Neurosurgery
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Awake craniotomy (AC) is a common neurosurgical procedure for the resection of lesions in eloquent brain areas, which has the advantage of avoiding general anesthesia to reduce associated complications and costs. A significant resource limitation in low- and middle-income countries constrains the usage of AC. ⋯ Despite many constraints, AC is being safely performed in low-resource settings. International collaborations among centers are a move forward, but adequate resources and management are essential to make AC an accessible procedure in many more African neurosurgical centers.
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Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is widely practiced, but the indications are incompletely developed, and guidelines are poorly followed. ⋯ Candidacy for ICP monitoring exceeds published indicators for monitor insertion, suggesting the clinical perception that the value of ICP data is greater than simply detecting and monitoring severe intracranial hypertension. Monitor insertion heatmaps are offered as potential guidance for ICP monitor insertion and to stimulate research into what actually drives monitor insertion in unconstrained, real-world conditions.
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Homelessness is associated with high risk of acute neurotraumatic injury in the ∼600 000 Americans affected on any given night. ⋯ Homeless individuals experience longer hospital stays, more inpatient complications such as myocardial infarction, and more unplanned readmissions after discharge compared with their housed counterparts. These findings combined with limited discharge options in the homeless population indicate that better guidance is needed to improve the postoperative disposition and long-term care of this vulnerable patient population.
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Patients undergoing surgical procedures for spinal tumors are vulnerable to major adverse events (AEs) and death in the postoperative period. Shared decision making and preoperative optimization of outcomes require accurate risk estimation. ⋯ In patients undergoing surgery for spinal tumors, the STSRI showed the highest predictive accuracy for major postoperative AEs and death compared with other current risk predictors.