Surgery
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Optimal team performance in the operating room (OR) requires a combination of interactions among OR professionals and adherence to clinical guidelines. Theoretically, it is possible that OR teams could communicate very well but fail to follow acceptable standards of patient care and vice versa. OR simulations offer an ideal research environment to study this relationship. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between ratings of OR teamwork and communication with adherence to patient care guidelines in a simulated scenarios of malignant hyperthermia (MH). ⋯ In this pilot study, intraoperative teamwork and communication were not related to overall patient care management. Separating nontechnical and technical skills when teaching OR teamwork is artificial and may even be damaging, because such an approach could produce teams with excellent communication skills as they unsuccessfully manage the patient. OR simulations offer a unique opportunity to research how to best integrate both of these domains to improve patient care.
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There is increasing attention on the coaching of surgeons and trainees to improve performance but no comprehensive review on this topic. The purpose of this review is to summarize the quantity and the quality of studies involving surgical coaching methods and their effectiveness. ⋯ Surgical coaching interventions have a positive impact on learners' perception and attitudes, their technical and nontechnical skills, and performance measures. Evidence of impact on patient outcomes was limited, and the quality of research studies was variable. Despite this, our systematic review of different coaching interventions will benefit future coaching strategies and implementation to enhance operative performance.
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Changing the epidemiology of trauma makes traditional end points like 30-day mortality less than ideal. Many alternative end points have been suggested; however, they are not yet accepted by the trauma community or regulatory bodies. This study characterizes opinions about the adequacy of accepted end points of studies of trauma and the appropriateness of several novel end points. ⋯ There is strong interest in finding efficient end points in trauma research that are both specific and reflect the changing epidemiology of trauma death. The alternative end points of 24-hour survival and time to control of acute hemorrhage had similar approval rates to 30-day mortality.
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Data on hemoglobin (Hb) threshold levels for "appropriate" packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions have not taken into account patient-specific variables such as sex and age. We sought to define differences in perioperative transfusion practices based on patient sex and age among patients undergoing complex gastrointestinal (GI) and cardiothoracic-vascular (CT-V) surgical procedures. ⋯ Sex and age were associated with receipt of transfusion and, in the case of older patients, transfusion strategy. Given the lack of evidence to support a higher Hb level in older patients, emphasis should be placed on aligning transfusion practices with current evidence to employ a more restrictive transfusion strategy to decrease overuse of blood resources.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Papillary-like main pancreatic duct invaginated pancreaticojejunostomy versus duct-to-mucosa pancreaticojejunostomy after pancreaticoduodenectomy: A prospective randomized trial.
Development of a postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is the single most significant complication of pancreatic anastomosis, which is a key procedure in pancreaticoduodenectomy. We previously reported a new papillary-like pancreaticojejunostomy, and a retrospective study showed a benefit in reducing the incidence of grade B/C POPF compared with duct-to-mucosa pancreaticojejunostomy. The aim of this study was to reassess whether the new pancreaticojejunostomy would decrease the POPF rate. ⋯ The new papillary-like pancreaticojejunostomy may provide a better option for patients with soft texture and nondilated main pancreatic duct.