The Journal of surgical research
-
There is a discrepancy between publically available data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database and perception of the incidence of mortally burn-injured patients serving as organ donors. In the last 5 y, a single burn center referred several patients who went on to successfully donate multiple organs. However, UNOS data indicate very few referrals of patients with burn injuries nationwide. This discrepancy in UNOS-reported occurrences versus institutional experience prompted this work. ⋯ There are more organs donated by patients with mortal burn injuries than currently available UNOS data would suggest. Survey data suggest that these patients should be able to contribute successfully to the supply of organs needed by those on transplant waiting lists, but remain inconsistently recognized as such a resource. Knowledge about long-term organ and tissue viability from burn-injured patients is lacking, and should be the focus of future research.
-
Social media is a cornerstone of modern society and its use in health care has rapidly expanded in recent years. "Live Tweeting" of professional meetings is a growing way for participants to communicate with peers. The goal of this study was to analyze the initial experience with implementation of a Twitter Team at the 2013 Academic Surgical Congress (ASC). ⋯ Twitter provides a meaningful social media format for sharing information during academic surgical meetings. The use of Twitter sharply expands the available audience for meeting proceedings and broadens the discussion venue for scholarly activity. "Tweeting the meeting" represents an important future direction for information dissemination in academic surgery.
-
Pediatric electrical and chemical burns are rare injuries, and the care of these patients varies significantly. We reviewed our experience in management of electrical and chemical burns to analyze the clinical course, management, and outcomes. ⋯ Pediatric electric and chemical burns are rare and require specialized care. Graft rates are not high but are mostly noted in electrical burns.
-
Most literature regarding fireworks injuries are from outside the United States, whereas US-based reports focus primarily on children and are based on datasets which cannot provide accurate estimates for subgroups of the US population. ⋯ Emergency department visits for fireworks injuries are concentrated around major national holidays and are more prevalent in certain parts of the country and among young males. This suggests that targeted interventions may be effective in combating this public health problem.
-
Racial disparities have been shown to be associated with increasing health-care costs. We sought to identify racial disparities in 30-d graft failure rates after infrainguinal bypass in an effort to define targets for improved health care among minorities. ⋯ More blacks and Hispanics present with critical limb ischemia, requiring distal revascularization. Even when controlling for anatomic differences and degree of peripheral arterial disease, black race remained independently associated with early graft failure after infrainguinal bypass. These results identify a target for improved outcomes.