European Society Of Anaesthesiology Research Articles

Current trends in anesthetic depth and antinociception monitoring: an international survey.

Current trends in anesthetic depth (i.e., hypnosis) and antinociception monitoring are unclear. We thus aimed to determine contemporary perspectives on monitoring these components of anesthesia during general anesthesia. Participants received and responded anonymously to an internet-based international survey supported by the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care. Comparisons, when applicable, were carried out using Chi2 analysis or Fischer's exact test. A total of 564 respondents, predominantly from Europe (80.1%), participated. There was a strong participation from Belgium (11.5%). A majority (70.9%) of anesthetists considered hypnotic monitoring important on most occasions to always. In contrast, a majority (62.6%) never or only occasionally considered antinociception monitoring important. This difference in the perceived importance of anesthetic depth versus antinociception monitoring was significant (p < 0.0001). A majority of respondents (70.1%) believed that guiding hypnosis and antinociception using these monitors would improve patient care on most occasions to always. Nonetheless, a substantial number of participants were unsure if hypnotic (23%) or antinociception (32%) monitoring were recommended and there was a lack of knowledge (58%) of any published algorithms to titrate hypnotic and/or antinociceptive drugs based on the information provided by the monitors.In conclusion,current trends in European academic centers prioritize anesthesia depth over antinociception monitoring. Despite an agreement among respondents that applying strategies that optimize anesthetic depth and antinociception could improve outcome, there remains a lack of knowledge of appropriate algorithms. Future studies and recommendations should focus on clarifying goal-directed anesthetic strategies and determine their impact on perioperative patient outcome.

Preprocedural ultrasound for neuraxial blockade in nonobstetric patients. Should it be considered as a standard of care?

Preprocedural ultrasound for neuraxial blockade in nonobstetric patients. Should it be considered as a standard of care?

2022 American Society of Anesthesiologists Practice Guidelines for Management of the Difficult Airway.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists; All India Difficult Airway Association; European Airway Management Society; European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care; Italian Society of Anesthesiology, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care; Learning, Teaching and Investigation Difficult Airway Group; Society for Airway Management; Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia; Society for Head and Neck Anesthesia; Society for Pediatric Anesthesia; Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists; and the Trauma Anesthesiology Society present an updated report of the Practice Guidelines for Management of the Difficult Airway.

Current practice of thoracic anaesthesia in Europe \u2013 a survey by the European Society of Anaesthesiology Part I \u2013 airway management and regional anaesthesia techniques

BackgroundThe scientific working group for “Anaesthesia in thoracic surgery” of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (DGAI) has performed an online survey to assess the current standards of care and structural properties of anaesthesia workstations in thoracic surgery.MethodsAll members of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) were invited to participate in the study.ResultsThoracic anaesthesia was most commonly performed by specialists/board-certified anaesthetists and/or senior/attending physicians. Across Europe, the double lumen tube (DLT) was most commonly chosen as the primary device for lung separation (461/ 97.3%). Bronchial blockers were chosen less frequently (9/ 1.9%).Throughout Europe, bronchoscopy was not consistently used to confirm correct double lumen tube positioning. Respondents from Eastern Europe (32/ 57.1%) frequently stated that there were not enough bronchoscopes available for every intrathoracic operation. A specific algorithm for difficult airway management in thoracic anaesthesia was available to only 18.6% (n = 88) of the respondents. Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) is the most commonly used form of regional analgesia for thoracic surgery in Europe. Ultrasonography was widely available 93,8% (n = 412) throughout Europe and was predominantly used for central line placement and lung diagnostics.ConclusionsWhile certain „gold standards “are widely met, there are also aspects of care requiring substantial improvement in thoracic anaesthesia throughout Europe.Our data suggest that algorithms and standard operating procedures for difficult airway management in thoracic anaesthesia need to be established. A European recommendation for the basic requirements of an anaesthesia workstation for thoracic anaesthesia is expedient and desirable, to improve structural quality and patient safety.

Pro-Con Debate: 1- vs 2-Hour Fast for Clear Liquids Before Anesthesia in Children.

Perioperative fasting guidelines are designed to minimize the risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastrointestinal contents. The current recommendations from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) are for a minimum 2-hour fast after ingestion of clear liquids before general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, or procedural sedation and analgesia. Nonetheless, in children, fasting guidelines also have consequences as regards to child and parent satisfaction, hemodynamic stability, the ability to achieve vascular access, and perioperative energy balance. Despite the fact that current guidelines recommend a relatively short fasting time for clear fluids of 2 hours, the actual duration of fasting time can be significantly longer. This may be the result of deficiencies in communication regarding the duration of the ongoing fasting interval as the schedule changes in a busy operating room as well as to poor parent and patient adherence to the 2-hour guidelines. Prolonged fasting can result in children arriving in the operating room for an elective procedure being thirsty, hungry, and generally in an uncomfortable state. Furthermore, prolonged fasting may adversely affect hemodynamic stability and can result in parental dissatisfaction with the perioperative experience. In this PRO and CON presentation, the authors debate the premise that reducing the nominal minimum fasting time from 2 hours to 1 hour can reduce the incidence of prolonged fasting and provide significant benefits to children, with no increased risks.

Editorial introductions.

Current Opinion in Anesthesiology was launched in 1988. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of anesthesiology is divided into 16 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS Eberhard F. KochsEberhard F. KochsEberhard F. Kochs, MD, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at the Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Germany. Dr Kochs earned his medical degree from the University of Bonn, Germany and completed his residency at the University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. In addition, Dr Kochs holds a Masters degree (Dipl.-Phys.) in physics from the University of Bonn. After specializing in anaesthesia and intensive care, he became Professor of Anaesthesiology. In 1994, he was elected as Chair of the Department of Anaesthesiology of the Technical University Munich at the Klinikum rechts der Isar and retired in 2016. Dr Kochs was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Klinikum rechts der Isar and the Klinikum Freising, Germany. In the years 2012–2013, he was President of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA). He served as a member of various editorial boards and has published more than 350 peer-reviewed articles and edited several textbooks in the domain of anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine. Dr Kochs’ main areas of research are: neuroscience as applied to anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine using electrophysiology combined with neuroimaging, applying mathematical tools for assessment of changes in brain function during drug-induced unconsciousness and following brain pathophysiology (coma). Dr Kochs’ research also focuses on receptor studies including cellular signal transmission in single neurons and brain networks and clinical studies on the effects of sedatives, analgesics on long-term outcome after anaesthesia and intensive care. Richard D. UrmanRichard D. UrmanRichard D. Urman, MD, MBA, FASA is a staff anesthesiologist at the Brigham and Women's Hospital Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, USA and Associate Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, USA, where he also received his MD and MBA degrees. He serves as Associate Chair for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and as a Medical Director for Procedural Sedation Services at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. In addition, he is the founding co-Director of the Center for Perioperative Research and the Director of the Perioperative Medicine Fellowship. He has edited a dozen textbooks, including the one on non-operating room anesthesia (NORA) entitled “Anesthesia Outside the Operating Room” (Cambridge Press, 2018) and has published papers on NORA safety, efficiency and outcomes. He is currently funded by the NIH, NSF, AHRQ and the industry. His research interests include pharmacology, acute pain management, patient safety and efficiency in the perioperative and periprocedural setting. He also serves as the scientific reviewer for the Department of Defense and sits on the FDA Analgesics panel. He is Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Anesthesia. Dr Urman is active in the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia, where he serves as Assistant Treasurer and member of the executive committee. He is also Treasurer of the Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement (SPAQI) and Treasurer of the Association of Anesthesia Clinical Directors (AACD). Andrea U. SteinbickerAndrea U. SteinbickerProf. Dr med. Andrea U. Steinbicker is the leading staff physician at the Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine at Muenster University Hospital, Muenster, Germany. She has studied medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Alicante, Spain and at Muenster University, Germany. In addition, she studied Public Health and graduated with the master of Public Health. The master thesis was performed at World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. She achieved her doctoral degree at the Institute of Physiological Chemistry at the University Duisburg-Essen in 2006. Prof. Steinbicker habilitated in 2015 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2019. During residency, she performed research as a DFG-funded postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA and established her research group “Iron signaling“ at Muenster University. She is a certified anaesthesiologist, intensivist and emergency physician. Besides clinical duties, she implemented and coordinates to date Patient Blood Management at Muenster University Hospital in Germany. Until 2021, she was the speaker of the Subcommittee Haemotherapy of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine and is a member of the International Anesthesia Research Society. Her research focus on iron, blood management and inflammation is pursued in basic, translational and clinical research projects, as well as in education and teaching.

Intraoperative management and hemodynamic monitoring for ma- jor abdominal surgery : a narrative review

Background : Several trials suggest that postoperative outcomes may be improved by the use of hemodynamic monitoring, but a survey by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) showed that cardiac output is monitored by only 34% of ASA and ESA respondents and central venous pressure is monitored by 73% of ASA respondents and 84% of ESA respondents. Moreover, 86.5% of ASA respondents and 98.1% of ESA respondents believe that their current hemodynamic management could be improved (1). The interaction of general anesthesia and surgical stress is the main problem and the leading cause for postoperative morbidity and mortality. The choice of a suitable hemodynamic monitoring system for patients at high anesthesiological risk is of crucial importance to reduce the incidence of major postoperative complications. The aim of the present review is to summarize the benefits of a defined path beginning before surgery, and discuss the available evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of an individualized hemodynamic approach for major abdominal surgery. Objective : To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a perioperative hemodynamic therapy algorithm in high risk patients

Fluid and Volume Therapy with Crystalloid and Colloidal Infusion Solutions

A rational infusion therapy orchestrates fluid- and volume therapy based on the individual indication and situation. The principle of fluid replacement is to substitute ongoing fluid losses such as insensible perspiration and urine output or to treat dehydration with balanced crystalloid solutions. Volume therapy in contrast is the quick restoration of intravascular losses such as an acute blood loss through application of balanced colloids or crystalloids. The goal of volume therapy is to maintain normal cardiac output and oxygen delivery by restoring intravascular normovolemia and cardiac preload. Whether colloid or crystalloid infusions are most suitable for volume therapy remains unclear. Most trials in this field are either underpowered or used colloids in inadequate situations, patients and amounts. Two major trials from the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) are underway that seem promising to provide evidence in this emotional debate.

Reply to: assessing risk factors of delirium and its effects on adverse outcomes in patients admitted to the ICU after craniotomy

Editor, We thank Wan et al.1 for their interest in our cohort study on postoperative delirium in patients admitted to the ICU after intracranial surgery2 and appreciate the opportunity to respond. For the diagnosis of postoperative delirium, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), fifth edition nomenclature is recommended.3 However, to assist nonpsychiatrically trained clinicians to identify delirium quickly and accurately, several DSM-based instruments have been developed, including the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM)4 and CAM for the ICU (CAM-ICU).5 We used the CAM-ICU for several reasons. All enrolled patients were transferred to the ICU after craniotomy, and all assessments of postoperative delirium were performed in the ICU on postoperative day 1. In our cohort, 2.2% of the patients (18/800, Table 4) were mechanically ventilated when assessing delirium on postoperative day 1, but 27.5% of the patients (220/800, unpublished data used in immobilising factor score) were intubated. As the most widely recognised screening scale of postoperative delirium in the ICU, CAM-ICU is recommended by the American Society of Critical Care Medicine as a delirium assessment tool in adult patients in the ICU6 and is suggested by the European Society of Anaesthesiology as a postoperative delirium screening tool in postoperative patients.7 Therefore, in many cohort and controlled studies, CAM-ICU has been employed as an effective tool for the assessment of postoperative delirium in the ICU.8–11 We agree with Wan et al. that in our study, the incidence of postoperative delirium may have been confounded by the assessment tool and the time window for the monitoring. As we discussed in our article, although previous studies reported that the incidence of postoperative delirium decreased in a time-dependent manner, delirium may occur from postoperative day 4 to day 7 (but less than 5%).11,12 Furthermore, it has been reported that, compared with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, the sensitivity of CAM-ICU to detect delirium is relatively low in the recovery room setting.7 All these factors may have caused an underestimation of the incidence of postoperative delirium in our cohort. Therefore, our results still indicate the importance of postoperative delirium in the population we studied. Regarding the analysis of risk factors for postoperative delirium, we did follow the overall strategy univariate analyses first (Tables 1 to 4), followed by multivariate analyses (Table 5). Wan et al. may have some misunderstanding of univariate analysis. The main purpose of the univariate analysis is to identify candidate risk factors or covariates, rather than to estimate the size of the effect [the odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated in our study]. Therefore, we can either examine the distribution of variables between the groups or use one independent variable at a time to fit a regression model to identify potential risk factors. We prefer the former because this form of data is more informative with the summary and report of descriptive statistics and the P value in statistical tests. As for the estimation of the effect size, we reported the original and adjusted ORs and 95% CIs of the risk factors in the multivariate logistic regression model in Table 5. These factors are more valuable for preventing postoperative delirium. For more detailed information about our statistical strategy, please refer to other reports.13,14 We used backward stepwise variable selection in multivariate logistic regression because this method can obtain a performance similar to the Bootstrap method, but it is easy to perform.15 We agree with Wan et al. that a number of demographic and peri-operative factors may lead to adverse postoperative outcomes. That is why we did not take the causal relationship between postoperative delirium and adverse consequences as the end point of the study. As we pointed out in the article,2 our data show the potential association between postoperative delirium and adverse outcomes. Considering the relatively high incidence of postoperative delirium and the identified risk factors, our study indicates a comprehensive strategy to prevent postoperative delirium after intracranial surgery. In summary, one study cannot solve all problems. We thank Wan et al. for their suggestions for identifying and investigating safe and effective interventions to reduce the incidence, duration and severity of postoperative delirium, which might provide the readers with more information. With the help of all the readers, we will keep working on postoperative delirium issues to figure it out.

First Brazilian pediatric hospital to adopt 1-hour preoperative fasting time for clear fluids for elective surgeries

Dear Editor, There is a worldwide trend of reduced preoperative fasting time in children. The European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care guidelines published in 2011 and the American Society of Anesthesiologists guidelines, published in 2011 and reviewed in 2017, recommended a preoperative fasting time of 2 hours for clear liquids. In 2018 (), a consensus to reduce the preoperative fasting time to 1 hour for clear fluids was published by the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and [...]

European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Guidelines on peri-operative use of ultrasound for regional anaesthesia (PERSEUS regional anesthesia): Peripheral nerves blocks and neuraxial anaesthesia.

Nowadays, ultrasound-guidance is commonly used in regional anaesthesia (USGRA) and to locate the spinal anatomy in neuraxial analgesia. The aim of this second guideline on the PERi-operative uSE of UltraSound (PERSEUS-RA) is to provide evidence as to which areas of regional anaesthesia the use of ultrasound guidance should be considered a gold standard or beneficial to the patient. The PERSEUS Taskforce members were asked to define relevant outcomes and rank the relative importance of outcomes following the GRADE process. Whenever the literature was not able to provide enough evidence, we decided to use the RAND method with a modified Delphi process. Whenever compared with alternative techniques, the use of USGRA is considered well tolerated and effective for some nerve blocks but there are certain areas, such as truncal blocks, where a lack of robust data precludes useful comparison. The new frontiers for further research are represented by the application of USG during epidural analgesia or spinal anaesthesia as, in these cases, the evidence for the value of the use of ultrasound is limited to the preprocedure identification of the anatomy, providing the operator with a better idea of the depth and angle of the epidural or spinal space. USGRA can be considered an essential part of the curriculum of the anaesthesiologist with a defined training and certification path. Our recommendations will require considerable changes to some training programmes, and it will be necessary for these to be phased in before compliance becomes mandatory.

European minimum standards for obstetric analgesia and anaesthesia departments

: An important variability of anaesthetic standards of care was discovered in the obstetric departments of many European Union countries. After discussing this issue in various meetings of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) board and its obstetric subcommittee, European Board of Anaesthesiology of the European Union of Medical Specialists (EBA-UEMS) executive members, ESA obstetric subcommittee members and European experts in obstetric anaesthesiology have participated in the elaboration of this document. This experts' opinion is focused mainly on obstetric patients and safety concerns in terms of minimum standards of practice. An initial bibliographical search was performed in medical databases and general literature, searching for obstetric anaesthesiology standards to select the most important safety issues. After the initial presentation of the project during EBA-UEMS and ESA obstetric subcommittee meetings, participants were asked to review the document; several rounds of revisions were performed by the experts, to reach a common opinion concerning the topics considered central to patient safety in the obstetric setting. After three rounds of revision, a consensus was reached and is presented in this document, which includes the list of topics considered relevant by the involved areas, and the respective recommendations. These recommendations covered some EBA-UEMS strategic key areas, in addition to several clinical aspects of common obstetric practice.

Pre-hospital blood transfusion \u2013 an ESA survey of European practice

BackgroundBlood products are a lifesaving commodity in the treatment of major trauma.Although there is little evidence for use of pre-hospital blood products (PHBP) in seriously injured patients, an increasing number of emergency medical services have started using PHBP for treatment of major haemorrhage.The primary aim of this survey was to establish the degree of prehospital blood product use throughout Europe and discover main indications. The secondary aim was to evaluate opinions about PHBP and also the experience and the personal views of its users.MethodsThe subcommittee for Critical Emergency Medicine of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) held an online survey of European Helicopter Emergency Services (HEMS) and all French Services d’Aide Médicale Urgente (SAMU) regions. It contained 13 questions both open and multiple-choice about the frequency transfusions are carried out, the PHBP used and the perceived benefit. The survey was distributed to the corresponding HEMS leads in 14 European countries.ResultsIn total there were 172 valid responses; overall 48% of all respondents have prehospital access to packed red cells, 22% to fresh plasma and 14% use lyophilised plasma. Besides blood product administration, 94% of all services use tranexamic acid. Sixty five percent of all replies came from French and from German services (37 and 28% respectively). PHBP were mainly used for trauma related emergencies. France has the highest uptake of use of blood products at 89%, whereas the rate in Germany was far lower at 6%.Fifty five percent of the service leads felt that PHBP are beneficial, and even lifesaving in individual cases despite being needed infrequently.ConclusionsWe found remarkable dissimilarities in practice between the different European countries. Even if there is not an absolute consensus amongst providers on the benefit of PHBP, the majority feel they are beneficial. The difference in practice is possibly related to the perceived lack of evidence on prehospital blood transfusion. We suggest to include the use of PHBP in trauma registries in order to consolidate the existing evidence.

Clinical Practice Guidelines on Ordering Echocardiography Before Hip Fracture Repair Perform Differently from One Another

BackgroundOsteoporotic hip fractures typically occur in frail elderly patients with multiple comorbidities, and repair of the fracture within 48 h is recommended. Pre-operative evaluation sometimes involves transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to screen for heart disease that would alter peri-operative management, yet TTE can delay surgery and is resource intensive. Evidence suggests that the use of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) can improve care. It is unclear which guidelines are most useful in hip fracture patients.Questions/PurposesWe sought to evaluate the performance of the five commonly used CPGs in determining which patients with acute fragility hip fracture require TTE and to identify common features among high-performing CPGs that could be incorporated into care pathways.Patients and MethodsWe performed a retrospective study of medical records taken from an institutional database of osteoporotic hip fracture patients to identify those who underwent pre-operative TTE. History and physical examination findings were recorded; listed indications for TTE were compared against those given in five commonly used CPGs: those from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA), the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE), the European Society of Cardiology and the European Society of Anaesthesiology(ESC/ESA), the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI), and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). We then calculated the performance (sensitivity and specificity) of the CPGs in identifying patients with TTE results that had the potential to change peri-operative management.ResultsWe identified 100 patients who underwent pre-operative TTE. Among those, the patients met criteria for TTE 32 to 66% of the time, depending on the CPG used. In 14% of those receiving TTE, the test revealed new information with the potential to change management. The sensitivity of the CPGs ranged from 71% (ESC/ESA and AAGBI) to 100% (ACC/AHA and SIGN). The CPGs’ specificity ranged from 37% (BSE) to 74% (ESC/ESA). The more sensitive guidelines focused on a change in clinical status in patients with known disease or clinical concern regarding new-onset disease.ConclusionsIn patients requiring fixation of osteoporotic hip fractures, TTE can be useful for identifying pathologies that could directly change peri-operative management. Our data suggest that established CPGs can be safely used to identify which patients should undergo pre-operative TTE with low risk of missed pathology.

Ten years of the Helsinki Declaration on patient safety in anaesthesiology: An expert opinion on peri-operative safety aspects.

: Patient safety is an activity to mitigate preventable patient harm that may occur during the delivery of medical care. The European Board of Anaesthesiology (EBA)/European Union of Medical Specialists had previously published safety recommendations on minimal monitoring and postanaesthesia care, but with the growing public and professional interest it was decided to produce a much more encompassing document. The EBA and the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) published a consensus on what needs to be done/achieved for improvement of peri-operative patient safety. During the Euroanaesthesia meeting in Helsinki/Finland in 2010, this vision was presented to anaesthesiologists, patients, industry and others involved in health care as the 'Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology'. In May/June 2020, ESA and EBA are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology; a good opportunity to look back and forward evaluating what was achieved in the recent 10 years, and what needs to be done in the upcoming years. The Patient Safety and Quality Committee (PSQC) of ESA invited experts in their fields to contribute, and these experts addressed their topic in different ways; there are classical, narrative reviews, more systematic reviews, political statements, personal opinions and also original data presentation. With this publication we hope to further stimulate implementation of the Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology, as well as initiating relevant research in the future.

European Section/Board of Anaesthesiology/European Society of Anaesthesiology consensus statement on competency-based education and training in anaesthesiology.

: The change from time-based to competency-based medical education has been driven by society's requirement for greater accountability of medical practitioners and those who train them. The European Society of Anaesthesiology and European Section/Board of Anaesthesiology (Anaesthesiology Section of the European Union Medical Specialists) endorse the general principles of competency-based medical education and training (CBMET) outlined by the international competency-based medical education collaborators. A CBMET curriculum is built on unambiguously defined learning objectives, each of which offers a measurable outcome, amenable to assessment using valid and reliable tools. The European training requirements laid out by the European Board of Anaesthesiology define four 'Generic Competences', namely expert clinician, professional leader, academic scholar and inspired humanitarian. A CBMET programme should clearly document core competencies, defined end-points, proficiency standards, practical descriptions of teaching and assessment practices and an assessment plan. The assessment plan should balance the need to provide regular, multidimensional formative feedback to the trainee with the need to inform high stakes decisions. A trainee who has not achieved a proficiency standard should be provided with an individualised training plan to address specific competencies or deficits. Programme formats will inevitably differ given the constraints of scale and resource that apply in different settings. The resources necessary to develop and maintain a CBMET programme in anaesthesiology include human capital, access to clinical learning opportunities, information technology and physical infrastructure dedicated to training and education. Simulation facilities and faculty development require specific attention. Reflective practice is an important programme element that supports wellbeing, resilience and achievement of professional goals. CBMET programmes should enable establishment of a culture of lifelong learning for the anaesthesiology community.

Clinical practice in the management of postoperative delirium by Chinese anesthesiologists: a cross-sectional survey designed by the European Society of Anaesthesiology.

ObjectiveIn this survey, we assessed the current clinical management of postoperative delirium (POD) among Chinese anesthesiologists, after publishing the European POD guideline.MethodsWe administered an electronic survey, designed according to the European POD guideline. The survey was completed using mobile devices.ResultsIn total, 1,514 respondents from China participated in the survey. Overall, 74.4% of participants reported that delirium is very important. More than 95% of participants stated that they routinely assessed POD. In total, 61.4% screened for POD using clinical observation and 37.6% used a delirium screening tool. Although the depth of anesthesia (a POD risk factor) was monitored, electroencephalogram monitoring was unavailable to 30.6% of respondents. Regarding treatment, only 24.1% of respondents used a standard algorithm; 58.5% used individualized treatment.ConclusionOur survey showed that there are high awareness levels among Chinese anesthesiologists regarding the importance of POD. However, routine assessment and monitoring of all patients, including perioperative anesthesia depth monitoring, and a treatment algorithm need to be implemented on a larger scale. According to the results, efforts should be made to improve the knowledge of POD among Chinese anesthesiologists.

European Society of Anaesthesiology guidelines on peri-operative use of ultrasound-guided for vascular access (PERSEUS vascular access).

: Ultrasound for diagnostic and procedural purposes is becoming a standard in daily clinical practice including anaesthesiology and peri-operative medicine. The project of European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) Task Force for the development of clinical guidelines on the PERioperative uSE of Ultra-Sound (PERSEUS) project has focused on the use of ultrasound in two areas that account for the majority of procedures performed routinely in the operating room: vascular access and regional anaesthesia. Given the extensive literature available in these two areas, this paper will focus on the use of ultrasound-guidance for vascular access. A second part will be dedicated to peripheral nerve/neuraxial blocks. The Taskforce identified three main domains of application in ultrasound-guided vascular cannulation: adults, children and training. The literature search were performed by a professional librarian from the Cochrane Anaesthesia and Critical and Emergency Care Group in collaboration with the ESA Taskforce. The Grading of Recommendation Assessment (GRADE) system for assessing levels of evidence and grade of recommendations were used. For the use of ultrasound-guided cannulation of the internal jugular vein, femoral vein and arterial access, the level evidence was classified 1B. For other accesses, the evidence remains limited. For training in ultrasound guidance, there were no studies. The importance of proper training for achieving competency and full proficiency before performing any ultrasound-guided vascular procedure must be emphasised.

Noninvasive respiratory support in the hypoxaemic peri-operative/periprocedural patient: A joint ESA/ESICM guideline.

: Hypoxaemia is a potential life-threatening yet common complication in the peri-operative and periprocedural patient (e.g. during an invasive procedure with risk of deterioration of gas exchange, such as bronchoscopy). The European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) have developed guidelines for the use of noninvasive respiratory support techniques in the hypoxaemic patient in the peri-operative and periprocedural period. The panel outlined five clinical questions regarding treatment with noninvasive respiratory support techniques [conventional oxygen therapy (COT), high flow nasal cannula (HFNC), noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)] for hypoxaemic patients with acute peri-operative/periprocedural respiratory failure. The goal was to assess the available literature on the various noninvasive respiratory support techniques, specifically studies that included adult participants with hypoxaemia in the peri-operative/periprocedural period. The literature search strategy was developed by a Cochrane Anaesthesia and Intensive Care trial search specialist in close collaboration with the panel members and the ESA group methodologist. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to assess the level of evidence and to grade recommendations. The final process was then validated by both ESA and ESICM scientific committees. Among 19 recommendations, the two grade 1B recommendations state that in the peri-operative/periprocedural hypoxaemic patient, the use of either NIPPV or CPAP (based on local expertise) is preferred to COT for improvement of oxygenation; and that the panel suggests using NIPPV or CPAP immediately postextubation for hypoxaemic patients at risk of developing acute respiratory failure after abdominal surgery.

Noninvasive respiratory support in the hypoxaemic peri-operative/periprocedural patient: a joint ESA/ESICM guideline.

Hypoxaemia is a potential life-threatening yet common complication in the peri-operative and periprocedural patient (e.g. during an invasive procedure at risk of deterioration of gas exchange, such as bronchoscopy). The European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) developed guidelines for the use of noninvasive respiratory support techniques in the hypoxaemic patient in the peri-operative and periprocedural period. The panel outlined five clinical questions regarding treatment with noninvasive respiratory support techniques [conventional oxygen therapy (COT), high flow nasal cannula, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)] for hypoxaemic patients with acute peri-operative/periprocedural respiratory failure. The goal was to assess the available literature on the various noninvasive respiratory support techniques, specifically studies that included adult participants with hypoxaemia in the peri-operative/periprocedural period. The literature search strategy was developed by a Cochrane Anaesthesia and Intensive Care trial search specialist in close collaboration with the panel members and the ESA group methodologist. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to assess the level of evidence and to grade recommendations. The final process was then validated by both ESA and ESICM scientific committees. Among 19 recommendations, the two grade 1B recommendations state that: in the peri-operative/periprocedural hypoxaemic patient, the use of either NIPPV or CPAP (based on local expertise) is preferred to COT for improvement of oxygenation; and that the panel suggests using NIPPV or CPAP immediately post-extubation for hypoxaemic patients at risk of developing acute respiratory failure after abdominal surgery. Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s00134-020-05948-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.