and minimum education requirements in anaesthesia nursing education is recommended in order to facilitate free movement and assure the quality of care from the Nordic perspective. Since each Nordic country has its own native language, it was difficult to gather information from all the Nordic countries. Therefore, creating common educational database published in English can help to bench mark each country's educational system.

A nationwide postal questionnaire survey: the presence of airway guidelines in anaesthesia department in Sweden

Background

In Sweden, airway guidelines aimed toward improving patient safety have been recommended by the Swedish Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine. Adherence to evidence-based airway guidelines is known to be generally poor in Sweden. The aim of this study was to determine whether airway guidelines are present in Swedish anaesthesia departments.

Methods

A nationwide postal questionnaire inquiring about the presence of airway guidelines was sent out to directors of Swedish anaesthesia departments (n = 74). The structured questionnaire was based on a review of the Swedish Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care voluntary recommendations of guidelines for airway management. Mean, standard deviation, minimum/maximum, percentage (%) and number of general anaesthesia performed per year as frequency (n), were used to describe, each hospital type (university, county, private). For comparison between hospitals type and available written airway guidelines were cross tabulation used and analysed using Pearson’s Chi-Square tests. A p- value of less than 0 .05 was judged significant.

Results

In total 68 directors who were responsible for the anaesthesia departments returned the questionnaire, which give a response rate of 92% (n 68 of 74). The presence of guidelines showing an airway algorithm was reported by 68% of the departments; 52% reported having a written patient information card in case of a difficult airway and guidelines for difficult airways, respectively; 43% reported the presence of guidelines for preoperative assessment; 31% had guidelines for Rapid Sequence Intubation; 26% reported criteria for performing an awake intubation; and 21% reported guidelines for awake fibre-optic intubation. A prescription for the registered nurse anaesthetist for performing tracheal intubation was reported by 24%. The most frequently pre-printed preoperative elements in the anaesthesia record form were dental status and head and neck mobility.

Conclusions

Despite recommendations from the national anaesthesia society, the presence of airway guidelines in Swedish anaesthesia departments is low. From the perspective of safety for both patients and the anaesthesia staff, airway management guidelines should be considered a higher priority.

Composition of the anaesthesia team: a European survey

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The anaesthesia workforce in Europe is understaffed and may not meet the growing demands of surgery. In many European countries where responsibilities can be identified and a varying degree of task substitution occurs, the anaesthesia service is provided by a team of physician and nonphysician anaesthesia members. This study assesses the availability, as well as the roles and functions, of nonphysician anaesthesia team members in European countries.

METHODS

A survey was carried out to examine differences in anaesthesia practices and the strength of the anaesthesia workforce in Europe. A questionnaire, seeking information about perioperative anaesthesia input by nonphysician anaesthesia team members, was sent to all the national representatives of the Union of European Medical Specialists Anaesthesiology section and the International Federation of Nurse Anaesthetists.

RESULTS

The responses to the questionnaire revealed that each European country has its own unique type of nonphysician anaesthesia team member and the roles of these vary substantially. Their levels of organisation vary from country to country and whereas nurse anaesthetists are often well organised, circulation nurses are not.

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrated the heterogeneity and variety of anaesthesia practices throughout Europe. Standardisation of the training and practice of European nurse anaesthetists is desirable for patient safety and quality of care if they seek to work in more than one European country. Those countries that anticipate a shortfall in the supply of anaesthesiologists should examine working models from other countries that currently work with fewer physicians and more nurse anaesthetists.

Management of incomplete regional anaesthesia in Germany: results of a nation-wide survey

BACKGROUND

Regional anaesthesia (RA) provides well-defined benefits with known attendant risks. However, incomplete blockade may introduce unanticipated risks depending on the compensatory measures employed. Until now, no data were available characterizing the pattern of response of German anaesthesiologists in this situation. This study analyses interventions in response to incomplete RA in a nation-wide setting.

METHODS

A questionnaire was sent to every German anaesthesia department (n= 1381). Questions focused on interventions coping with an incomplete RA and differentiated between a pre- and a peri-surgical setting and measures to face pain outside the surgical field. If systemic supplementation was administered, we analysed the substances and characterized their influence on subsequent patient care.

RESULTS

Six hundred and sixty-seven questionnaires were returned anonymously, representing a return rate of 48.3%. If RA was incomplete before surgery, 56.8% of anaesthesiologists repeated peripheral blocks, 48.5% repeated epidural (EDA) and 60.4% repeated spinal anaesthesia (SPA). 56.9% of clinicians preferred an early switch to general anesthesia (GA). If RA was incomplete during surgery, 49.5% tended to switch early to GA, 13.9% made attempts to avoid this by intensive systemic supplementation. Benzodiazepines and opioids were the most commonly used substances. Pain or discomfort outside the surgical field was widely managed by intravenous supplementation (67.7%) and only 10.6% were willing to switch to general anaesthesia.

CONCLUSIONS

In Germany, anaesthesiologists manage incomplete RA using a widespread spectrum of measures. Some might introduce specific risks, which potentially outweigh the benefits of RA in comparison to GA techniques.

Allocation of tasks between anesthesiologists and anesthesia nurses in Finland

BACKGROUND

The shortage of anesthesiologists in Finland is worsening. A survey was carried out in 2003 among head anesthesiologists and head nurses to clarify current practice and the potentials for reorganizing tasks between anesthesiologists and anesthesia nurses. A national working group analyzed the results.

METHODS

A questionnaire concerning doctor and nurse resources in anesthesiology, current allocation of tasks, and opinions on how these tasks could be reallocated was sent to 87 head anesthesiologists and 32 head nurses in 45 different hospitals. The answers from the doctors and nurses were compared.

RESULTS

The response rate of doctors and nurses was 87% and 100%, respectively. In the enrolled hospitals there were 64 unoccupied positions for specialists in anesthesiology. The ratio of anesthesiologists to operation rooms (OR) they attended varied between 0.3 and 1.5. Doctors and nurses reported the allocation of tasks quite similarly. The great majority of respondents considered spinal, epidural, and interscalene brachial plexus blocks, and the induction of general anesthesia to be tasks that should be performed by an anesthesiologist. Very few respondents of either profession were willing to reallocate tasks so that nurses could deliver general anesthesia, including endotracheal intubation, even in low-risk patients.

CONCLUSION

Nurses could be trained nationwide to perform procedures already performed by locally trained nurses in some hospitals. To cope with the shortage of anesthesiologists, other strategies must be adopted in addition to transferring part of their work load to nurses.