ANZ journal of surgery
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ANZ journal of surgery · Mar 2001
Colorectal surgery in rural Australia: scars; a surgeon-based audit of workload and standards.
The collection and measurement of colorectal surgical workload, case management and clinical indicators have been mainly based on metropolitan specialist institutions. The aim of the present study was to examine the workload and standards of colorectal surgery in rural Australia. ⋯ The study sampled a very high percentage of rural colorectal surgery performed during the audit period. Colorectal surgery clinical indicators were comparable to other Australian studies. Anti-thrombotic and adjuvant therapy were identified as two areas requiring further education. Major surgery is being performed regularly in south-eastern rural Australia at a consistently high standard by surgeons who live and work in their rural community.
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Coconut palms are an integral part of life in the Solomon Islands, given the widespread dependence of subsistence agriculture. Injuries related to the coconut palm are thus inevitable. Hospital records from the Central Referral Hospital were reviewed to identify (i) how commonly the coconut palm is implicated in injuries referred to the surgery department; (ii) which patients are being injured; and (iii) the type of injuries sustained. ⋯ This is the largest review of coconut palm-related injuries. It highlights some epidemiological facts that raise considerations for preventative health measures in the Solomon Islands. Parents and young children must be warned of the dangers of playing beneath coconut trees. Boy and girls should be warned of the dangers of collecting fruit. With an increasing amount of schooling becoming available the Solomon Islands is an ideal place to direct an education programme about the dangers of coconut palms as well as many other primary health issues. Because subsistence farming plays a crucial role in the life of most Solomon Islanders, injuries that result in loss of function are crippling both to the patient and the village. Any preventative measure to reduce the rates of injury will be important.