JAMA surgery
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To assess substance use before and after bariatric weight loss surgery (WLS). There is a paucity of research investigating the occurrence of substance use following bariatric WLS. It was hypothesized that patients who underwent WLS would exhibit an increase in substance use (drug use, alcohol use, and cigarette smoking) following surgery to compensate for a marked decrease in food intake. ⋯ Patients may be at increased risk for substance use following bariatric WLS. In particular, patients who undergo laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery may be at increased risk for alcohol use following WLS. Our study is among the first to document significant increases in substance use following WLS using longitudinal data.
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In an effort to expedite delivery of plasma for patients requiring massive transfusions, US medical centers began keeping thawed plasma (TP) in their blood banks (BBs), markedly reducing time to release of plasma; however, the time to transfusion was still excessively long. ⋯ We demonstrated that implementation of an ED-TP protocol expedites transfusion of plasma to severely injured patients. This approach is associated with a reduction in overall blood product use and a 60% decreased odds in 30-day mortality.
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Anastomotic leak is a potentially devastating complication of bowel surgery, yet a leak can refer to a range of clinical problems, with disparate treatment and outcomes. ⋯ A spectrum of clinical entities may be considered to represent an anastomotic leak after low anterior resection, with differing consequences. Presacral and free extravasation of contrast medium led to an increased need for permanent diversion, but even simple pelvic fluid collections were associated with irregular bowel function.