Date of Award

Spring 4-12-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

Advisor

Dr. Brian Garret, DNP, CRNA

First Committee Member

Dr. Ruth Chavez, DNP, NP

Second Committee Member

Dr. Danielle Winch, DNP, CRNA

Third Committee Member

Dr. Amy Bishop, DNP, AGCNS

Keywords

Ultrasound, Transversus Thoracis Muscle, Regional, Anesthesia, Pediatrics, Open-heart

Subject Categories

Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

In the United States, around 40,000 surgeries are conducted on pediatric patients yearly to address congenital heart disease. These surgeries involve a variety of complications beyond cardiovascular problems, including pain management. Traditional pain management involving intravenous opioids has drawbacks such as sedation, respiratory depression, and prolonged recovery times. As the healthcare industry moves away from opioid-centric pain management, the use of multimodal analgesia, including ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, is being utilized. Regional anesthesia techniques, such as the transversus thoracis muscle plane block and the thoracic erector spinae block, are being considered for the ability to provide adequate pain relief while reducing opioid usage. The goal of using ultrasound blocks for congenital heart patients is to decrease postoperative opioid consumption and decrease the time to extubation in pediatric cardiac surgical patients in the first 24 hours postoperatively. A 12-month timeline outlines the development of guidelines, staff training, and clinical practice change integration. The project follows the Iowa Model for Evidence-Based Practice to guide its implementation, focusing on reducing opioid use, improving postoperative outcomes, and enhancing patient safety.

Acknowledgement 1

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Acknowledgement 2

1

Licensing Permission

Copyright, some rights reserved. Attribution – Noncommercial – Share Alike

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