Anesthesia services outside of the operating room

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Anesthesiology
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Limited operating room availability and inadequate monitoring for conscious sedation in pediatric procedures prompted the need for an alternative anesthesia service.
• Existing literature on non-operating room anesthesia services was scarce, necessitating significant planning and development.
• The Rapid Treatment Unit (RTU) was conceived to address these challenges in pediatric care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and implementation of a novel Rapid Treatment Unit (RTU) anesthesia service.
• To provide safe, efficient, and patient-centered anesthesia for pediatric procedures outside the traditional operating room.
• To evaluate parental satisfaction and assess the need for service expansion.

Main Methods:

• Development of a multidisciplinary anesthesia service involving nurses and physicians from hematology/oncology, surgery, Emergency Department (ED), and anesthesia.
• Establishment of the Rapid Treatment Unit (RTU) in September 2000 to manage anesthesia for various procedures.
• Data collection through verbal feedback and anonymous surveys to gauge parental satisfaction.

Main Results:

• The RTU service was successfully implemented, providing anesthesia for children undergoing procedures outside the operating room.
• Parental satisfaction with the RTU service has been reported positively.
• Increasing patient demand from a five-state region suggests a need for service expansion.

Conclusions:

• The RTU Anesthesia service is a valuable asset, enhancing safe and efficient healthcare delivery for children at Primary Children's Medical Center.
• The service's success and growing demand indicate its potential for expansion to meet regional needs.
• This model of care addresses critical gaps in pediatric procedural sedation and anesthesia.