General Surgical Cases Research Articles

FP8.12 - Theatre time utilisation in General Surgery at a district hospital in NHS

Abstract Aim To understand the operation theatre time utilisation in the Department of General Surgery at a busy district NHS hospital. The time spent in each step of surgery and operating list at large and understand the patterns of cancellations and its’ predictors. Method Retrospective study of all elective general surgical patients from 1 Dec 2021 to 15 May 2022. Emergency cases were excluded and statistics were performed on Statsdirect3. Results Total surgeries performed were 182 with 153 true and 41 false cancellations. Mean surgical time was 84.5 minutes (mean 73min) for all general surgical cases. Lap cholecystectomies had a mean time of 92.3mins, upper GI surgeries took 178.6mins (mean) EUA and other procedures was 30.86mins, inguinal hernia 77.2mins, umbilical hernia 68.5mins. Mean anaesthesia time was 33 mins (median 31mins). Theatre time utilised was 56.45%, anaesthesia time utilised was 15.85%, surgery time utilised was 40.60% and non-clinical time was 43.55%. Mean delay in sending for first patient was 31.58mins (median 29min). Delay in calling for first patient is statistically significant (p=0.00015) for cancellation for the last patient in the list. Mean gap in between 2 consecutive cases was 35.74mins (median 22min). Conclusion Delay in sending for the patient will lead to cancellation of the last patient on the list which is proven statistically. We utilised 82.19% of the total surgery days and cancelled 17.81% days. Non clinical time comprised of 43.55%.

Factors leading to surgical site infection (SSI); a 6 years analysis of general surgical cases in a newly developed teaching hospital.

Objective: To determine the major factors leading to surgical site infection in elective surgeries. Study Design: Retrospective Cross Sectional study. Setting: Department of Surgery, Government Teaching Hospital Shahdara, Lahore. Period: January 2016 to December 2021. Methods: The cases of surgical site infections were collected from well-organized data according to health care commission’s format of recording data in surgical site infection Register. Emergency patients were excluded. Each infected case was thoroughly investigated according to Performa and presented in meeting of infection control committee. Demographics were recorded and the factors were determined in individual case. Frequency and percentages of infected cases and main factors in all cases were analyzed by SPSS version 24. Results: We had 61 cases of SSI out of 2962 cases operated during the study period with calculated rate of 2.06%. Seventy two percent cases had age more than 40 years. 39(63.93%) were female and 22(36/07) were male. Mean age was 43.02 years with standard deviation of ± 8.98. 72% of infected cases. BMI in infected cases was 29.56 mean and Standard deviation ± 2.74 and 27.29 in non-infected cases (significant). Diabetes and Rank of surgeon had significant difference with increased infection in resident level. Smoking and gender of patients had no statistically significant impact. Conclusion: High Body mass index, diabetes, longer duration of procedure, rank of surgeon and use of mesh are the leading factors causing surgical site infection. Smoking, age and gender had no significant effect on SSI.

A dedicated robotic bedside physician assistant significantly enhances trainee console operating time in general thoracic surgery

ObjectiveAs trainees rotate through thoracic subspecialties within their curricula, a crucial portion of their robotic training consists of actual console operating time. The more time spent on the surgeon console, the greater the development will be through the course of their training. Implementing a physician assistant at the bedside may increase the operative console time for the trainee and develop robotic skills in a more expeditious rate. The objective was to evaluate the impact a designated robotic physician assistant can have on trainee console learning opportunity. MethodsOperating room data collected consisted of all robotic general thoracic surgical cases that trainees participated in with and without a physician assistant present. Metrics regarding case efficiency included anesthesia ready-to-incision, incision-to-console, and raw resident console times. By using PRISM software, a nonparametric t test was used to analyze each averaged data group compared between when a physician assistant was present and not present. ResultsThe mean resident console time without and with a physician assistant assist was 45.8 minutes and 80.9 minutes, respectively (P < .0001). The average portion of a case performed by a trainee similarly without and with a physician assistant present was 28.0% and 77.1%, respectively (P < .0001). Case efficiency metrics between physician assistant presence cohorts showed no difference. ConclusionsThoracic surgical trainees have increased opportunity for robotic skill development within a fellowship or resident program curriculum when a designated robotic physician assistant is present in the operating room. These findings are significant for the improvement of residency and fellowship robotic training models moving forward by incorporating robotic-specialized physician assistants in academic institutions.

908 Factors Affecting Last Minute Cancellation of Elective General Surgical Cases; Preliminary Findings of a QIP

Abstract Introduction Waiting lists for elective general surgeries have been growing steadily over the past few years, with short-notice cancellations affecting both cost and patient safety. There are currently nationwide incentives to cut referral-to-theatre delays and tackle the backlog of over 7 million patients (NHS backlog data analysis - British Medical Association 2022). Aim To identify common causes of short-notice cancellation of elective general surgery lists, and identify targets for intervention for minimisation. Method This audit was registered with the department. Prospectively collected elective general surgery lists between January and November 2022 were compiled and analysed. We coded the reason for cancellation from patient records. For the patients found to be unfit on the day to come in (TCI), we reviewed PAC notes to see whether they had been deemed fit at PAC and how this had changed. Data were coded and analysed on Microsoft Excel on secure Trust computers. Results Between 01/01/2022 and 06/11/2022, 508 (22%) of the scheduled 2300 cases were cancelled, with 235 (10.2%) within 48 hours of their scheduled start date. Acute patient illness and patient unavailability were the most common causes of short notice cancellation of a case (n = 41), followed by time constraints (n = 33), patients not being medically optimised (n = 27) or no longer requiring surgery (n = 21, as well as administrative error (n = 14). Conclusions Targets for intervention following these preliminary audit results included improved patient literature at pre-assessment, clerical chart review in the lead up to the surgery to ensure all administrative tasks have been performed, and a clinical review immediately prior the TCI date to identify any intercurrent illness.

Creating a sustainable rural general surgery workforce: what enables fellows to return as rural general surgeons?

In the context of shortfalls in rural general surgeon supply, this research aims to explore why rural general surgical Fellows returned and remained after fellowship at a single rural centre in Victoria, Australia. Fellowship positions post achievement of Fellowship of the Australasian College of Surgeons are traditionally not funded by government because they currently fall outside the accredited rural training post funding provided by the federal government. This article aims to explore if fellowship positions can be an important part in sustaining the rural general surgery workforce. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine former general surgery Fellows from a single rural Australian institution. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and themed to undertake analysis according to thematic analysis. This research demonstrates that consultant rural general surgeons can be recruited from a fellowship year when emphasis is placed on: (1) creating a positive workplace culture with safe working hours, (2) ensuring diversification of the general surgical case mix, (3) facilitating opportunities for schooling and work for the surgeon's family, and (4) preferentially selecting for those who identify as rural general surgeons. Rural towns can effectively recruit general surgeons when families are supported with career and school opportunities, and the newly qualified surgeon can initially commit to a 12-month position so that opportunities can be assessed by the entire family unit. Fellowship positions (post completion of general surgical training) allow young surgeons to 'try before they buy' prior to moving to a rural area. Ensuring a sustainable general surgical workforce in a rural community requires employee and surgical leadership to ensure a collaborative and progressive culture, which offers work diversity, supports the family lifestyle and petitions for selecting those who embody the rural general surgeon identity. Post-fellowship positions can enable young general surgeons to have exposure to the realities of a rural lifestyle, which is likely to have a positive effect on recruitment. Due to the return investment of the fellowship program, we propose that the federal government should look at funding post-fellowship positions to improve rural recruitment.

Sterile surgical supply waste identification using asynchronous analysis: Pediatric surgery QI pilot

BackgroundThe operating room (OR) is a major cost and revenue center for a hospital. One of the few modifiable costs in the OR is single-use, sterile surgical supplies (SUSSS). If SUSSS are opened on the scrub table and not used, then they are wasted. High-fidelity SUSSS usage data is important to strategically implement solutions to reduce waste of SUSSS in the OR. OR waste reduction may decrease health systems' carbon footprints and reduce spending. MethodsA convenience sample of general pediatric surgical cases was observed in summer 2021. HIPAA-free images of the surgical scrub table were acquired every 2 s with minimal impact on pediatric OR workflow. These images were asynchronously analyzed to obtain SUSSS usage data for each case. ResultsImage data from three pediatric surgeons performing 41 pediatric surgeries was reviewed. The median cost of unused SUSSS was $13.10 (IQR = $2.73–$47.97) with a range of $0.07 to $489.08 wasted in a single surgery. The mean number of items wasted was 9.3 ± 6.4. The most frequently wasted items were sutures, syringes, towels, paper rulers, and specimen cups. The most expensive sources of waste were laparoscopic trocars, sutures, insufflation needles, drapes, and guidewires. ConclusionsSUSSS that were discarded without being used were successfully identified through the asynchronous analysis of HIPAA-free OR scrub table image data. This may be an opportunity to identify SUSSS waste efficiently without an observer in the OR.

Prevalence of pre-operative anemia and its implication for patient blood management in a Nigerian Hospital

Objectives: Pre-operative anemia is common in Sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. Anemia is a known risk factor for blood transfusion. In our hospital, like many others, patients are usually admitted a day before elective surgeries and the default treatment for anemia by most surgeons and anesthetists is allogenic blood transfusion. Anemia and blood transfusion are independently and synergistically associated with complications and undesirable outcomes. Patient blood management (PBM) is gaining popularity and has been advocated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for member countries to adopt as a means of improving patient outcomes. There is currently no research from the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital highlighting the prevalence of pre-operative anemia. This research was aimed at filling this gap and also presenting a baseline for comparison as the hospital strives to implement the three pillars of PBM strategies: Manage anemia, minimize blood loss and harness tolerance to anemia to improve patient outcomes. Material and Methods: All surgical patients who consented to the study were recruited prospectively. Patients who had no pre-operative hemoglobin (Hgb) or packed cell volume (PCV) recorded were excluded from the study. Demographic data, type of surgery, and pre-operative PCV levels were documented. Anemia was defined using the WHO standard as PCV &lt;39% (Hgb 13.0 g/dL) in men and &lt;36% (Hgb 12.0 g/dL) in women. Data were obtained about transfusion at the end of surgery. Surgeries were categorized into general, orthopedic, obstetric, gynecological, urologic, pediatric, ear, nose, throat/maxillofacial, burns and plastic unit (BPU), neurological, and thoracic. The information was entered into SPSS version 20. Data were cleaned and analyzed. The statistical significance was placed at P &lt; 0.05. Results are presented as tables, chats, and histograms. Results: A total of 237 patients were recruited with a mean age of 37.30 ± 19.05. More of them were females (54.0%) and a higher proportion of them (64.6%) had elective surgery. The categories of surgeries were predominantly general surgical (24.9%) and gynecological (21.9%) followed by orthopedic (17.7%), ENT/maxillofacial (9.3%), urologic (8.0%), and obstetric (7.2%) cases. The rest were neurosurgical (3.4%) and pediatric surgical (2.1%) cases. The overall prevalence of anemia was found to be 54.9%. The mean pre-operative PCV was 34.90 ± 7.37%. The highest proportion of pre-operative anemia was found among the pediatric surgical cases (80.0%) followed by the urologic (68.4%) and neurosurgical cases (62.5%). The prevalence of pre-operative anemia among the different surgical patients was gynecological (46.2%), general surgical (45.8%), obstetric (41.2%), ENT/maxillofacial (40.9%), and orthopedic (38.1%) cases. The lowest proportion of pre-operative anemic patients was found among the thoracic (25.0%) and Burns and Plastics (11.1%) cases. Most of the patients (86.5%) were not transfused intraoperatively. Whereas 20% of the anemic patients were transfused; only 5.6% of the non-anemic ones needed a blood transfusion. Conclusion: Pre-operative anemia remains prevalent in our environment and anemia is a risk factor for a blood transfusion which carries both risk and cost implications. PBM has as its first pillar the management of anemia. This pre-emptive approach to allogeneic blood transfusion avoidance is aimed at improving patient outcomes. Prevention and treatment of pre-operative anemia will be beneficial not just to the patients but to all healthcare stakeholders.

The Impact of Relocating a Trauma Center: Observations on Patient Injury Demographics and Resident Volumes.

Introduction Changing the physical zip code location of an academic trauma center may affect the distribution and surgical volume of its trauma patients. General surgical residency case log requirements may also be affected. This study describes the impact of moving a level I trauma center to a different zip code location, on the hospital and resident trauma case volumes. Methods This retrospective analysis included all patients within the local trauma registry across two fiscal years representing the pre- and post-move timeframes. Variables collected included patient basic sociodemographic and injury information, trauma activation level and transfer status, management (operative management [OPM] versus non-operative management [NOPM]), and resident case logs. Results During fiscal years 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, 3,025 patients were included. Pre-move and post-move trauma volumes were 1,208 and 1,817 respectively. Post-move changes demonstrated differences in basic sociodemographics, with differences in age (six years older), a shift towardwhite and away from black (12.89%), and males being seen more frequently (11.87%). Injury severity score distribution shifted (7.72%) towards less severe trauma scores (<15), the percentage of patients with blunt trauma (4.19%) and falls increased (ground level and greater than 1 meter, 9.78%) while the number of patients considered full activations were decreased (15.67%). Proportions of OPM and NOPM trauma cases remained unchanged with the exception of a reduction in emergent operative trauma (3.1%). Resident case logs requirements were met both pre- and post-move. Conclusion Relocating the trauma center to a different zip code location did not negatively impact our resident case volumes. Total trauma volumes were increased, with a shift in the demographics and severity distribution of injuries.

The utility of surgical Apgar score in predicting postoperative morbidity and mortality in general surgery.

Many surgical scoring systems are used to predict operative risk but most are complicated. The aim of the study was to determine the utility of the Surgical Apgar Score (SAS) in predicting post operative mortality and morbidity in general surgical cases. This was a prospective observational study. All adult patients for emergency and elective general surgical procedures were included. Intraoperative data was collected, and post operative outcomes were followed up till 30 days. SAS was calculated from intraoperative lowest heart rate, lowest MAP and blood loss. A total of 220 patients were included in the study. All consecutive general surgical procedures were included. Sixty of the 220 cases were emergency and the rest were elective. Forty-five (20.5%) of the patients developed complication. Mortality rate was 3.2% (7 out of 220). The cases were divided into high risk (0-4), moderate risk (5-8) and low risk (9-10) based on SAS. Complication and mortality rates were 50% and 8.3% in the high risk group, 23% and 3.7% in the moderate risk and 4.2% and 0 in the low risk group, respectively. The surgical Apgar score is a simple and valid predictor of postoperative morbidity and 30-day mortality among patients undergoing general surgeries. It is applicable to all types of surgeries for emergency and elective cases and irrespective of the patient general condition and type of anesthesia and surgery planned.

Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis among surgical patients: results from a retrospective observational study at a public hospital in Liberia

BackgroundSurgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) is one of the most effective measures to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs). According to WHO SAP guidelines, SAP requires appropriate indication for administration and delivery...

Real-time seizure detection in paediatric intensive care patients: the RESET child brain protocol

IntroductionApproximately 20%–40% of comatose children with risk factors in intensive care have electrographic-only seizures; these go unrecognised due to the absence of continuous electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring (cEEG). Utility of cEEG...

A clinical study of risk factors and the management of surgical site infections in general surgical cases at tertiary care center: A two-year observational study

Background: Surgical site infections penetrate to depths in tissues and cause simple superficial infections to sepsis. The aim of this study is to identify the incidence rate of surgical site infections and their risk factors at the surgical section of a tertiary care center.&#x0D; Material and Methods: This retrospective observational study included 245 patients. The CDC class-wise breakup of would infection and the risk factors were recorded.&#x0D; Results: The Incidence of surgical site infections was 11.4%. &lt;20year aged patients showed 0% incidence, and &gt; 60-year aged patients showed 22.7% incidence. Malignancy observed as 31.3% incidence than without malignancy (10%) risk factor (p = 0.024). Among the origin, Lumbar sympathectomies and Breast surgery for malignancy showed the highest incidence (43.8%), followed by Genitourinary tract surgeries with 22.9%. Wound infection was more in an emergency (15.4%) than elective procedures (10.4%). The incidence rate increases from 7.9% (&lt;1 hr) to 14.7% (1-2 hrs) regarding the duration of Surgery. The association of wound class with wound infection showed 13% (clean), 3.3% (clean-contaminated), 17.9% (contaminated) the incidence of the study. The antibiotics usage shows a strong association with wound infection (p=0.015). The most common bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, Escherichia and Klebsiella species (60% both), followed by Pseudomonas, Citrobacter, and others.&#x0D; Conclusion: The factors which showed a strong association with wound infection were increasing age, surgical procedure, site of operation, presence of malignancy, urinary tract infection, lower respiratory tract infections, and exposure to antibiotics. Combination of clinical and microbiological means was the common mode of detection rather than individually.

Initiation and feasibility of a multi-specialty minimally invasive surgical programme using a novel robotic system: A case series

IntroductionThere are a number of small case series examining new robotic surgical systems, but this is the first large case series assessing the feasibility of the Versius® system from CMR Surgical (1 Evolution Business Park, Cambridge, UK) in a multi-specialty setting. Materials and methodsAll patients undergoing Versius®-assisted surgery in a previously robot-naïve centre were consented for collection of data on demographics, pre-, intra-, and postoperative outcomes. Data collection was performed prospectively from the start of the robotic surgical programme. Results160 operations were performed over a 19-month period, including 68 colorectal, 60 gynaecology, and 32 general surgery cases. The conversion rate to open surgery was 4.4% for colorectal, and 0% for gynaecology and general surgery. Median length of stay was 6 days for colorectal, 1 day for gynaecology, and 0 days for general surgery. Other outcomes were comparable to existing literature for robotic assisted surgery. ConclusionThe Versius® system is safe and feasible for use in a multi-specialty minimally invasive surgery programme, including colorectal, general surgical & gynaecological cases, and operative volume can be safely and easily scaled up in a district general hospital setting without prior robotic surgical experience.

EP.WE.339The Role of a “Clean Ward” Model in Minimizing COVID-19 Exposure for Elective General Surgical Patients

AimsTo assess if a “clean ward” model is effective in preventing peri-operative COVID-19 infection in elective general surgical patients.MethodsElective general surgical cases were audited prospectively in three thirty-day cycles - May–July 2020, September–October 2020 and December 2020–January 2021. Patients isolated for 10 days and required a negative COVID swab prior to admission. Nursing and surgical staff underwent weekly swabbing, operations were carried out in a dedicated “clean theatre” and a no-visiting policy was enforced. Inpatient COVID cases and COVID-19 status at 14 days post discharge were recorded and compared to the community COVID-19 Reproduction (R) number.ResultsCycle 1, (May-Jul 20, R number=0.3-1.5) 44 elective patients. One patient was diagnosed with clinical COVID post-operatively and recovered well.Cycle 2, (Sept-Oct 20, R number=0.8-1.8) 57 patients identified. No positive COVID-19 cases during inpatient admission or at 14 days post discharge.Cycle 3, (Dec 20-Jan 21, R number=1.0-1.9) 38 elective patients. One patient tested positive for COVID-19 following transfer to the emergency surgical ward due to COVID-19 related bed pressures. No other positive cases were identified during follow up.ConclusionsDespite an ongoing rise in community COVID-19 cases, the “clean ward” model appears to be effective in reducing COVID-19 transmission for elective general surgical patients. When the R number was at its highest, the only COVID positive case developed symptoms after moving from the “clean ward” system. Extrapolation of this model could be considered in re-establishing elective operating lists across the region.

Cognitive bias and severity of harm following surgery: Plan for workflow debiasing strategy

IntroductionThis study analyzes the relationship between cognitive bias (CB) and harm severity as measured by Clavien-Dindo Scores (CD). MethodsA prospectively collected series of 655 severity matched general surgical cases with complications were analyzed. Cases were evaluated for CB and assigned harm scores as defined by CD grade. Potentially mitigating “debiasing” strategies were identified for each bias attribution. ResultsAmong cases with CB, 24% (55/232) were CD(I-II) and 76% (177/232) were CD(III-V). Odds ratio suggests that serious complications occur nearly 60% more frequently when CB is identified. The CBs identified with severe harm were Overconfidence, Commission, Anchoring, Confirmation, and Diagnosis Momentum. Preliminary data on debiasing strategies suggest diagnosis review, linear reasoning and Type II thinking may be relevant in over 85% of complications. ConclusionThe incidence of CB is increased in patients sustaining severe harm. Understanding the specific CBs identified and their mitigating debiasing strategies may improve outcomes.

The Correlation Between Case Total Work Relative Value Unit, Operative Stress, and Patient Frailty: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Assess the relationships between case total work relative value units (wRVU), patient frailty, and the physiologic stress of surgical interventions. Surgeon reimbursement is frequently apportioned by wRVU. These subjective, procedure-specific valuations generated by physician survey estimate the intensity and time for typical patient care services. We hypothesized wRVU would not adequately account for patient-specific factors, such as frailty, that modify the required physician work, regardless of procedural complexity. Using National and Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Programs (2015-2018), we evaluated the correlation between case total wRVU, patient frailty (risk analysis index) and physiologic surgical stress (operative stress score). Of 4,111,371 (86%) cases, the correlation between total wRVU and operative stress was moderate [ρs = 0.587 (95% confidence interval, 0.586-0.587)], but negligible with frailty ρ = 0.177 (95% confidence interval, 0.176-0.178)]. Very high operative stress procedures [n = 34,047 (1%)] generated a mean total wRVU of 55.1 (standard deviation, 12.9), comprising 7%, 2%, and 1% of thoracic, vascular, and general surgical cases, respectively. Very frail patients [n = 152,535 (4%)] accounted for 9% of thoracic, 9% of vascular, 4% of general, 5% of urologic, and 4% of neurologic surgical cases, generating 21.0 (standard deviation, 12.4) mean total wRVU. Some nonfrail patients undergoing low operative stress procedures [n = 60,128 (2%)] nonetheless generated the highest quintile wRVU; these comprised >15% of plastic, gynecologic, and urologic surgical cases. Surgeon reimbursement correlates with operative stress but not patient frailty. The total wRVU does not adequately reflect patient-specific factors that increase the physician workload required to render optimal care to complex patients.

MSF Hospital in Tabarre, Haiti: Why a Field General Surgery Fellowship Is Necessary

Recently, the Hospital at Tabarre in Port-au-Prince Haiti was reopened by the Operational Center of Paris—Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). This hospital is now purely a Trauma Center staffed by five national general surgeons and five orthopedic surgeons. MSF hopes that the new trauma focus of Tabarre Hospital and the presence of a full complement of experienced national surgeons can enable this site to become one of the training sites for exptriate surgeons on their first humanitarian mission with MSF. The general surgical case charts from the first 3 months after the reopening of the hospital were retrospectively reviewed. All procedures done by the general surgical department in the operating room theatre were registered and short and long-term results analyzed. The Hospital at Tabarre has a very high rate of penetrating traumas compared to other MSF hospitals, and seems ideally suited to train expatriate surgeons during their first missions in the field with MSF because of the experience of the National surgical staff. Additionally, it is felt that a longer Field General Surgery fellowship can and should be developed within MSF to ensure that the next generation of general surgeons can continue to provide the type of surgical care that is still needed in the field.

Cognitive Bias Impact on Management of Postoperative Complications, Medical Error, and Standard of Care

BackgroundCognitive bias (CB) is increasingly recognized as an important source of medical error and up to 75% of errors in internal medicine are thought to be cognitive in origin (O'Sullivan ED, Schofield SJ. Cognitive bias in clinical medicine. J R Coll Physicans Edinb. 2018;48;225-232). However, primary data regarding the true incidence of bias is lacking. A prospective evaluation of CB in the management of surgical cases with complications has not been reported. This study reports the incidence and distribution of various types of CBs, and evaluates their impact on management errors and standard of care (SOC). MethodsA prospectively collected series of 736 general surgical cases with complications from three university hospitals was analyzed. Surgical residents evaluated cases for 22 types of CBs (Croskerry P. The importance of cognitive errors in diagnosis and strategies to minimize them. Acad Med. 2003;78:775-780). Supervising quality officers validated all quality assessments. Data were assessed for the incidence of CBs, error assessments (diagnostic, technical, judgment, system, communication, therapeutic, and professionalism), and SOC. ResultsCB was attributed in 32.7% (241/736) of all cases with complications. The most common CBs identified, both singly and in groups, were anchoring, confirmation, omission, commission, overconfidence, premature closure, hindsight, diagnosis momentum, outcome, and ascertainment bias. The attribution of CB was correlated to a statistically significant increase in the incidence of management errors by the surgical team and lower SOC assessments. ConclusionsCBs are identified in the management of cases with complications and are associated with an increase in management errors and a degradation in SOC. Insight into the types of CBs and their association with the type and severity of management errors may prove useful in improving quality care.

An observational study of distractions in the operating theatre.

SummarySeveral studies have reported on the negative impact of interruptions and distractions on anaesthetic, surgical and team performance in the operating theatre. This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of these events and why they remain part of everyday clinical practice. We used a mixed methods observational study design. We scored each distractor and interruption according to an established scheme during induction of anaesthesia and the surgical procedure for 58 general surgical cases requiring general anaesthesia. We made field notes of observations, small conversations and meetings. We observed 64 members of staff for 148 hours and recorded 4594 events, giving a mean (SD) event rate of 32.8 (16.3) h‐1. The most frequent events observed during induction of anaesthesia were door movements, which accounted for 869 (63%) events, giving a mean (SD) event rate of 28.1 (14.5) h‐1. These, however, had little impact. The most common events observed during surgery were case‐irrelevant verbal communication and smartphone usage, which accounted for 1020 (32%) events, giving a mean (SD) event rate of 9.0 (4.2) h‐1. These occurred mostly in periods of low work‐load in a sub‐team. Participants ranged from experiencing these events as severe disruption through to a welcome distraction that served to keep healthcare professionals active during low work‐load, as well as reinforcing the social connections between colleagues. Mostly, team members showed no awareness of the need for silence among other sub‐teams and did not vocalise the need for silence to others. Case‐irrelevant verbal communication and smartphone usage may serve a physical and psychological need. The extent to which healthcare professionals may feel disrupted depends on the situation and context. When a team member was disrupted, a resilient team response often lacked. Reducing disruptive social activity might be a powerful strategy to develop a habit of cross‐monitoring and mutual help across surgical and anaesthetic sub‐teams. Further research is needed on how to bridge cultural borders and develop resilient interprofessional behaviours.

Innovative Approach to Moderating Risk of Nosocomial Infection During Anesthesia

Infection control concerns abound in the surgical anesthesia workstation placing patients and providers at significant, documented risk as a result of many factors including provider hand hygiene lapses, equipment design and complexity, and challenging disinfection. We performed a trial to mitigate cross-contamination involving 30 general anesthesia surgical cases matched 1:1 as control (no intervention) or intervention group (condom-like barriers to four anesthesia workstation components that are frequently touched and contaminated, and very difficult to disinfect). Wraps were removed at case end, then replaced with fresh ones before the start of the subsequent case. Baseline culture samples were obtained prior to the first surgical case of the day in each room, then performed on cases that followed in each room over a 3-day period. Baseline colony formation units density was equivalent in both conditions with total density significantly lower in the covered/wrapped (Mean Rank = 5.81) vs uncovered condition (Mean Rank = 11.19) at p