A single consent for serial anesthetics in burn surgery

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Surgical Care
• Burn Medicine

Background:

• Obtaining informed consent for anesthesia is time-consuming for anesthesiologists and families, especially for burn patients requiring multiple procedures.
• Repetitive debridements in burn injuries necessitate repeated anesthesia administrations, increasing the consent burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a novel Multiple Related Anesthetics Consent Form in reducing the number of consents obtained for burn patients.
• To assess the impact of the new consent form on the time investment of anesthesia providers.

Main Methods:

• A single, comprehensive consent form covering multiple related anesthetics was implemented for burn patients.
• The number of anesthesia consents per patient was compared before (2010) and after (2013) the form's implementation.
• Statistical analysis included Welch ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer post hoc tests with 99% confidence intervals.

Main Results:

• The mean number of anesthesia consents per patient decreased significantly from 4.5 ± 2.8 in 2010 to 1.6 ± 0.51 in 2013 (P < 0.001).
• The Multiple Related Anesthetics Consent Form led to a substantial reduction in the consent burden for patients and providers.

Conclusions:

• The implementation of a Multiple Related Anesthetics Consent Form is effective in reducing the number of consents required for burn patients undergoing multiple procedures.
• This approach optimizes anesthesia provider time and supports patient and family-centered care in managing complex burn injuries.