Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32139492›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2020

Anaesthesia care providers employed in humanitarian settings by Médecins Sans Frontières: a retrospective observational study of 173 084 surgical cases over 10 years.

Søren Kudsk-Iversen, Miguel Trelles, Elie Ngowa Bakebaanitsa, Longin Hagabimana, Abdul Momen, Rahmatullah Helmand, Carline Saint Victor, Khalid Shah, Adolphe Masu, Judith Kendell and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 35% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 5 institutions in 6 countries.

Søren Kudsk-IversenNuffield Department of Anaesthetics, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK sorenki@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-7112-3548
Miguel TrellesOperational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Elie Ngowa BakebaanitsaOperational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Longin HagabimanaOperational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Abdul MomenOperational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Rahmatullah HelmandOperational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Carline Saint VictorOperational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Khalid ShahOperational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Adolphe MasuOperational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Judith KendellOperational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Hilary EdgcombeNuffield Department of Anaesthetics, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Mike EnglishHealth Services Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya.
Médecins Sans Frontières · BEOxford University Hospitals NHS Trust · GBRepublic of Burundi · BIKenya Medical Research Institute · KEKinshasa General Hospital · CD

Funding

Wellcome Trust 207522Wellcome Trust 207522/Z/17/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo describe the extent to which different categories of anaesthesia provider are used in humanitarian surgical projects and to explore the volume and nature of their surgical workload.

designDescriptive analysis using 10 years (2008-2017) of routine case-level data linked with routine programme-level data from surgical projects run exclusively by Médecins Sans Frontières-Operational Centre Brussels (MSF-OCB).

settingProjects were in contexts of natural disaster (ND, entire expatriate team deployed by MSF-OCB), active conflict (AC) and stable healthcare gaps (HG). In AC and HG settings, MSF-OCB support pre-existing local facilities. Hospital facilities ranged from basic health centres with surgical capabilities to tertiary referral centres.

participantsThe full dataset included 178 814 surgical cases. These were categorised by most senior anaesthetic provider for the project, according to qualification: specialist physician anaesthesiologists, qualified nurse anaesthetists and uncertified anaesthesia providers. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Volume and nature of surgical workload of different anaesthesia providers.

resultsFull routine data were available for 173 084 cases (96.8%): 2518 in ND, 42 225 in AC, 126 936 in HG. Anaesthesia was predominantly led by physician anaesthesiologists (100% in ND, 66% in AC and HG), then nurse anaesthetists (19% in AC and HG) or uncertified anaesthesia providers (15% in AC and HG). Across all settings and provider groups, patients were mostly healthy young adults (median age range 24-27 years), with predominantly females in HG contexts, and males in AC contexts. Overall intra-operative mortality was 0.2%.

conclusionOur findings contribute to existing knowledge of the nature of anaesthetic provision in humanitarian settings, while demonstrating the value of high-quality, routine data collection at scale in this sector. Further evaluation of perioperative outcomes associated with different models of humanitarian anaesthetic provision is required.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAnesthesiologistsAnesthesiologyDeveloping CountriesGlobal HealthHumansInternational AgenciesMedically Underserved AreaMedical MissionsNurse AnesthetistsRetrospective StudiesSurgical Procedures, OperativeYoung Adultanaestheticshuman resource managementorganisation of health services

Identifiers

PMID32139492
PMCPMC7059447
OpenAlexW3009806371

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.