ANZ journal of surgery
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ANZ journal of surgery · Nov 2020
Safe and rapid implementation of telemedicine fracture clinics: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coronavirus disease outbreak in December 2019 rapidly spread around the world with profound effects on healthcare systems. In March 2020, all elective surgery and elective outpatient clinics were cancelled in our institution, a regional hospital in Northern New South Wales, Australia. With regard to orthopaedic fracture clinics, a telehealth system was implemented on an emergency basis for patient and staff safety to prevent disease transmission. The aim of our study was to investigate whether rapid implementation of telehealth for orthopaedic fracture clinics resulted in an increase in complications. ⋯ The study demonstrates that application of telehealth fracture clinics in a regional Australian setting can be achieved without increasing complication rates and can be used to formulate a rapid telehealth implementation plan if a similar scenario occurs in the future.
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ANZ journal of surgery · Apr 2020
Comparison of Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis and modified Alvarado scoring systems in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
The diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) is mainly dependent on clinical evaluation. There are several scoring systems developed for an accurate and early diagnosis of AA. Modified Alvarado score is one of the most common systems. The Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis (RIPASA) scoring system was developed in 2010. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the accuracy of modified Alvarado and RIPASA scoring systems for the diagnosis of AA. ⋯ According to the current study, RIPASA scoring system was found to be superior to modified Alvarado in the prediction of cases with AA.
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Editorial Comment
The need of ICU admission after major head and neck surgery.
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ANZ journal of surgery · May 2020
Observational StudySimultaneous (two-surgeon) versus staged bilateral knee arthroplasty: an observational study of intraoperative and post-operative outcomes.
The advantages of simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (sim-BTKA) remain controversial. This study investigated the effects of two-surgeon sim-BTKA compared to separate admission staged BTKA regarding intraoperative and post-operative outcomes and health service costs. ⋯ Sim-BTKA appears to be a comparatively safe alternative to staged BTKA. Sim-BTKA may be superior to staged BTKA due to faster improvements in pain and function and lower healthcare costs. How these results generalize to other health services requires further investigation.