Use of Anesthesia Induction Rooms Can Increase the Number of Urgent Orthopedic Cases Completed within 7 Hours

BACKGROUND: Mean turnover times and the time spent in the operating room (OR) can be reduced by concurrent induction of anesthesia. Previous studies of anesthesia induction outside the OR have concentrated either on anesthesia-controlled time or turnover time. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of an induction room model on the whole surgical process, its phases and delays between the phases, and the number of cases performed during the 7-h working day. METHODS: A prospective analysis of OR times was conducted for 5 weeks with the traditional induction-in-the-OR model followed by 4 weeks with a new model: A team of two nurses and one anesthesiologist was added to one OR to perform parallel anesthesia induction in a separate induction room. The durations of phases of surgical process, number of completed cases between 7:45 am and 3:00 pm, and daily raw utilization of the OR were assessed. Results were compared to those measured before the intervention. RESULTS: The mean nonoperative time was reduced by 45.6%, whereas surgery time remained unchanged. The time savings contributed to the concurrent anesthesia induction and the cut down in delays between the phases. The new model allowed one additional case to be performed during the 7-h working day. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthesia induction outside the OR can increase the number of surgical cases performed during a regular workday.