Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Whole Blood Resuscitation and Association with Survival in Injured Patients with an Elevated Probability of Mortality.
Low-titer group O whole blood (LTOWB) resuscitation is becoming common in both military and civilian settings and may represent the ideal resuscitation intervention. We sought to characterize the safety and efficacy of LTOWB resuscitation relative to blood component resuscitation. ⋯ Early LTOWB resuscitation is safe but not independently associated with survival for the overall enrolled population. When patients were selected with an elevated probability of mortality based on prehospital injury characteristics, LTOWB was independently associated with a lower risk of mortality starting at 4 hours after arrival through 28 days after injury.
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Acute traumatic coagulopathy (ATC) has many phenotypes and varying morbidity and mortality. The MA-R ratio, calculated from the admission thromboelastogram, serves as a biomarker to identify 1 phenotype of ATC and has previously been associated with significant derangements in the inflammatory response. This study evaluates outcomes related to abnormal MA-R ratios, including inflammatory responses, in a heterogeneous patient population. ⋯ The subtype of ATC identified by the low MA-R ratio is associated with significant elevations in multiple proinflammatory cytokines at admission. Early mortality remains elevated in the CRITICAL group, in part due to coagulopathy. The MA-R ratio at admission is associated with a particularly morbid type of coagulopathy, associated with significant alterations in the inflammatory response after severe injury in heterogeneous patient populations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Hernia Prevention Using Biologic Mesh and/or Small Bites: A Multispecialty 2 × 2 Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial.
Ventral incisional hernias are the most common complication after abdominal operation. Randomized trials have shown efficacy of prophylactic synthetic mesh and small bites. Adoption of these practices has been limited due to concerns with placement of synthetic mesh in contaminated cases and small bites in an overweight population. We sought to assess the efficacy of prophylactic biologic mesh and small bites to prevent postoperative major complications: ventral incisional hernias, surgical site infection, reoperation, and death. ⋯ In this trial, biologic mesh and small bites appear to have no benefit. Further randomized trials are needed among high-risk patients before widespread adoption of prophylactic biologic mesh or small bites.
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Surgical patients with perioperative coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) infection experience higher rates of adverse events than those without COVID-19, which may lead to imprecision in hospital-level quality assessment. Our objectives were to quantify differences in COVID-19-associated adverse events in a large national sample and examine distortions in surgical quality benchmarking if COVID-19 status is not considered. ⋯ Perioperative COVID-19 was associated with a dramatic increase in adverse events. However, quality benchmarking was minimally affected. This may be the result of low overall COVID-19 rates or balance in rates established across hospitals during the 1-year observational period. There remains limited evidence for restructuring ACS NSQIP risk-adjustment for the time-limited effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Mental illness is associated with worse outcomes after emergency general surgery. To understand how preoperative processes of care may influence disparate outcomes, we examined rates of surgical consultation, treatment, and operative approach between older adults with and without serious mental illness (SMI). ⋯ Older adults with SMI had similar odds of receiving surgical consultation and operative treatment as those without SMI. As such, differences in processes of care that result in SMI-related disparities likely occur before or after the point of surgical consultation in this universally insured patient population.