A Model for a Standardized and Sustainable Pediatric Anesthesia-Intensive Care Unit Hand-Off Process.

Background And Objectives: The hand-off process between pediatric anesthesia and intensive care unit (ICU) teams involves the exchange of patient health information and plays a major role in reducing errors and increasing staff satisfaction. Our objectives were to (1) standardize the hand-off process in children's ICUs, and (2) evaluate the provider satisfaction, efficiency and sustainability of the improved hand-off process.

Methods: Following multidisciplinary discussions, the hand-off process was standardized for transfers of care between anesthesia-ICU teams.

Clinical and laboratory correlates of excessive and persistent blood glucose elevation during cardiac surgery in nondiabetic patients: a retrospective study.

Background: Hyperglycemia during cardiac surgery in nondiabetic patients is a common finding associated with increased morbidity and mortality, but its predictors have not been studied to date.

Methods: To identify clinical and laboratory correlates of excessive and persistent blood glucose (BG) elevation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in nondiabetic patients, the authors reviewed 195 medical records. After exclusion of patients with preoperative BG >120 mg/dL and with missing preoperative BG data, 163 cases were included in the final analysis.