Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Current Recommendations For The Perioperative Management Of Patients On Buprenorphine: A Case Study, Coreen Tanner

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, more than 2 million Americans suffer from opioid use disorder (DHHS, 2020). Opioid maintenance therapy (OMT) for OUD has been shown to reduce the rates of inpatient hospitalization and overall opioid-related mortality (Quaye & Zhang, 2019). Buprenorphine is a partial mu receptor agonist and kappa receptor antagonist that is used frequently by patients on OMT. Beginning in 2010 annual prescriptions for buprenorphine products have increased dramatically (Lembke, Ottestad, & Schmiesing, 2019).

With the rising level of chronic pain and opioid use nationally, more and more patients taking buprenorphine are presenting …

Norepinephrine Use In Septic Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia, Lauren Reed

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

Anesthesia providers are frequently confronted by the problem of caring for patients presenting with sepsis in the operating room. Sepsis is associated with high healthcare costs and a significant mortality rate despite advancements in the understanding of its complicated pathophysiology. The 2016 Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends norepinephrine as the first-choice vasopressor in septic patients. Its mild beta-adrenergic effects, in addition to its alpha-adrenergic effects, make it an attractive agent for the vasoplegia and myocardial dysfunction associated with sepsis. Earlier achievement of adequate perfusion pressures, earlier lactate clearance, and higher in-hospital survival have all been associated with norepinephrine use in the …

Simulation To Reduce Medical Errors And Improve Patient Safety In Anesthesia, Matthew Leblanc

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

Over the past two decades, simulation in medical education has been adopted by health education programs and established as a proven method of education for health care students and providers. Despite the addition of simulation to healthcare education, medical errors are ranked as the third leading cause of death in the United States. The purpose of this literature review is to investigate the translation of simulation education into increased patient safety and reduction of medical errors in anesthesia. Overall, the literature reviewed confirms that simulation can be used to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety. Additional correlational research between …

Dexmedetomidine Use And Various Techniques Of Administration To Reduce Emergence Delirium In Pediatric Surgical Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia With Volatile Agents, Sara K. Dusza

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

This analysis of literature evaluated retrospective chart reviews and randomized controlled trials of school aged children undergoing surgical procedures necessitating general anesthesia with volatile inhalant anesthetic agents. These studies assessed and compared the efficacy of various routes and timing of administration of dexmedetomidine as a pre-medication to determine the most effective technique in reducing the incidence of postoperative emergence delirium (ED). ED presents as a transient, acute episode of delirium occurring during the transition from unconsciousness to complete wakefulness after general anesthesia with anesthetic gases. The results of this review suggested that pediatric patients treated with intranasal dexmedetomidine preoperatively experienced …

Treating Post-Dural Puncture Headaches: Sphenopalatine Block, Cosyntropin And Epidural Blood Patch, Amalia Zychowicz

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

Post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) is a severe and debilitating complication that can occur following neuraxial anesthesia. Obstetric patients are at an increased risk for this complication due to their gender, young age, and widespread use of neuraxial anesthesia. A hallmark sign of PDPH is a postural headache that improves when lying down and worsens when sitting or standing. It requires prompt diagnosis and treatment due to its incapacitating effects. The gold-standard treatment for PDPH is an epidural blood patch (EBP). However, this is an invasive procedure with multiple contraindications and the potential for severe complications. Noninvasive, more conservative therapies such …

Sugammadex Versus Neostigmine In Reducing Postoperative Adverse Effects In The Pediatric Population, Robert Vieto Jr.

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

Neostigmine and sugammadex are two medications used to reverse the neuromuscular blockade caused by nondepolarizing aminosteroidal neuromuscular blocking agents. Research has shown an association between the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as neostigmine, and residual neuromuscular blockade in pediatric patients. Sugammadex has been shown to reduce residual neuromuscular blockade in adults without adverse effects, but minimal research has been performed on the effects of sugammadex in the pediatric population. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to compare sugammadex and neostigmine to determine if using sugammadex instead of neostigmine reduces postoperative adverse effects in the pediatric population. A systematic, …

Basic Airway Management For Non-Anesthesia Operating Room Personnel: Education Implementation, Dylan Ouellette

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

A review of basic airway management for non-anesthesia personnel is presented. Included is a literature review of 20 articles surrounding the most current literature on preoperative airway assessment, cricoid pressure, video laryngoscopy, adjuncts for airway management, and airway management education for non-anesthesia health-care personnel. Following the review, an in-service style education presentation was developed and implemented at two sites in Maine. A pre- and post-test evaluation of the participants demonstrated an overall increase in test scores of 22%.

Anesthetic Implications Of Intraarterial Chemotherapy For Retinoblastoma: A Literature Review, Marguerite Mullin

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a rare pediatric cancer commonly diagnosed in patients at a very young age. New therapies for this disease are emerging that involve some degree of sedation, requiring anesthesia providers to be involved in their care. Intraarterial chemotherapy (IAC) is one of these new exciting treatment options and requires general anesthesia. Multiple studies and case reports have reported a sudden decrease in pulmonary compliance during IAC for RB and attribute this response to the trigemino-cardiac reflex (TCR). Once this event occurs, patients experience associated hypoxemia, hypotension, bradycardia, and cardiovascular collapse. A systematic literature review was aimed at educating …

Exparel Versus Bupivacaine: Outcomes, Advantages, And Costs, Jessica Duraney

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

Research shows that adequate pain control is associated with increased patient satisfaction, faster rehabilitation, mobilization, reduced hospital stays, and ultimately decreased hospital costs. Due to the many disadvantages of opioids, such as ileus, nausea, vomiting, respiratory depression, tolerance, and physical dependence, there has been a push for opioid-sparing and multimodal analgesia perioperatively. The purpose of this paper is to compare two local anesthetics, bupivacaine and Exparel (liposomal bupivacaine). The use of these drugs in various regional techniques, specifically for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and abdominal surgeries, will be discussed.

Reducing Anesthesia Workstation Contamination, Taryn Giese

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

Healthcare-associated infections are a source of morbidity and mortality in the United States and have been shown to be more preventable than current incidence. Anesthesia providers may be a source of and vector for some of these infections. Nurse anesthetists provide direct individual care for numerous patients daily, managing airways and invasive devices that contaminate hands with secretions which then may be transferred to the anesthesia workstation. Due to its complexity, the anesthesia machine is difficult to thoroughly clean and may become a reservoir for contaminants.

The purpose of this paper will be to examine new interventions being explored to …