Annals of surgery
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To determine whether adjusting for comorbidities significantly affects hospital quality measurement compared with adjusting for injury severity alone. ⋯ In this large study of 148,280 trauma patients in 511 hospitals, we found no evidence that adding comorbidites to the risk-adjustment model used to benchmark hospital performance changes hospital ranking. In addition, there appears to be significant variability in mortality outcomes between the best and worst performing hospitals. This difference in outcomes across hospitals may represent a significant opportunity to improve health outcomes for injured patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Maximal sterile barrier precautions do not reduce catheter-related bloodstream infections in general surgery units: a multi-institutional randomized controlled trial.
To investigate whether maximal sterile barrier precautions (MSBPs) during central venous catheter (CVC) insertion are truly effective in preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) in patients in general surgical units. ⋯ This study is larger in sample size than the one performed by Raad et al and could not demonstrate better prevention of CRBSIs by MSBP compared with SSBP. A large randomized controlled trial or at least a meta-analysis of any other studies in the literature is necessary to reach to a conclusion on this issue.
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Progressive postinjury coagulopathy remains the fundamental rationale for damage control surgery, but the decision to abort operative intervention must occur before laboratory confirmation of coagulopathy. Current massive transfusion protocols have embraced pre-emptive resuscitation strategies emphasizing administration of packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, and platelets in ratios approximating 1:1:1 during the first 24 hours postinjury, based on US military retrospective experience and recent noncontrolled civilian data. This policy, termed "damage control resuscitation" assumes that patients presenting with life threatening hemorrhage at risk for postinjury coagulopathy should receive component therapy in rations approximating those found in whole blood during the first 24 hours. ⋯ Existing laboratory coagulation testing was originally designed for evaluation of hemophilia and subsequently used for monitoring anticoagulation therapy. Consequently, the applicability of these tests in the trauma setting has never been proven and the time required to conduct these assays is incompatible with prompt correction of the coagulopathy in the trauma setting. This review examines the current approach to postinjury coagulopathy, including identification of patients at risk, resuscitation strategies, design and implementation of institutional massive transfusion protocols, and the potential benefits of goal-directed therapy by real time assessment of coagulation function via point of care rapid thromboelastography.
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The aim of this prospective study was to determine incidence, duration, and risk factors for postoperative delirium (PD) in elderly patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. ⋯ PD is a frequent and severe postoperative event in elderly patients after major abdominal surgery. A perioperative geriatric assessment should be recommended to patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists status of 3-4 and preoperative impaired mobility to facilitate the management of PD. In these patients, the postoperative administration of tramadol should be avoided.
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We aimed to analyze trends in litigation following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in England and compare our findings with data from the United States. ⋯ Strategies that minimize bile duct injury and speed up recognition of injuries should be adopted to reduce the litigation burden and improve patient care.