Midlevel practitioners can safely place intracranial pressure monitors. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2012;73:431-434. [PMID: 22846951 DOI: 10.1097/ta.0b013e318262437b]

Placement of Intracranial Pressure Monitors by Non-neurosurgeons: A Follow-Up Study

BACKGROUND

Some research suggests that physicians who are not neurosurgeons can safely place intracranial pressure (ICP) monitors. The purpose of this study was to compare intracranial pressure monitor placement complications between neurosurgeons, trauma physicians, and general surgery residents. We hypothesized that with appropriate training, general residents can safely place ICP monitors.

METHODS

A 10-year retrospective chart review of all trauma patients that required ICP monitor placement between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2021, was conducted. Comparisons were made between treatment groups.

RESULTS

During the study period, 194 patients required ICP monitor placement. General surgery residents placed 94.3% of ICP monitors, 3.6% were placed by attending trauma physicians, and 2.1% by neurosurgeons. No ICP monitors were placed by attending trauma physicians or neurosurgeons between 2015 and 2018. Overall, minor complications during ICP monitor placement included device malfunction (2.7%) and inaccurate readings (.5%). There were no major complications during ICP monitor placement. Post-ICP monitor placement complications included one patient who experienced a central nervous system infection (.5%) and three patients who had mechanical problems (1.5%). No complications occurred among the neurosurgeon or attending trauma physician treatment groups.

CONCLUSION

Most intracranial pressure monitors in our study sample were safely placed by surgical residents. Based on our study findings and considering the shortage and downtrend of neurosurgery specialists, ICP bolt placement needs to become a core clinical skill in surgical resident programs across the United States.

Assessing the impact of anaesthetic and surgical task-shifting globally: a systematic literature review

The global shortage of skilled anaesthesiologists, surgeons and obstetricians is a leading cause of high unmet surgical need. Although anaesthetic and surgical task-shifting are widely practised to mitigate this barrier, little is known about their safety and efficacy. This systematic review seeks to highlight the existing evidence on the clinical outcomes of patients operated on by non-physicians or non-specialist physicians globally. Relevant articles were identified by searching four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Global Health) in all languages between January 2008 and February 2022. Retrieved documents were screened against pre-specified inclusion and exclusion criteria, and their qualities were appraised critically. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers and findings were synthesized narratively. In total, 40 studies have been included. Thirty-five focus on task-shifting for surgical and obstetric procedures, whereas four studies address anaesthetic task-shifting; one study covers both interventions. The majority are located in sub-Saharan Africa and the USA. Seventy-five per cent present perioperative mortality outcomes and 85% analyse morbidity measures. Evidence from low- and middle-income countries, which primarily concentrates on caesarean sections, hernia repairs and surgical male circumcisions, points to the overall safety of non-surgeons. On the other hand, the literature on surgical task-shifting in high-income countries (HICs) is limited to nine studies analysing tube thoracostomies, neurosurgical procedures, caesarean sections, male circumcisions and basal cell carcinoma excisions. Finally, only five studies pertaining to anaesthetic task-shifting across all country settings answer the research question with conflicting results, making it difficult to draw conclusions on the quality of non-physician anaesthetic care. Overall, it appears that non-specialists can safely perform high-volume, low-complexity operations. Further research is needed to understand the implications of surgical task-shifting in HICs and to better assess the performance of non-specialist anaesthesia providers. Future studies must adopt randomized study designs and include long-term outcome measures to generate high-quality evidence.

Neurosurgeons Deliver Similar Quality Care Regardless of First Assistant Type: Resident Physician versus Nonphysician Surgical Assistant

OBJECTIVE

There are limited data evaluating the outcomes of attending neurosurgeons with different types of first assistants. This study considers a common neurosurgical procedure (single-level, posterior-only lumbar fusion surgery) and examines whether attending surgeons deliver equal patient outcomes, regardless of the type of first assistant (resident physician vs. nonphysician surgical assistant [NPSA]), among otherwise exact-matched patients.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively analyzed 3395 adult patients undergoing single-level, posterior-only lumbar fusion at a single academic medical center. Primary outcomes included readmissions, emergency department visits, reoperation, and mortality within 30 and 90 days after surgery. Secondary outcome measures included discharge disposition, length of stay, and length of surgery. Coarsened exact matching was used to match patients on key demographics and baseline characteristics known to independently affect neurosurgical outcomes.

RESULTS

Among exact-matched patients (n = 1402), there was no significant difference in adverse postsurgical events (readmission, emergency department visits, reoperation, or mortality) within 30 days or 90 days of the index operation between patients who had resident physicians and those who had NPSAs as first assistants. Patients who had resident physicians as first assistants demonstrated a longer length of stay (mean: 100.0 vs. 87.4 hours, P < 0.001) and a shorter duration of surgery (mean: 187.4 vs. 213.8 minutes, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the percentage of patients discharged home.

CONCLUSIONS

For single-level posterior spinal fusion, in the setting described, there are no differences in short-term patient outcomes delivered by attending surgeons assisted by resident physicians versus NPSAs.

Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in Acute and Critical Care: A Concise Review of the Literature and Data 2008-2018

OBJECTIVES

To provide a concise review of the literature and data pertaining to the use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, collectively called advanced practice providers, in ICU and acute care settings.

DATA SOURCES

Detailed search strategy using the databases PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature for the time period from January 2008 to December 2018.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies addressing nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or advanced practice provider care in the ICU or acute care setting.

DATA EXTRACTION

Relevant studies were reviewed, and the following aspects of each study were identified, abstracted, and analyzed: study population, study design, study aims, methods, results, and relevant implications for critical care practice.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Five systematic reviews, four literature reviews, and 44 individual studies were identified, reviewed, and critiqued. Of the research studies, the majority were retrospective with others being observational, quasi-experimental, or quality improvement, along with two randomized control trials. Overall, the studies assessed a variety of effects of advanced practice provider care, including on length of stay, mortality, and quality-related metrics, with a majority demonstrating similar or improved patient care outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Over the past 10 years, the number of studies assessing the impact of advanced practice providers in acute and critical care settings continue to increase. Collectively, these studies identify the value of advanced practice providers in patient care management, continuity of care, improved quality and safety metrics, patient and staff satisfaction, and on new areas of focus including enhanced educational experience of residents and fellows.

External Ventricular Drain Placement Accuracy and Safety When Done by Midlevel Practitioners

BACKGROUND

External ventricular drains (EVDs) measure intracranial pressure, divert cerebrospinal fluid, and allow for orthotropic administration of pharmacologic agents. Currently, neurosurgeons and neurosurgery residents are the primary practitioners placing EVDs. Due to the urgency of neurosurgical pathologies and the lack of qualified residents at most hospitals, midlevel practitioner (MLP) placement of EVDs would be advantageous.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the accuracy and complication rates of MLP and neurosurgeon EVD placement.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort of all patients with an EVD placed between January 2012 and September 2016 at a level 1 trauma center. We compared safety and accuracy of EVD placement between neurosurgeons and MLPs.

RESULTS

MLP first attempted EVD placement in 238 patients and senior neurosurgeon first attempted EVD placement in 70 subjects. There was no significant difference between accuracy of placement within the ventricle (87.4% vs 90.0%, P = .5557), hemorrhage rate (5.9% vs 4.3%, P = .77), or infection rate (0.8% vs 1.4%, P = .5399) for placement attempted by an MLP compared with a neurosurgeon, respectively.

CONCLUSION

MLPs perform EVD placement safely with no significant difference in accuracy of placement or complication rates compared with placement by senior neurosurgeons. This may allow for earlier management of elevated intracranial pressure and access to care where previously unavailable; leading to improved patient outcomes.

Respect your elders: effects of ageing on intracranial pressure monitor use in traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND

The Brain Trauma Foundation recommends intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor placement for patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Adherence with these guidelines in elderly patients is unknown. We hypothesized that disparities in ICP monitor placement would exist based on patient age.

METHODS

Using the National Trauma Data Bank (2010-2014), we identified patients admitted for blunt TBI with admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 3-8. Patients were excluded if they had a non-Head Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score ≥3, hospital length of stay <24 hours or were discharged from the emergency department. Demographic data, ICP monitor placement, GCS, AIS-Head, Injury Severity Score, and outcome measures were collected. Propensity score matching between ICP monitor and non-ICP monitor patients was used for logistic regression and Cox multivariate regression analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 30 710 patients with blunt TBI with GCS scores of 3-8 included in our study, 4093 were treated with an ICP monitor. ICP monitor placement rates significantly decreased with increasing age. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that patients treated with an ICP monitor were more likely to be younger, male, have private/commercial insurance, and receive care at an institution with three or more neurosurgeons.

CONCLUSION

Patients ≥65 years of age with severe blunt TBI are less likely to be treated with an ICP monitor than younger patients. Age disparities in adherence to Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines may alter the outcomes for patients with severe TBI.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV.

Importance of the telemedicine network for neurosurgery in Slovenia

The number of invasive procedures in medicine is increasing, as is the employment of new technological achievements. In the era of information-communication technology, one such achievement is also the telemedicine network. In Slovenia, it is known as the Telekap (TeleStroke) network, which was primarily designed for fast and efficient management of stroke patients. In the neurosurgical community, the system is frequently used also for conveying vital information regarding subarachnoid haemorrhage and trauma. Especially in neurosurgical emergencies, this communication system offers thorough information about the extent and location of bleeding and facilitates the preoperative planning of neurosurgical interventions. From our experience so far, the system should be expanded to other neuro-centres as well to all neurosurgery departments in order to facilitate patient management, their acute hospital care, and inter-speciality collaboration.

A Comparison of Pathophysiology in Humans and Rodent Models of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) affects an estimated 30,000 people each year in the United States, with an overall mortality of ~30%. Most cases of SAH result from a ruptured intracranial aneurysm, require long hospital stays, and result in significant disability and high fatality. Early brain injury (EBI) and delayed cerebral vasospasm (CV) have been implicated as leading causes of morbidity and mortality in these patients, necessitating intense focus on developing preclinical animal models that replicate clinical SAH complete with delayed CV. Despite the variety of animal models currently available, translation of findings from rodent models to clinical trials has proven especially difficult. While the explanation for this lack of translation is unclear, possibilities include the lack of standardized practices and poor replication of human pathophysiology, such as delayed cerebral vasospasm and ischemia, in rodent models of SAH. In this review, we summarize the different approaches to simulating SAH in rodents, in particular elucidating the key pathophysiology of the various methods and models. Ultimately, we suggest the development of standardized model of rodent SAH that better replicates human pathophysiology for moving forward with translational research.

Nonphysician Clinicians in the Follow-Up of Resected Patients with Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The 5-year postoperative follow-up for patients undergoing curative treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC) is labour intensive. We assessed the added value of a dedicated nonphysician clinician (NPC) in the follow-up of patients after resection for CRC.

METHODS

Patients were divided into 2 groups as defined by the number of follow-up visits in the first year, including intensive (≥3×) and minimal (≤2×). Involvement of an NPC, diagnosis of disease recurrence and the course of the disease were determined.

RESULTS

Of the 681 patients, 79.9% belonged to the "intensive" and 21.1% to the "minimal" group. Involvement of an NPC resulted in a higher adherence to follow-up (84.3 vs. 73.9%, p = 0.001). Overall, patients in regular follow-up less often had multifocal recurrence (47.1 vs. 73.7%, p = 0.04), and a better survival after recurrence (SAR; hazard ratio [HR] 3.604, p < 0.001). The "intensive" group had a significantly better overall survival compared to the "minimal" group (HR 1.71, p = 0.013).

CONCLUSION

Adherence to surveillance programs after resection for CRC is better in hospitals with a dedicated NPC. Overall, patients' adherence to follow-up resulted in less multifocal disease recurrence at the time of diagnosis as compared to patients presenting with symptoms and a better 3-year SAR.

Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma and Society of Trauma Nurses advanced practitioner position paper: Optimizing the integration of advanced practitioners in trauma and critical care

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants, collectively known as advanced practitioners (APs), enhance the provision of care for the acutely injured patient. Despite their prevalence, institutions employ, train, and utilize these providers with significant variability. The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Society of Trauma Nurses, and the American Association of Surgical Physician Assistants acknowledge the value of APs and support their utilization in the management of injured and critically ill patients. This position paper offers insight into the history of, scope of practice for, and opportunities for optimal utilization of APs in trauma, critical care, and acute care surgery services.

Physician extenders on surgical services: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

With the introduction of resident duty hour restrictions and the resulting in-house trainee shortages, a long-term solution to ensure safe and efficient patient care is needed. One solution is the integration of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) in a variety of health care settings. We sought to examine the use of NPs and PAs on surgical/trauma services and their effect on patient outcomes and resident workload.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We included studies (all designs) examining the use of NPs and PAs on adult surgical and trauma services that reported the following outcomes: complications, length of stay, readmission rates, patient satisfaction and perceived quality of care, resident workload, resident work hours, resident sleep hours, resident satisfaction, resident perceived quality of care, other health care worker satisfaction and perceived quality of care, and economic impact assessments. We excluded studies assessing nonsurgical/trauma services or pediatrics and review articles.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine articles met the inclusion criteria. With the addition of NPs and PAs, patient length of stay decreased, and morbidity and mortality were unchanged. In addition, resident workload decreased, sleep time increased, and operating time improved. Patient and health care worker satisfaction rates were high. Several studies reported cost savings after the addition of NPs/PAs.

CONCLUSION

The addition of NPs and PAs to surgical/trauma services appears to be a safe, cost-effective method to manage some of the challenges arising because of resident duty hour restrictions. More high-quality research is needed to confirm these findings and to further assess the economic impact of adding NPs and PAs to the surgical team.

Bedside burr hole for intracranial pressure monitoring performed by pediatric intensivists in children with CNS infections in a resource-limited setting: 10-year experience at a single center

OBJECTIVE

Intracranial pressure monitoring can help in early identification of raised intracranial pressure and in setting more informed goals for treatment. We describe our 10-year experience of bedside burr holes performed by pediatric intensivists to establish intracranial pressure monitoring in children with CNS infections in a resource-limited setting and the technical difficulties and complications encountered.

DESIGN

Descriptive study of prospectively recorded data.

SETTING

PICU of a tertiary care academic institute.

PATIENTS

Consecutive comatose patients with raised intracranial pressure who underwent intracranial pressure monitoring from 2004 to 2013.

INTERVENTION

An intraparenchymal (1.2 mm) or an intraventricular transducer (3.4 mm) (Codman) was placed by a pediatric intensivist through a micro burr hole using a standard protocol. Technical difficulties during the procedure and complications were recorded.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Over 10 years, 265 intracranial pressure catheters were placed in 259 patients, mainly for acute CNS infections (n = 242, 93.4%). Median age of patients was 4.8 years, youngest being 6 weeks; 21 patients (8.1%) were younger than 1 year. Intraparenchymal transducer was used in 252 patients (97.3%). Median (interquartile range) duration of intracranial pressure monitoring was 96 hours (72-144 hr). Complications were seen in 3.5% of patients (n = 9/259); the incidence was 0.28 per 1,000 hours of intracranial pressure monitoring. Procedure-related ventriculitis occurred in three of seven patients (42.8%) with intraventricular catheter, in contrast to none in patients with intraparenchymal transducer. Overall mortality was 32.8% (n = 85). On Cox-regression analysis, "blood component therapy" was an independent predictor of poor outcome defined as death or severe neurodisability (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.16-2.16; p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

In a resource-limited setting, pediatric intensivists can safely and successfully perform burr holes at bedside for establishing intraparenchymal intracranial pressure monitoring in children with acute CNS infections. However, our data do not support placement of ventriculostomy catheters by pediatric intensivists in similar settings.

A systematic review of advance practice providers in acute care: options for a new model in a burn intensive care unit

INTRODUCTION

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education mandated work-hour restrictions have negatively impacted many areas of clinical care, including management of burn patients, who require intensive monitoring, resuscitation, and procedural interventions. As surgery residents become less available to meet service needs, new models integrating advanced practice providers (APPs) into the burn team must emerge. We performed a systematic review of APPs in critical care questioning, how best to use all providers to solve these workforce challenges?

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of PubMed, CINAHL, Ovid, and Google Scholar, from 2002 to 2012, using the key words: nurse practitioner, physician assistant, critical care, and burn care. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 18 relevant articles were selected for review. In addition, throughput and financial models were developed to examine provider staffing patterns.

RESULTS

Advanced practice providers in critical care settings function in various models, both with and without residents, reporting to either an intensivist or an attending physician. When APPs participated, patient outcomes were similar or improved compared across provider models. Several studies reported considerable cost-savings due to decrease length of stay, decreased ventilator days, and fewer urinary tract infections when nurse practitioners were included in the provider mix.

CONCLUSIONS

Restrictions in resident work-hours and changing health care environments require that new provider models be created for acute burn care. This article reviews current utilization of APPs in critical care units and proposes a new provider model for burn centers.

Successful placement of intracranial pressure monitors by trauma surgeons

BACKGROUND

The Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines advocate for the use of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 8 or less and an abnormal computed tomographic scan finding. The absence of 24-hour in-house neurosurgery coverage can negatively impact timely monitor placement. We reviewed the safety profile of ICP monitor placement by trauma surgeons trained and credentialed in their insertion by neurosurgeons.

METHODS

In 2005, the in-house trauma surgeons at a Level I trauma center were trained and credentialed in the placement of ICP parenchymal monitors by the neurosurgeons. We abstracted all TBI patients who had ICP monitors placed during a 6-year period. Demographic information, Injury Severity Score (ISS), outcome, and monitor placement by neurosurgery or trauma surgery were identified. Misplacement, hemorrhage, infections, malfunctions, and dislodgement were considered complications. Comparisons were performed by χ testing and Student's t tests.

RESULTS

During the 6-year period, 410 ICP monitors were placed for TBI. The mean (SD) patient age was 40.9 (18.9) years, 73.7% were male, mean (SD) ISS was 28.3 (9.4), mean (SD) length of stay was 19 (16) days, and mortality was 36.1%. Motor vehicle collisions and falls were the most common mechanisms of injury (35.2% and 28.7%, respectively). The trauma surgeons placed 71.7 % of the ICP monitors and neurosurgeons for the remainder. The neurosurgeons placed most of their ICP monitors (71.8%) in the operating room during craniotomy. The overall complication rate was 2.4%. There was no significant difference in complications between the trauma surgeons and neurosurgeons (3% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.2951).

CONCLUSION

After appropriate training, ICP monitors can be safely placed by trauma surgeons with minimal adverse effects. With current and expected specialty shortages, acute care surgeons can successfully adopt procedures such as ICP monitor placement with minimal complications.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic/care management study, level IV.