ANZ journal of surgery
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ANZ journal of surgery · Sep 2020
ReviewPersonal Protective Equipment and Evidence-Based Advice for Surgical Departments during COVID-19.
Inconsistencies regarding the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) have raised concerns for the safety of surgical staff during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This rapid review synthesizes the literature and includes input from clinical experts to provide evidence-based guidance for surgical services. ⋯ PPE is advised for all high-risk procedures and when a patient's COVID-19 status is unknown. Surgical departments should facilitate staggered rostering, remote meeting attendance, and self-isolation of symptomatic staff. Vulnerable surgical staff should be identified and excluded from operations with a high risk of COVID-19 infection.
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ANZ journal of surgery · Oct 2021
What lessons can surgeons learn from sport? The reflections of a retired athlete.
Surgery often looks to other domains of high performance such as the airline industry for ideas on how to improve surgical performance however little is written about what surgeons might learn from high performance sport. In this paper I offer some observations and ideas from my experience as an Olympic swimmer which I feel may be applicable to surgery and some thoughts on how these concepts might be introduced.
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ANZ journal of surgery · Apr 2021
Potential importance of vital capacity for the safety of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer in patients with pulmonary dysfunction.
We examined the safety of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients with pulmonary dysfunction, and evaluated risk factors (RF) for post-operative complications. ⋯ Our study suggested that not only low FEV1.0 but also low %VC was an important RF for post-operative complications after laparoscopic surgery for CRC.
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The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, caused the COVID-19 global pandemic. In response, the Australian and New Zealand governments activated their respective emergency plans and hospital frameworks to deal with the potential increased demand on scarce resources. Surgical triage formed an important part of this response to protect the healthcare system's capacity to respond to COVID-19. ⋯ During the COVID-19 pandemic, urgent and emergency surgery must continue. A carefully staged return of elective surgery should align with a decrease in COVID-19 caseload. Combining evidence and expert opinion, schemas and recommendations have been proposed to guide this process in Australia and New Zealand.