Learning curves of novice anesthesiology residents performing simulated fibreoptic upper airway endoscopy

Topical anaesthesia of the nasal mucosa for fibreoptic airway endoscopy.

We have compared four methods of topical anaesthesia of the nostril for fibreoptic airway endoscopy in a randomized study with 31 unpremedicated volunteers, each serving as his or her own control. Lignocaine spray, EMLA cream, three cotton swabs soaked in 4% lignocaine solution, or 2% lignocaine gel was applied in a nostril for 3 min. Application of lignocaine spray was rated as the most unplea...

Assessment of quality indicators among nurse practitioners performing upper endoscopy

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS  Limited international data have shown that non-physicians can safely perform upper endoscopy, but no such study has been performed in the United States. Our aim was to assess the quality of outpatient upper endoscopies performed by nurse practitioners (NPs). PATIENTS AND METHODS  Retrospective chart review of upper endoscopies performed by 3 NPs between 2010 and 201...

Learning curves for three specific procedures by anesthesiology residents using the learning curve cumulative sum (LC-CUSUM) test

BACKGROUND The learning curve cumulative sum (LC-CUSUM) test is an innovative tool that allows quantitative monitoring of individual medical performance during the learning process by determining when a predefined acceptable level of performance is reached. This study used the LC-CUSUM test to monitor the learning process and failure rate of anesthesia residents training for specific subspecial...

Dissemination of fibreoptic airway endoscopy skills by means of a workshop utilizing models.

A questionnaire was mailed to 182 attendees of four practical workshops on fibreoptic endoscopy. After the workshops, 35% of the attendees were able to introduce fibreoptic intubation into their clinical practice or improve their success rate. This suggests that a new psychomotor skill can be disseminated effectively to clinicians by a practical workshop that utilizes inanimate models, and is b...

Virtual endoscopy of the upper airway--a diagnostic tool.