The British journal of surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Evaluation of a surgical training programme for clinical officers in Malawi.
Shortages of specialist surgeons in African countries mean that the needs of rural populations go unmet. Task-shifting from surgical specialists to other cadres of clinicians occurs in some countries, but without widespread acceptance. Clinical Officer Surgical Training in Africa (COST-Africa) developed and implemented BSc surgical training for clinical officers in Malawi. ⋯ The COST-Africa study demonstrated that in-service training of practising clinical officers can improve the surgical productivity of district-level hospitals.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Population-based analysis of the impact of trauma on longer-term functional outcomes.
Functional outcome measures are important as most patients survive trauma. The aim of this study was to describe the long-term impact of trauma within a healthcare region from a social perspective. ⋯ Patients experiencing minor or major trauma received high levels of medical benefits; however, most recovered within the first year and resumed preinjury work activity. Patients with severe trauma were more likely to receive medical benefits and have a delayed return to work. Registration number: NCT02602405 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
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Effective dissemination of technology in global surgery is vital to realize universal health coverage by 2030. Challenges include a lack of human resource, infrastructure and finance. Understanding these challenges, and exploring opportunities and solutions to overcome them, are essential to improve global surgical care. ⋯ Core strategies to facilitate technology dissemination in global surgery include leveraging international funding, interdisciplinary collaboration involving all key stakeholders, and frugal scientific design, development and evaluation.
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Endovascular intervention has emerged as a potential alternative to open surgery in treating common femoral artery (CFA) atherosclerotic disease. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the safety and efficacy of both techniques. ⋯ Endovascular intervention of CFA disease appears to reduce the risk of wound complications but is associated with a lower patency rate and increased rates of subsequent revascularization procedures. Standardization of the endovascular technique and quantification of the proportions of patients suitable for either technique are required.