OPERATING ROOM & POST ANAESTHESIA CARE UNIT
BLOGS

TYPE 1 AND TYPE 2 RESPIRATORY FAILURE:

Prevent, Detect, Intervene

Type 1 and type 2 respiratory failure is a serious medical condition with potentially fatal outcomes. It affects 360,000 people per year in the United States, of which 36% die during hospitalisation.([FOOTNOTE=Puneet Katyal. Pathophysiology of Respiratory Failure and Use of Mechanical Ventilation. American Thoracic Society Available at https://www.thoracic.org/professionals/clinical-resources/critical-care/clinical-education/mechanical-ventilation/respiratory-failure-mechanical-ventilation.pdf],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=])

KEEP YOUR SEDATED PATIENT SAFE:

Identify the Signs of Respiratory Distress or Failure

In this article we discuss the signs of respiratory distress, and interventions to keep your sedated patient safe.

5 TIPS TO ASSESS A DIFFICULT AIRWAY:

The LEMON Tool

In this article we review the tool LEMON which has been used in different clinical settings.

UPPER AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION

Causes and Management

Upper airway obstruction happens when there is an anatomic narrowing or occlusion that results in a reduced ability to exchange gas in and out of the lungs. The obstruction can lead to respiratory failure, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest or death within minutes. Therefore, healthcare professionals must be aware of signs and symptoms, possible causes and management in order to intervene promptly and minimise morbidity and mortality.

5 actions every anaesthetic nurse must do for regional, local and general anaesthesia

In this blog post we talk about the 5 actions every anaesthetic nurse must do for every patient, receiving regional, local or general anaesthesia.

COPD & ANAESTHESIA:

3 aspects every nurse must know

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major cause of chronic morbidity and mortality throughout the world. It is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the world.([FOOTNOTE=Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (2016) Pocket Guide to COPD diagnosis, management and prevention. Available at: https://goldcopd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/wms-GOLD-2017-Pocket-Guide.pdf],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=]) An estimated 3 million people have COPD in the UK, of whom 2 million have undiagnosed COPD.([FOOTNOTE=NICE (2015) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/Media/Default/Standards-and-indicators/QOF%20Indicator%20Key%20documents/nm105-copd-guidance.pdf],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=]) It is responsible for over 30,000 deaths, 1.4 million General Practitioner consultations, a million hospital bed days and it costs the NHS over £800 million each year.([FOOTNOTE=Primary Care Respiratory Society UK (2013). Reviewing people with COPD. Available at: https://www.pcrs-uk.org/sites/pcrs-uk.org/files/os19_copd_review.pdf],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=])

The Role of the Bronchoscopy Nurse

Bronchoscopy is an invasive procedure that allows the direct examination of the larynx, trachea and bronchi using either a flexible fibreoptic bronchoscope or a rigid metal bronchoscope.([FOOTNOTE=Martin, P. (2019) Bronchoscopy. Nurse Labs. Available at https://nurseslabs.com/bronchoscopy/],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=])^,([FOOTNOTE=Martin, J. (2013) Preparing and supporting patients undergoing a bronchoscopy. Nursing Times. Available at https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/respiratory-clinical-archive/preparing-and-supporting-patients-undergoing-a-bronchoscopy-14-10-2003/],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=]) Nurses perform an important role supporting patients undergoing bronchoscopy. In this article, we review the role of the bronchoscopy nurse in 3 surgical stages.

The Role of the GI Endoscopy Nurse

Around 1-1.5% of the population requires an upper or lower endoscopic investigation of the gastrointestinal tract each year.([FOOTNOTE=Pauline Matthews (2001) Developing the role of the nurse endoscopist. Available at https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/gastroenterology/developing-the-role-of-the-nurse-endoscopist-01-11-2001/],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=]) Gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures are used as diagnostic, as well as interventional. It includes gastroscopies where the scope is placed inside the oesophagus, stomach and first part of the small bowel; and colonoscopies where the scope is inserted in the large bowel. Nurse’s play an important role in these procedures. In this article we highlight the role of nurses in gastrointestinal endoscopy.