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Biomedical subjects

T Y Euliano

Publications and source records attributed to T Y Euliano.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Cesarean section combined with splenectomy in a parturient with immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

The case of a 25-year-old parturient with immune thrombocytopenic purpura is discussed. The patient was first seen at 20 weeks' gestation because of a history of thrombocytopenia after delivery of a child six years previously. The patient was not compliant with prednisone therapy or return follow-up visits; a combined cesarean section with splenectomy was planned for this patient. The report discusses the multidisciplinary management of this patient during her pregnancy and delivery.

Adult↗

Small group teaching: clinical correlation with a human patient simulator.

The popularity of the problem-based learning paradigm has stimulated new interest in small group, interactive teaching techniques. Medical educators of physiology have long recognized the value of such methods, using animal-based laboratories to demonstrate difficult physiological principles. Due to ethical and other concerns, a replacement of this teaching tool has been sought. Here, the author describes the use of a full-scale human patient simulator for such a workshop. The simulator is a life-size mannequin with physical findings (palpable pulses, breath/heart sounds, blinking eyes, etc.) and sophisticated mechanical and software models of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. It can be connected to standard physiological monitors to reproduce a realistic clinical environment. In groups of 10, first-year medical students explore Starling's law of the heart, the physiology of the Valsalva maneuver, and the function of the baroreceptor in a clinically realistic context using the simulator. With the use of a novel pre-/postworkshop assessment instrument that included student confidence in their answers, student confidence improved for all questions and survey items following the simulator session (P < 0.0001). The students give these laboratory exercises uniformly superior evaluations with > 85% of the students rating the workshop "very good" or "excellent".

Baroreflex↗

Teaching respiratory physiology: clinical correlation with a human patient simulator.

In recent years students have increasingly objected to laboratory exercises involving animal subjects. We have replaced the valuable animal experiments with demonstrations using a full-scale human patient simulator. In small groups first-year medical students observe realistic clinical situations such as opioid-induced hypoventilation, pneumothorax, and pulmonary edema. Students obtain information through physical examination, arterial blood gas analysis and chest radiography. They practice interventions such as providing supplemental oxygen and mask ventilation, monitor the results, and develop a basic differential diagnosis and treatment plan. We utilize the clinical context to review fundamental concepts of respiratory physiology including the alveolar air equation and oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve. The students give these laboratory exercises uniformly superior evaluations.

Education, Medical↗

Waste gas monitor reduces wasted volatile anesthetic.

OBJECTIVE: The increasing focus on health care costs requires that all physicians evaluate practice behaviors. The primary emphasis in anesthesia has been limiting the use of expensive medications and interventions. Reducing waste is another approach, and volatile anesthetics are an appropriate target in that simple reduction of fresh gas-flow (FGF) rates is effective. A monitor that measures and displays the cost of wasted volatile anesthetic was developed and used to determine if real-time display of the cost would result in decreased FGF rates, which, in turn, would decrease wasted anesthetic. METHODS: The waste gas monitor (WGM) measures flow rate at the anesthesia machine's scavenger port, integrates this with agent concentration, and displays the calculated cost, real-time, on a portable computer screen. The WGM equipment was attached to the anesthesia machine in the gynecologic surgery operating room (OR) and those cases performed under general endotracheal anesthesia and lasting longer than one hour were eligible for inclusion. First year anesthesiology residents assigned to the study OR as part of a non-specialty rotation, were the subjects of the study. For each resident, after data were collected from at least two eligible baseline cases (Baseline Phase, WGM not visible and resident unaware of its presence), the monitor was introduced and data collection continued for at least three more eligible cases (Visible Phase). RESULTS: Nine residents were initially enrolled, but due to scheduling difficulties only five residents completed the protocol. Data from cases using the WGM demonstrated a 50% decrease (3.58 +/- 1.34 l/min vs. 1.78 +/- 0.51 l/min (p = 0.009)) in the scavenger flow rates, which resulted in a 48% ($5.28 +/- 0.68 vs. $2.72 +/- 0.80 (p = 0.002)) decrease in hourly cost of wasted volatile anesthetic. There was no difference between the Baseline and Visible phases with regard to use of nitrous oxide or intravenous anesthetic agents. CONCLUSIONS. The WGM decreased wasted volatile anesthetic by encouraging decreased FGF rates.

Anesthetics, Inhalation↗

Problem-based learning in residency education: a novel implementation using a simulator.

BACKGROUND: We developed a problem-based learning exercise with a full-scale human patient simulator to teach residents the emergency management and differential diagnosis of acute intraoperative hypotension. METHODS: We developed the exercise through the following steps: clear definition of learning objectives, preparation of an appropriate case stem, development of clinically realistic scenarios to illustrate objectives, and an interactive instructor to stimulate discussion. RESULTS: The exercise focused on the differential diagnosis of intraoperative hypotension, and the acute treatment of hypovolemia, cardiac tamponade, tension pneumothorax, and anaphylaxis. CONCLUSIONS: Exercises on a full-scale patient simulator are a natural extension of problem-based learning. Recent research in learning theory provides the rationale for this teaching modality's potential as a learning tool.

Humans↗

Influence of pulse oximetry and capnography on time to diagnosis of critical incidents in anesthesia: a pilot study using a full-scale patient simulator.

OBJECTIVE: Many studies (outcome, epidemiological) have tested the hypothesis that pulse oximetry and capnography affect the outcome of anesthetic care. Uncontrollable variables in clinical studies make it difficult to generate statistically conclusive data. In the present study, we eliminated the variability among patients and operative procedures by using a full-scale patient simulator. We tested the hypothesis that pulse oximetry and capnography shorten the time to diagnosis of critical incidents. METHODS: A simulator was programmed to represent a patient undergoing medullary nailing of a fractured femur under general anesthesia and suffering either malignant hyperthermia, a pneumothorax, a pulmonary embolism or an anoxic oxygen supply. One hundred thirteen anesthesiologists were randomly assigned to one of two groups of equal size, one with access to pulse oximetry and capnography data and the other without. Each anesthesiologist was further randomized to one of the four critical incidents. Each anesthetic procedure was videotaped. The time to correct diagnosis was measured and analyzed. RESULTS: Based on analysis of 91 of the subjects, time to diagnosis was significantly shorter (median of 432 s vs. >480 s) for the anoxic oxygen supply scenario (p = 0.019) with pulse oximetry and capnography than without. No statistical difference in time to diagnosis was obtained between groups for the other three critical incidents. CONCLUSIONS: Simulation may offer new approaches to the study of monitoring technology. However, the limitations of current simulators and the resources required to perform simulator-based research are impediments to wide-spread use of this tool.

Anesthesia, General↗

Sarcoidosis in a pregnant woman.

Sarcoidosis, a rare multisystem disease, often occurs in women of childbearing age. The disease, which may be improved or exacerbated by pregnancy, presents unique considerations to the anesthesiologist. These considerations are illustrated by the case presented here of complicated sarcoidosis in a parturient who underwent cesarean section.

Adult↗

Modeling obstetric cardiovascular physiology on a full-scale patient simulator.

To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at adapting an existing cardiovascular model to simulate the hemodynamics of a particular patient population. Despite attempts to define the physiologic alterations in advance, we discovered there were critical parameters not completely defined in the literature. These were discovered through the iterative process of testing, comparing resulting vital signs with targets, and literature review. A list of the parameters that should be sought for future modeling efforts is provided (Table 3), but this list is by no means exhaustive. As further work is performed in this area, additional independent and essential parameters will be identified (pressure characteristics of valvular anomalies, for example). To define a physiology that is less well described in the literature, empirical alterations and best-guess estimates of parameter changes will be required with significantly more iterations. Finally, we have described only modeling of cardiovascular physiology, modeling the respiratory system will require a similar process.

Computer Simulation↗