5 June 2020Some highlights: President's message | Drug shortages | Look alike ampoules | ANZCA PS51 amended and piloted | NZSA website upgrade | AIC Journal access | ASM 2021 | Real World Anaesthesia Course postponed | Lifebox support for COVID care | In the media | Events President's messageIt is looking likely that we may be at level one by next week, with the current restrictions for holding events lifted. With this in mind, the NZSA is looking to hold an event at the end of this year to provide members with the opportunity for CPD, education and networking. Drug shortagesPHARMAC continues to work hard to ensure a continuity of supply of critical medicines. They have had good success sourcing alternate supplies of fentanyl and suxamethonium. Alternative sources of propofol are being worked on. There has been confusion about differences in approaching ongoing propofol supplies in the private sector versus the DHBs. Private facilities purchase their medications independently of PHARMAC, and most have had good reassurances that their supplies are secure. If you have any concerns regarding propofol use and its ongoing supply in private, please discuss this with your private hospital's lead pharmacist. Look alike ampoulesDr Jane Torrie (ADHB) has brought the formulation of PHARMAC's replacement Suxamethonium ampoules to our attention. The 2ml glass ampoule is similar in presentation to many other common ampoules in our drug locker (see photos); including fentanyl 100mcg, tramadol, 8mg dexamethasone, metoclopramide, and ondansetron. This change increases the likelihood of accidental drug swaps and the potential for devastating episodes of awareness. We have contacted PHARMAC about this issue and are looking for ways to help mitigate this circumstance. The prefilled suxamethonium syringes are available and are being used in some hospitals, but the supply of this is not infinite and the cost several times higher than either the plastic or glass ampoules. ANZCA PS51 amended and pilotedANZCA has made amendments to PS51 Guidelines for the Safe Management and Use of Medications in Anaesthesia that allow for ampoule splitting in certain circumstances. This document has been approved and the new version is being piloted. This is particularly relevant due to concerns about global drug shortages owing to COVID-19. NZSA website upgradeThe NZSA website is being redeveloped to offer members easier to find information, regularly updated content, and visually appealing design. The layout and design will work effectively across different desktops, mobile devices and browsers. Our website project is well underway and we plan to launch the new site later this year. Improved login process: The new system will also provide a simple and more robust login process where you can retrieve and reset your password more easily and securely. When we are ready to launch the website, members will be sent a link to set up their new passwords. Your password will not be visible to website administrators, however to ensure extra protection we suggest that you don’t use any passwords that are used for your confidential sites such as banks. An overview of what our website and member database redevelopment entails and the full benefits for members (and patients) can be read in the latest issue of NZSA's magazine New Zealand Anaesthesia. AIC Journal - easier member accessThe Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Journal, a key benefit of NZSA membership, is currently managed and only accessible through the website of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists. This creates a double password requirement and a longer access process for members as you need an ASA login and password to access the journal. We have had to use this system as our current website does not have the capability to host the journal in a tiered system. As part of our new website and database upgrade, to be launched later in the year (see above item), the AIC Journal will be accessible to subscribing members in the members only portal area once they login to the NZSA website. The Journal will be available to fully paid members, or subscribing members e.g. trainees who have selected this option. Providing simplified access to the Journal has taken some development and testing time to ensure robust security around accessibility. We are excited to offer this direct access to you and already see the advantages of upgrading our database capacity. We will provide further details on the new system, and guidance on how to access it as we progress our development. Annual Scientific Meeting 2021The Aotearoa New Zealand Anaesthesia Scientific Meeting will be held 3-6 November 2021. The conference will be held at the Te Pae Convention Centre in Christchurch. The Convention Centre has published an article on the conference which includes quotes from Event Convenor, Dr Ben van der Griend who says the conference is expected to attract upwards of 400-500 delegates to the city. Read more here webAIRS newsTowards the end of May 2020, webAIRS reached an important milestone of more than 8,000 reports, making it one of the largest collections of anaesthetic incident data in the world. There were 9,109 subcategories amongst the 8,035 reports as it is possible to record more than one event subcategory per report, for instance, airway obstruction leading to desaturation. A major webAIRS advantage is that the main categories and subcategories of the incident, as well as many other data points, are coded by the reporter. These are checked by a data analyst within 30 days of data entry and will assist analysers in preparing articles for publication. WebAIRS has also begun to publish alerts that have been submitted in a new feature called Advisory Notices to Anaesthetists (ANA). We encourage anaesthetists to report any incidents with COVID-19 patient management and will provide regular notifications of issues via the ANA - Alerts. Reporting an incident also qualifies for CPD points. Please login or register at the webAIRS website and select the ANA -Alerts menu option. NZSA magazineMembers will have received the NZSA's magazine this week, either in their letter boxes or via email. Articles include webAIRS and reporting of COVID-19 incidents, the value of peer supervision, guidance on carbon offsetting, the impact of COVID-19 on trainees, NZSA Overseas Aid-Subcommittee members providing training in Cambodia, and a feature on a paediatric anaesthesia fellowship in Canada made possible by the BWT Ritchie Scholarship. We welcome your feedback on the magazine and ideas/contributions for future issues. Please contact Daphne Atkinson comms@anaesthesia.nz Real World Anaesthesia CourseThe Real World Anaesthesia Course (RWAC), which was to be held in Christchurch in November this year, has been postponed until 2021. This was a tough decision, but ongoing uncertainties about travel and participant registration made postponement necessary. An announcement about new dates will be made in early 2021. The aim of RWAC is to prepare anaesthetists for work in low- and middle-income countries ('the real world') in a variety of humanitarian aid situations. Lifebox support for COVID-19Lifebox has been focused on supporting the global COVID-19 response. Some of the key work undertaken recently has included:
You can follow Lifebox on their twitter account for regular updates of their work. Common Issues Group meetingThe NZSA Executive will meet via Zoom with the Common Issues Group (CIG) on 10 June. The meeting will focus on COVID-19 issues. The CIG comprises of six anaesthesia societies: ASA (Australia), ASA (United States), South Africa, New Zealand, Great Britain and Ireland, and Canada. The CIG has proved very useful for information sharing, and pooling our resources together, and was particularly beneficial in the earlier stages of the COVID-19 response. In the mediaElective surgery catch up World Congress updateMessage from the WFSA (World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists) Due to the urgency of the decision, we missed one of these holidays. On reflection, and after looking at the options available, we have decided to bring the dates forward by a few days so that the WCA will now take place 1 Sept–5 Sept, 2021. We look forward to seeing you in Prague in September 2021. EventsVisit the NZSA Events page for more events. We are updating the status of events regularly, including new dates for events postponed due to COVID-19. Society for Paediatric Anaesthesia in Australia and New Zealand (SPANZA), 30-31 Oct 2020, virtual London Perioperative Medicine Congress, 27 June-2 July 2020, virtual Anaesthesia Continuing EducationThe ACE website is a one-stop shop for anaesthesia events. Members convening conferences, workshops or meetings, which assist CPD requirements, are encouraged to add their event to the website. Advertising and quick links |