Risk factors for acute surgical site infections after lumbar surgery: a retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Qi; Song, Quanwei; Guo, Runsheng; Bi, Haidi; Liu, Xuqiang; Yu, Xiaolong; Zhu, Jianghao; Dai, Min; Zhang, Bin

2017-07-19

Currently, many scholars are concerned about the treatment of postoperative infection; however, few have completed multivariate analyses to determine factors that contribute to the risk of infection. Therefore, we conducted a multivariate analysis of a retrospectively collected database to analyze the risk factors for acute surgical site infection following lumbar surgery, including fracture fixation, lumbar fusion, and minimally invasive lumbar surgery. We retrospectively reviewed data from patients who underwent lumbar surgery between 2014 and 2016, including lumbar fusion, internal fracture fixation, and minimally invasive surgery in our hospital's spinal surgery unit. Patient demographics, procedures, and wound infection rates were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and risk factors were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. Twenty-six patients (2.81%) experienced acute surgical site infection following lumbar surgery in our study. The patients' mean body mass index, smoking history, operative time, blood loss, draining time, and drainage volume in the acute surgical site infection group were significantly different from those in the non-acute surgical site infection group (p operative type in the acute surgical site infection group were significantly different than those in the non-acute surgical site infection group (p operative type, operative time, blood loss, and drainage time were independent predictors of acute surgical site infection following lumbar surgery. In order to reduce the risk of infection following lumbar surgery, patients should be evaluated for the risk factors noted above.

Corporate financial decision makers' perceptions of their company's safety performance, programs and personnel: Do company size and industry injury risk matter?

Science.gov (United States)

DeArmond, Sarah; Huang, Yueng-Hsiang; Chen, Peter Y; Courtney, Theodore K

2010-01-01

Top-level managers make important decisions about safety-related issues, yet little research has been done involving these individuals. The current study explored corporate financial decisions makers' perceptions of their company's safety and their justifications for these perceptions. This study also explored whether their perceptions and justifications varied as a function of company size or industry injury risk. A total of 404 individuals who were the most senior managers responsible for making decisions about property and casualty risk at their companies participated in this study. The participants took part in a telephone survey. The results suggest that corporate financial decision makers have positive views of safety at their companies relative to safety at other companies within their industries. Further, many believe their company's safety is influenced by the attention/emphasis placed on safety and the selection and training of safety personnel. Participants' perceptions varied somewhat based on the size of their company and the level of injury risk in their industry. While definitive conclusions about corporate financial decision makers' perceptions of safety cannot be reached as a result of this single study, this work does lay groundwork for future research aimed at better understanding the perceptions top-level managers.

Risk control of surgical site infection after cardiothoracic surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Segers, P.; de Jong, A. P.; Kloek, J. J.; Spanjaard, L.; de Mol, B. A. J. M.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate whether a risk control programme based on risk assessment, new treatment modalities and the presence of a surveillance programme reduces the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI). Between January 2001 and December 2003, 167 patients were

On avoiding framing effects in experienced decision makers.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Retamero, Rocio; Dhami, Mandeep K

2013-01-01

The present study aimed to (a) demonstrate the effect of positive-negative framing on experienced criminal justice decision makers, (b) examine the debiasing effect of visually structured risk messages, and (c) investigate whether risk perceptions mediate the debiasing effect of visual aids on decision making. In two phases, 60 senior police officers estimated the accuracy of a counterterrorism technique in identifying whether a known terror suspect poses an imminent danger and decided whether they would recommend the technique to policy makers. Officers also rated their confidence in this recommendation. When information about the effectiveness of the counterterrorism technique was presented in a numerical format, officers' perceptions of accuracy and recommendation decisions were susceptible to the framing effect: The technique was perceived to be more accurate and was more likely to be recommended when its effectiveness was presented in a positive than in a negative frame. However, when the information was represented visually using icon arrays, there were no such framing effects. Finally, perceptions of accuracy mediated the debiasing effect of visual aids on recommendation decisions. We offer potential explanations for the debiasing effect of visual aids and implications for communicating risk to experienced, professional decision makers.

Clinical and Surgical Factors Associated With Increased Epilepsy Risk in Children With Hydrocephalus.

Science.gov (United States)

Tully, Hannah M; Kukull, Walter A; Mueller, Beth A

2016-06-01

Children with hydrocephalus are at risk for epilepsy both due to their underlying condition and as a consequence of surgical treatment; however, the relative contributions of these factors remain unknown. The authors sought to characterize epilepsy among children with infancy-onset hydrocephalus and to examine the risks of epilepsy associated with hydrocephalus subtype and with factors related to surgical treatment. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of all children with infancy-onset hydrocephalus treated at a major regional children's hospital during 2002 to 2012, with follow-up to ascertain risk factors and epilepsy outcome through April 2015. Poisson regression was used to calculate adjusted risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals for associations. Among 379 children with hydrocephalus, 86 (23%) developed epilepsy (mean onset age = 2.7 years), almost one fifth of whom had a history of infantile spasms. Relative to spina bifida-associated hydrocephalus, children with other major hydrocephalus subtypes had fourfold higher risks of developing epilepsy. Among children who underwent surgery, surgical infection doubled the risk of epilepsy (risk ratio = 2.0, 95% confidence interval = 1.4 to 3.0). Epilepsy was associated with surgical failure for intracranial reasons but not extracranial reasons (risk ratio = 1.7, 95% confidence interval = 1.1 to 2.7; risk ratio = 1.1, 95% confidence interval = 0.7 to 1.9, respectively). Epilepsy is common among children with hydrocephalus. Compared with children with spina bifida-associated hydrocephalus, children with other major hydrocephalus subtypes have a markedly increased risk of epilepsy. Surgical infection doubles the risk of epilepsy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Moving beyond the cost-loss ratio: economic assessment of streamflow forecasts for a risk-averse decision maker

Science.gov (United States)

Matte, Simon; Boucher, Marie-Amélie; Boucher, Vincent; Fortier Filion, Thomas-Charles

2017-06-01

A large effort has been made over the past 10 years to promote the operational use of probabilistic or ensemble streamflow forecasts. Numerous studies have shown that ensemble forecasts are of higher quality than deterministic ones. Many studies also conclude that decisions based on ensemble rather than deterministic forecasts lead to better decisions in the context of flood mitigation. Hence, it is believed that ensemble forecasts possess a greater economic and social value for both decision makers and the general population. However, the vast majority of, if not all, existing hydro-economic studies rely on a cost-loss ratio framework that assumes a risk-neutral decision maker. To overcome this important flaw, this study borrows from economics and evaluates the economic value of early warning flood systems using the well-known Constant Absolute Risk Aversion (CARA) utility function, which explicitly accounts for the level of risk aversion of the decision maker. This new framework allows for the full exploitation of the information related to a forecasts' uncertainty, making it especially suited for the economic assessment of ensemble or probabilistic forecasts. Rather than comparing deterministic and ensemble forecasts, this study focuses on comparing different types of ensemble forecasts. There are multiple ways of assessing and representing forecast uncertainty. Consequently, there exist many different means of building an ensemble forecasting system for future streamflow. One such possibility is to dress deterministic forecasts using the statistics of past error forecasts. Such dressing methods are popular among operational agencies because of their simplicity and intuitiveness. Another approach is the use of ensemble meteorological forecasts for precipitation and temperature, which are then provided as inputs to one or many hydrological model(s). In this study, three concurrent ensemble streamflow forecasting systems are compared: simple statistically dressed

Risk factors in surgical management of thoracic empyema in elderly patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Ming-Ju; Liu, Yun-Hen; Chao, Yin-Kai; Lu, Ming-Shian; Liu, Hui-Ping; Wu, Yi-Cheng; Lu, Hung-I; Chu, Yen

2008-06-01

Although elderly patients with thoracic disease were considered to be poor candidates for thoracotomy before, recent advances in preoperative and postoperative care as well as surgical techniques have improved outcomes of thoracotomies in this patient group. The aim of this study was to investigate surgical risk factors and results in elderly patients (aged > or =70 years) with thoracic empyema. Seventy-one elderly patients with empyema thoracis were enrolled and evaluated from July 2000 to April 2003. The following characteristics and clinical data were analysed: age, sex, aetiology of empyema, comorbid diseases, preoperative conditions, postoperative days of intubation, length of hospital stay after surgery, complications and mortality. Surgical intervention, including total pneumonolysis and evacuation of the pleura empyema cavity, was carried out in all patients. Possible influent risk factors on the outcome were analysed. The sample group included 54 men and 17 women with an average age of 76.8 years. The causes of empyema included parapneumonic effusion (n = 43), lung abscess (n = 8), necrotizing pneumonitis (n = 8), malignancy (n = 5), cirrhosis (n = 2), oesophageal perforation (n = 2), post-traumatic empyema (n = 2) and post-thoracotomy complication (n = 1). The 30-day mortality rate was 11.3% and the in-hospital mortality rate was 18.3% (13 of 71). Mean follow up was 9.4 months and mean duration of postoperative hospitalization was 35.8 days. Analysis of risk factors showed that patients with necrotizing pneumonitis or abscess had the highest mortality rate (10 of 18, 62.6%). The second highest risk factor was preoperative intubation or ventilator-dependency (8 of 18, 44.4%). This study presents the clinical features and outcomes of 71 elderly patients with empyema thoracis who underwent surgical treatment. The 30-day surgical mortality rate was 11.3%. Significant risk factors in elderly patients with empyema thoracis were necrotizing pneumonitis, abscess

Prophylactic Antibiotic Choice and Risk of Surgical Site Infection After Hysterectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Uppal, Shitanshu; Harris, John; Al-Niaimi, Ahmed; Swenson, Carolyn W; Pearlman, Mark D; Reynolds, R Kevin; Kamdar, Neil; Bazzi, Ali; Campbell, Darrell A; Morgan, Daniel M

2016-02-01

To evaluate associations between prophylactic preoperative antibiotic choice and surgical site infection rates after hysterectomy. A retrospective cohort study was performed of patients in the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative undergoing hysterectomy from July 2012 to February 2015. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of any surgical site infection (superficial surgical site infections or combined deep organ space surgical site infections). Preoperative antibiotics were categorized based on the recommendations set forth by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Surgical Care Improvement Project. Patients receiving a recommended antibiotic regimen were categorized into those receiving β-lactam antibiotics and those receiving alternatives to β-lactam antibiotics. Patients receiving nonrecommended antibiotics were categorized into those receiving overtreatment (excluded from further analysis) and those receiving nonstandard antibiotics. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to estimate the independent effect of antibiotic choice. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to validate the results. The study included 21,358 hysterectomies. The overall rate of any surgical site infection was 2.06% (n=441). Unadjusted rates of "any surgical site infection" were 1.8%, 3.1%, and 3.7% for β-lactam, β-lactam alternatives, and nonstandard groups, respectively. After adjusting for patient and operative factors within clusters of hospitals, compared with the β-lactam antibiotics (reference group), the risk of "any surgical site infection" was higher for the group receiving β-lactam alternatives (odds ratio [OR] 1.7, confidence interval [CI] 1.27-2.07) or the nonstandard antibiotics (OR 2.0, CI 1.31-3.1). Compared with women receiving β-lactam antibiotic regimens, there is a higher risk of surgical site infection after hysterectomy among those receiving a recommended β-lactam alternative or nonstandard regimen.

Coping Strategies and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Post-ICU Family Decision Makers.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrinec, Amy B; Mazanec, Polly M; Burant, Christopher J; Hoffer, Alan; Daly, Barbara J

2015-06-01

To assess the coping strategies used by family decision makers of adult critical care patients during and after the critical care experience and the relationship of coping strategies to posttraumatic stress symptoms experienced 60 days after hospitalization. A single-group descriptive longitudinal correlational study. Medical, surgical, and neurological ICUs in a large tertiary care university hospital. Consecutive family decision makers of adult critical care patients from August 2012 to November 2013. Study inclusion occurred after the patient's fifth day in the ICU. None. Family decision makers of incapacitated adult ICU patients completed the Brief COPE instrument assessing coping strategy use 5 days after ICU admission and 30 days after hospital discharge or death of the patient and completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised assessing posttraumatic stress symptoms 60 days after hospital discharge. Seventy-seven family decision makers of the eligible 176 completed all data collection time points of this study. The use of problem-focused (p=0.01) and emotion-focused (pstress symptoms than coping strategies 5 days after ICU admission (R2=0.30, p=0.001) controlling for patient and decision-maker characteristics. The role of decision maker for a parent and patient death were the only noncoping predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Avoidant coping use 30 days after hospitalization mediated the relationship between patient death and later posttraumatic stress symptom severity. Coping strategy use is a significant predictor of posttraumatic stress symptom severity 60 days after hospitalization in family decision makers of ICU patients.

Risk factors for surgical site infection following operative ankle fracture fixation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, E G; Cashman, J P; Groarke, P J; Morris, S F

2013-09-01

Ankle fracture is a common injury and there is an increasingly greater emphasis on operative fixation. The purpose of the study was to determine the complication rate in this cohort of patients and, in doing so, determine risk factors which predispose to surgical site infection. A prospective cohort study was performed at a tertiary referral trauma center examining risk factors for surgical site infection in operatively treated ankle fractures. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed. Female gender and advancing age were determined to be the risk factors in univariate analysis. Drain usage and peri-operative pyrexia were found to be significant for infection in multivariate analysis. This study allows surgeons to identify those at increased risk of infection and counsel them appropriately. It also allows for a high level of vigilance with regard to soft tissue handling intra-operatively in this higher risk group.

Impact of preoperative nutritional support on clinical outcome in abdominal surgical patients at nutritional risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jie, Bin; Jiang, Zhu-Ming; Nolan, Marie T

2012-01-01

This multicenter, prospective cohort study evaluated the effect of preoperative nutritional support in abdominal surgical patients at nutritional risk as defined by the Nutritional Risk Screening Tool 2002 (NRS-2002).......This multicenter, prospective cohort study evaluated the effect of preoperative nutritional support in abdominal surgical patients at nutritional risk as defined by the Nutritional Risk Screening Tool 2002 (NRS-2002)....

Investigation of incidence and risk factors for surgical glove perforation in small animal surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Galina M; Reynolds, Deborah; Moens, Noel M M; Singh, Ameet; Oblak, Michelle; Gibson, Thomas W G; Brisson, Brigitte A; Nazarali, Alim; Dewey, Cate

2014-05-01

To identify incidence and risk factors for surgical glove perforation in small animal surgery. Observational cohort study. Surgical gloves (n = 2132) worn in 363 surgical procedures. All gloves worn by operative personnel were assessed for perforation at end-procedure using a water leak test. Putative risk factors were recorded by a surgical team member. Associations between risk factors and perforation were assessed using multivariable multi-level random-effects logistic regression models to control for hierarchical data structure. At least 1 glove perforation occurred in 26.2% of procedures. Identified risk factors for glove perforation included increased surgical duration (surgery >1 hour OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.12-2.86), performing orthopedic procedures (OR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.23-2.88), any procedure using powered instruments (OR = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.21-3.09) or surgical wire (OR = 3.02; 95% CI = 1.50-6.05), use of polyisoprene as a glove material (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.05-2.39), and operative role as primary surgeon (OR = 2.01; 95% CI = 1.35-2.98). The ability of the wearer to detect perforations intraoperatively was poor, with a sensitivity of 30.8%. There is a high incidence of unrecognized glove perforations in small animal surgery. © Copyright 2014 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

The efficacy of mobile application use on recall of surgical risks in nasal bone fracture reduction surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Choong Hyeon; Cheon, Ji Seon; Choi, Woo Young; Son, Kyung Min

2018-03-01

The number of surgical risks recalled by a patient after surgery can be used as a parameter for assessing how well the patient has understood the informed consent process. No study has investigated the usefulness of a self-developed mobile application in the traditional informed consent process in patients with a nasal bone fracture. This study aimed to investigate whether delivery of information, such as surgical risks, through a mobile application is more effective than delivery of information through only verbal means and a paper. This prospective, randomized study included 60 patients with a nasal bone fracture. The experimental group (n=30) received preoperative explanation with the traditional informed consent process in addition to a mobile application, while the control group (n=30) received preoperative explanation with only the traditional informed consent process. Four weeks after surgery, the number of recalled surgical risks was compared for analysis. The following six surgical risks were explained: pain, bleeding, nasal deformity, numbness, nasal obstruction, and nasal cartilage necrosis. The mean number of recalled surgical risks among all patients was 1.58±0.56. The most frequently recalled surgical risk was nasal deformity in both groups. The mean number of recalled surgical risks was 1.72±0.52 in the experimental group and 1.49±0.57 in the control group. There was a significant association between mobile application use and the mean number of recalled surgical risks ( p =0.047). Age, sex, and the level of education were not significantly associated with the mean number of recalled surgical risks. This study found that a mobile application could contribute to the efficient delivery of information during the informed consent process. With further improvement, it could be used in other plastic surgeries and other surgeries, and such an application can potentially be used for explaining risks as well as delivering other types of information.

Management of surgical waiting lists through a Possibilistic Linear Multiobjective Programming problem

OpenAIRE

Pérez Gladish, Blanca María; Arenas Parra, María del Mar; Bilbao Terol, Amelia María; Rodríguez Uria, María Victoria

2005-01-01

This study attempts to apply a management science technique to improve the efficiency of Hospital Administration. We aim to design the performance of the surgical services at a Public Hospital that allows the Decision-Maker to plan surgical scheduling over one year in order to reduce waiting lists. Real decision problems usually involve several objectives that have parameters which are often given by the decision maker in an imprecise way. It is possible to handle these kinds of problems ...

Can Image-Defined Risk Factors Predict Surgical Complications in Localized Neuroblastoma?

Science.gov (United States)

Yoneda, Akihiro; Nishikawa, Masanori; Uehara, Shuichiro; Oue, Takaharu; Usui, Noriaki; Inoue, Masami; Fukuzawa, Masahiro; Okuyama, Hiroomi

2016-02-01

Image-defined risk factors (IDRFs) have been propounded for predicting the surgical risks associated with localized neuroblastoma (NB) since 2009. In 2011, a new guideline (NG) for assessing IDRFs was published. According to the NG, the situation in which "the tumor is only in contact with renal vessels," should be considered to be "IDRF-present." Previously, this situation was diagnosed as "IDRF absent." In this study, we evaluated the IDRFs in localized NB patients to clarify the predictive capability of IDRFs for surgical complications, as well as the usefulness of the NG. Materials and A total of 107 localized patients with NB were included in this study. The enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance images from the time of their diagnoses were evaluated by a single radiologist. We also analyzed the association of clinical factors, including the IDRFs (before and after applying the NG), with surgical complications. Of the 107 patients, 33 and 74 patients were diagnosed as IDRF-present (OP group), and IDRF-absent (ON group) before the NG, respectively. According to the NG, there were 76 and 31 patients who were classified as IDRF-present (NP group) and IDRF absent (NN group), respectively. Thus, 43 (40%) patients in the ON group were reassigned to the NP group after the NG. Surgical complications were observed in 17 of 82 patients who underwent surgical resection. Of the patients who underwent secondary operations, surgical complication rates were 55% in the OP group and 44% in the NP group. According to a univariate analysis, non-INSS 1, IDRFs before and after the NG and secondary operations were significantly associated with surgical complications. In a multivariate analysis, non-INSS 1 status and IDRFs after the NG were significantly associated with surgical complications. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[Simplified models for analysis of sources of risk and biomechanical overload in craft industries: practical application in confectioners, pasta and pizza makers].

Science.gov (United States)

Placci, M; Cerbai, M

2011-01-01

The food industry is of great importance in Italy; it is second only to the engineering sector, involving about 440,000 workers. However, 90% of the food businesses have less than 10 employees and are exempt from legal obligation to provide a detailed Risk Assessment Document. The aim of the study was to identify the inconveniences and risks present in the workplaces analyzed with particular reference to biomechanical risk of the upper limbs and the lumbar spine. This preliminary study, carried out by using pre-mapping of the inconveniences and risks (5) and the "mini-checklist OCRA" (4), involved 15 small food businesses: ovens for baking bread, pastry shops, pizzerias and the production of "Piadina" (flat bread). Although undoubtedly with differences, confectioners, pasta makers, pizza makers and "piadinari" were exposed to similar risks. By analyzing the final graphs, action areas can be identified on which further risk analysis can be made. Exposure is mainly related to repetitive movements, manual handling of loads and a common occurrence is the risk of allergy to flour dust. There are real peaks in demand from customers, that inevitably increase work demands and consequently biomechanical overload. In future studies it will be interesting to investigate this aspect by studying the variations in work demand and the final exposure index of the working day.

Assessment scale of risk for surgical positioning injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes, Camila Mendonça de Moraes; Haas, Vanderlei José; Dantas, Rosana Aparecida Spadoti; Oliveira, Cheila Gonçalves de; Galvão, Cristina Maria

2016-08-29

to build and validate a scale to assess the risk of surgical positioning injuries in adult patients. methodological research, conducted in two phases: construction and face and content validation of the scale and field research, involving 115 patients. the Risk Assessment Scale for the Development of Injuries due to Surgical Positioning contains seven items, each of which presents five subitems. The scale score ranges between seven and 35 points in which, the higher the score, the higher the patient's risk. The Content Validity Index of the scale corresponded to 0.88. The application of Student's t-test for equality of means revealed the concurrent criterion validity between the scores on the Braden scale and the constructed scale. To assess the predictive criterion validity, the association was tested between the presence of pain deriving from surgical positioning and the development of pressure ulcer, using the score on the Risk Assessment Scale for the Development of Injuries due to Surgical Positioning (pposicionamiento quirúrgico en pacientes adultos. investigación metodológica, conducida en dos etapas: construcción y validación de faz y de contenido de la escala e investigación de campo, con la participación de 115 pacientes. la Escala de Evaluación de Riesgo para el Desarrollo de Lesiones Debidas al Posicionamiento Quirúrgico contiene siete ítems, siendo que cada uno presenta cinco subítems. La puntuación de esa escala varia de siete a 35 puntos en que, cuanto mayor la puntuación, mayor el riesgo del paciente. El Índice de Validez de Contenido de la escala fue 0,88. Mediante la aplicación de la prueba t de Student, para igualdad de medias, fue constatada validez de criterio concurrente entre los scores de la escala de Braden y de la escala construida. Para evaluar la validez de criterio predictiva, fue testada la asociación de la presencia de dolor debido al posicionamiento quirúrgico y el desarrollo de úlcera por presión con el score de

Incidence of and risk factors for surgical site infections in women undergoing hysterectomy for endometrial carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuomi, Taru; Pasanen, Annukka; Leminen, Arto; Bützow, Ralf; Loukovaara, Mikko

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of, and risk factors for, surgical site infections in a contemporary cohort of women with endometrial carcinoma. We retrospectively studied 1164 women treated for endometrial carcinoma by hysterectomy at a single institution in 2007-2013. In all, 912 women (78.4%) had minimally invasive hysterectomy. Data on surgical site infections were collected from medical records. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for incisional and organ/space infections. Ninety-four women (8.1%) were diagnosed with a surgical site infection. Twenty women (1.7%) had an incisional infection and 74 (6.4%) had an organ/space infection. The associations of 17 clinico-pathologic and surgical variables were tested by univariate analyses. Those variables that were identified as potential risk factors in univariate analyses (p infections as dependent variables. Obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2)), diabetes, and long operative time (>80th centile) were independently associated with a higher risk of incisional infection, whereas minimally invasive surgery was associated with a smaller risk. Smoking, conversion to laparotomy, and lymphadenectomy were associated with a higher risk of organ/space infection. Organ/space infections comprised the majority of surgical site infections. Risk factors for incisional and organ/space infections differed. Minimally invasive hysterectomy was associated with a smaller risk of incisional infections but not of organ/space infections. © 2015 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Infected primary knee arthroplasty: Risk factors for surgical treatment failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joao Gabriel Duarte Paes Pradella

2013-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To present epidemiological data and risk factors associated with surgical out-comes favorable or unfavorable for the treatment of infection in infected total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 48 patients who underwent treatment of primary total knee arthroplasty for infection between January 1994 and December 2008, in the Orthopedics and Traumatology Department of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo. The variables associated with favorable outcome of surgical treatment (debridement and retention or exchange arthroplasty in two days or unfavorable (arthrodesis or death infection. RESULTS: A total of 39 cases of infection after primary total knee arthroplasty, 22 progressed to 17 for a favorable outcome and unfavorable outcome. Early infections (OR: 14.0, 95% CI 1.5-133.2, p = 0.016 and diabetes (OR: 11.3, 95% CI 1.4-89.3, p = 0.032 were associated with arthrodesis joint and death respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with early infection had a higher risk of developing surgical procedure with unfavorable outcome (arthrodesis and diabetics had higher odds of death after infection of primary knee arthroplasties.

Overcoming Fear: Helping Decision Makers Understand Risk in Outdoor Education

Science.gov (United States)

Haras, Kathy

2010-01-01

The long history of outdoor education does little to alleviate the fears of many parents, teachers, principals and superintendents who believe that outdoor education is too risky. These decision makers often lack both the knowledge to make informed decisions and the time and resources to investigate their assumptions. Pair these circumstances with…

Deep Vein Thrombosis: Risk Factors and Prevention in Surgical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BACKGROUND: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in hospitalized surgical patients. The occurrence of the disease is related to presence of risk factors, which are related primarily to trauma, venous stasis and hyper-coagulability. DVT seems not to be taken seriously by many ...

On avoiding framing effects in experienced decision makers.

OpenAIRE

Garcia-Retamero, R; Dhami, MK

2012-01-01

The present study aimed to (a) demonstrate the effect of positive-negative framing on experienced criminal justice decision makers, (b) examine the debiasing effect of visually structured risk messages, and (c) investigate whether risk perceptions mediate the debiasing effect of visual aids on decision making. In two phases, 60 senior police officers estimated the accuracy of a counterterrorism technique in identifying whether a known terror suspect poses an imminent danger and decided whethe...

Incidence of surgical-site infections and the validity of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System risk index in a general surgical ward in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Science.gov (United States)

Soleto, Lorena; Pirard, Marianne; Boelaert, Marleen; Peredo, Remberto; Vargas, Reinerio; Gianella, Alberto; Van der Stuyft, Patrick

2003-01-01

To estimate the frequency of and risk factors for surgical-site infections (SSIs) in Bolivia, and to study the performance of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System risk index in a developing country. A prospective study with patient follow-up until the 30th postoperative day. A general surgical ward of a public hospital in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Patients admitted to the ward between July 1998 and June 1999 on whom surgical procedures were performed. Follow-up was complete for 91.5% of 376 surgical procedures. The overall SSI rate was 12%. Thirty-four (75.6%) of the 45 SSIs were culture positive. A logistic regression model retained an American Society of Anesthesiologists score of more than 1 (odds ratio [OR], 1.87), a not-clean wound class (OR, 2.28), a procedure duration of more than 1 hour (OR, 1.81), and drain (OR, 1.98) as independent risk factors for SSI. There was no significant association between the NNIS System risk index and SSI rates. However, a "local" risk index constructed with the above cutoff points showed a linear trend with SSI (P < .001) and a relative risk of 3.18 for risk class 3 versus a class of less than 3. SSIs cause considerable morbidity in Santa Cruz. Appropriate nosocomial infection surveillance and control should be introduced. The NNIS System risk index did not discriminate between patients at low and high risk for SSI in this hospital setting, but a risk score based on local cutoff points performed substantially better.

[Nutritional risk screening and its clinical significance in 706 children hospitalized in the surgical department].

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Lu-Ting; Li, Rong; Zhao, Wei-Hua; Chen, Yin-Hua; Li, Xiao-Mei; Chen, Meng-Ying; Cao, Jia; Li, Xiao-Nan

2013-10-01

To investigate nutritional risk and its relationship with clinical outcome in children hospitalized in the surgical department, and to provide a scientific basis for clinical nutrition management. Nutritional risk screening was performed on 706 children hospitalized in the surgical department using the Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth. The data on nutritional support during hospitalization, incidence of infectious complications, length of hospital stay, post operative length of hospital stay and total hospital expenses were recorded. Of the 706 cases, 11.5% had high nutritional risk, 46.0% had moderate nutritional risk, and 42.5% had low nutritional risk. Congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, intestinal obstruction and congenital heart disease were the three most common types of high nutritional risk. The incidence of high nutritional risk was significantly higher in infants than in other age groups (Pnutritional risk received parenteral nutrition. Children with high nutritional risk were significantly more likely to have weight loss than children with low nutritional risk (Pnutritional risk had significantly increased incidence of infectious complications, length of hospital stay, post operative length of hospital stay and total hospital expenses compared with those with moderate or low nutritional risk (Pnutritional risk is seen in children hospitalized in the surgical department. Nutritional risk score is correlated with clinical outcome. Nutritional support for these children is not yet properly provided. Nutritional risk screening and standard nutritional support should be widely applied among hospitalized children.

Preoperative Optimization of Total Joint Arthroplasty Surgical Risk: Obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Fournier, Matthew N; Hallock, Justin; Mihalko, William M

2016-08-01

Obesity is a problem that is increasing in prevalence in the United States and in other countries, and it is a common comorbidity in patients seeking total joint arthroplasty for degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. Obesity, as well as commonly associated comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and those contributing to the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, have been shown to have detrimental effects on total joint arthroplasty outcomes. Although there are effective surgical and nonsurgical interventions which can result in weight loss in these patients, concomitant benefit on arthroplasty outcomes is not clear. Preoperative optimization of surgical risk in obese total joint arthroplasty patients is an important point of intervention to improve arthroplasty outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

is there an increased risk of post-operative surgical site infection

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2012-09-06

Sep 6, 2012 ... requiring implant orthopaedic surgery are at an increased risk for post-operative surgical ... further studies should determine the effect of reduced CD4 counts, viral load .... Language not Enlish, French, Ducth or German (n=2).

Surgical smoke.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Joe King-Man; Chan, Fion Siu-Yin; Chu, Kent-Man

2009-10-01

Surgical smoke is the gaseous by-product formed during surgical procedures. Most surgeons, operating theatre staff and administrators are unaware of its potential health risks. Surgical smoke is produced by various surgical instruments including those used in electrocautery, lasers, ultrasonic scalpels, high speed drills, burrs and saws. The potential risks include carbon monoxide toxicity to the patient undergoing a laparoscopic operation, pulmonary fibrosis induced by non-viable particles, and transmission of infectious diseases like human papilloma virus. Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity are other concerns. Minimisation of the production of surgical smoke and modification of any evacuation systems are possible solutions. In general, a surgical mask can provide more than 90% protection to exposure to surgical smoke; however, in most circumstances it cannot provide air-tight protection to the user. An at least N95 grade or equivalent respirator offers the best protection against surgical smoke, but whether such protection is necessary is currently unknown.

Pizza makers' contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lembo, Serena; Lembo, Claudio; Patruno, Cataldo; Balato, Anna; Balato, Nicola; Ayala, Fabio

2014-01-01

Contact eczema to foods, spices, and food additives can occur in occupational and nonoccupational settings in those who grow, handle, prepare, or cook food. Pizza is one of the most eaten foods in every continent, and pizza making is a common work in many countries. We aimed to evaluate the occurrence and the causes of contact dermatitis in pizza makers in Naples. We performed an observational study in 45 pizza makers: all the enrolled subjects had to answer a questionnaire designed to detect personal history of respiratory or cutaneous allergy, atopy; work characteristics and timing were also investigated. Every subject attended the dermatology clinic for a complete skin examination, and when needed, patients were patch tested using the Italian baseline series of haptens integrated with an arbitrary pizza makers series. Our results reported that 13.3% of the enrolled pizza makers (6/45) presented hand eczema, and that 8.9% (4/45) were affected by occupational allergic contact dermatitis. Diallyl disulfide and ammonium persulfate were the responsible substances. Performing patch tests in pizza makers and food handlers affected by hand contact dermatitis is useful. We propose a specific series of haptens for this wide working category.

Breast Cancer Risk Estimation and Personal Insurance: A Qualitative Study Presenting Perspectives from Canadian Patients and Decision Makers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gratien Dalpé

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Genetic stratification approaches in personalized medicine may considerably improve our ability to predict breast cancer risk for women at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Notwithstanding these advantages, concerns have been raised about the use of the genetic information derived in these processes, outside of the research and medical health care settings, by third parties such as insurers. Indeed, insurance applicants are asked to consent to insurers accessing their medical information (implicitly including genetic to verify or determine their insurability level, or eligibility to certain insurance products. This use of genetic information may result in the differential treatment of individuals based on their genetic information, which could lead to higher premium, exclusionary clauses or even the denial of coverage. This phenomenon has been commonly referred to as “Genetic Discrimination” (GD. In the Canadian context, where federal Bill S-201, An Act to prohibit and prevent genetic discrimination, has recently been enacted but may be subject to constitutional challenges, information about potential risks to insurability may raise issues in the clinical context. We conducted a survey with women in Quebec who have never been diagnosed with breast cancer to document their perspectives. We complemented the research with data from 14 semi-structured interviews with decision-makers in Quebec to discuss institutional issues raised by the use of genetic information by insurers. Our results provide findings on five main issues: (1 the reluctance to undergo genetic screening test due to insurability concerns, (2 insurers' interest in genetic information, (3 the duty to disclose genetic information to insurers, (4 the disclosure of potential impacts on insurability before genetic testing, and (5 the status of genetic information compared to other health data. Overall, both groups of participants (the women surveyed and the decision-makers

Intra-Operative Inspired Fraction of Oxygen and the Risk of Surgical Site Infections in Patients with Type 1 Surgical Incisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wanta, Brendan T; Hanson, Kristine T; Hyder, Joseph A; Stewart, Thomas M; Curry, Timothy B; Berbari, Elie F; Habermann, Elizabeth B; Kor, Daryl J; Brown, Michael J

2018-04-02

Whether the fraction of inspired oxygen (F I O 2 ) influences the risk of surgical site infection (SSI) is controversial. The World Health Organization and the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists offer conflicting recommendations. In this study, we evaluate simultaneously three different definitions of F I O 2 exposure and the risk of SSI in a large surgical population. Patients with clean (type 1) surgical incisions who developed superficial and deep organ/space SSI within 30 days after surgery from January 2003 through December 2012 in five surgical specialties were matched to specialty-specific controls. Fraction of inspired oxygen exposure was defined as (1) nadir F I O 2 , (2) percentage of operative time with F I O 2 greater than 50%, and (3) cumulative hyperoxia exposure, calculated as the area under the curve (AUC) of F I O 2 by time for the duration in which F I O 2 greater than 50%. Stratified univariable and multivariable logistic regression models tested associations between F I O 2 and SSI. One thousand two hundred fifty cases of SSI were matched to 3,248 controls. Increased oxygen exposure, by any of the three measures, was not associated with the outcome of any SSI in a multivariable logistic regression model. Elevated body mass index (BMI; 35+ vs. operative oxygen exposure was associated with higher odds of SSI in the neurosurgical and spine populations. Increased intra-operative inspired fraction of oxygen was not associated with a reduction in SSI. These findings do not support the practice of increasing F I O 2 for the purpose of SSI reduction in patients with clean surgical incisions.

Reduced risk of surgical site infections through surveillance in a network

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geubbels, Eveline L. P. E.; Nagelkerke, Nico J. D.; Mintjes-de Groot, A. Joke; Vandenbroucke-Grauls, Christina M. J. E.; Grobbee, Diederick E.; de Boer, Annette S.

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of multicentre surveillance for nosocomial infections on patients' risk of surgical site infection (SSI). DESIGN: Prospective multi-centre cohort study, from January 1996 to December 2000. SETTING: Acute care hospitals in The Netherlands. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: All 50

Health risk to medical personnel of surgical smoke produced during laparoscopic surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miłosz Dobrogowski

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives: During laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the removal of the gall bladder, pyrolysis occurs in the peritoneal cavity. Chemical substances which are formed during this process escape into the operating room through trocars in the form of surgical smoke. The aim of this study was to identify and quantitatively measure a number of selected chemical substances found in surgical smoke and to assess the risk they carry to medical personnel. Material and Methods: The study was performed at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Provincial Specialist Hospital in Zgierz between 2011 and 2013. Air samples were collected in the operating room during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Results: A complete qualitative and quantitative analysis of the air samples showed a number of chemical substances present, such as aldehydes, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, ozone, dioxins and others. Conclusions: The concentrations of these substances were much lower than the hygienic standards allowed by the European Union Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC. The calculated risk of developing cancer as a result of exposure to surgical smoke during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is negligible. Yet it should be kept in mind that repeated exposure to a cocktail of these substances increases the possibility of developing adverse effects. Many of these compounds are toxic, and may possibly be carcinogenic, mutagenic or genotoxic. Therefore, it is necessary to remove surgical smoke from the operating room in order to protect medical personnel.

Risk factors for surgical site infection and urinary tract infection after spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Tominaga, Hiroyuki; Setoguchi, Takao; Ishidou, Yasuhiro; Nagano, Satoshi; Yamamoto, Takuya; Komiya, Setsuro

2016-12-01

This study aimed to identify and compare risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) and non-surgical site infections (non-SSIs), particularly urinary tract infection (UTI), after spine surgery. We retrospectively reviewed 825 patients (median age 59.0 years (range 33-70 years); 442 males) who underwent spine surgery at Kagoshima University Hospital from January 2009 to December 2014. Patient parameters were compared using the Mann-Whitney U and Fisher's exact tests. Risk factors associated with SSI and UTI were analyzed via the multiple logistic regression analysis. P operation time (P = 0.0019 and 0.0162, respectively) and ASA classification 3 (P = 0.0132 and 0.0356, respectively). The 1 week post-operative C-reactive protein (CRP) level was a risk factor for UTI (P = 0.0299), but not for SSI (P = 0.4996). There was no relationship between SSI and symptomatic UTI after spine surgery. Risk factors for post-operative SSI and UTI were operative time and ASA classification 3; 1 week post-operative CRP was a risk factor for UTI only.

Is surgical plume developing during routine LEEPs contaminated with high-risk HPV? A pilot series of experiments.

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Neumann, Kay; Cavalar, Markus; Rody, Achim; Friemert, Luisa; Beyer, Daniel A

2018-02-01

Growing evidence shows a causal role of high-risk humane papillomavirus (HPV) infections in the development of head and neck cancer. A recent case report shows two patients suffering from tonsillar cancer without any risk factors apart from their work as gynecologists doing laser ablations and loop electrosurgical excision procedures (LEEP). The aim of the present investigation is to evaluate whether surgical plume resulting from routine LEEPs of HSIL of the cervix uteri might be contaminated with the DNA of high-risk HPV. The prospective pilot study is done at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the University of Lübeck, Germany. The primary outcome was defined as HPV subtype in resected cone and in surgical plume resulting from LEEPs of HSIL of the cervix uteri. Plume resulting from LEEPs was analyzed using a Whatman FTA Elute Indicating Card which was placed in the tube of an exhaust suction device used to remove the resulting aerosols. For detection of HPV and analysis of its subtype, the novel EUROArray HPV test was performed. Resected cones of LEEPs were evaluated separately for HPV subtypes. Four samples of surgical plume resulting from routine LEEPs indicated contamination with high-risk HPV and showed the same HPV subtype as identified in the resected cones. Surgical plume resulting from routine LEEPs for HSIL of the cervix uteri has the risk of contamination with high-risk HPV. Further investigations of infectiousness of surgical plume are necessary for evaluation of potential hazards to involved healthcare professionals.

A socio-technical, probabilistic risk assessment model for surgical site infections in ambulatory surgery centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bish, Ebru K; El-Amine, Hadi; Steighner, Laura A; Slonim, Anthony D

2014-10-01

To understand how structural and process elements may affect the risk for surgical site infections (SSIs) in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) environment, the researchers employed a tool known as socio-technical probabilistic risk assessment (ST-PRA). ST-PRA is particularly helpful for estimating risks in outcomes that are very rare, such as the risk of SSI in ASCs. Study objectives were to (1) identify the risk factors associated with SSIs resulting from procedures performed at ASCs and (2) design an intervention to mitigate the likelihood of SSIs for the most common risk factors that were identified by the ST-PRA for a particular surgical procedure. ST-PRA was used to study the SSI risk in the ASC setting. Both quantitative and qualitative data sources were utilized, and sensitivity analysis was performed to ensure the robustness of the results. The event entitled "fail to protect the patient effectively" accounted for 51.9% of SSIs in the ambulatory care setting. Critical components of this event included several failure risk points related to skin preparation, antibiotic administration, staff training, proper response to glove punctures during surgery, and adherence to surgical preparation rules related to the wearing of jewelry, watches, and artificial nails. Assuming a 75% reduction in noncompliance on any combination of 2 of these 5 components, the risk for an SSI decreased from 0.0044 to between 0.0027 and 0.0035. An intervention that targeted the 5 major components of the major risk point was proposed, and its implications were discussed.

Incidence of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in high-risk patients undergoing surgical tooth extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodem, Jens Philipp; Kargus, Steffen; Eckstein, Stefanie; Saure, Daniel; Engel, Michael; Hoffmann, Jürgen; Freudlsperger, Christian

2015-05-01

As the most suitable approach for preventing bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) in patients undergoing surgical tooth extraction is still under discussion, the present study evaluates the incidence of BRONJ after surgical tooth extraction using a standardized surgical protocol in combination with an adjuvant perioperative treatment setting in patients who are at high-risk for developing BRONJ. High-risk patients were defined as patients who received intravenous bisphosphonate (BP) due to a malignant disease. All teeth were removed using a standardized surgical protocol. The perioperative adjuvant treatment included intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis starting at least 24 h before surgery, a gastric feeding tube and mouth rinses with chlorhexidine (0.12%) three times a day. In the follow-up period patients were examined every 4 weeks for the development of BRONJ. Minimum follow-up was 12 weeks. In 61 patients a total number of 184 teeth were removed from 102 separate extraction sites. In eight patients (13.1%) BRONJ developed during the follow-up. A higher risk for developing BRONJ was found in patients where an additional osteotomy was necessary (21.4% vs. 8.0%; p = 0.0577), especially for an osteotomy of the mandible (33.3% vs. 7.3%; p = 0.0268). Parameters including duration of intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis, the use of a gastric feeding tube and the duration of intravenous BP therapy showed no statistical impact on the development of BRONJ. Furthermore, patients currently undergoing intravenous BP therapy showed no higher risk for BRONJ compared with patients who have paused or completed their intravenous BP therapy (p = 0.4232). This study presents a protocol for surgical tooth extraction in high-risk BP patients in combination with a perioperative adjuvant treatment setting, which reduced the risk for postoperative BRONJ to a minimum. However, the risk for BRONJ increases significantly if an additional osteotomy is necessary

Surgical menopause and nonvertebral fracture risk among older US women.

Science.gov (United States)

Vesco, Kimberly K; Marshall, Lynn M; Nelson, Heidi D; Humphrey, Linda; Rizzo, Joanne; Pedula, Kathryn L; Cauley, Jane A; Ensrud, Kristine E; Hochberg, Marc C; Antoniucci, Diana; Hillier, Teresa A

2012-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether older postmenopausal women with a history of bilateral oophorectomy before natural menopause (surgical menopause) have a higher risk of nonvertebral postmenopausal fracture than women with natural menopause. We used 21 years of prospectively collected incident fracture data from the ongoing Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, a cohort study of community-dwelling women without previous bilateral hip fracture who were 65 years or older at enrollment, to determine the risk of hip, wrist, and any nonvertebral fracture. χ(2) and t tests were used to compare the two groups on important characteristics. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models stratified by baseline oral estrogen use status were used to estimate the risk of fracture. Baseline characteristics differed significantly among the 6,616 women within the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures who underwent either surgical (1,157) or natural (5,459) menopause, including mean age at menopause (44.3 ± 7.4 vs 48.9 ± 4.9 y, P menopause, even among women who had never used oral estrogen (hip fracture: hazard ratio [HR], 0.87; 95% CI, 0.63-1.21; wrist fracture: HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.78-1.57; any nonvertebral fracture: HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.93-1.32). These data provide some reassurance that the long-term risk of nonvertebral fracture is not substantially increased for postmenopausal women who experienced premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy, compared with postmenopausal women with intact ovaries, even in the absence of postmenopausal estrogen therapy.

Risk factors for venous thromboembolic events in pediatric surgical patients: Defining indications for prophylaxis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cairo, Sarah B; Lautz, Timothy B; Schaefer, Beverly A; Yu, Guan; Naseem, Hibbut-Ur-Rauf; Rothstein, David H

2017-12-27

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) in pediatric surgical patients is a rare event. The risk factors for VTE in pediatric general surgery patients undergoing abdominopelvic procedures are unknown. The American College of Surgeon's National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (NSQIP-P) database (2012-2015) was queried for patients with VTE after abdominopelvic general surgery procedures. Patient and operative variables were assessed to identify risk factors associated with VTE and develop a pediatric risk score. From 2012-2015, 68 of 34,813 (0.20%) patients who underwent abdominopelvic general surgery procedures were diagnosed with VTE. On multivariate analysis, there was no increased risk of VTE based on concomitant malignancy, chemotherapy, inflammatory bowel disease, or laparoscopic surgical approach, while a higher rate of VTE was identified among female patients. The odds of experiencing VTE were increased on stepwise regression for patients older than 15 years and those with preexisting renal failure or a diagnosis of septic shock, patients with American Society of Anesthesia (ASA) classification ≥ 2, and for anesthesia time longer than 2 h. The combination of age > 15 years, ASA classification ≥ 2, anesthesia time > 2 h, renal failure, and septic shock was included in a model for predicting risk of VTE (AUC = 0.907, sensitivity 84.4%, specificity 88.2%). VTE is rare in pediatric patients, but prediction modeling may help identify those patients at heightened risk. Additional studies are needed to validate the factors identified in this study in a risk assessment model as well as to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of prophylaxis methods. Level III, retrospective comparative study. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Mapping a Research Agenda for Home Care Safety: Perspectives from Researchers, Providers, and Decision Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, Marilyn; Lang, Ariella; MacDonald, Jo-Anne

2011-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive design was to explore the perspectives of researchers, health care providers, policy makers, and decision makers on key risks, concerns, and emerging issues related to home care safety that would inform a line of research inquiry. Defining safety specifically in this home care context has yet to be…

Nosocomial transmission of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: results from a risk-based assessment of surgical interventions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Pedro-Cuesta, Jesús; Mahillo-Fernández, Ignacio; Rábano, Alberto

2011-01-01

Evidence of surgical transmission of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) remains debatable in part due to misclassification of exposure levels. In a registry-based case-control study, the authors applied a risk-based classification of surgical interventions to determine the association...

MED SUV TASK 6.3 Capacity building and interaction with decision makers: Improving volcanic risk communication through volcanic hazard tools evaluation, Campi Flegrei Caldera case study (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Nave, Rosella; Isaia, Roberto; Sandri, Laura; Cristiani, Chiara

2016-04-01

In the communication chain between scientists and decision makers (end users), scientific outputs, as maps, are a fundamental source of information on hazards zoning and the related at risk areas definition. Anyway the relationship between volcanic phenomena, their probability and potential impact can be complex and the geospatial information not easily decoded or understood by not experts even if decision makers. Focusing on volcanic hazard the goal of MED SUV WP6 Task 3 is to improve the communication efficacy of scientific outputs, to contribute in filling the gap between scientists and decision-makers. Campi Flegrei caldera, in Neapolitan area has been chosen as the pilot research area where to apply an evaluation/validation procedure to provide a robust evaluation of the volcanic maps and its validation resulting from end users response. The selected sample involved are decision makers and officials from Campanian Region Civil Protection and municipalities included in Campi Flegrei RED ZONE, the area exposed to risk from to pyroclastic currents hazard. Semi-structured interviews, with a sample of decision makers and civil protection officials have been conducted to acquire both quantitative and qualitative data. The tested maps have been: the official Campi Flegrei Caldera RED ZONE map, three maps produced by overlapping the Red Zone limit on Orthophoto, DTM and Contour map, as well as other maps included a probabilistic one, showing volcanological data used to border the Red Zone. The outcomes' analysis have assessed level of respondents' understanding of content as displayed, and their needs in representing the complex information embedded in volcanic hazard. The final output has been the development of a leaflet as "guidelines" that can support decision makers and officials in understanding volcanic hazard and risk maps, and also in using them as a communication tool in information program for the population at risk. The same evaluation /validation process

Risk factors for deep surgical site infection following operative treatment of ankle fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Ovaska, Mikko T; Mäkinen, Tatu J; Madanat, Rami; Huotari, Kaisa; Vahlberg, Tero; Hirvensalo, Eero; Lindahl, Jan

2013-02-20

Surgical site infection is one of the most common complications following ankle fracture surgery. These infections are associated with substantial morbidity and lead to increased resource utilization. Identification of risk factors is crucial for developing strategies to prevent these complications. We performed an age and sex-matched case-control study to identify patient and surgery-related risk factors for deep surgical site infection following operative ankle fracture treatment. We identified 1923 ankle fracture operations performed in 1915 patients from 2006 through 2009. A total of 131 patients with deep infection were identified and compared with an equal number of uninfected control patients. Risk factors for infection were determined with use of conditional logistic regression analysis. The incidence of deep infection was 6.8%. Univariate analysis showed diabetes (odds ratio [OR] = 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0, 4.9), alcohol abuse (OR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.6, 9.4), fracture-dislocation (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2, 3.5), and soft-tissue injury (a Tscherne grade of ≥1) (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3, 5.3) to be significant patient-related risk factors for infection. Surgery-related risk factors were suboptimal timing of prophylactic antibiotics (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.0, 3.4), difficulties encountered during surgery, (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.1, 4.0), wound complications (OR = 4.8, 95% CI = 1.6, 14.0), and fracture malreduction (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.3, 9.2). Independent risk factors for infection identified by multivariable analyses were tobacco use (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.6, 8.5) and a duration of surgery of more than ninety minutes (OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.1, 5.7). Cast application in the operating room was independently associated with a decreased infection rate (OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.2, 0.8). We identified several modifiable risk factors for deep surgical site infection following operative treatment of ankle fractures.

Prospective multicenter surveillance and risk factor analysis of deep surgical site infection after posterior thoracic and/or lumbar spinal surgery in adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogihara, Satoshi; Yamazaki, Takashi; Maruyama, Toru; Oka, Hiroyuki; Miyoshi, Kota; Azuma, Seiichi; Yamada, Takashi; Murakami, Motoaki; Kawamura, Naohiro; Hara, Nobuhiro; Terayama, Sei; Morii, Jiro; Kato, So; Tanaka, Sakae

2015-01-01

Surgical site infection is a serious and significant complication after spinal surgery and is associated with high morbidity rates, high healthcare costs and poor patient outcomes. Accurate identification of risk factors is essential for developing strategies to prevent devastating infections. The purpose of this study was to identify independent risk factors for surgical site infection among posterior thoracic and/or lumbar spinal surgery in adult patients using a prospective multicenter surveillance research method. From July 2010 to June 2012, we performed a prospective surveillance study in adult patients who had developed surgical site infection after undergoing thoracic and/or lumbar posterior spinal surgery at 11 participating hospitals. Detailed preoperative and operative patient characteristics were prospectively recorded using a standardized data collection format. Surgical site infection was based on the definition established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 2,736 consecutive adult patients were enrolled, of which 24 (0.9%) developed postoperative deep surgical site infection. Multivariate regression analysis indicated four independent risk factors. Preoperative steroid therapy (P = 0.001), spinal trauma (P = 0.048) and gender (male) (P = 0.02) were statistically significant independent patient-related risk factors, whereas an operating time ≥3 h (P operating time ≥3 h were independent risk factors for deep surgical site infection after thoracic and/or lumbar spinal surgery in adult patients. Identification of these risk factors can be used to develop protocols aimed at decreasing the risk of surgical site infection.

East meets West: the influence of racial, ethnic and cultural risk factors on cardiac surgical risk model performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Soo-Hoo, Sarah; Nemeth, Samantha; Baser, Onur; Argenziano, Michael; Kurlansky, Paul

2018-01-01

To explore the impact of racial and ethnic diversity on the performance of cardiac surgical risk models, the Chinese SinoSCORE was compared with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk model in a diverse American population. The SinoSCORE risk model was applied to 13 969 consecutive coronary artery bypass surgery patients from twelve American institutions. SinoSCORE risk factors were entered into a logistic regression to create a 'derived' SinoSCORE whose performance was compared with that of the STS risk model. Observed mortality was 1.51% (66% of that predicted by STS model). The SinoSCORE 'low-risk' group had a mortality of 0.15%±0.04%, while the medium-risk and high-risk groups had mortalities of 0.35%±0.06% and 2.13%±0.14%, respectively. The derived SinoSCORE model had a relatively good discrimination (area under of the curve (AUC)=0.785) compared with that of the STS risk score (AUC=0.811; P=0.18 comparing the two). However, specific factors that were significant in the original SinoSCORE but that lacked significance in our derived model included body mass index, preoperative atrial fibrillation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. SinoSCORE demonstrated limited discrimination when applied to an American population. The derived SinoSCORE had a discrimination comparable with that of the STS, suggesting underlying similarities of physiological substrate undergoing surgery. However, differential influence of various risk factors suggests that there may be varying degrees of importance and interactions between risk factors. Clinicians should exercise caution when applying risk models across varying populations due to potential differences that racial, ethnic and geographic factors may play in cardiac disease and surgical outcomes.

Combined surgical and radiological intervention for complicated cholelithiasis in high-risk patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibney, R.G.; Fache, J.S.; Becker, C.D.; Nichols, D.M.; Cooperberg, P.L.; Stoller, J.L.; Burhenne, H.J.

1987-01-01

Surgical cholecystostomy under local infiltration anesthesia was combined with radiologic removal of gallstones in 36 high-risk patients with acute calculous gallbladder disease. At cholecystostomy, the fundus of the gallbladder was sutured to the anterior abdominal wall, permitting early percutaneous stone removal through the short surgical tract. All gallstones were removed in 31 of 36 patients, for an overall success rate of 86%. The success rate was 97% for gallbladder stones, 86% for cystic duct stones, and 63% for common bile duct stones which were removed by traversing the cystic duct. There were no deaths or serious complications

Development of An Analytic Approach to Determine How Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Is Used by Non-EPA Decision Makers (Final Contractor Report)

Science.gov (United States)

EPA announced the availability of the final contractor report entitled, Development of an Analytic Approach to Determine How Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Is Used By Non EPA Decision Makers. This contractor report analyzed how ...

A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY OF RISK FACTORS AND ROLE OF PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTICS IN PREVENTION OF SURGICAL SITE INFECTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avijeet Mukherjee, Naveen N

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Surgical site infection (SSI is the most common nosocomial infection encountered in post operative surgical wards. The use of prophylactic antibiotic in clean elective surgical cases is still a subject of controversy to surgeons. The objective of the study is to identify the need for using prophylactic antibiotics in clean surgeries, prevalence of organisms in patients who are not given prophylactic antibiotics and to study whether the presence of risk factors increase the incidence of surgical site infection. Methodology: The comparative study consists of 100 cases admitted under two groups of 50 each: Group A was given prophylactic antibiotic and Group B didn’t receive any. All surgeries other than clean surgical cases were excluded from the study. Results: Out of 50 patients in group B who were not given prophylactic antibiotic, 2 patients had more than one risk factor for development of SSI and both of them developed SSI. Of the 50 patients who received prophylactic antibiotic, none developed SSI. The rate of infection in group A was nil and in Group B was 4%. Conclusion: Prophylactic antibiotics are not recommended for clean elective surgical cases as there is no statistically significant change in the infection rate seen in patients not receiving prophylactic antibiotic(P=0.4952. Meticulous surgical technique and correcting risk factors prior to surgery is a must for reducing incidence of SSI.

To bail out or not to bail out systemically relevant financial institutions: The incentives of policy makers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucas Marc Fuhrer

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The recent financial crisis has shown that many financial institutions may be systemically relevant. Their bankruptcy would cause significant costs for the overall economy. However, a clear definition of systemic risks still does not exist. Thus, the decision, whether an institution is, or is not systemically relevant is in the end made by policy makers. This paper takes a closer look at the incentives available to policy makers and their influence on the bailout decision. In the model presented here it is possible to show, that too many financial institutions get bailed out, when assuming that policy makers tend to be more risk-averse than socially optimal. The costs due to this misallocation of resources can be significant.

Development of a risk index for the prediction of chronic post-surgical pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Althaus, A; Hinrichs-Rocker, A; Chapman, R; Arránz Becker, O; Lefering, R; Simanski, C; Weber, F; Moser, K-H; Joppich, R; Trojan, S; Gutzeit, N; Neugebauer, E

2012-07-01

The incidence of chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) after various common operations is 10% to 50%. Identification of patients at risk of developing chronic pain, and the management and prevention of CPSP remains inadequate. The aim of this study was to develop an easily applicable risk index for the detection of high-risk patients that takes into account the multifactorial aetiology of CPSP. A comprehensive item pool was derived from a systematic literature search. Items that turned out significant in bivariate analyses were then analysed multivariately, using logistic regression analyses. The items that yielded significant predictors in the multivariate analyses were compiled into an index. The cut-off score for a high risk of developing CPSP with an optimal trade-off between sensitivity and specificity was identified. The data of 150 patients who underwent different types of surgery were included in the analyses. Six months after surgery, 43.3% of the patients reported CPSP. Five predictors multivariately contributed to the prediction of CPSP: capacity overload, preoperative pain in the operating field, other chronic preoperative pain, post-surgical acute pain and co-morbid stress symptoms. These results suggest that several easily assessable preoperative and perioperative patient characteristics can predict a patient's risk of developing CPSP. The risk index may help caregivers to tailor individual pain management and to assist high-risk patients with pain coping. © 2011 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters.

Operative Duration and Risk of Surgical Site Infection in Neurosurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Bekelis, Kimon; Coy, Shannon; Simmons, Nathan

2016-10-01

The association of surgical duration with the risk of surgical site infection (SSI) has not been quantified in neurosurgery. We investigated the association of operative duration in neurosurgical procedures with the incidence of SSI. We performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients who underwent neurosurgical procedures from 2005 to 2012 and were registered in the American College of Surgeons National Quality Improvement Project registry. To control for confounding, we used multivariable regression models and propensity score conditioning. During the study period there were 94,744 patients who underwent a neurosurgical procedure and met the inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 4.1% developed a postoperative SSI within 30 days. Multivariable logistic regression showed an association between longer operative duration with higher incidence of SSI (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-1.20). Compared with procedures of moderate duration (third quintile, 40th-60th percentile), patients undergoing the longest procedures (>80th percentile) had higher odds (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.86-2.31) of developing SSI. The shortest procedures (operative duration was associated with increased incidence of SSI for neurosurgical procedures. These results can be used by neurosurgeons to inform operative management and to stratify patients with regard to SSI risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Setting the Threshold for Surgical Prevention in Women at Increased Risk of Ovarian Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Manchanda, Ranjit; Menon, Usha

2018-01-01

The number of ovarian cancer cases is predicted to rise by 14% in Europe and 55% worldwide over the next 2 decades. The current absence of a screening program, rising drug/treatment costs, and only marginal improvements in survival seen over the past 30 years suggest the need for maximizing primary surgical prevention to reduce the burden of ovarian cancer. Primary surgical prevention through risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) is well established as the most effective method for preventing ovarian cancer. In the UK, it has traditionally been offered to high-risk women (>10% lifetime risk of ovarian cancer) who have completed their family. The cost-effectiveness of RRSO in BRCA1/BRCA2 carriers older than 35 years is well established. Recently, RRSO has been shown to be cost-effective in postmenopausal women at lifetime ovarian cancer risks of 5% or greater and in premenopausal women at lifetime risks greater than 4%. The acceptability, uptake, and satisfaction with RRSO at these intermediate-risk levels remain to be established. Prospective outcome data on risk-reducing salpingectomy and delayed-oophorectomy for preventing ovarian cancer is lacking, and hence, this is best offered for primary prevention within the context and safe environment of a clinical trial. An estimated 63% of ovarian cancers occur in women with greater than 4% lifetime risk and 53% in those with 5% or greater lifetime-risk. Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy can be offered for primary surgical prevention to women at intermediate risk levels (4%-5% to 10%). This includes unaffected women who have completed their family and have RAD51C, RAD51D, or BRIP1 gene mutations; first-degree relatives of women with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer; BRCA mutation-negative women from high-risk breast-and-ovarian cancer or ovarian-cancer-only families. In those with BRCA1, RAD51C/RAD51D/MMR mutations and the occasional families with a history of ovarian cancer in their 40s, surgery needs to be

Prolonged Operative Duration Increases Risk of Surgical Site Infections: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Hang; Chen, Brian Po-Han; Soleas, Ireena M; Ferko, Nicole C; Cameron, Chris G; Hinoul, Piet

The incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) across surgical procedures, specialties, and conditions is reported to vary from 0.1% to 50%. Operative duration is often cited as an independent and potentially modifiable risk factor for SSI. The objective of this systematic review was to provide an in-depth understanding of the relation between operating time and SSI. This review included 81 prospective and retrospective studies. Along with study design, likelihood of SSI, mean operative times, time thresholds, effect measures, confidence intervals, and p values were extracted. Three meta-analyses were conducted, whereby odds ratios were pooled by hourly operative time thresholds, increments of increasing operative time, and surgical specialty. Pooled analyses demonstrated that the association between extended operative time and SSI typically remained statistically significant, with close to twice the likelihood of SSI observed across various time thresholds. The likelihood of SSI increased with increasing time increments; for example, a 13%, 17%, and 37% increased likelihood for every 15 min, 30 min, and 60 min of surgery, respectively. On average, across various procedures, the mean operative time was approximately 30 min longer in patients with SSIs compared with those patients without. Prolonged operative time can increase the risk of SSI. Given the importance of SSIs on patient outcomes and health care economics, hospitals should focus efforts to reduce operative time.

Improved implementation of the risk-adjusted Bernoulli CUSUM chart to monitor surgical outcome quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Keefe, Matthew J; Loda, Justin B; Elhabashy, Ahmad E; Woodall, William H

2017-06-01

The traditional implementation of the risk-adjusted Bernoulli cumulative sum (CUSUM) chart for monitoring surgical outcome quality requires waiting a pre-specified period of time after surgery before incorporating patient outcome information. We propose a simple but powerful implementation of the risk-adjusted Bernoulli CUSUM chart that incorporates outcome information as soon as it is available, rather than waiting a pre-specified period of time after surgery. A simulation study is presented that compares the performance of the traditional implementation of the risk-adjusted Bernoulli CUSUM chart to our improved implementation. We show that incorporating patient outcome information as soon as it is available leads to quicker detection of process deterioration. Deterioration of surgical performance could be detected much sooner using our proposed implementation, which could lead to the earlier identification of problems. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Beginning RPG Maker VX Ace

CERN Document Server

Perez, Darrin

2014-01-01

Beginning RPG Maker VX Ace takes you through the process of using the RPG Maker VX Ace game development engine to create your very own role playing game. The book has been designed with the complete beginner in mind who has little to no experience with the engine. Tutorials and exercises will take you from installing the software to putting the final touches upon your first project. Game design can be quite a daunting challenge, as it generally involves a large amount of programming know-how on top of having to plan everything out that makes a good game what it is. RPG Maker VX Ace

Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infections in Dermatological Surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaomeng Liu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Current literature on risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI in dermatological surgery in the absence of antibiotic prophylaxis is limited. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate patients presenting for dermatological surgery. A total of 1,977 procedures were reviewed. SSI was clinically suspected in 79 (4.0% patients and confirmed by culture in 38 (1.9%. Using the strictest definition of SSI (clinical symptoms with positive culture significantly higher risk of SSI was found for location on the ear (odds ratio (OR 6.03, 95% confidence interval (95% CI 2.12–17.15, larger defects (OR 1.08 per cm2 increase, 95% CI 1.03–1.14, closure with flaps (OR 6.35, 95% CI 1.33–30.28 and secondary intention (OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.11–8.13. These characteristics were also associated with higher risk of clinically suspected SSI regardless of culture results with slightly lower ORs. In conclusion, the risk of acquiring a SSI is increased in surgeries performed on the ear, in larger wounds and in defects closed with flaps or healed by secondary intention.

The influence of physiological and surgical menopause on coronary heart disease risk markers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeven, Marieke O.; van der Mooren, Marius J.; Teerlink, Tom; Verheijen, Rene H. M.; Scheffer, Peter G.; Kenemans, Peter

2009-01-01

Objective: To investigate the influence of physiological and surgical menopause oil Serum concentrations of corollary heart disease (CHD) risk markers and sex hormones. Design: Physiological menopausal transition was investigated in two studies. In a longitudinal Study, 16 women were followed from 2

Usefulness of administrative databases for risk adjustment of adverse events in surgical patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigo-Rincón, Isabel; Martin-Vizcaíno, Marta P; Tirapu-León, Belén; Zabalza-López, Pedro; Abad-Vicente, Francisco J; Merino-Peralta, Asunción; Oteiza-Martínez, Fabiola

2016-03-01

The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of clinical-administrative databases for the development of risk adjustment in the assessment of adverse events in surgical patients. The study was conducted at the Hospital of Navarra, a tertiary teaching hospital in northern Spain. We studied 1602 hospitalizations of surgical patients from 2008 to 2010. We analysed 40 comorbidity variables included in the National Surgical Quality Improvement (NSQIP) Program of the American College of Surgeons using 2 sources of information: The clinical and administrative database (CADB) and the data extracted from the complete clinical records (CR), which was considered the gold standard. Variables were catalogued according to compliance with the established criteria: sensitivity, positive predictive value and kappa coefficient >0.6. The average number of comorbidities per study participant was 1.6 using the CR and 0.95 based on CADB (p<.0001). Thirteen types of comorbidities (accounting for 8% of the comorbidities detected in the CR) were not identified when the CADB was the source of information. Five of the 27 remaining comorbidities complied with the 3 established criteria; 2 pathologies fulfilled 2 criteria, whereas 11 fulfilled 1, and 9 did not fulfil any criterion. CADB detected prevalent comorbidities such as comorbid hypertension and diabetes. However, the CABD did not provide enough information to assess the variables needed to perform the risk adjustment proposed by the NSQIP for the assessment of adverse events in surgical patients. Copyright © 2015. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

The risk of headache attributed to surgical treatment of intracranial aneurysms: a cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Magalhães, João E; Azevedo-Filho, Hildo R C; Rocha-Filho, Pedro A S

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the risk of headache in patients undergoing surgical treatment of intracranial aneurysms. The risk of the post-craniotomy headache has never been studied. Patients with intracranial aneurysm, who were consecutively admitted to the Hospital da Restauração, Brazil, from May 2009 to October 2010, were interviewed before they underwent surgical or non-surgical treatment of the aneurysms. The patients were followed for 4 months after intervention. The International Headache Society criteria for post-craniotomy headache were used after surgery and adapted for headache after embolization (maximum intensity of pain on the same side of the aneurysm). We also used the Headache Impact Test, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Of 101 patients enrolled, 53 patients underwent craniotomy and 48 patients embolization. The surgery group was younger and had fewer women. The incidence of headache was 28/51 cases (54.9%) after surgery and 12/47 cases (25.5%) after embolization (relative risk = 2.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-3.72). The incidence of persistent headache was not different between the 2 groups. The only risk factor for headache after the intervention was craniotomy (odds ratio = 2.6; 95% CI 1.1-6.7) and for persistent headache was anxiety prior to treatment (odds ratio = 8.5; 95% CI 1.7-42.3). The headache after treatment was not associated with the risk of anxiety or depression after the intervention. Patients who underwent craniotomy had an increased risk of headache after treatment of intracranial aneurysms. The incidence of persistent headache after 3 months was higher among patients who had anxiety before the intervention. © 2013 American Headache Society.

Characteristics of Pseudoaneurysms in Northern India; Risk Analysis, Clinical Profile, Surgical Management and Outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Lone, Hafeezulla; Ganaie, Farooq Ahmad; Lone, Ghulam Nabi; Dar, Abdul Majeed; Bhat, Mohammad Akbar; Singh, Shyam; Parra, Khursheed Ahmad

2015-04-01

To determine the risk factors, clinical characteristics, surgical management and outcome of pseudoaneurysm secondary to iatrogenic or traumatic vascular injury. This was a cross-sectional study being performed in department of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery skims soura during a 4-year period. We included all the patients referring to our center with primary diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm. The pseudoaneurysm was diagnosed with angiography and color Doppler sonography. The clinical and demographic characteristics were recorded and the risk factors were identified accordingly. Patients with small swelling (less than 5-cm) and without any complication were managed conservatively. They were followed for progression and development of complications in relation to swelling. Others underwent surgical repair and excision. The outcome of the patients was also recorded. Overall we included 20 patients with pseudoaneurysm. The mean age of the patients was 42.1±0.6 years. Among them there were 11 (55%) men and 9 (45%) women. Nine (45%) patients with end stage renal disease developed pseudoaneurysm after inadvertent femoral artery puncture for hemodialysis; two patients after interventional cardiology procedure; one after femoral embolectomy; one developed after fire arm splinter injury and one formed femoral artery related pseudoaneurysm after drainage of right inguinal abscess. The most common site of pseudoaneurysm was femoral artery followed by brachial artery. Overall surgical intervention was performed in 17 (85%) patients and 3 (15%) were managed conservatively. End stage renal disease is a major risk factor for pseudoaneurysm formation. Coagulopathy, either therapeutic or pathological is also an important risk factor. Patients with these risk factors need cannulation of venous structures for hemodialysis under ultrasound guide to prevent inadvertent arterial injury. Patients with end stage renal disease who sustain inadvertent arterial puncture during cannulation for

Risk of surgical glove perforation in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuroyanagi, N; Nagao, T; Sakuma, H; Miyachi, H; Ochiai, S; Kimura, Y; Fukano, H; Shimozato, K

2012-08-01

Oral and maxillofacial surgery, which involves several sharp instruments and fixation materials, is consistently at a high risk for cross-contamination due to perforated gloves, but it is unclear how often such perforations occur. This study aimed to address this issue. The frequency of the perforation of surgical gloves (n=1436) in 150 oral and maxillofacial surgeries including orthognathic surgery (n=45) was assessed by the hydroinsufflation technique. Orthognathic surgery had the highest perforation rate in at least 1 glove in 1 operation (91.1%), followed by cleft lip and palate surgery (55.0%), excision of oral soft tumour (54.5%) and dental implantation (50.0%). The perforation rate in scrub nurses was 63.4%, followed by 44.4% in surgeons and first assistants, and 16.3% in second assistants. The odds ratio for the perforation rate in orthognathic surgery versus other surgeries was 16.0 (95% confidence interval: 5.3-48.0). The protection rate offered by double gloving in orthognathic surgery was 95.2%. These results suggest that, regardless of the surgical duration and blood loss in all fields of surgery, orthognathic surgery must be categorized in the highest risk group for glove perforation, following gynaecological and open lung surgery, due to the involvement of sharp objects. Copyright © 2012 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Making Invasion models useful for decision makers; incorporating uncertainty, knowledge gaps, and decision-making preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Denys Yemshanov; Frank H Koch; Mark Ducey

2015-01-01

Uncertainty is inherent in model-based forecasts of ecological invasions. In this chapter, we explore how the perceptions of that uncertainty can be incorporated into the pest risk assessment process. Uncertainty changes a decision maker’s perceptions of risk; therefore, the direct incorporation of uncertainty may provide a more appropriate depiction of risk. Our...

The unsustainable Makers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Arvidsson

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The Makers is the latest novel of the American science fiction writer, blogger and Silicon Valley intellectual Cory Doctorow. Set in the 2010s, the novel describes the possible impact of the present trend towards the migration of modes of production and organization that have emerged online into the sphere of material production. Called New Work, this movement is indebted to a new maker culture that attracts people into a kind of neo-artisan, high tech mode of production. The question is: can a corporate-funded New Work movement be sustainable? Doctorow seems to suggest that a capitalist economy of abundance is unsustainable because it tends to restrict the reach of its value flows to a privileged managerial elite.

Cross-platform digital assessment forms for evaluating surgical skills

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Steven Arild Wuyts

2015-01-01

developed for the rating of surgical skills. The database platform used in this study was reasonably priced, intuitive for the user, and flexible. The forms have been provided online as free downloads that may serve as the basis for further development or as inspiration for future efforts. In conclusion......A variety of structured assessment tools for use in surgical training have been reported, but extant assessment tools often employ paper-based rating forms. Digital assessment forms for evaluating surgical skills could potentially offer advantages over paper-based forms, especially in complex...... assessment situations. In this paper, we report on the development of cross-platform digital assessment forms for use with multiple raters in order to facilitate the automatic processing of surgical skills assessments that include structured ratings. The FileMaker 13 platform was used to create a database...

MakerBot projects blueprints

CERN Document Server

Larson, Joseph

2013-01-01

MakerBot Projects Blueprints is a project-based book, with each chapter taking you through the creation of an awesome stand-alone project. MakerBot Project Blueprints is for anyone with an interest in the 3D printing revolution and the slightest bit of computer skills. Whether you own a 3D printer or not you can design for them. All it takes is Blender, a free 3D modeling tool, this book and a little creativity and someday you'll be able to hold something you designed in the computer in your hands.

Prediction of Outcome After Emergency High-Risk Intra-abdominal Surgery Using the Surgical Apgar Score

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cihoric, Mirjana; Toft Tengberg, Line; Bay-Nielsen, Morten

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: With current literature quoting mortality rates up to 45%, emergency high-risk abdominal surgery has, compared with elective surgery, a significantly greater risk of death and major complications. The Surgical Apgar Score (SAS) is predictive of outcome in elective surgery, but has nev...... emergency high-risk abdominal surgery. Despite its predictive value, the SAS cannot in its current version be recommended as a standalone prognostic tool in an emergency setting....

Constructing Perceptions of Climate Change: a case study of regional political decision makers

Science.gov (United States)

Bray, D.

2012-12-01

This case study of climate change communications assesses the salient means of communication and the message adopted by regional political decision makers on the German Baltic coast. Realizing that cultural factors and local values (and not simply knowledge) are significant influences in explaining attitudes towards climate change, this analysis draws from the records of regional weather, from scientists with a specific focus on the region, from the political decision makers for that region, and the media message reaching the decision makers, ensuring all elements of the analysis are drawn from the same socioeconomic, geophysical, political and cultural context. This is important as the social dynamics surrounding the trust in science is of critical importance and, as such, all elements of the case study are specifically contained within a common context. If the utility of climate change knowledge is to prompt well conceived adaptation/mitigation strategies then the political decision process, or at least the perceptions shaping it, can best be understood by locating it within the world view of the decision makers involved in the production process. Using the results of two survey questionnaires, one of regional climate scientists and one of regional political decision makers, ten years of local weather records, and a summary of the message from mass media circulation, the discord in perceptions of regional climate change are quantitatively explored. The conclusions drawn from the analysis include, compared to the scientific assessment: The decision makers' perceptions of recent past differ from actual observations. The decision makers' perceptions of the future differ from scientific assessments. The decision makers tend to over estimate the magnitude of regional climate change and its impacts. The decision makers tend to over estimate the sense of immediacy for adaptation measures. The conclusions drawn suggest that in the regional political realm, it is often a

Alcohol skin preparation causes surgical fires.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocos, B; Donaldson, L J

2012-03-01

Surgical fires are a rare but serious preventable safety risk in modern hospitals. Data from the US show that up to 650 surgical fires occur each year, with up to 5% causing death or serious harm. This study used the National Reporting and Learning Service (NRLS) database at the National Patient Safety Agency to explore whether spirit-based surgical skin preparation fluid contributes to the cause of surgical fires. The NRLS database was interrogated for all incidents of surgical fires reported between 1 March 2004 and 1 March 2011. Each report was scrutinised manually to discover the cause of the fire. Thirteen surgical fires were reported during the study period. Of these, 11 were found to be directly related to spirit-based surgical skin preparation or preparation soaked swabs and drapes. Despite manufacturer's instructions and warnings, surgical fires continue to occur. Guidance published in the UK and US states that spirit-based skin preparation solutions should continue to be used but sets out some precautions. It may be that fire risk should be included in pre-surgical World Health Organization checklists or in the surgical training curriculum. Surgical staff should be aware of the risk that spirit-based skin preparation fluids pose and should take action to minimise the chance of fire occurring.

Image-defined Risk Factors Correlate with Surgical Radicality and Local Recurrence in Patients with Neuroblastoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Pohl, A; Erichsen, M; Stehr, M; Hubertus, J; Bergmann, F; Kammer, B; von Schweinitz, D

2016-04-01

Neuroblastoma is the second most common solid pediatric tumor and the most common cancer to be detected in children younger than 12 months of age. To date, 2 different staging systems describe the extent of the disease: the International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) and the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group Staging System (INRGSS). The INRGSS-system is characterized by the presence or absence of so called image-defined risk factors (IDRFs), which are described as surgical risk factors. We hypothesized that IDRFs correlate with surgical complications, surgical radicality, local recurrence and overall survival (OS). Between 2003 and 2010, 102 patients had neuroblastoma surgery performed in our department. We analyzed medical records for IDRF-status and above named data. 16 patients were IDRF-negative, whereas 86 patients showed one or more IDRF. Intra- or postoperative complications have been reported in 21 patients (21%). 19 of them showed one or more IDRF and 2 patients were IDRF-negative (p=n.s.). Patients who suffered from intra- or postoperative complications demonstrated a decreased OS (p=0.011). Statistical analysis revealed an inverse correlation between the extent of macroscopical removal and IDRF-status (p=0.001). Furthermore, the number of IDRFs were associated with a decreased likelihood of radical tumor resection (p<0.001). 19 patients had local recurrence; all of them were IDRF-positive (p=0.037). Pediatric surgeons should consider IDRFs as a useful tool for risk assessment and therefore planning for neuroblastoma surgery. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Computed tomographic assessment of the surgical risks associated with fibrocavernous pulmonary tuberculosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Ming-Ho; Chang, Jia-Ming; Haung, Tsung-Mao; Cheng, Li-Li; Tseng, Yau-Lin; Lin, Mu-Yen; Lai, Wu-Wei

2004-01-01

We evaluated the surgical risks associated with fibrocavernous pulmonary tuberculosis by retrospectively examining chest computed tomography (CT) scans. We reviewed the records of 40 patients who underwent pulmonary resection for fibrocavernous pulmonary tuberculosis, for whom preoperative CT scans were available. The disease was categorized as class I, defined as a cavity within one lobe without remarkable pleural thickness, in 21 patients; class II, defined as a cavity extending beyond one lobe or within one lobe with remarkable pleural thickness, in 10 patients; and class III, defined as bilateral cavities, in 9 patients. Four of the nine patients with bilateral cavities underwent bilateral pulmonary resection and five underwent unilateral pulmonary resection. The study parameters were intraoperative blood loss, operative time, hospital stay, major operative morbidity, and hospital death. Intraoperative blood loss and operative time were significantly greater and hospital stay was significantly longer in patients with advanced disease (P=0.046, P=0.000, and P=0.143, respectively). Major surgical morbidity mainly occurred in association with advanced disease (P=0.028) at the following incidences: class I, 5%; class II, 30%; class III, 44.4%. Two hospital deaths occurred, both following bilateral pulmonary resection for class III disease, accounting for an overall 5% mortality rate. The surgical risks associated with fibrocavernous pulmonary tuberculosis were well correlated with anatomic involvement, according to the extent of cavitation and the severity of pleural thickness, as depicted by CT. Staged pulmonary resection or the combination of one-sided resection with other modalities is recommended for the treatment of bilateral cavities. (author)

Efficacy and safety of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in aortic stenosis patients at low to moderate surgical risk: a comprehensive meta-analysis

OpenAIRE

Elmaraezy, Ahmed; Ismail, Ammar; Abushouk, Abdelrahman Ibrahim; Eltoomy, Moutaz; Saad, Soha; Negida, Ahmed; Abdelaty, Osama Mahmoud; Abdallah, Ahmed Ramadan; Aboelfotoh, Ahmed Magdy; Hassan, Hossam Mahmoud; Elmaraezy, Aya Gamal; Morsi, Mahmoud; Althaher, Farah; Althaher, Moath; AlSafadi, Ammar M.

2017-01-01

Background Recently, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become the procedure of choice in high surgical risk patients with aortic stenosis (AS). However, its value is still debated in operable AS cases. We performed this meta-analysis to compare the safety and efficacy of TAVR to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in low-to-moderate surgical risk patients with AS. Methods A systematic search of five authentic databases retrieved 11 eligible studies (20,056 patients). Rele...

What Attracts Decision Makers' Attention?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bentzen, Eric; Christiansen, John K.; Varnes, Claus J.

2011-01-01

portfolio meetings. The study seeks to investigate how managers allocate their attention and the role of different factors for their attention. Observations also make it possible to compare prior research and expectations with the actual observed behavior of decision makers. Design....../methodology/approach – The present analysis draws on insights from previous research into decision making in product and portfolio management and studies on organizational decision making. The authors frame why the attention of decision makers is so critical in complex situations. Data for this study were collected through direct......Purpose – Managers' attention is a scarce resource in complex innovation settings. Prior research on the factors to which managers pay attention is mostly based on surveys. The present study aims to address the need for knowledge about the behavior of decision makers based on observations from...

FileMaker Pro 9

CERN Document Server

Coffey, Geoff

2007-01-01

FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual is the clear, thorough and accessible guide to the latest version of this popular desktop database program. FileMaker Pro lets you do almost anything with the information you give it. You can print corporate reports, plan your retirement, or run a small country -- if you know what you're doing. This book helps non-technical folks like you get in, get your database built, and get the results you need. Pronto.The new edition gives novices and experienced users the scoop on versions 8.5 and 9. It offers complete coverage of timesaving new features such as the Q

Comparative rate and risk factors of recurrent urethral stricture during different surgical procedures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Yu. Pushkar

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Objective – to identify the major risk factors leading to worse results of surgical treatment in patients with urethral stricture.Subjects and methods. Two hundred and forty-eight patients with urethral stricture underwent different surgical interventions: internal optical urethrotomy (IOU for strictures of different portions of the urethra in 157 patients (the operation was made once in 121 patients, twice in 24 patients, and thrice or more in 12; replacement urethroplasty using a buccal mucosa graft for strictures of the anterior urethra in 46 patients; Turner-Warwick’s anastomotic urethroplasty modified by Webster for strictures (distraction defects of the posterior urethra in 45 patients. The results of surgical treatment were studied using urethrography, uroflowmetry, urethrocystoscopy, the international prostate symptom score, quality of life (QoL questionnaire, and the international index of erectile function (IIEF questionnaire. The role of risk factors for postoperative recurrent urethral stricture was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses.Results. The rate of recurrent urethral stricture after IOU was 66.9 % (59.5, 87.5, and 100 % after the first, second, third or more subsequent operations, respectively; 12.1 % after all types of urethroplasty, 15.2 % after augmentation urethroplasty, and 8.9 % after anastomotic urethroplasty. The major risk factors of recurrent urethral stricture after IOU were recognized to be the location of urethral stricture in the penile or bulbomembranous portions, a urethral stricture length of > 1 cm, severe urethral lumen narrowing, and performance of 2 or more operations; those after augmentation urethroplasty were previous ineffective treatment, a stricture length of > 4 cm, lichen sclerosus, and smoking; those after anastomotic urethroplasty were previous ineffective treatment, smoking, and a stricture length of > 4 cm.Conclusion. The results of the investigation have shown that only

Comparative rate and risk factors of recurrent urethral stricture during different surgical procedures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Yu. Pushkar

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective – to identify the major risk factors leading to worse results of surgical treatment in patients with urethral stricture.Subjects and methods. Two hundred and forty-eight patients with urethral stricture underwent different surgical interventions: internal optical urethrotomy (IOU for strictures of different portions of the urethra in 157 patients (the operation was made once in 121 patients, twice in 24 patients, and thrice or more in 12; replacement urethroplasty using a buccal mucosa graft for strictures of the anterior urethra in 46 patients; Turner-Warwick’s anastomotic urethroplasty modified by Webster for strictures (distraction defects of the posterior urethra in 45 patients. The results of surgical treatment were studied using urethrography, uroflowmetry, urethrocystoscopy, the international prostate symptom score, quality of life (QoL questionnaire, and the international index of erectile function (IIEF questionnaire. The role of risk factors for postoperative recurrent urethral stricture was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses.Results. The rate of recurrent urethral stricture after IOU was 66.9 % (59.5, 87.5, and 100 % after the first, second, third or more subsequent operations, respectively; 12.1 % after all types of urethroplasty, 15.2 % after augmentation urethroplasty, and 8.9 % after anastomotic urethroplasty. The major risk factors of recurrent urethral stricture after IOU were recognized to be the location of urethral stricture in the penile or bulbomembranous portions, a urethral stricture length of > 1 cm, severe urethral lumen narrowing, and performance of 2 or more operations; those after augmentation urethroplasty were previous ineffective treatment, a stricture length of > 4 cm, lichen sclerosus, and smoking; those after anastomotic urethroplasty were previous ineffective treatment, smoking, and a stricture length of > 4 cm.Conclusion. The results of the investigation have shown that only

Ethical challenges related to elder care. High level decision-makers' experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kihlgren Mona

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Few empirical studies have been found that explore ethical challenges among persons in high public positions that are responsible for elder care. The aim of this paper was to illuminate the meaning of being in ethically difficult situations related to elder care as experienced by high level decision-makers. Methods A phenomenological-hermeneutic method was used to analyse the eighteen interviews conducted with political and civil servant high level decision-makers at the municipality and county council level from two counties in Sweden. The participants worked at a planning and control as well as executive level and had both budget and quality of elder care responsibilities. Results Both ethical dilemmas and the meaning of being in ethically difficult situations related to elder care were revealed. No differences were seen between the politicians and the civil servants. The ethical dilemmas mostly concerned dealings with extensive care needs and working with a limited budget. The dilemmas were associated with a lack of good care and a lack of agreement concerning care such as vulnerable patients in inappropriate care settings, weaknesses in medical support, dissimilar focuses between the caring systems, justness in the distribution of care and deficient information. Being in ethically difficult situations was challenging. Associated with them were experiences of being exposed, having to be strategic and living with feelings such as aloneness and loneliness, uncertainty, lack of confirmation, the risk of being threatened or becoming a scapegoat and difficult decision avoidance. Conclusion Our paper provides further insight into the ethical dilemmas and ethical challenges met by high level decision-makers', which is important since the overall responsibility for elder care that is also ethically defensible rests with them. They have power and their decisions affect many stakeholders in elder care. Our results can be used to

Ethical challenges related to elder care. High level decision-makers' experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Mamhidir, Anna-Greta; Kihlgren, Mona; Sorlie, Venke

2007-04-10

Few empirical studies have been found that explore ethical challenges among persons in high public positions that are responsible for elder care. The aim of this paper was to illuminate the meaning of being in ethically difficult situations related to elder care as experienced by high level decision-makers. A phenomenological-hermeneutic method was used to analyse the eighteen interviews conducted with political and civil servant high level decision-makers at the municipality and county council level from two counties in Sweden. The participants worked at a planning and control as well as executive level and had both budget and quality of elder care responsibilities. Both ethical dilemmas and the meaning of being in ethically difficult situations related to elder care were revealed. No differences were seen between the politicians and the civil servants. The ethical dilemmas mostly concerned dealings with extensive care needs and working with a limited budget. The dilemmas were associated with a lack of good care and a lack of agreement concerning care such as vulnerable patients in inappropriate care settings, weaknesses in medical support, dissimilar focuses between the caring systems, justness in the distribution of care and deficient information. Being in ethically difficult situations was challenging. Associated with them were experiences of being exposed, having to be strategic and living with feelings such as aloneness and loneliness, uncertainty, lack of confirmation, the risk of being threatened or becoming a scapegoat and difficult decision avoidance. Our paper provides further insight into the ethical dilemmas and ethical challenges met by high level decision-makers', which is important since the overall responsibility for elder care that is also ethically defensible rests with them. They have power and their decisions affect many stakeholders in elder care. Our results can be used to stimulate discussions between high level decision-makers and health

Incidence and risk factors for surgical site infection after open reduction and internal fixation of tibial plateau fracture: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Shao, Jiashen; Chang, Hengrui; Zhu, Yanbin; Chen, Wei; Zheng, Zhanle; Zhang, Huixin; Zhang, Yingze

2017-05-01

This study aimed to quantitatively summarize the risk factors associated with surgical site infection after open reduction and internal fixation of tibial plateau fracture. Medline, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang database and Cochrane central database were searched for relevant original studies from database inception to October 2016. Eligible studies had to meet quality assessment criteria according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and had to evaluate the risk factors for surgical site infection after open reduction and internal fixation of tibial plateau fracture. Stata 11.0 software was used for this meta-analysis. Eight studies involving 2214 cases of tibial plateau fracture treated by open reduction and internal fixation and 219 cases of surgical site infection were included in this meta-analysis. The following parameters were identified as significant risk factors for surgical site infection after open reduction and internal fixation of tibial plateau fracture (p operative time (OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.53-3.02), tobacco use (OR 2.13; 95% CI 1.13-3.99), and external fixation (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.05-4.09). Other factors, including male sex, were not identified as risk factors for surgical site infection. Patients with the abovementioned medical conditions are at risk of surgical site infection after open reduction and internal fixation of tibial plateau fracture. Surgeons should be cognizant of these risks and give relevant preoperative advice. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Patient-related risk factors for requiring surgical intervention following a failed injection for the treatment of medial and lateral epicondylitis.

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Degen, Ryan M; Cancienne, Jourdan M; Camp, Christopher L; Altchek, David W; Dines, Joshua S; Werner, Brian C

2017-11-01

To identify risk factors for failure of a therapeutic injection leading to operative management of both medial and lateral epicondylitis. A national database was used to query Medicare Standard Analytic Files from 2005-2012 for patients treated with therapeutic injections for medial or lateral epicondylitis using CPT codes for injections associated with corresponding ICD-9 diagnostic codes (726.31 and 726.32, respectively). Those who subsequently underwent surgical treatment following injection were identified. A multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis was utilized to evaluate patient-related risk factors for requiring surgery within 2 years after therapeutic injection. 1,837 patients received therapeutic injections for medial epicondylitis. 52 (2.8%) required ipsilateral surgery at a mean of 429 ± 28 days post-injection. Risk factors for requiring surgical intervention included age lateral epicondylitis. 201 (3.1%) required subsequent surgery at a mean of 383 ± 128 days' post-injection. Risk factors included age lateral epicondylitis is low (~3%). Risk factors for failing a therapeutic injection include age  30) for medial epicondylitis and age lateral epicondylitis. Patients with these identified risk factors presenting with medial or lateral epicondylitis should be cautioned that they carry a higher risk of subsequent surgical treatment. Therapeutic, III.

Incidence and risk factors for surgically acquired pressure ulcers: a prospective cohort study investigators.

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Webster, Joan; Lister, Carolyn; Corry, Jean; Holland, Michelle; Coleman, Kerrie; Marquart, Louise

2015-01-01

To assess the incidence of hospital-acquired, surgery-related pressure injury (ulcers) and identify risk factors for these injuries. We used a prospective cohort study to investigate the research question. The study was conducted at a major metropolitan hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Five hundred thirty-four adult patients booked for any surgical procedure expected to last more than 30 minutes were eligible for inclusion. Patients who provided informed consent for study participation were assessed for pressure ulcers, using the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Guidelines, before entering the operating room and again in the post-anesthetic care unit (PACU). Research nurses and all PACU nurses were trained in skin assessment and in pressure ulcer staging. Patients were not assessed again after their discharge from the PACU. Seven patients (1.3%) had existing pressure injuries (ulcers) and a further 6 (1.3%) developed a surgery-related pressure ulcer. Risk factors associated with surgery-related pressure injuries were similar to non-surgically related risks and included older age, skin condition, and being admitted from a location other than one's own home. Length of surgery was not associated with pressure ulcer development in this cohort. Perioperative nurses play an important role in identifying existing or new pressure injuries. However, many of these nurses are unfamiliar with pressure ulcer classification, so education in this area is essential. Although the incidence of surgically acquired pressure ulcers was low in this cohort, careful skin inspection before and after surgery provides an opportunity for early treatment and may prevent existing lesions progressing to higher stages.

Failure to Redose Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Long Surgery Increases Risk of Surgical Site Infection.

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Kasatpibal, Nongyao; Whitney, Joanne D; Dellinger, E Patchen; Nair, Bala G; Pike, Kenneth C

Antibiotic prophylaxis is a key component of the prevention of surgical site infection (SSI). Failure to manage antibiotic prophylaxis effectively may increase the risk of SSI. This study aimed to examine the effects of antibiotic prophylaxis on SSI risk. A retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients having general surgery between May 2012 and June 2015 at the University of Washington Medical Center. Peri-operative data extracted from hospital databases included patient and operation characteristics, intra-operative medication and fluid administration, and survival outcome. The effects of antibiotic prophylaxis and potential factors on SSI risk were estimated using multiple logistic regression and were expressed as risk ratios (RRs). A total of 4,078 patients were eligible for analysis. Of these, 180 had an SSI. Mortality rates within and after 30 days were 0.8% and 0.3%, respectively. Improper antibiotic redosing increased the risk of SSI (RR 4.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33-15.91). Other risk factors were in-patient status (RR 4.05; 95% CI 1.69-9.66), smoking (RR 1.63; 95% CI 1.03-2.55), emergency surgery (RR 1.97; 95% CI 1.26-3.08), colectomy (RR 3.31; 95% CI 1.19-9.23), pancreatectomy (RR 4.52; 95% CI 1.53-13.39), proctectomy (RR 5.02; 95% CI 1.72-14.67), small bowel surgery (RR 6.16; 95% CI 2.13-17.79), intra-operative blood transfusion >500 mL (RR 2.76; 95% CI 1.45-5.26), and multiple procedures (RR 1.40; 95% CI 1.01-1.95). These data demonstrate that failure to redose prophylactic antibiotic during long operations increases the risk of SSI. Strengthening a collaborative surgical quality improvement program may help to eradicate this risk.

The Prevalence of Malnutrition and Effectiveness of STRONGkids Tool in the Identification of Malnutrition Risks among Pediatric Surgical Patients

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Çiğdem Ulukaya Durakbaşa

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: High prevalence of malnutrition along with the risk for the development of malnutrition in hospitalised children has been reported. However, this problem remains largely unrecognised by healthcare workers. Aims: To determine the prevalence of malnutrition and effectiveness of STRONGkids nutritional risk screening (NRS tool in the identification of malnutrition risk among pediatric surgical patients. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 494 pediatric surgical patients (median age 59 months, 75.8% males were included in this prospective study conducted over 3 months. SD-scores 60 months (13.4 vs. 6.6%, p=0.012. Chronic malnutrition was identified in 23 (4.6% of patients with no significant difference between age groups. There were 7 (1.4% children with coexistent acute and chronic malnutrition. The STRONGkids tool revealed that 35.7% of patients were either in the moderate or high risk group for malnutrition. Malnutrition, as revealed by anthropometric measurements, was more likely in the presence of gastrointestinal (26.9%, p=0.004 and inguinoscrotal/penile surgery (4.0%, p=0.031, co-morbidities affecting nutritional status (p<0.001 and inpatient admissions (p=0.014. Among patients categorized as low risk for malnutrition, there were more outpatients than inpatients (89.3 vs. 10.7%, p<0.001 and more elective surgery cases than emergency surgery cases (93.4 vs. 6.6%, p<0.001. Conclusion: Providing data on the prevalence of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition in a prospectively recruited group of hospitalised pediatric surgical patients, the data acquired in the present study emphasise the need to raise clinician’s awareness about the importance of nutritional status assessment among hospitalised pediatric patients and the benefits of identifying patients at the risk of nutritional depletion before malnutrition occurs. Our findings support the use of the STRONGkids tool among pediatric surgical patients to

Surgical Resection of Brain Metastases and the Risk of Leptomeningeal Recurrence in Patients Treated With Stereotactic Radiosurgery

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Johnson, Matthew D.; Avkshtol, Vladimir; Baschnagel, Andrew M.; Meyer, Kurt; Ye, Hong; Grills, Inga S.; Chen, Peter Y.; Maitz, Ann; Olson, Rick E.; Pieper, Daniel R.; Krauss, Daniel J.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Recent prospective data have shown that patients with solitary or oligometastatic disease to the brain may be treated with upfront stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with deferral of whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT). This has been extrapolated to the treatment of patients with resected lesions. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of leptomeningeal disease (LMD) in patients treated with SRS to the postsurgical resection cavity for brain metastases compared with patients treated with SRS to intact metastases. Methods and Materials: Four hundred sixty-five patients treated with SRS without upfront WBRT at a single institution were identified; 330 of these with at least 3 months' follow-up were included in this analysis. One hundred twelve patients had undergone surgical resection of at least 1 lesion before SRS compared with 218 treated for intact metastases. Time to LMD and overall survival (OS) time were estimated from date of radiosurgery, and LMD was analyzed by the use of cumulative incidence method with death as a competing risk. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with competing risk regression to determine whether various clinical factors predicted for LMD. Results: With a median follow-up time of 9.0 months, 39 patients (12%) experienced LMD at a median of 6.0 months after SRS. At 1 year, the cumulative incidence of LMD, with death as a competing risk, was 5.2% for the patients without surgical resection versus 16.9% for those treated with surgery (Gray test, P<.01). On multivariate analysis, prior surgical resection (P<.01) and breast cancer primary (P=.03) were significant predictors of LMD development. The median OS times for patients undergoing surgery compared with SRS alone were 12.9 and 10.6 months, respectively (log-rank P=.06). Conclusions: In patients undergoing SRS with deferral of upfront WBRT for intracranial metastatic disease, prior surgical resection and breast cancer primary are associated with an

Refining Risk Adjustment for the Proposed CMS Surgical Hip and Femur Fracture Treatment Bundled Payment Program.

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Cairns, Mark A; Ostrum, Robert F; Clement, R Carter

2018-02-21

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been considering the implementation of a mandatory bundled payment program, the Surgical Hip and Femur Fracture Treatment (SHFFT) model. However, bundled payments without appropriate risk adjustment may be inequitable to providers and may restrict access to care for certain patients. The SHFFT proposal includes adjustment using the Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) and geographic location. The goal of the current study was to identify and quantify patient factors that could improve risk adjustment for SHFFT bundled payments. We retrospectively reviewed a 5% random sample of Medicare data from 2008 to 2012. A total of 27,898 patients were identified who met SHFFT inclusion criteria (DRG 480, 481, and 482). Reimbursement was determined for each patient over the bundle period (the surgical hospitalization and 90 days of post-discharge care). Multivariable regression was performed to test demographic factors, comorbidities, geographic location, and specific surgical procedures for associations with reimbursement. The average reimbursement was $23,632 ± $17,587. On average, reimbursements for male patients were $1,213 higher than for female patients (p payments; e.g., reimbursement for those ≥85 years of age averaged $2,282 ± $389 less than for those aged 65 to 69 (p reimbursement, but dementia was associated with lower payments, by an average of $2,354 ± $243 (p reimbursement ranging from $22,527 to $24,033. Less common procedures varied by >$20,000 in average reimbursement (p reimbursement (p reimbursed by an average of $10,421 ± $543 more than DRG 482. Payments varied significantly by state (p ≤ 0.01). Risk adjustment incorporating specific comorbidities demonstrated better performance than with use of DRG alone (r = 0.22 versus 0.15). Our results suggest that the proposed SHFFT bundled payment model should use more robust risk-adjustment methods to ensure that providers are reimbursed fairly and that

Defining decision making: a qualitative study of international experts' views on surgical trainee decision making.

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Rennie, Sarah C; van Rij, Andre M; Jaye, Chrystal; Hall, Katherine H

2011-06-01

Decision making is a key competency of surgeons; however, how best to assess decisions and decision makers is not clearly established. The aim of the present study was to identify criteria that inform judgments about surgical trainees' decision-making skills. A qualitative free text web-based survey was distributed to recognized international experts in Surgery, Medical Education, and Cognitive Research. Half the participants were asked to identify features of good decisions, characteristics of good decision makers, and essential factors for developing good decision-making skills. The other half were asked to consider these areas in relation to poor decision making. Template analysis of free text responses was performed. Twenty-nine (52%) experts responded to the survey, identifying 13 categories for judging a decision and 14 for judging a decision maker. Twelve features/characteristics overlapped (considered, informed, well timed, aware of limitations, communicated, knowledgeable, collaborative, patient-focused, flexible, able to act on the decision, evidence-based, and coherent). Fifteen categories were generated for essential factors leading to development of decision-making skills that fall into three major themes (personal qualities, training, and culture). The categories compiled from the perspectives of good/poor were predominantly the inverse of each other; however, the weighting given to some categories varied. This study provides criteria described by experts when considering surgical decisions, decision makers, and development of decision-making skills. It proposes a working definition of a good decision maker. Understanding these criteria will enable clinical teachers to better recognize and encourage good decision-making skills and identify poor decision-making skills for remediation.

Incidence and risk factors for surgical site infections in obstetric and gynecological surgeries from a teaching hospital in rural India

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Ashish Pathak

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Surgical site infections (SSI are one of the most common healthcare associated infections in the low-middle income countries. Data on incidence and risk factors for SSI following surgeries in general and Obstetric and Gynecological surgeries in particular are scare. This study set out to identify risk factors for SSI in patients undergoing Obstetric and Gynecological surgeries in an Indian rural hospital. Methods Patients who underwent a surgical procedure between September 2010 to February 2013 in the 60-bedded ward of Obstetric and Gynecology department were included. Surveillance for SSI was based on the Centre for Disease Control (CDC definition and methodology. Incidence and risk factors for SSI, including those for specific procedure, were calculated from data collected on daily ward rounds. Results A total of 1173 patients underwent a surgical procedure during the study period. The incidence of SSI in the cohort was 7.84% (95% CI 6.30–9.38. Majority of SSI were superficial. Obstetric surgeries had a lower SSI incidence compared to gynecological surgeries (1.2% versus 10.3% respectively. The risk factors for SSI identified in the multivariate logistic regression model were age (OR 1.03, vaginal examination (OR 1.31; presence of vaginal discharge (OR 4.04; medical disease (OR 5.76; American Society of Anesthesia score greater than 3 (OR 12.8; concurrent surgical procedure (OR 3.26; each increase in hour of surgery, after the first hour, doubled the risk of SSI; inappropriate antibiotic prophylaxis increased the risk of SSI by nearly 5 times. Each day increase in stay in the hospital after the surgery increased the risk of contacting an SSI by 5%. Conclusions Incidence and risk factors from prospective SSI surveillance can be reported simultaneously for the Obstetric and Gynecological surgeries and can be part of routine practice in resource-constrained settings. The incidence of SSI was lower for Obstetric surgeries

Urogynecologic Surgical Mesh Implants

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... procedures performed to treat pelvic floor disorders with surgical mesh: Transvaginal mesh to treat POP Transabdominal mesh to treat ... address safety risks Final Order for Reclassification of Surgical Mesh for Transvaginal Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair Final Order for Effective ...

Fluoroscopy-Guided Percutaneous Gallstone Removal Using a 12-Fr Sheath in High-Risk Surgical Patients with Acute Cholecystitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Hwan; Kim, Yong Joo; Shin, Tae Beom

2011-01-01

To evaluate the technical feasibility and clinical efficacy of percutaneous transhepatic cholecystolithotomy under fluoroscopic guidance in high-risk surgical patients with acute cholecystitis. Sixty-three consecutive patients of high surgical risk with acute calculous cholecystitis underwent percutaneous transhepatic gallstone removal under conscious sedation. The stones were extracted through the 12-Fr sheath using a Wittich nitinol stone basket under fluoroscopic guidance on three days after performing a percutaneous cholecystostomy. Large or hard stones were fragmented using either the snare guide wire technique or the metallic cannula technique. Gallstones were successfully removed from 59 of the 63 patients (94%). Reasons for stone removal failure included the inability to grasp a large stone in two patients, and the loss of tract during the procedure in two patients with a contracted gallbladder. The mean hospitalization duration was 7.3 days for acute cholecystitis patients and 9.4 days for gallbladder empyema patients. Bile peritonitis requiring percutaneous drainage developed in two patients. No symptomatic recurrence occurred during follow-up (mean, 608.3 days). Fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous gallstone removal using a 12-Fr sheath is technically feasible and clinically effective in high-risk surgical patients with acute cholecystitis

Fluoroscopy-Guided Percutaneous Gallstone Removal Using a 12-Fr Sheath in High-Risk Surgical Patients with Acute Cholecystitis

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Kim, Young Hwan [Keimyung University, College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Yong Joo [Andong General Hospital, Andong (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Tae Beom [Gyeonsang National University, College of Medicine, Jinju (Korea, Republic of)

2011-04-15

To evaluate the technical feasibility and clinical efficacy of percutaneous transhepatic cholecystolithotomy under fluoroscopic guidance in high-risk surgical patients with acute cholecystitis. Sixty-three consecutive patients of high surgical risk with acute calculous cholecystitis underwent percutaneous transhepatic gallstone removal under conscious sedation. The stones were extracted through the 12-Fr sheath using a Wittich nitinol stone basket under fluoroscopic guidance on three days after performing a percutaneous cholecystostomy. Large or hard stones were fragmented using either the snare guide wire technique or the metallic cannula technique. Gallstones were successfully removed from 59 of the 63 patients (94%). Reasons for stone removal failure included the inability to grasp a large stone in two patients, and the loss of tract during the procedure in two patients with a contracted gallbladder. The mean hospitalization duration was 7.3 days for acute cholecystitis patients and 9.4 days for gallbladder empyema patients. Bile peritonitis requiring percutaneous drainage developed in two patients. No symptomatic recurrence occurred during follow-up (mean, 608.3 days). Fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous gallstone removal using a 12-Fr sheath is technically feasible and clinically effective in high-risk surgical patients with acute cholecystitis

Association between surgical indications, operative risk, and clinical outcome in infective endocarditis: a prospective study from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Vivian H; Park, Lawrence P; Athan, Eugene; Delahaye, Francois; Freiberger, Tomas; Lamas, Cristiane; Miro, Jose M; Mudrick, Daniel W; Strahilevitz, Jacob; Tribouilloy, Christophe; Durante-Mangoni, Emanuele; Pericas, Juan M; Fernández-Hidalgo, Nuria; Nacinovich, Francisco; Rizk, Hussien; Krajinovic, Vladimir; Giannitsioti, Efthymia; Hurley, John P; Hannan, Margaret M; Wang, Andrew

2015-01-13

Use of surgery for the treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) as related to surgical indications and operative risk for mortality has not been well defined. The International Collaboration on Endocarditis-PLUS (ICE-PLUS) is a prospective cohort of consecutively enrolled patients with definite IE from 29 centers in 16 countries. We included patients from ICE-PLUS with definite left-sided, non-cardiac device-related IE who were enrolled between September 1, 2008, and December 31, 2012. A total of 1296 patients with left-sided IE were included. Surgical treatment was performed in 57% of the overall cohort and in 76% of patients with a surgical indication. Reasons for nonsurgical treatment included poor prognosis (33.7%), hemodynamic instability (19.8%), death before surgery (23.3%), stroke (22.7%), and sepsis (21%). Among patients with a surgical indication, surgical treatment was independently associated with the presence of severe aortic regurgitation, abscess, embolization before surgical treatment, and transfer from an outside hospital. Variables associated with nonsurgical treatment were a history of moderate/severe liver disease, stroke before surgical decision, and Staphyloccus aureus etiology. The integration of surgical indication, Society of Thoracic Surgeons IE score, and use of surgery was associated with 6-month survival in IE. Surgical decision making in IE is largely consistent with established guidelines, although nearly one quarter of patients with surgical indications do not undergo surgery. Operative risk assessment by Society of Thoracic Surgeons IE score provides prognostic information for survival beyond the operative period. S aureus IE was significantly associated with nonsurgical management. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Predicting surgical site infection after spine surgery: a validated model using a prospective surgical registry.

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Lee, Michael J; Cizik, Amy M; Hamilton, Deven; Chapman, Jens R

2014-09-01

The impact of surgical site infection (SSI) is substantial. Although previous study has determined relative risk and odds ratio (OR) values to quantify risk factors, these values may be difficult to translate to the patient during counseling of surgical options. Ideally, a model that predicts absolute risk of SSI, rather than relative risk or OR values, would greatly enhance the discussion of safety of spine surgery. To date, there is no risk stratification model that specifically predicts the risk of medical complication. The purpose of this study was to create and validate a predictive model for the risk of SSI after spine surgery. This study performs a multivariate analysis of SSI after spine surgery using a large prospective surgical registry. Using the results of this analysis, this study will then create and validate a predictive model for SSI after spine surgery. The patient sample is from a high-quality surgical registry from our two institutions with prospectively collected, detailed demographic, comorbidity, and complication data. An SSI that required return to the operating room for surgical debridement. Using a prospectively collected surgical registry of more than 1,532 patients with extensive demographic, comorbidity, surgical, and complication details recorded for 2 years after the surgery, we identified several risk factors for SSI after multivariate analysis. Using the beta coefficients from those regression analyses, we created a model to predict the occurrence of SSI after spine surgery. We split our data into two subsets for internal and cross-validation of our model. We created a predictive model based on our beta coefficients from our multivariate analysis. The final predictive model for SSI had a receiver-operator curve characteristic of 0.72, considered to be a fair measure. The final model has been uploaded for use on SpineSage.com. We present a validated model for predicting SSI after spine surgery. The value in this model is that it gives

Risk factors for reinsertion of urinary catheter after early removal in thoracic surgical patients.

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Young, John; Geraci, Travis; Milman, Steven; Maslow, Andrew; Jones, Richard N; Ng, Thomas

2018-03-08

To reduce the incidence of urinary tract infection, Surgical Care Improvement Project 9 mandates the removal of urinary catheters within 48 hours postoperatively. In patients with thoracic epidural anesthesia, we sought to determine the rate of catheter reinsertion, the complications of reinsertion, and the factors associated with reinsertion. We conducted a prospective observational study of consecutive patients undergoing major pulmonary or esophageal resection with thoracic epidural analgesia over a 2-year period. As per Surgical Care Improvement Project 9, all urinary catheters were removed within 48 hours postoperatively. Excluded were patients with chronic indwelling catheter, patients with urostomy, and patients requiring continued strict urine output monitoring. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for urinary catheter reinsertion. Thirteen patients met exclusion criteria. Of the 275 patients evaluated, 60 (21.8%) required reinsertion of urinary catheter. There was no difference in the urinary tract infection rate between patients requiring reinsertion (1/60 [1.7%]) versus patients not requiring reinsertion (1/215 [0.5%], P = .389). Urethral trauma during reinsertion was seen in 1 of 60 patients (1.7%). After reinsertion, discharge with urinary catheter was required in 4 of 60 patients (6.7%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis found esophagectomy, lower body mass index, and benign prostatic hypertrophy to be independent risk factors associated with catheter reinsertion after early removal in the presence of thoracic epidural analgesia. When applying Surgical Care Improvement Project 9 to patients undergoing thoracic procedures with thoracic epidural analgesia, consideration to delayed removal of urinary catheter may be warranted in patients with multiple risk factors for reinsertion. Copyright © 2018 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

FileMaker Pro 11 The Missing Manual

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Prosser, Susan

2010-01-01

This hands-on, friendly guide shows you how to harness FileMaker's power to make your information work for you. With a few mouse clicks, the FileMaker Pro 11 database helps you create and print corporate reports, manage a mailing list, or run your entire business. FileMaker Pro 11: The Missing Manual helps you get started, build your database, and produce results, whether you're running a business, pursuing a hobby, or planning your retirement. It's a thorough, accessible guide for new, non-technical users, as well as those with more experience. Start up: Get your first database up and runnin

The need for unique risk adjustment for surgical site infections at a high-volume, tertiary care center with inherent high-risk colorectal procedures.

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Gorgun, E; Benlice, C; Hammel, J; Hull, T; Stocchi, L

2017-08-01

The aim of the present study was to create a unique risk adjustment model for surgical site infection (SSI) in patients who underwent colorectal surgery (CRS) at the Cleveland Clinic (CC) with inherent high risk factors by using a nationwide database. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried to identify patients who underwent CRS between 2005 and 2010. Initially, CC cases were identified from all NSQIP data according to case identifier and separated from the other NSQIP centers. Demographics, comorbidities, and outcomes were compared. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between SSI and center-related factors. A total of 70,536 patients met the inclusion criteria and underwent CRS, 1090 patients (1.5%) at the CC and 69,446 patients (98.5%) at other centers. Male gender, work-relative value unit, diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, pouch formation, open surgery, steroid use, and preoperative radiotherapy rates were significantly higher in the CC cases. Overall morbidity and individual postoperative complication rates were found to be similar in the CC and other centers except for the following: organ-space SSI and sepsis rates (higher in the CC cases); and pneumonia and ventilator dependency rates (higher in the other centers). After covariate adjustment, the estimated degree of difference between the CC and other institutions with respect to organ-space SSI was reduced (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.08-1.77). The unique risk adjustment strategy may provide center-specific comprehensive analysis, especially for hospitals that perform inherently high-risk procedures. Higher surgical complexity may be the reason for increased SSI rates in the NSQIP at tertiary care centers.

Quantifying surgical complexity with machine learning: looking beyond patient factors to improve surgical models.

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Van Esbroeck, Alexander; Rubinfeld, Ilan; Hall, Bruce; Syed, Zeeshan

2014-11-01

To investigate the use of machine learning to empirically determine the risk of individual surgical procedures and to improve surgical models with this information. American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) data from 2005 to 2009 were used to train support vector machine (SVM) classifiers to learn the relationship between textual constructs in current procedural terminology (CPT) descriptions and mortality, morbidity, Clavien 4 complications, and surgical-site infections (SSI) within 30 days of surgery. The procedural risk scores produced by the SVM classifiers were validated on data from 2010 in univariate and multivariate analyses. The procedural risk scores produced by the SVM classifiers achieved moderate-to-high levels of discrimination in univariate analyses (area under receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.871 for mortality, 0.789 for morbidity, 0.791 for SSI, 0.845 for Clavien 4 complications). Addition of these scores also substantially improved multivariate models comprising patient factors and previously proposed correlates of procedural risk (net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement: 0.54 and 0.001 for mortality, 0.46 and 0.011 for morbidity, 0.68 and 0.022 for SSI, 0.44 and 0.001 for Clavien 4 complications; P risk for individual procedures. This information can be measured in an entirely data-driven manner and substantially improves multifactorial models to predict postoperative complications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk factors for indications of intraoperative blood transfusion among patients undergoing surgical treatment for colorectal adenocarcinoma.

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Gonçalves, Iara; Linhares, Marcelo; Bordin, Jose; Matos, Delcio

2009-01-01

Identification of risk factors for requiring transfusions during surgery for colorectal cancer may lead to preventive actions or alternative measures, towards decreasing the use of blood components in these procedures, and also rationalization of resources use in hemotherapy services. This was a retrospective case-control study using data from 383 patients who were treated surgically for colorectal adenocarcinoma at 'Fundação Pio XII', in Barretos-SP, Brazil, between 1999 and 2003. To recognize significant risk factors for requiring intraoperative blood transfusion in colorectal cancer surgical procedures. Univariate analyses were performed using Fisher's exact test or the chi-squared test for dichotomous variables and Student's t test for continuous variables, followed by multivariate analysis using multiple logistic regression. In the univariate analyses, height (P = 0.06), glycemia (P = 0.05), previous abdominal or pelvic surgery (P = 0.031), abdominoperineal surgery (Pblood transfusion.

Knowledge and Attitudes of a Number of Iranian Policy-makers towards Abortion.

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Hourieh, Shamshiri-Milani; Abolghasem, Pourreza; Feizollah, Akbari

2010-10-01

Unsafe and illegal abortions are the third leading cause of maternal death. It affects physical, emotional and social health of women and their families. Abortion is a multi-dimensional phenomenon with several social, legal, and religious implications. The views of policy-makers affect the approach to abortion in every society. Understanding the attitudes and knowledge of high-ranking decision makers towards abortion was the purpose of this study. A qualitative research was implemented by carrying out individual interviews with 29 out of a selection of 80 presidents of medical sciences universities, senior executive managers in the legal system, forensic medicine and decision-makers in the health system and a number of top Muslim clerics, using a semi-structured questionnaire for data gathering. Content analysis revealed the results. There were considerable unwillingness and reluctance among the interviewees to participate in the study. The majority of participants fairly knew about the prevalence of illegal abortions and their complications. There was strong agreement on abortion when health of the mother or the fetus was at risk. Abortion for reproductive health reasons was supported by a minority of the respondents. The majority of them disagreed with abortion when pregnancy was the result of a rape, temporary marriage or out of wedlock affairs. Making decision for abortion by the pregnant mother, as a matter of her right, did not gain too much approval. It seemed that physical health of the mother or the fetus was of more importance to the respondents than their mental or social health. The mother's hardship was not any indication for induced abortion in the viewpoints of the interviewed policy-makers. Strengthening family planning programs, making appropriate laws in lines with religious orders and advocacy programs targeting decision makers are determined as strategies for improving women's health rights.

Does the market maker stabilize the market?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhu, M.; Chiarella, C.; He, X.Z.; Wang, D.

2009-01-01

The market maker plays an important role in price formation, but his/her behavior and stabilizing impact on the market are relatively unclear, in particular in speculative markets. This paper develops a financial market model that examines the impact on market stability of the market maker, who acts

Clinical characteristics, risk factors and pre-surgical evaluation of post-infectious epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sellner, J; Trinka, E

2013-03-01

Epilepsy is a frequent complication of central nervous system (CNS) infections. Post-infectious epilepsy is commonly refractory to medical treatment and plays a pivotal role for the poor long-term outcome of CNS infections. To provide an overview of clinical characteristics and risk factors of seizures associated with CNS infections. In addition, to summarize the state of the art of anticonvulsive treatment and the pre-surgical evaluation process in refractory cases. A comprehensive literature search for articles published between January 1970 and December 2011 was carried out. The occurrence of seizures during the acute course of meningitis, encephalitis and brain abscess is the main risk factor for the development of post-infectious epilepsy. There is a shortage of trials evaluating the efficacy of prophylactic and symptomatic treatment during the course of acute infection. Moreover, there are no randomized-controlled trials studying anticonvulsive drugs and their combinations for the management of post-infectious epilepsy. In a selected group of patients, however, medically refractory focal epilepsy is potentially curable by surgery. Further studies are required to improve the pathogenetic understanding of post-infectious epilepsy in order to develop preventive measures as well as to evaluate additional medical and surgical treatment strategies for the patients currently not considered for surgery. © 2012 The Author(s) European Journal of Neurology © 2012 EFNS.

Thermodynamic analysis of a solar coffee maker

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sosa-Montemayor, F.; Jaramillo, O.A.; Rio, J.A. del

2009-01-01

In this paper we present a novel solar concentrating application, a coffee brewing system using a satellite TV mini-Dish concentrator coupled to a stovetop espresso coffee maker. We present a theoretical model for the thermal behavior of the water in the lower chamber of the coffee maker. We validate the model obtaining good agreement with the experimental results. Our findings indicate that the coffee brewing system works, it takes 30-50 min to complete its task. The model and our practical experience encourage us to improve the concentration device in order to obtain a useful solar coffee maker, using the theoretical model as a safe guide to achieve this.

Thermodynamic analysis of a solar coffee maker

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sosa-Montemayor, F.; Jaramillo, O.A. [Centro de Investigacion en Energia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Privada Xochicalco S/N, Temixco, Morelos CP 62580 (Mexico); del Rio, J.A. [Centro Morelense de Innovacion y Tranferencia Tecnologica, CCyTEM, Camino Temixco a Emiliano Zapata, Km 0.3, Colonia Emiliano Zapata, Morelos CP 62760 (Mexico)

2009-09-15

In this paper we present a novel solar concentrating application, a coffee brewing system using a satellite TV mini-Dish concentrator coupled to a stovetop espresso coffee maker. We present a theoretical model for the thermal behavior of the water in the lower chamber of the coffee maker. We validate the model obtaining good agreement with the experimental results. Our findings indicate that the coffee brewing system works, it takes 30-50 min to complete its task. The model and our practical experience encourage us to improve the concentration device in order to obtain a useful solar coffee maker, using the theoretical model as a safe guide to achieve this. (author)

Blocking Surgically Induced Lysyl Oxidase Activity Reduces the Risk of Lung Metastases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Rachman-Tzemah

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Surgery remains the most successful curative treatment for cancer. However, some patients with early-stage disease who undergo surgery eventually succumb to distant metastasis. Here, we show that in response to surgery, the lungs become more vulnerable to metastasis due to extracellular matrix remodeling. Mice that undergo surgery or that are preconditioned with plasma from donor mice that underwent surgery succumb to lung metastases earlier than controls. Increased lysyl oxidase (LOX activity and expression, fibrillary collagen crosslinking, and focal adhesion signaling contribute to this effect, with the hypoxic surgical site serving as the source of LOX. Furthermore, the lungs of recipient mice injected with plasma from post-surgical colorectal cancer patients are more prone to metastatic seeding than mice injected with baseline plasma. Downregulation of LOX activity or levels reduces lung metastasis after surgery and increases survival, highlighting the potential of LOX inhibition in reducing the risk of metastasis following surgery.

Predicting erectile dysfunction following surgical correction of Peyronie's disease without inflatable penile prosthesis placement: vascular assessment and preoperative risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Frederick L; Abern, Michael R; Levine, Laurence A

2012-01-01

Surgical therapy remains the gold standard treatment for Peyronie's Disease (PD). Surgical options include plication, grafting, and placement of inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP). Postoperative erectile dysfunction (ED) is a potential complication for PD surgery without IPP. We present our large series follow-up to evaluate preoperative risk factors for postoperative ED. The aim of this study is to evaluate preoperative risk factors for the development of ED following surgical correction of PD taking into account the degree of curvature, graft size, surgical approach, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking history, preoperative use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5), and preoperative duplex ultrasound findings including peak systolic and end diastolic velocities and resistive index. We identified 218 men undergoing either tunica albuginea plication (TAP) or partial plaque excision with pericardial grafting for PD following a previously published algorithm between November 1992 and April 2007. Preoperative and postoperative erectile function, curvature characteristics, presence of vascular risk factors, and duplex ultrasound findings were available on 109 patients. Our primary outcome measure is the development of ED after surgery for PD. Ten percent of TAP and 21% of plaque excision with grafting patients developed postoperative ED. Neither curve direction (P = 0.76), graft area (P = 0.78), surgical approach (P = 0.12), chronic hypertension (P = 0.51), hyperlipidemia (P = 0.87), diabetes (P = 0.69), nor smoking history (P = 0.99) were significant predictors of postoperative ED. No combination of risk factors was found to be predictive of postoperative ED. Preoperative use of PDE5 was not a significant predictor of postoperative ED (P = 0.33). Neither peak systolic, end diastolic, nor resistive index were significant predictors of ED (P = 0.28, 0.28, and 0.25, respectively). This long-term follow-up of a large published series suggests that neither

Risk assessment of accidental exposure of surgeons to blood during orthopedic surgery. Are we safe in surgical gloves?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dariusz Timler

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Aim. To analyze tears in sterile surgical gloves used by surgeons in the operating theatre of the Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery Department, Copernicus Memorial Hospital, Łódź, Poland Materials and Method. This study analyzes tears in sterile surgical gloves used by surgeons by ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. 1,404 gloves were collected from 581 surgical procedures. All gloves were tested immediately following surgery using the test method described in Standard EN455–1 (each glove was inflated with 1,000 ± 50 ml of water and observed for leaks for 2–3 min.. Results. Analysis of tears took into consideration the role of medical personnel (operator, first assistant, second assistant during surgical procedure, the type of procedure according to ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, and the elective or emergency nature of the procedure. The results of the study show that these factors have a significant influence on the risk of glove tears. Significant differences were observed in tear frequency and tear location depending on the function performed by the surgeon during the procedure. Conclusion. The study proved that the role performed by the surgeon during the procedure (operator, first assistant, second assistant has a significant influence on the risk of glove tearing. The role in the procedure determines exposure to glove tears. Implementing a double gloving procedure in surgical procedures or using single gloves characterized by higher tear resistance should be considered.

Surgical risks and perioperative complications of instrumented lumbar surgery in patients with liver cirrhosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tung-Yi Lin

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Patients with liver cirrhosis have high surgical risks due to malnutrition, impaired immunity, coagulopathy, and encephalopathy. However, there is no information in English literature about the results of liver cirrhotic patients who underwent instrumented lumbar surgery. The purpose of this study is to report the perioperative complications, clinical outcomes and determine the surgical risk factors in cirrhotic patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 29 patients with liver cirrhosis who underwent instrumented lumbar surgery between 1997 and 2009. The hepatic functional reserves of the patients were recorded according to the Child-Turcotte-Pugh scoring system. Besides, fourteen other variables and perioperative complications were also collected. To determine the risks, we divided the patients into two groups according to whether or not perioperative complications developed. Results: Of the 29 patients, 22 (76% belonged to Child class A and 7 (24% belonged to Child class B. Twelve patients developed one or more complications. Patients with Child class B carried a significantly higher incidence of complications than those with Child class A (p = 0.011. In the Child class A group, patients with 6 points had a significantly higher incidence of complications than those with 5 points (p = 0.025. A low level of albumin was significantly associated with higher risk, and a similar trend was also noted for the presence of ascites although statistical difference was not reached. Conclusion: The study concludes that patients with liver cirrhosis who have undergone instrumented lumbar surgery carry a high risk of developing perioperative complications, especially in those with a Child-Turcotte-Pugh score of 6 or more.

Nordsøen Movie Maker

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2013-01-01

Tag på ekspedition under havets overflade med Nordsøen Movie Maker, hvor din tur i Nordsøen Oceanarium får et helt nyt virtuelt lag. Rejs ud til de syv destinationer og hold øje med de unikke ‘moviespots‘ i nærheden af akvarierne. Her kan du med Nordsøen Movie Maker filme og dokumentere dine...... oplevelser med legesyge sæler, susende hvirvelstrømme og gigantiske klumpfisk. Nordsøen Movie Maker giver filmen et ekstra virtuelt lag, og via augmented reality bliver der tilføjet seje og morsomme, animerede specialeffekter. 1) Download app’en 2) Find et moviespot ved ekspeditionsposterne i Nordsøen...... Oceanarium. Kig efter klaptræet. 3) Vælg den rigtige post i app’en og start med at filme dit filmklip Downloader du app’en før dit besøg, er du allerede klar til at starte ekspeditionen i det øjeblik, du træder ind i Oceanariets tusmørke, hvor de første moviespots er gemt. God fornøjelse med ekspeditionen...

Maker Cultures and the Prospects for Technological Action.

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimento, Susana; Pólvora, Alexandre

2018-06-01

Supported by easier and cheaper access to tools and expanding communities, maker cultures are pointing towards the ideas of (almost) everyone designing, creating, producing and distributing renewed, new and improved products, machines, things or artefacts. A careful analysis of the assumptions and challenges of maker cultures emphasizes the relevance of what may be called technological action, that is, active and critical interventions regarding the purposes and applications of technologies within ordinary lives, thus countering the deterministic trends of current directions of technology. In such transformative potential, we will explore a set of elements what is and could be technological action through snapshots of maker cultures based on the empirical research conducted in three particular contexts: the Fab Lab Network, Maker Media core outputs and initiatives such as Maker Faires, and the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA). Elements such as control and empowerment through material engagement, openness and sharing, and social, cultural, political and ethical values of the common good in topics such as diversity, sustainability and transparency, are critically analysed.

High-Risk Breast Lesions: A Machine Learning Model to Predict Pathologic Upgrade and Reduce Unnecessary Surgical Excision.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahl, Manisha; Barzilay, Regina; Yedidia, Adam B; Locascio, Nicholas J; Yu, Lili; Lehman, Constance D

2018-03-01

Purpose To develop a machine learning model that allows high-risk breast lesions (HRLs) diagnosed with image-guided needle biopsy that require surgical excision to be distinguished from HRLs that are at low risk for upgrade to cancer at surgery and thus could be surveilled. Materials and Methods Consecutive patients with biopsy-proven HRLs who underwent surgery or at least 2 years of imaging follow-up from June 2006 to April 2015 were identified. A random forest machine learning model was developed to identify HRLs at low risk for upgrade to cancer. Traditional features such as age and HRL histologic results were used in the model, as were text features from the biopsy pathologic report. Results One thousand six HRLs were identified, with a cancer upgrade rate of 11.4% (115 of 1006). A machine learning random forest model was developed with 671 HRLs and tested with an independent set of 335 HRLs. Among the most important traditional features were age and HRL histologic results (eg, atypical ductal hyperplasia). An important text feature from the pathologic reports was "severely atypical." Instead of surgical excision of all HRLs, if those categorized with the model to be at low risk for upgrade were surveilled and the remainder were excised, then 97.4% (37 of 38) of malignancies would have been diagnosed at surgery, and 30.6% (91 of 297) of surgeries of benign lesions could have been avoided. Conclusion This study provides proof of concept that a machine learning model can be applied to predict the risk of upgrade of HRLs to cancer. Use of this model could decrease unnecessary surgery by nearly one-third and could help guide clinical decision making with regard to surveillance versus surgical excision of HRLs. © RSNA, 2017.

Surgical Site Infection Rate and Risk Factors among Obstetric Cases ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2009-04-01

Among surgical patients in obstetrics, Surgical Site Infections were the most ... for delivery from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010 in obstetric ward of the Hospital. ... applying improved surgical techniques and improving infection prevention ...

A scientist's guide to engaging decision makers

Science.gov (United States)

Vano, J. A.

2015-12-01

Being trained as a scientist provides many valuable tools needed to address society's most pressing environmental issues. It does not, however, provide training on one of the most critical for translating science into action: the ability to engage decision makers. Engagement means different things to different people and what is appropriate for one project might not be for another. However, recent reports have emphasized that for research to be most useful to decision making, engagement should happen at the beginning and throughout the research process. There are an increasing number of boundary organizations (e.g., NOAA's Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessment program, U.S. Department of the Interior's Climate Science Centers) where engagement is encouraged and rewarded, and scientists are learning, often through trial and error, how to effectively include decision makers (a.k.a. stakeholders, practitioners, resource managers) in their research process. This presentation highlights best practices and practices to avoid when scientists engage decision makers, a list compiled through the personal experiences of both scientists and decision makers and a literature review, and how this collective knowledge could be shared, such as through a recent session and role-playing exercise given at the Northwest Climate Science Center's Climate Boot Camp. These ideas are presented in an effort to facilitate conversations about how the science community (e.g., AGU researchers) can become better prepared for effective collaborations with decision makers that will ultimately result in more actionable science.

Does intraoperative low arterial partial pressure of oxygen increase the risk of surgical site infection following emergency exploratory laparotomy in horses?

Science.gov (United States)

Costa-Farré, Cristina; Prades, Marta; Ribera, Thaïs; Valero, Oliver; Taurà, Pilar

2014-04-01

Decreased tissue oxygenation is a critical factor in the development of wound infection as neutrophil mediated oxidative killing is an essential mechanism against surgical pathogens. The objective of this prospective case series was to assess the impact of intraoperative arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) on surgical site infection (SSI) in horses undergoing emergency exploratory laparotomy for acute gastrointestinal disease. The anaesthetic and antibiotic protocol was standardised. Demographic data, surgical potential risk factors and PaO2, obtained 1h after induction of anaesthesia were recorded. Surgical wounds were assessed daily for infection during hospitalisation and follow up information was obtained after discharge. A total of 84 adult horses were included. SSI developed in 34 (40.4%) horses. Multivariate logistic regression showed that PaO2, anaesthetic time and subcutaneous suture material were predictors of SSI (AUC=0.76, sensitivity=71%, specificity=65%). The use of polyglycolic acid sutures increased the risk and horses with a PaO2 value 2h had the highest risk of developing SSI (OR=9.01; 95% CI 2.28-35.64). The results of this study confirm the hypothesis that low intraoperative PaO2 contributes to the development of SSI following colic surgery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decision Making with Imperfect Decision Makers

CERN Document Server

Guy, Tatiana Valentine; Wolpert, David H

2012-01-01

Prescriptive Bayesian decision making has reached a high level of maturity and is well-supported algorithmically. However, experimental data shows that real decision makers choose such Bayes-optimal decisions surprisingly infrequently, often making decisions that are badly sub-optimal. So prevalent is such imperfect decision-making that it should be accepted as an inherent feature of real decision makers living within interacting societies. To date such societies have been investigated from an economic and gametheoretic perspective, and even to a degree from a physics perspective. However, lit

[Risk factors of rupture of internal carotid artery during surgical resection of carotid body tumor].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y H; Wang, J S; Yao, C; Chang, G Q; Yin, H H; Li, S Q; Lü, W M; Hu, Z J; Wang, S M

2017-06-13

Objective: To investigate risk factors of rupture of internal carotid artery resection during carotid body tumor resection and to summarize our treatment experience. Methods: During the period from 1991 to 2016, rupture of internal carotid artery occurred in 27 patients (28 tumors) during surgical resection of carotid body tumor in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Their clinical and follow-up data were retrospectively collected and analyzed. For all patients underwent surgical resection during this period, Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors of intraoperative rupture of internal carotid artery. Results: Of these 28 tumors, there were 15 (53.6%) tumors with diameter≥5 cm and 20 (71.4%) Shamblin Ⅲ tumors. Intraoperatively, shunt was applied for 8 (28.6%) cases. Thirteen (46.4%) patients underwent ligation of external carotid artery, while 2 (7.1%) patients accepted resection of cranial nerves. Direct closure/patchplasty, autologous vessels or graft reconstruction was used in 16, 10 and 2 cases, respectively. Postoperatively, stroke occurred in 4(14.3%) cases and cranial nerve deficit in 15 (53.6%) cases. During a median length of 36 (14-125) months, cranial nerve deficit persisted in 5 cases. Follow-up radiologic examination indicated 3 (10.7%) cases of targeted vessel occlusion. However, no new-onset stroke was identified. Among all patients underwent surgical resection of carotid body tumor, female ( OR =3.650, P =0.012), age≤25 years old ( OR =3.710, P =0.013) and Shamblin Ⅲ tumor ( OR =4.631, P =0.008) increase the risks of intraoperative carotid artery rupture. Conclusions: Shamblin Ⅲ tumor is the predictor of rupture of internal carotid artery. Intraoperative, properly increased blood pressure, intraoperative heparinization and use of shunt for those cases without well-compensated cranial collateral arteries are likely to decreasing the incidence of stroke.

Performance of Surgical Risk Scores to Predict Mortality after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

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Leonardo Sinnott Silva

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Predicting mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI remains a challenge. Objectives: To evaluate the performance of 5 risk scores for cardiac surgery in predicting the 30-day mortality among patients of the Brazilian Registry of TAVI. Methods: The Brazilian Multicenter Registry prospectively enrolled 418 patients undergoing TAVI in 18 centers between 2008 and 2013. The 30-day mortality risk was calculated using the following surgical scores: the logistic EuroSCORE I (ESI, EuroSCORE II (ESII, Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS score, Ambler score (AS and Guaragna score (GS. The performance of the risk scores was evaluated in terms of their calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow test and discrimination [area under the receiver–operating characteristic curve (AUC]. Results: The mean age was 81.5 ± 7.7 years. The CoreValve (Medtronic was used in 86.1% of the cohort, and the transfemoral approach was used in 96.2%. The observed 30-day mortality was 9.1%. The 30-day mortality predicted by the scores was as follows: ESI, 20.2 ± 13.8%; ESII, 6.5 ± 13.8%; STS score, 14.7 ± 4.4%; AS, 7.0 ± 3.8%; GS, 17.3 ± 10.8%. Using AUC, none of the tested scores could accurately predict the 30-day mortality. AUC for the scores was as follows: 0.58 [95% confidence interval (CI: 0.49 to 0.68, p = 0.09] for ESI; 0.54 (95% CI: 0.44 to 0.64, p = 0.42 for ESII; 0.57 (95% CI: 0.47 to 0.67, p = 0.16 for AS; 0.48 (95% IC: 0.38 to 0.57, p = 0.68 for STS score; and 0.52 (95% CI: 0.42 to 0.62, p = 0.64 for GS. The Hosmer–Lemeshow test indicated acceptable calibration for all scores (p > 0.05. Conclusions: In this real world Brazilian registry, the surgical risk scores were inaccurate in predicting mortality after TAVI. Risk models specifically developed for TAVI are required.

Evaluating the use of antibiotic prophylaxis during open reduction and internal fixation surgery in patients at low risk of surgical site infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Sheng-Gen; Mao, Zhao-Guang; Liu, Bin-Sheng; Zhu, Hui-Hua; Pan, Hui-Lin

2015-02-01

Widespread overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics contribute to increasingly antibiotic-resistant pathogens and higher health care costs. It is not clear whether routine antibiotic prophylaxis can reduce the rate of surgical site infection (SSI) in low-risk patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery. We designed a simple scorecard to grade SSI risk factors and determined whether routine antibiotic prophylaxis affects SSI occurrence during open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) orthopaedic surgeries in trauma patients at low risk of developing SSI. The SSI risk scorecard (possible total points ranged from 5 to 25) was designed to take into account a patient's general health status, the primary cause of fractures, surgical site tissue condition or wound class, types of devices implanted, and surgical duration. Patients with a low SSI risk score (≤8 points) who were undergoing clean ORIF surgery were divided into control (routine antibiotic treatment, cefuroxime) and evaluation (no antibiotic treatment) groups and followed up for 13-17 months after surgery. The infection rate was much higher in patients with high SSI risk scores (≥9 points) than in patients with low risk scores assigned to the control group (10.7% vs. 2.2%, Prisk score. Implementation of this scoring system could guide the rational use of perioperative antibiotics and ultimately reduce antibiotic resistance, health care costs, and adverse reactions to antibiotics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trajectories to reconcile sharing and commercialization in the maker movement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Langley, David; Zirngibl, M.; Sbeih, J.; Devoldere, B.

2017-01-01

Maker technologies, including collaborative digital fabrication tools like 3-D printers, enable entrepreneurial opportunities and new business models. To date, relatively few highly successful maker startups have emerged, possibly due to the dominant mindset of the makers being one of cooperation

Risk Analysis of the Long-Term Outcomes of the Surgical Closure of Secundum Atrial Septal Defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Rae Kim

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Closure of a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD is possible through surgical intervention or device placement. During surgical intervention, concomitant pathologies are corrected. The present study was conducted to investigate the outcomes of surgical ASD closure, to determine the risk factors of mortality, and establish the effects of concomitant disease correction. Methods: Between October 1989 and October 2009, 693 adults underwent surgery for secundum ASD. Their mean age was 40.9±13.1 years, and 199 (28.7% were male. Preoperatively, atrial fibrillation was noted in 39 patients (5.6% and significant tricuspid regurgitation (TR in 137 patients (19.8%. The mean follow-up duration was 12.4±4.7 years. Results: There was no 30-day mortality. The 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year survival rates were 99.4%, 96.8%, 94.5%, and 81.6%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, significant preoperative TR (hazard ratio [HR], 1.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09 to 3.16; p=0.023 and preoperative age (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.06; p=0.001 were independent risk factors for late mortality. The TR grade significantly decreased after ASD closure with tricuspid repair. However, in patients with more than mild TR, repair was not associated with improved long-term survival (p=0.518. Conclusion: Surgical ASD closure is safe. Significant preoperative TR and age showed a strong negative correlation with survival. Our data showed that tricuspid valve repair improved the TR grade effectively. However, no effect on long-term survival was found. Therefore, early surgery before the development of significant TR mat be beneficial for improving postoperative survival.

The Surgical Mortality Probability Model: derivation and validation of a simple risk prediction rule for noncardiac surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Glance, Laurent G; Lustik, Stewart J; Hannan, Edward L; Osler, Turner M; Mukamel, Dana B; Qian, Feng; Dick, Andrew W

2012-04-01

To develop a 30-day mortality risk index for noncardiac surgery that can be used to communicate risk information to patients and guide clinical management at the "point-of-care," and that can be used by surgeons and hospitals to internally audit their quality of care. Clinicians rely on the Revised Cardiac Risk Index to quantify the risk of cardiac complications in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. Because mortality from noncardiac causes accounts for many perioperative deaths, there is also a need for a simple bedside risk index to predict 30-day all-cause mortality after noncardiac surgery. Retrospective cohort study of 298,772 patients undergoing noncardiac surgery during 2005 to 2007 using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. The 9-point S-MPM (Surgical Mortality Probability Model) 30-day mortality risk index was derived empirically and includes three risk factors: ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) physical status, emergency status, and surgery risk class. Patients with ASA physical status I, II, III, IV or V were assigned either 0, 2, 4, 5, or 6 points, respectively; intermediate- or high-risk procedures were assigned 1 or 2 points, respectively; and emergency procedures were assigned 1 point. Patients with risk scores less than 5 had a predicted risk of mortality less than 0.50%, whereas patients with a risk score of 5 to 6 had a risk of mortality between 1.5% and 4.0%. Patients with a risk score greater than 6 had risk of mortality more than 10%. S-MPM exhibited excellent discrimination (C statistic, 0.897) and acceptable calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic 13.0, P = 0.023) in the validation data set. Thirty-day mortality after noncardiac surgery can be accurately predicted using a simple and accurate risk score based on information readily available at the bedside. This risk index may play a useful role in facilitating shared decision making, developing and implementing risk

Risk Factors Associated with Discordant Ki-67 Levels between Preoperative Biopsy and Postoperative Surgical Specimens in Breast Cancers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyung Sun Kim

Full Text Available The Ki-67 labelling index is significant for the management of breast cancer. However, the concordance of Ki-67 expression between preoperative biopsy and postoperative surgical specimens has not been well evaluated. This study aimed to find the correlation in Ki-67 expression between biopsy and surgical specimens and to determine the clinicopathological risk factors associated with discordant values.Ki-67 levels were immunohistochemically measured using paired biopsy and surgical specimens in 310 breast cancer patients between 2008 and 2013. ΔKi-67 was calculated by postoperative Ki-67 minus preoperative levels. The outliers of ΔKi-67 were defined as [lower quartile of ΔKi-67-1.5 × interquartile range (IQR] or (upper quartile + 1.5 × IQR and were evaluated according to clinicopathological parameters by logistic regression analysis.The median preoperative and postoperative Ki-67 levels were 10 (IQR, 15 and 10 (IQR, 25, respectively. Correlation of Ki-67 levels between the two specimens indicated a moderately positive relationship (coefficient = 0.676. Of 310 patients, 44 (14.2% showed outliers of ΔKi-67 (range, ≤-20 or ≥28. A significant association with poor prognostic factors was found among these patients. Multivariate analysis determined that significant risk factors for outliers of ΔKi-67 were tumor size >1 cm, negative progesterone receptor (PR expression, grade III cancer, and age ≤35 years. Among 171 patients with luminal human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative tumors, breast cancer subtype according to preoperative or postoperative Ki-67 levels discordantly changed in 46 (26.9% patients and a significant proportion of patients with discordant cases had ≥1 risk factor.Ki-67 expression showed a substantial concordance between biopsy and surgical specimens. Extremely discordant Ki-67 levels may be associated with aggressive tumor biology. In patients with luminal subtype disease, clinical application of Ki-67

Aesthetic Surgical Procedures in Men: Major Complications and Associated Risk Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaoutzanis, Christodoulos; Winocour, Julian; Yeslev, Max; Gupta, Varun; Asokan, Ishan; Roostaeian, Jason; Grotting, James C; Higdon, K Kye

2018-03-14

The number of men undergoing cosmetic surgery is increasing in North America. To determine the incidence and risk factors of major complications in males undergoing cosmetic surgery, compare the complication profiles between men and women, and identify specific procedures that are associated with higher risk of complications in males. A prospective cohort of patients undergoing cosmetic surgery between 2008 and 2013 was identified from the CosmetAssure database. Gender specific procedures were excluded. Primary outcome was occurrence of a major complication in males requiring emergency room visit, hospital admission, or reoperation within 30 days of the index operation. Univariate and multivariate analysis evaluated potential risk factors for major complications including age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, diabetes, type of surgical facility, type of procedure, and combined procedures. Of the 129,007 patients, 54,927 underwent gender nonspecific procedures, of which 5801 (10.6%) were males. Women showed a higher mean age (46.4 ± 14.1 vs 45.2 ± 16.7 years, P procedures (RR 3.47), and combined procedures (RR 2.56). Aesthetic surgery in men is safe with low major complication rates. Modifiable predictors of complications included BMI and combined procedures.

Does the market maker stabilize the market?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Mei; Chiarella, Carl; He, Xue-Zhong; Wang, Duo

2009-08-01

The market maker plays an important role in price formation, but his/her behavior and stabilizing impact on the market are relatively unclear, in particular in speculative markets. This paper develops a financial market model that examines the impact on market stability of the market maker, who acts as both a liquidity provider and an active investor in a market consisting of two types of boundedly rational speculative investors-the fundamentalists and trend followers. We show that the market maker does not necessarily stabilize the market when he/she actively manages the inventory to maximize profits, and that rather the market maker’s impact depends on the behavior of the speculators. Numerical simulations show that the model is able to generate outcomes for asset returns and market inventories that are consistent with empirical findings.

Stratification of risk to the surgical team in removal of small arms ammunition implanted in the craniofacial region: case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Forbes, Jonathan A; Laughlin, Ian; Newberry, Shane; Ryhn, Michael; Pasley, Jason; Newberry, Travis

2016-09-01

In cases of penetrating injury with implantation of small arms ammunition, it can often be difficult to tell the difference between simple ballistics and ballistics associated with unexploded ordnances (UXOs). In the operative environment, where highly flammable substances are often close to the surgical site, detonation of UXOs could have catastrophic consequences for both the patient and surgical team. There is a paucity of information in the literature regarding how to evaluate whether an implanted munition contains explosive material. This report describes a patient who presented during Operation Enduring Freedom with an implanted munition suspicious for a UXO and the subsequent workup organized by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Company prior to surgical removal. Clinical risk factors for UXOs include assassination attempts and/or wartime settings. Specific radiological features suggestive of a UXO include projectile size greater than 7.62-mm caliber, alterations in density of the tip, as well as radiological evidence of a hollowed-out core. If an implanted UXO is suspected, risks to the surgical and anesthesia teams can be minimized by notifying the nearest military installation with EOD capabilities and following clinical practice guidelines set forth by the Joint Theater Trauma System.

Combining communication technology utilization and organizational innovation: evidence from Canadian healthcare decision makers.

Science.gov (United States)

Jbilou, Jalila; Landry, Réjean; Amara, Nabil; El Adlouni, Salaheddine

2009-08-01

engaging in activities of research acquisition, the administrative position (being a manager), the preference for applied research results as source of information, the degree of novelty of research results, and the gender. Modern Canadian healthcare organizations need contemporary decision makers who use ICT and develop OI, if performance is the target. Our results let us suggest that the isolated administrative agents profile is no more effective in a dynamic and changing world. Contemporary decision makers need to be more active intellectually and to take risks in their decisions. Relying exclusively on research results and on their social network is no more helpful for a real shift. Moreover, the traditional factors, i.e. organization size, time, experience ... are no more effective, especially when we consider combined roles. We propose some practical and theoretical recommendations to support these changes.

Surgical Site Infection Following Fixation of Acetabular Fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Iqbal, Faizan; Younus, Sajid; Asmatullah; Zia, Osama Bin; Khan, Naveed

2017-09-01

Acetabular fractures are mainly caused by high energy trauma. Surgical fixation of these fractures requires extensive surgical exposure which increases the length of operation and blood loss as well. This may increase the risk of surgical site infection. Our aim is to evaluate the prevalence of surgical site infections and the risk factors associated with it so as to minimize its chances. A total of 261 patients who underwent acetabular fracture surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 groups, with or without surgical site infection. Factors examined include patients' gender, age, body mass index (BMI), time between injury and surgery, operative time, estimated blood loss, number of packed red blood cell transfused, length of total intensive care unit (ICU) stay, fracture type, surgical approach, smoking status, patients' comorbids and associated injuries. Fourteen patients (5.4%) developed surgical site infection. Out of 14 infections, 4 were superficial and 10 were deep. The factors that were found to be associated with surgical site infection following acetabular fracture fixation were prolonged operation time, increased BMI, prolonged ICU stay, larger amount of packed red blood cell transfused and associated genitourinary and abdominal trauma. In our study, we conclude that measures should be undertaken to attenuate the chances of surgical site infection in this major surgery by considering the risk factors significantly associated with it.

Non-observance of guidelines for surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis and surgical-site infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Lallemand, S; Thouverez, M; Bailly, P; Bertrand, X; Talon, D

2002-06-01

A prospective multicentre study was conducted to assess major aspects of surgical prophylaxis and to determine whether inappropriate antimicrobial prophylaxis was a factor associated (risk or protective factor) with surgical site infection (SSI). Surgical prophylaxis practices were assessed by analysing four variables: indication, antimicrobial agent, timing and duration. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify predictors of SSI among patient-specific, operation-specific and antimicrobial prophylaxis-specific factors. The frequency of SSI was 2.7% (13 SSI in 474 observations). Total compliance of the prescription with guidelines was observed in 41.1% of cases (195 prescriptions). Of the 139 patients who received an inappropriate drug, 126 (90.6%) received a drug with a broader spectrum than the recommended drug. Prophylaxis was prolonged in 71 (87.7%) of the 81 patients who received prophylaxis for inappropriate lengths of time and 43 (61.4%) of the 70 patients who did not receive prophylaxis at the optimal moment were treated too late. Multivariate analysis clearly demonstrated that SSI was associated with multiple procedures (relative risk 8.5), short duration of prophylaxis (relative risk 12.7) and long-term therapy with antimicrobial agents during the previous year (relative risk 8.8). The ecological risk of the emergence of resistance associated with the frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and prophylaxis for longer periods was not offset by individual benefit to the patients who received inappropriate prophylaxis.

Risk factors and prognosis of intravesical recurrence after surgical management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma: A 30-year single centre experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Mohamed Elawdy

2017-09-01

Conclusions: In our present series, bladder cancer recurrence of urothelial malignancy occurred in nearly half of the patients after surgical management of UTUC. Ureteric tumour was the only identifiable risk factor, thus patients with ureteric tumours may benefit from prophylactic intravesical chemoimmunotherapy. Bladder recurrence does not appear to affect the cancer-specific survival after surgical management of UTUC.

Typology and Financial Performance of Champagne Makers According to Distribution Channel

OpenAIRE

Declerck, Francis

2005-01-01

A typology of strategies related to the distribution channels used by Champagne makers is established. Champagne makers' operating profit depends on their distribution network, which affects selling prices. Based on a sample of 20 Champagne makers ("Maisons de Champagne"), economic and financial performance indicators for Champagne makers are analyzed with reference to the type of distribution channel.

Fighting surgical site infections in small animals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Verwilghen, Denis; Singh, Ameet

2015-01-01

A diverse array of pathogen-related, patient-related, and caretaker-related issues influence risk and prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs). The entire surgical team involved in health care settings in which surgical procedures are performed play a pivotal role in the prevention of SSIs. ...

Handbook - TRACE-ing human trafficking : Handbook for policy makers, law enforcement agencies and civil society organisations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijken, Conny; Pijnenburg, Annick

2016-01-01

Human trafficking is one of the largest criminal enterprises in the world. It is a multi-billiondollar crime of global scale. This is because human trafficking as a criminal enterprise continues to evolve as a high profit-low risk business for perpetrators and challenges policy makers, law

Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of re-operation due to post-surgical bleeding in breast cancer patients: a Danish population-based cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gärtner, Rune; Cronin-Fenton, Deirdre; Hundborg, Heidi Holmager

2010-01-01

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) decrease platelet-function, which suggests that SSRI use may increase the risk of post-surgical bleeding. Few studies have investigated this potential association.......Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) decrease platelet-function, which suggests that SSRI use may increase the risk of post-surgical bleeding. Few studies have investigated this potential association....

Licensing Surrogate Decision-Makers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosoff, Philip M

2017-06-01

As medical technology continues to improve, more people will live longer lives with multiple chronic illnesses with increasing cumulative debilitation, including cognitive dysfunction. Combined with the aging of society in most developed countries, an ever-growing number of patients will require surrogate decision-makers. While advance care planning by patients still capable of expressing their preferences about medical interventions and end-of-life care can improve the quality and accuracy of surrogate decisions, this is often not the case, not infrequently leading to demands for ineffective, inappropriate and prolonged interventions. In 1980 LaFollette called for the licensing of prospective parents, basing his argument on the harm they can do to vulnerable people (children). In this paper, I apply his arguments to surrogate decision-makers for cognitively incapacitated patients, rhetorically suggesting that we require potential surrogates to qualify for this position by demonstrating their ability to make reasonable and rational decisions for others. I employ this theoretical approach to argue that the loose criteria by which we authorize surrogates' generally unchallenged power should be reconsidered.

The Distribution of Surgical-Pathologic Risk Factors in Relation to Stage in Patients with Early Stage Cervical Carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Süha Özer

2008-04-01

CONCLUSION: Stage did not clearly predict surgical pathologic risk factors, a result of uncertainty of clinical staging. Without surgery, it is impossible to determine the actual limits of the disease with the tests available at this time.

The prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases among Polish surgical patients over 65 years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kołtuniuk A

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Aleksandra Kołtuniuk, Joanna Rosińczuk Department of Nervous System Diseases, Faculty of Health Science, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs are the leading cause of mortality among adults in Poland. A number of risk factors have significant influence on CVD incidence. Early identification of risk factors related to our lifestyle facilitates taking proper actions aiming at the reduction of their negative impact on health.Aim: The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of CVD risk factors between patients aged over 65 years and patients of other age groups in surgical wards.Material and methods: The study was conducted for assessment and finding the distribution of major risk factors of CVD among 420 patients aged 18–84 years who were hospitalized in surgical wards. Interview, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and fasting blood tests for biochemical analysis were conducted in all subjects. Statistical analysis of the material was performed using Student’s t-test, chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, Mann–Whitney U-test, and analysis of variance.Results: While abdominal obesity (83.3%, overweight and obesity (68%, hypertension (65.1%, hypercholesterolemia (33.3%, and low level of physical activity (29.1% were the most common CVD risk factors among patients over 65 years old, abdominal obesity (36.2%, overweight and obesity (36.1%, and current smoking were the most common CVD risk factors among patients up to the age of 35. In the age group over 65, the least prevalent risk factors for CVD were diabetes mellitus (14.8%, depressive episodes (13.6%, abuse of alcohol (11.4%, and smoking (7.8%. In the group under 35 years, we have not reported any cases of hypercholesterolemia and a lesser number of patients suffered from diabetes and HTN.Conclusion: Distribution of the major risk factors for CVD is quite high in the adult population, especially in the age group over 65

Risk stratification of gallbladder polyps (1-2 cm) for surgical intervention with 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jaehoon; Yun, Mijin; Kim, Kyoung-Sik; Lee, Jong-Doo; Kim, Chun K

2012-03-01

We assessed the value of (18)F-FDG uptake in the gallbladder polyp (GP) in risk stratification for surgical intervention and the optimal cutoff level of the parameters derived from GP (18)F-FDG uptake for differentiating malignant from benign etiologies in a select, homogeneous group of patients with 1- to 2-cm GPs. Fifty patients with 1- to 2-cm GPs incidentally found on the CT portion of PET/CT were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had histologic diagnoses. GP (18)F-FDG activity was visually scored positive (≥liver) or negative (L ratio) were also measured. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the utility of patient and clinical variables--that is, sex, age, gallstone, polyp size, and three (18)F-FDG-related parameters in risk stratification. Twenty GPs were classified as malignant and 30 as benign. Multivariate analyses showed that the age and all parameters (visual criteria, SUVgp, and GP/L) related to (18)F-FDG uptake were significant risk factors, with the GP/L being the most significant. The sex, size of GPs, and presence of concurrent gallstones were found to be insignificant. (18)F-FDG uptake in a GP is a strong risk factor that can be used to determine the necessity of surgical intervention more effectively than other known risk factors. However, all criteria derived from (18)F-FDG uptake presented in this series may be applicable to the assessment of 1- to 2-cm GPs.

Pelvic Surgical Site Infections in Gynecologic Surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark P. Lachiewicz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The development of surgical site infection (SSI remains the most common complication of gynecologic surgical procedures and results in significant patient morbidity. Gynecologic procedures pose a unique challenge in that potential pathogenic microorganisms from the skin or vagina and endocervix may migrate to operative sites and can result in vaginal cuff cellulitis, pelvic cellulitis, and pelvic abscesses. Multiple host and surgical risk factors have been identified as risks that increase infectious sequelae after pelvic surgery. This paper will review these risk factors as many are modifiable and care should be taken to address such factors in order to decrease the chance of infection. We will also review the definitions, microbiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of pelvic SSIs after gynecologic surgery.

Surgical Margins and the Risk of Local-Regional Recurrence After Mastectomy Without Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Childs, Stephanie K.; Chen Yuhui; Duggan, Margaret M.; Golshan, Mehra; Pochebit, Stephen; Wong, Julia S.; Bellon, Jennifer R.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Although positive surgical margins are generally associated with a higher risk of local-regional recurrence (LRR) for most solid tumors, their significance after mastectomy remains unclear. We sought to clarify the influence of the mastectomy margin on the risk of LRR. Methods and Materials: The retrospective cohort consisted of 397 women who underwent mastectomy and no radiation for newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer from 1998-2005. Time to isolated LRR and time to distant metastasis (DM) were evaluated by use of cumulative-incidence analysis and competing-risks regression analysis. DM was considered a competing event for analysis of isolated LRR. Results: The median follow-up was 6.7 years (range, 0.5-12.8 years). The superficial margin was positive in 41 patients (10%) and close (≤2 mm) in 56 (14%). The deep margin was positive in 23 patients (6%) and close in 34 (9%). The 5-year LRR and DM rates for all patients were 2.4% (95% confidence interval, 0.9-4.0) and 3.5% (95% confidence interval, 1.6-5.3) respectively. Fourteen patients had an LRR. Margin status was significantly associated with time to isolated LRR (P=.04); patients with positive margins had a 5-year LRR of 6.2%, whereas patients with close margins and negative margins had 5-year LRRs of 1.5% and 1.9%, respectively. On univariate analysis, positive margins, positive nodes, lymphovascular invasion, grade 3 histology, and triple-negative subtype were associated with significantly higher rates of LRR. When these factors were included in a multivariate analysis, only positive margins and triple-negative subtype were associated with the risk of LRR. Conclusions: Patients with positive mastectomy margins had a significantly higher rate of LRR than those with a close or negative margin. However, the absolute risk of LRR in patients with a positive surgical margin in this series was low, and therefore the benefit of postmastectomy radiation in this population with otherwise favorable features

Cross-platform digital assessment forms for evaluating surgical skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven Arild Wuyts Andersen

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A variety of structured assessment tools for use in surgical training have been reported, but extant assessment tools often employ paper-based rating forms. Digital assessment forms for evaluating surgical skills could potentially offer advantages over paper-based forms, especially in complex assessment situations. In this paper, we report on the development of cross-platform digital assessment forms for use with multiple raters in order to facilitate the automatic processing of surgical skills assessments that include structured ratings. The FileMaker 13 platform was used to create a database containing the digital assessment forms, because this software has cross-platform functionality on both desktop computers and handheld devices. The database is hosted online, and the rating forms can therefore also be accessed through most modern web browsers. Cross-platform digital assessment forms were developed for the rating of surgical skills. The database platform used in this study was reasonably priced, intuitive for the user, and flexible. The forms have been provided online as free downloads that may serve as the basis for further development or as inspiration for future efforts. In conclusion, digital assessment forms can be used for the structured rating of surgical skills and have the potential to be especially useful in complex assessment situations with multiple raters, repeated assessments in various times and locations, and situations requiring substantial subsequent data processing or complex score calculations.

Information processing by networks of quantum decision makers

Science.gov (United States)

Yukalov, V. I.; Yukalova, E. P.; Sornette, D.

2018-02-01

We suggest a model of a multi-agent society of decision makers taking decisions being based on two criteria, one is the utility of the prospects and the other is the attractiveness of the considered prospects. The model is the generalization of quantum decision theory, developed earlier for single decision makers realizing one-step decisions, in two principal aspects. First, several decision makers are considered simultaneously, who interact with each other through information exchange. Second, a multistep procedure is treated, when the agents exchange information many times. Several decision makers exchanging information and forming their judgment, using quantum rules, form a kind of a quantum information network, where collective decisions develop in time as a result of information exchange. In addition to characterizing collective decisions that arise in human societies, such networks can describe dynamical processes occurring in artificial quantum intelligence composed of several parts or in a cluster of quantum computers. The practical usage of the theory is illustrated on the dynamic disjunction effect for which three quantitative predictions are made: (i) the probabilistic behavior of decision makers at the initial stage of the process is described; (ii) the decrease of the difference between the initial prospect probabilities and the related utility factors is proved; (iii) the existence of a common consensus after multiple exchange of information is predicted. The predicted numerical values are in very good agreement with empirical data.

Analysis of risk factors for loss of lumbar lordosis in patients who had surgical treatment with segmental instrumentation for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Trobisch, Per D; Samdani, Amer F; Betz, Randal R; Bastrom, Tracey; Pahys, Joshua M; Cahill, Patrick J

2013-06-01

Iatrogenic flattening of lumbar lordosis in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) was a major downside of first generation instrumentation. Current instrumentation systems allow a three-dimensional scoliosis correction, but flattening of lumbar lordosis remains a significant problem which is associated with decreased health-related quality of life. This study sought to identify risk factors for loss of lumbar lordosis in patients who had surgical correction of AIS with the use of segmental instrumentation. Patients were included if they had surgical correction for AIS with segmental pedicle screw instrumentation Lenke type 1 or 2 and if they had a minimum follow-up of 24 months. Two groups were created, based on the average loss of lumbar lordosis. The two groups were then compared and multivariate analysis was performed to identify parameters that correlated to loss of lumbar lordosis. Four hundred and seventeen patients were analyzed for this study. The average loss of lumbar lordosis at 24 months follow-up was an increase of 10° lordosis for group 1 and a decrease of 15° for group 2. Risk factors for loss of lumbar lordosis included a high preoperative lumbar lordosis, surgical decrease of thoracic kyphosis, and the particular operating surgeon. The lowest instrumented vertebra or spinopelvic parameters were two of many parameters that did not seem to influence loss of lumbar lordosis. This study identified important risk factors for decrease of lumbar lordosis in patients who had surgical treatment for AIS with segmental pedicle screw instrumentation, including a high preoperative lumbar lordosis, surgical decrease of thoracic kyphosis, and factors attributable to a particular operating surgeon that were not quantified in this study.

Risk Factors for Non-:union: Fractures of the Clavicle Mid-shift Following the Use of Non-surgical Treatment on Patients Admitted to Poursina Hospital, 2010 - 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

kamran Asadi

2015-02-01

Conclusions: Recognition and predicting the risk factors of non-:::union::: in patients with fractures of the middle third of the clavicle could be a clinical guideline for the selection of surgical or non-surgical treatment.

Learning a decision maker's utility function from (possibly) inconsistent behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Thomas Dyhre; Jensen, Finn Verner

2004-01-01

developed for learning the probabilities from a database.However, methods for learning the utilities have only received limitedattention in the computer science community. A promising approach for learning a decision maker's utility function is to takeoutset in the decision maker's observed behavioral...... patterns, and then find autility function which (together with a domain model) can explainthis behavior. That is, it is assumed that decision maker's preferences arereflected in the behavior. Standard learning algorithmsalso assume that the decision maker is behavioralconsistent, i.e., given a model ofthe...... decision problem, there exists a utility function which canaccount for all the observed behavior. Unfortunately, this assumption israrely valid in real-world decision problems, and in these situationsexisting learning methods may only identify a trivial utilityfunction. In this paper we relax...

Risk-adjusted morbidity in teaching hospitals correlates with reported levels of communication and collaboration on surgical teams but not with scale measures of teamwork climate, safety climate, or working conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Davenport, Daniel L; Henderson, William G; Mosca, Cecilia L; Khuri, Shukri F; Mentzer, Robert M

2007-12-01

Since the Institute of Medicine patient safety reports, a number of survey-based measures of organizational climate safety factors (OCSFs) have been developed. The goal of this study was to measure the impact of OCSFs on risk-adjusted surgical morbidity and mortality. Surveys were administered to staff on general/vascular surgery services during a year. Surveys included multiitem scales measuring OCSFs. Additionally, perceived levels of communication and collaboration with coworkers were assessed. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was used to assess risk-adjusted morbidity and mortality. Correlations between outcomes and OCSFs were calculated and between outcomes and communication/collaboration with attending and resident doctors, nurses, and other providers. Fifty-two sites participated in the survey: 44 Veterans Affairs and 8 academic medical centers. A total of 6,083 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 52%. The OCSF measures of teamwork climate, safety climate, working conditions, recognition of stress effects, job satisfaction, and burnout demonstrated internal validity but did not correlate with risk-adjusted outcomes. Reported levels of communication/collaboration with attending and resident doctors correlated with risk-adjusted morbidity. Survey-based teamwork, safety climate, and working conditions scales are not confirmed to measure organizational factors that influence risk-adjusted surgical outcomes. Reported communication/collaboration with attending and resident doctors on surgical services influenced patient morbidity. This suggests the importance of doctors' coordination and decision-making roles on surgical teams in providing high-quality and safe care. We propose risk-adjusted morbidity as an effective measure of surgical patient safety.

Rade-aid: an operational tool for decision-makers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagenaar, G.; van den Bosch, C.J.H.; Ehrhardt, J.; Steinhauer, C.; Morrey, M.; Robinson, C.A.

1991-01-01

If an accidental release of radionuclides occurs, decisions on countermeasures are required. Since the making of a decision involves many competing factors (for instance, the health risk versus the costs relating to a countermeasure), the decision-maker faces a problem. The aim of the RADE-AID (Radiological Accident DEcision AIDing) project is the development of a computer decision support system which can be used in the formulation of decisions. The theoretical background of the decision technique and its methods are outlined, together with the practical application of the technique in the form of the software package developed. Both the benefits of formal techniques and computerized tools in this field are discussed. In order to explore the appropriateness of the decision technique for the management of radiological emergencies, illustrative, but stylized, applications were carried out. Conclusions from these applications are discussed

Heterogeneous fundamentalists and market maker inventories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carraro, Alessandro; Ricchiuti, Giorgio

2015-01-01

In this paper, we develop a heterogeneous agents model of asset price and inventory with a market maker who considers the excess demand of two groups of agents that employ the same trading rule (i.e. fundamentalists) with different beliefs on the fundamental value. The dynamics of our model is driven by a bi-dimensional discrete non-linear map. We show that the market maker has a destabilizing role when she actively manages the inventory. Moreover, inventory share and the distance between agents’ beliefs strongly influence the results: market instability and periodic, or even, chaotic price fluctuations can be generated. Finally, we show through simulations that endogenous fluctuations of the fractions of agents may trigger instability for a larger set of parameters.

Infirmity and injury complexity are risk factors for surgical-site infection after operative fracture care.

Science.gov (United States)

Bachoura, Abdo; Guitton, Thierry G; Smith, R Malcolm; Vrahas, Mark S; Zurakowski, David; Ring, David

2011-09-01

Orthopaedic surgical-site infections prolong hospital stays, double rehospitalization rates, and increase healthcare costs. Additionally, patients with orthopaedic surgical-site infections (SSI) have substantially greater physical limitations and reductions in their health-related quality of life. However, the risk factors for SSI after operative fracture care are unclear. We determined the incidence and quantified modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for SSIs in patients with orthopaedic trauma undergoing surgery. We retrospectively indentified, from our prospective trauma database and billing records, 1611 patients who underwent 1783 trauma-related procedures between 2006 and 2008. Medical records were reviewed and demographics, surgery-specific data, and whether the patients had an SSI were recorded. We determined which if any variables predicted SSI. Six factors independently predicted SSI: (1) the use of a drain, OR 2.3, 95% CI (1.3-3.8); (2) number of operations OR 3.4, 95% CI (2.0-6.0); (3) diabetes, OR 2.1, 95% CI (1.2-3.8); (4) congestive heart failure (CHF), OR 2.8, 95% CI (1.3-6.5); (5) site of injury tibial shaft/plateau, OR 2.3, 95% CI (1.3-4.2); and (6) site of injury, elbow, OR 2.2, 95% CI (1.1-4.7). The risk factors for SSIs after skeletal trauma are most strongly determined by nonmodifiable factors: patient infirmity (diabetes and heart failure) and injury complexity (site of injury, number of operations, use of a drain). Level II, prognostic study. See the Guideline for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Helping decision makers frame, analyze, and implement decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Runge, Michael C.; McDonald-Madden, Eve

2018-01-01

All decisions have the same recognizable elements. Context, objectives, alternatives, consequences, and deliberation. Decision makers and analysts familiar with these elements can quickly see the underlying structure of a decision.There are only a small number of classes of decisions. These classes differ in the cognitive and scientific challenge they present to the decision maker; the ability to recognize the class of decision leads a decision maker to tools to aid in the analysis.Sometimes we need more information, sometimes we don’t. The role of science in a decision-making process is to provide the predictions that link the alternative actions to the desired outcomes. Investing in more science is only valuable if it helps to choose a better action.Implementation. The successful integration of decision analysis into environmental decisions requires careful attention to the decision, the people, and the institutions involved.

Assessment of surgeon fatigue by surgical simulators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tuwairqi K

2015-04-01

outcomes could help residency programs and policy makers in structuring more efficient training. Keywords: surgical education, fatigue, simulator, sleep deprivation, duty hours

Risk Factors and Surgical Refinements of Postresective Mandibular Reconstruction: A Retrospective Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akiko Sakakibara

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Postresective mandibular reconstruction is common in cases of oral and mandibular tumors. However, complications such as infection, plate exposure, or plate fracture can occur. We identified several significant risk factors of complications after reconstructive surgery and compared the effectiveness of different surgical techniques for reducing the incidence of complications. Methods. This study is a retrospective analysis of 28 oromandibular cancer cases that required reconstructive surgery between January 1999 and December 2011 at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan. All cases were classified using Hashikawa’s CAT and Eichner’s classification methods. Then, we determined whether these classifications and different treatment or surgical methods were significantly related to complications. Results. Complications after mandibular reconstruction occurred in 10/28 patients (36%. Specifically, five patients had plate fractures, four had plate exposures, and one had an infection. Radiation therapy and closure without any flaps were significantly related to infection or plate exposure. The wrap-around technique of securing reconstruction plates was used in 14 cases, whereas the run-through technique was used in two cases. Conclusions. The success of mandibular reconstruction depends on both mechanical and biological factors, such as the location of defects, presence of occlusions, and the amount of vascularization of the flap.

Risk Factors for Postoperative Fibrinogen Deficiency after Surgical Removal of Intracranial Tumors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naili Wei

Full Text Available Higher levels of fibrinogen, a critical element in hemostasis, are associated with increased postoperative survival rates, especially for patients with massive operative blood loss. Fibrinogen deficiency after surgical management of intracranial tumors may result in postoperative intracranial bleeding and severely worsen patient outcomes. However, no previous studies have systematically identified factors associated with postoperative fibrinogen deficiency. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed data from patients who underwent surgical removal of intracranial tumors in Beijing Tiantan Hospital date from 1/1/2013to12/31/2013. The present study found that patients with postoperative fibrinogen deficiency experienced more operative blood loss and a higher rate of postoperative intracranial hematoma, and they were given more blood transfusions, more plasma transfusions, and were administered larger doses of hemocoagulase compared with patients without postoperative fibrinogen deficiency. Likewise, patients with postoperative fibrinogen deficiency had poorer extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSe, longer hospital stays, and greater hospital expenses than patients without postoperative fibrinogen deficiency. Further, we assessed a comprehensive set of risk factors associated with postoperative fibrinogen deficiency via multiple linear regression. We found that body mass index (BMI, the occurrence of postoperative intracranial hematoma, and administration of hemocoagulasewere positively associated with preoperative-to-postoperative plasma fibrinogen consumption; presenting with a malignant tumor was negatively associated with fibrinogen consumption. Contrary to what might be expected, intraoperative blood loss, the need for blood transfusion, and the need for plasma transfusion were not associated with plasma fibrinogen consumption. Considering our findings together, we concluded that postoperative fibrinogen deficiency is closely associated with

Criminal Liability of Political Decision-Makers in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geelhoed, Willem; Zimmermann, Frank

2017-01-01

Dutch criminal law does not provide for criminal liability for a political decision-maker who decides to build a bridge, if thereafter the project runs out of control or the bridge appears not to justify the funds spent on the project. This is most probably even the case if the decision-maker knew

Optimisation of surgical care for rectal cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borstlap, W.A.A.

2017-01-01

Optimisation of surgical care means weighing the risk of treatment related morbidity against the patients’ potential benefits of a surgical intervention. The first part of this thesis focusses on the anaemic patient undergoing colorectal surgery. Hypothesizing that a more profound haemoglobin

Risk of biochemical recurrence and positive surgical margins in patients with pT2 prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Røder, Martin Andreas; Thomsen, Frederik Birkebæk; Berg, Kasper Drimer

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To investigate risk factors associated with positive surgical margins (PSM) and biochemical recurrence (BR) in organ confined tumors (pT2) after radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: Between 1995 and 2011, 1,649 patients underwent RP...

Regional scale ecological risk assessment: using the relative risk model

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Landis, Wayne G

2005-01-01

...) in the performance of regional-scale ecological risk assessments. The initial chapters present the methodology and the critical nature of the interaction between risk assessors and decision makers...

Communicating the Needs of Climate Change Policy Makers to Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Molly E.; Escobar, Vanessa M.; Lovell, Heather

2012-01-01

This chapter will describe the challenges that earth scientists face in developing science data products relevant to decision maker and policy needs, and will describe strategies that can improve the two-way communication between the scientist and the policy maker. Climate change policy and decision making happens at a variety of scales - from local government implementing solar homes policies to international negotiations through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Scientists can work to provide data at these different scales, but if they are not aware of the needs of decision makers or understand what challenges the policy maker is facing, they are likely to be less successful in influencing policy makers as they wished. This is because the science questions they are addressing may be compelling, but not relevant to the challenges that are at the forefront of policy concerns. In this chapter we examine case studies of science-policy partnerships, and the strategies each partnership uses to engage the scientist at a variety of scales. We examine three case studies: the global Carbon Monitoring System pilot project developed by NASA, a forest biomass mapping effort for Silvacarbon project, and a forest canopy cover project being conducted for forest management in Maryland. In each of these case studies, relationships between scientists and policy makers were critical for ensuring the focus of the science as well as the success of the decision-making.

Maker Movement Spreads Innovation One Project at a Time

Science.gov (United States)

Peppler, Kylie; Bender, Sophia

2013-01-01

The maker movement consists of a growing culture of hands-on making, creating, designing, and innovating. A hallmark of the maker movement is its do-it-yourself (or do-it-with-others) mindset that brings individuals together around a range of activities, both high- and low-tech, all involving some form of creation or repair. The movement's…

[Surgical complications of colostomies].

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Ameur, Hazem; Affes, Nejmeddine; Rejab, Haitham; Abid, Bassem; Boujelbene, Salah; Mzali, Rafik; Beyrouti, Mohamed Issam

2014-07-01

The colostomy may be terminal or lateral, temporary or permanent. It may have psychological, medical or surgical complications. reporting the incidence of surgical complications of colostomies, their therapeutic management and trying to identify risk factors for their occurrence. A retrospective study for a period of 5 years in general surgery department, Habib Bourguiba hospital, Sfax, including all patients operated with confection of a colostomy. Were then studied patients reoperated for stoma complication. Among the 268 patients who have had a colostomy, 19 patients (7%) developed surgical stoma complications. They had a mean age of 59 years, a sex ratio of 5.3 and a 1-ASA score in 42% of cases. It was a prolapse in 9 cases (reconfection of the colostomy: 6 cases, restoration of digestive continuity: 3 cases), a necrosis in 5 cases (reconfection of the colostomy), a plicature in 2 cases (reconfection of the colostomy) a peristomal abscess in 2 cases (reconfection of the colostomy: 1 case, restoration of digestive continuity: 1 case) and a strangulated parastomal hernia in 1 case (herniorrhaphy). The elective incision and the perineal disease were risk factors for the occurrence of prolapse stomial. Surgical complications of colostomies remain a rare event. Prolapse is the most common complication, and it is mainly related to elective approach. Reoperation is often required especially in cases of early complications, with usually uneventful postoperative course.

Increased circulating D-lactate levels predict risk of mortality after hemorrhage and surgical trauma in baboons.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobhian, Babak; Kröpfl, Albert; Hölzenbein, Thomas; Khadem, Anna; Redl, Heinz; Bahrami, Soheyl

2012-05-01

Patients with hemorrhagic shock and/or trauma are at risk of developing colonic ischemia associated with bacterial translocation that may lead to multiple organ failure and death. Intestinal ischemia is difficult to diagnose noninvasively. The present retrospective study was designed to determine whether circulating plasma D-lactate is associated with mortality in a clinically relevant two-hit model in baboons. Hemorrhagic shock was induced in anesthetized baboons (n = 24) by controlled bleeding (mean arterial pressure, 40 mmHg), base excess (maximum -5 mmol/L), and time (maximum 3 h). To mimic clinical setting more closely, all animals underwent a surgical trauma after resuscitation including midshaft osteotomy stabilized with reamed femoral interlocking nailing and were followed for 7 days. Hemorrhagic shock/surgical trauma resulted in 66% mortality by day 7. In nonsurvivor (n = 16) hemorrhagic shock/surgical trauma baboons, circulating D-lactate levels were significantly increased (2-fold) at 24 h compared with survivors (n = 8), whereas the early increase during hemorrhage and resuscitation declined during the early postresuscitation phase with no difference between survivors and nonsurvivors. Moreover, D-lactate levels remained elevated in the nonsurvival group until death, whereas it decreased to baseline in survivors. Prediction of death (receiver operating characteristic test) by D-lactate was accurate with an area under the curve (days 1-3 after trauma) of 0.85 (95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.93). The optimal D-lactate cutoff value of 25.34 μg/mL produced sensitivity of 73% to 99% and specificity of 50% to 83%. Our data suggest that elevation of plasma D-lactate after 24 h predicts an increased risk of mortality after hemorrhage and trauma.

Safety by design: effects of operating room floor marking on the position of surgical devices to promote clean air flow compliance and minimise infection risks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Korne, Dirk F.; van Wijngaarden, Jeroen D. H.; van Rooij, Jeroen; Wauben, Linda S. G. L.; Hiddema, U. Frans; Klazinga, Niek S.

2012-01-01

To evaluate the use of floor marking on the positioning of surgical devices within the clean air flow in an operating room (OR) to minimise infection risk. Laminar flow clean air systems are important in preventing infection in ORs but, for optimal results, surgical devices must be correctly

Double gloving to reduce surgical cross-infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner, J; Parkinson, H

2006-07-19

The invasive nature of surgery, with its increased exposure to blood, means that during surgery there is a high risk of transfer of pathogens. Pathogens can be transferred through contact between surgical patients and the surgical team, resulting in post-operative or blood borne infections in patients or blood borne infections in the surgical team. Both patients and the surgical team need to be protected from this risk. This risk can be reduced by implementing protective barriers such as wearing surgical gloves. Wearing two pairs of surgical gloves, triple gloves, glove liners or cloth outer gloves, as opposed to one pair, is considered to provide an additional barrier and further reduce the risk of contamination. The primary objective of this review was to determine if additional glove protection reduces the number of surgical site or blood borne infections in patients or the surgical team. The secondary objective was to determine if additional glove protection reduces the number of perforations to the innermost pair of surgical gloves. The innermost gloves (next to skin) compared with the outermost gloves are considered to be the last barrier between the patient and the surgical team. We searched the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (January 2006), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL)(The Cochrane Library Issue 4, 2005). We also contacted glove manufacturing companies and professional organisations. Randomised controlled trials involving: single gloving, double gloving, triple gloving, glove liners, knitted outer gloves, steel weave outer gloves and perforation indicator systems. Both authors independently assessed the relevance and quality of each trial. Data was extracted by one author and cross checked for accuracy by the second author. Two trials were found which addressed the primary outcome, namely, surgical site infections in patients. Both trials reported no infections. Thirty one randomised controlled trials

Producing More Actionable Science Isn't the Problem; It's Providing Decision-Makers with Access to Right Actionable Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Trexler, M.

2017-12-01

Policy-makers today have almost infinite climate-relevant scientific and other information available to them. The problem for climate change decision-making isn't missing science or inadequate knowledge of climate risks; the problem is that the "right" climate change actionable knowledge isn't getting to the right decision-maker, or is getting there too early or too late to effectively influence her decision-making. Actionable knowledge is not one-size-fit-all, and for a given decision-maker might involve scientific, economic, or risk-based information. Simply producing more and more information as we are today is not the solution, and actually makes it harder for individual decision-makers to access "their" actionable knowledge. The Climatographers began building the Climate Web five years ago to test the hypothesis that a knowledge management system could help navigate the gap between infinite information and individual actionable knowledge. Today the Climate Web's more than 1,500 index terms allow instant access to almost any climate change topic. It is a curated public-access knowledgebase of more than 1,000 books, 2,000 videos, 15,000 reports and articles, 25,000 news stories, and 3,000 websites. But it is also much more, linking together tens of thousands of individually extracted ideas and graphics, and providing Deep Dives into more than 100 key topics from changing probability distributions of extreme events to climate communications best practices to cognitive dissonance in climate change decision-making. The public-access Climate Web is uniquely able to support cross-silo learning, collaboration, and actionable knowledge dissemination. The presentation will use the Climate Web to demonstrate why knowledge management should be seen as a critical component of science and policy-making collaborations.

Is Twitter a forum for disseminating research to health policy makers?

Science.gov (United States)

Kapp, Julie M; Hensel, Brian; Schnoring, Kyle T

2015-12-01

Findings from scientific research largely remain inside the scientific community. Research scientists are being encouraged to use social media, and especially Twitter, for dissemination of evidence. The potential for Twitter to narrow the gap on evidence translated into policy presents new opportunities. We explored the innovative question of the feasibility of Twitter as a tool for the scientific community to disseminate to and engage with health policy makers for research impact. We created a list of federal "health policy makers." In December 2014, we identified members using several data sources, then collected and summarized their Twitter usage data. Nearly all health policy makers had Twitter accounts. Their communication volume varied broadly. Policy makers are more likely to push information via Twitter than engage with constituents, although usage varied broadly. Twitter has the potential to aid the scientific community in dissemination of health-related research to health policy makers, after understanding how to effectively (and selectively) use Twitter. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Complete surgical resection improves outcome in INRG high-risk patients with localized neuroblastoma older than 18 months.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Janina; Pohl, Alexandra; Volland, Ruth; Hero, Barbara; Dübbers, Martin; Cernaianu, Grigore; Berthold, Frank; von Schweinitz, Dietrich; Simon, Thorsten

2017-08-04

Although several studies have been conducted on the role of surgery in localized neuroblastoma, the impact of surgical timing and extent of primary tumor resection on outcome in high-risk patients remains controversial. Patients from the German neuroblastoma trial NB97 with localized neuroblastoma INSS stage 1-3 age > 18 months were included for retrospective analysis. Imaging reports were reviewed by two independent physicians for Image Defined Risk Factors (IDRF). Operation notes and corresponding imaging reports were analyzed for surgical radicality. The extent of tumor resection was classified as complete resection (95-100%), gross total resection (90-95%), incomplete resection (50-90%), and biopsy (Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) staging system. Survival curves were estimated according to the method of Kaplan and Meier and compared by the log-rank test. A total of 179 patients were included in this study. 77 patients underwent more than one primary tumor operation. After best surgery, 68.7% of patients achieved complete resection of the primary tumor, 16.8% gross total resection, 14.0% incomplete surgery, and 0.5% biopsy only. The cumulative complication rate was 20.3% and the surgery associated mortality rate was 1.1%. Image defined risk factors (IDRF) predicted the extent of resection. Patients with complete resection had a better local-progression-free survival (LPFS), event-free survival (EFS) and OS (overall survival) than the other groups. Subgroup analyses showed better EFS, LPFS and OS for patients with complete resection in INRG high-risk patients. Multivariable analyses revealed resection (complete vs. other), and MYCN (non-amplified vs. amplified) as independent prognostic factors for EFS, LPFS and OS. In patients with localized neuroblastoma age 18 months or older, especially in INRG high-risk patients harboring MYCN amplification, extended surgery of the primary tumor site improved local control rate and survival with an acceptable risk of

TableMaker: An Excel Macro for Publication-Quality Tables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Hlavac

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This article introduces TableMaker, a Microsoft Excel macro that produces publicationquality tables and includes them as new sheets in workbooks. The macro provides an intuitive graphical user interface that allows for the full customization of all table features. It also allows users to save and load table templates, and thus allows layouts to be both reproducible and transferable. It is distributed in a single computer file. As such, the macro is easy to share, as well as accessible to even beginning and casual users of Excel. Since it allows for the quick creation of reproducible and fully customizable tables, TableMaker can be very useful to academics, policy-makers and businesses by making the presentation and formatting of results faster and more efficient.

CyberKnife with Tumor Tracking: An Effective Treatment for High-Risk Surgical Patients with Single Peripheral Lung Metastases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Snider, James W.; Oermann, Eric K.; Chen, Viola; Rabin, Jennifer; Suy, Simeng; Yu, Xia [Department of Radiation Medicine, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC (United States); Vahdat, Saloomeh [Department of Pathology, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC (United States); Collins, Sean P. [Department of Radiation Medicine, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC (United States); Banovac, Filip [Department of Radiology, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC (United States); Anderson, Eric [Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC (United States); Collins, Brian T., E-mail: collinsb@gunet.georgetown.edu [Department of Radiation Medicine, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC (United States)

2012-06-29

Standard treatment for operable patients with single peripheral lung metastases is metastasectomy. We report mature CyberKnife outcomes for high-risk surgical patients with biopsy proven single peripheral lung metastases. Twenty-four patients (median age 73 years) with a mean maximum tumor diameter of 2.5 cm (range, 0.8–4.5 cm) were treated over a 6-year period extending from September 2004 to September 2010 and followed for a minimum of 1 year or until death. A mean dose of 52 Gy (range, 45–60 Gy) was delivered to the prescription isodose line in three fractions over a 3–11 day period (mean, 7 days). At a median follow-up of 20 months, the 2-year Kaplan–Meier local control and overall survival rates were 87 and 50%, respectively. CyberKnife with fiducial tracking is an effective treatment for high-risk surgical patients with single small peripheral lung metastases. Trials comparing CyberKnife with metastasectomy for operable patients are necessary to confirm equivalence.

Chest cage angle difference and rotation of main thoracic curve are independent risk factors of postoperative shoulder imbalance in surgically treated patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yagi, Mitsuru; Takemitsu, Masakazu; Machida, Masafumi

2013-09-01

Retrospective case series of surgically treated adolescent patients with scoliosis. To assess the prevalence and independent risk factors for postoperative shoulder imbalance in surgically treated adolescent patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Despite recent reports that have identified risk factors for postoperative shoulder imbalance, the relative risks remain unclear. A retrospective review of 85 consecutive patients treated with thoracic fusion with a minimum 2-year follow-up (mean, 3.1 yr) was conducted to investigate the patient radiographical measurements and demographics. Shoulder height difference (SHD) was measured as the graded height difference of the soft tissue shadows. A SHD more than 2 cm indicated an unbalanced shoulder. Patient demographics and radiographical data were studied to determine risk factors for postoperative SHD. The potential risk factors included age, sex, Risser sign, Cobb angle, flexibility, and apical vertebral rotation (AVR) of the main curve, upper-instrumented vertebra level, SHD, and clavicle chest cage angle difference (CCAD). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the independent risk factors for postoperative shoulder imbalance. Of the 85 patients, 21 patients presented postoperative shoulder imbalance. The univariate analysis indicated age, Risser sign, Cobb angle of the main curve, AVR of the main curve, and CCAD as risk factors, but the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only AVR of the main curve and CCAD were independent risk factors for postoperative shoulder imbalance (AVR, P = 0.04, odds ratio (OR): 3.54; CCAD, P = 0.01, OR: 5.10). Postoperative shoulder imbalance was observed in 25% of the surgically treated adolescent patients. The CCAD and AVR of the main thoracic curve were independent risk factors for postoperative shoulder imbalance in surgically treated patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The significant correlation between CCAD and

POSSUM--a model for surgical outcome audit in quality care.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, K J; Yii, M K

2003-10-01

Comparative surgical audit to monitor quality of care should be performed with a risk-adjusted scoring system rather than using crude morbidity and mortality rates. A validated and widely applied risk adjusted scoring system, P-POSSUM (Portsmouth-Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality) methodology, was applied to a prospective series of predominantly general surgical patients at the Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching over a six months period. The patients were grouped into four risk groups. The observed mortality rates were not significantly different from predicted rates, showing that the quality of surgical care was at par with typical western series. The simplicity and advantages of this scoring system over other auditing tools are discussed. The P-POSSUM methodology could form the basis of local comparative surgical audit for assessment and maintenance of quality care.

Audit Manager Risk Behaviour in a Global Economy – a Research of the Theories on the Determinants of Risk Behaviour

OpenAIRE

Ionescu Iancu Octavian

2010-01-01

In an increasingly globalised economy, the quality and professionalism of business decisions are intrinsically linked to the risk behaviour of decision makers. The business decision makers are usually faced with a degree of uncertainty when they have to assess risk and make decisions. This paper examines risk behaviour from an audit firm manager perspective and from an academic perspective. The emphasis is on the managerial risk behaviour in business decision making. The research objective is...

Surgical Site Infections and Associated Operative Characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Waltz, Paul K; Zuckerbraun, Brian S

Surgical site infection (SSI) contributes significantly to surgical morbidity. Patient factors and operative factors contribute to the risk of development of SSI. This review focuses on understanding operative characteristics that are associated with an increased risk of SSI. Much attention has been given to protocol care to reduce SSI, such as hair removal, skin preparation, and pre-operative antibiotic agents. Even with this, the appropriate antibiotic and re-dosing regimens often remain a challenge. Other operative factors such as blood loss/transfusion, emergency/urgent cases, duration of the operation, type of anesthesia, and resident involvement are also potentially modifiable to reduce the risk of SSI. Data are reviewed to highlight the increased risk associated with such factors. Strategies to reduce risk, such as operative care bundles, have significant promise to reduce the incidence of SSI for any given procedure.

Recurrent tricuspid insufficiency: is the surgical repair technique a risk factor?

Science.gov (United States)

Kara, Ibrahim; Koksal, Cengiz; Cakalagaoglu, Canturk; Sahin, Muslum; Yanartas, Mehmet; Ay, Yasin; Demir, Serdar

2013-01-01

This study compares the medium-term results of De Vega, modified De Vega, and ring annuloplasty techniques for the correction of tricuspid insufficiency and investigates the risk factors for recurrent grades 3 and 4 tricuspid insufficiency after repair. In our clinic, 93 patients with functional tricuspid insufficiency underwent surgical tricuspid repair from May 2007 through October 2010. The study was retrospective, and all the data pertaining to the patients were retrieved from hospital records. Functional capacity, recurrent tricuspid insufficiency, and risk factors aggravating the insufficiency were analyzed for each patient. In the medium term (25.4 ± 10.3 mo), the rates of grades 3 and 4 tricuspid insufficiency in the De Vega, modified De Vega, and ring annuloplasty groups were 31%, 23.1%, and 6.1%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction, tricuspid insufficiency. Medium-term survival was 90.6% for the De Vega group, 96.3% for the modified De Vega group, and 97.1% for the ring annuloplasty group. Ring annuloplasty provided the best relief from recurrent tricuspid insufficiency when compared with DeVega annuloplasty. Modified De Vega annuloplasty might be a suitable alternative to ring annuloplasty when rings are not available.

What do decision makers learn from public forums on climate-related hazards and resilience?

Science.gov (United States)

Weller, N.; Farooque, M.; Sittenfeld, D.

2017-12-01

Public engagement around climate resilience efforts can foster learning for both public audiences and decision makers. On the one hand, public audiences learn about environmental hazards and strategies to increase community resilience through effective public engagement. On the other, decision makers and scientists learn about community members' values and priorities and their relation to environmental hazards and resilience strategies. Evidence from other public engagement efforts involving decision makers suggests that decision maker involvement results in reflection by officials on their own values, capacities, and roles. However, few public engagement exercises evaluate impacts on decision makers. As part of the Science Center Public Forums project, which aims to conduct public forums in eight cities across the country on resiliency to drought, heat, extreme precipitation, and sea level rise, we sought to 1) build partnerships with local decision makers and scientists around public forums and 2) explore how decision makers and scientists interacted with the planning and undertaking of those public forums. We held workshops with decision makers and scientists to inform forum content and identify local resilience issues. We will conduct interviews with local decision makers regarding their involvement in forum planning, their reflections and takeaways from the forum itself, and their perspectives on the value of public engagement for policy making. We will present our model of engagement with decision makers, initial findings from interviews, and lessons learned from connecting decision makers and scientists to public engagement efforts.

Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of re-operation due to post-surgical bleeding in breast cancer patients: a Danish population-based cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lash Timothy L

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI decrease platelet-function, which suggests that SSRI use may increase the risk of post-surgical bleeding. Few studies have investigated this potential association. Methods We conducted a population-based study of the risk of re-operation due to post-surgical bleeding within two weeks of primary surgery among Danish women with primary breast cancer. Patients were categorised according to their use of SSRI: never users, current users (SSRI prescription within 30 days of initial breast cancer surgery, and former users (SSRI prescription more than 30 days before initial breast cancer surgery. We calculated the risk of re-operation due to post-surgical bleeding within 14 days of initial surgery, and the relative risk (RR of re-operation comparing SSRI users with never users of SSRI adjusting for potential confounders. Results 389 of 14,464 women (2.7% were re-operated. 1592 (11% had a history of SSRI use. Risk of re-operation was 2.6% among never users, 7.0% among current SSRI users, and 2.7% among former users. Current users thus had an increased risk of re-operation due to post-operative bleeding (adjusted relative risk = 2.3; 95% confidence interval (CI = 1.4, 3.9 compared with never users. There was no increased risk of re-operation associated with former use of SSRI (RR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.66, 1.3. Conclusions Current use of SSRI is associated with an increased risk of re-operation due to bleeding after surgery for breast cancer.

Pre-operative urinary tract infection: is it a risk factor for early surgical site infection with hip fracture surgery? A retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yassa, Rafik Rd; Khalfaoui, Mahdi Y; Veravalli, Karunakar; Evans, D Alun

2017-03-01

The aims of the current study were to determine whether pre-operative urinary tract infections in patients presenting acutely with neck of femur fractures resulted in a delay to surgery and whether such patients were at increased risk of developing post-operative surgical site infections. A retrospective review of all patients presenting with a neck of femur fracture, at a single centre over a one-year period. The hospital hip fracture database was used as the main source of data. UK University Teaching Hospital. All patients ( n  = 460) presenting across a single year study period with a confirmed hip fracture. The presence of pre-operative urinary tract infection, the timing of surgical intervention, the occurrence of post-operative surgical site infection and the pathogens identified. A total of 367 patients were operated upon within 24 hours of admission. Urinary infections were the least common cause of delay. A total of 99 patients (21.5%) had pre-operative urinary tract infection. Post-operatively, a total of 57 (12.4%) patients developed a surgical site infection. Among the latter, 31 (54.4%) did not have a pre-operative urinary infection, 23 (40.4%) patients had a pre-operative urinary tract infection, 2 had chronic leg ulcers and one patient had a pre-operative chest infection. Statistically, there was a strong relationship between pre-operative urinary tract infection and the development of post-operative surgical site infection ( p -value: 0.0005). The results of our study indicate that pre-operative urinary tract infection has a high prevalence amongst those presenting with neck of femur fractures, and this is a risk factor for the later development of post-operative surgical site infection.

[Surgical assessment of complications after thyroid gland operations].

Science.gov (United States)

Dralle, H

2015-01-01

The extent, magnitude and technical equipment used for thyroid surgery has changed considerably in Germany during the last decade. The number of thyroidectomies due to benign goiter have decreased while the extent of thyroidectomy, nowadays preferentially total thyroidectomy, has increased. Due to an increased awareness of surgical complications the number of malpractice claims is increasing. In contrast to surgical databases the frequency of complications in malpractice claims reflects the individual impact of complications on the quality of life. In contrast to surgical databases unilateral and bilateral vocal fold palsy are therefore at the forefront of malpractice claims. As guidelines are often not applicable for the individual surgical expert review, the question arises which are the relevant criteria for the professional expert witness assessing the severity of the individual complication. While in surgical databases major complications after thyroidectomy, such as vocal fold palsy, hypoparathyroidism, hemorrhage and infections are equally frequent (1-3 %), in malpractice claims vocal fold palsy is significantly more frequent (50 %) compared to hypoparathyroidism (15 %), hemorrhage and infections (about 5 % each). To avoid bilateral nerve palsy intraoperative nerve monitoring has become of utmost importance for surgical strategy and malpractice suits alike. For surgical expert review documentation of individual risk-oriented indications, the surgical approach and postoperative management are highly important. Guidelines only define the treatment corridors of good clinical practice. Surgical expert reviews in malpractice suits concerning quality of care and causality between surgical management, complications and sequelae of complications are therefore highly dependent on the grounds and documentation of risk-oriented indications for thyroidectomy, intraoperative and postoperative surgical management.

Multi-attribute risk assessment for risk ranking of natural gas pipelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brito, A.J.; Almeida, A.T. de

2009-01-01

The paper presents a decision model for risk assessment and for risk ranking of sections of natural gas pipelines based on multi-attribute utility theory. Pipeline hazard scenarios are surveyed and the reasons for a risk assessment model based on a multi-attribute approach are presented. Three dimensions of impact and the need to translate decision-makers' preferences into risk management decisions are highlighted. The model approaches these factors by using a multi-attribute utility function, in order to produce multi-dimensional risk measurements. By using decision analysis concepts, this model quantitatively incorporates the decision-maker's preferences and behavior regarding risk within clear and consistent risk measurements. In order to support the prioritizing of critical sections of pipeline in natural gas companies, this multi-attribute model also allows sections of pipeline to be ranked into a risk hierarchy. A numerical application based on a real case study was undertaken so that the effectiveness of the decision model could be verified

Surgical site infections in an abdominal surgical ward at Kosovo Teaching Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Raka, Lul; Krasniqi, Avdyl; Hoxha, Faton; Musa, Ruustem; Mulliqi, Gjyle; Krasniqi, Selvete; Kurti, Arsim; Dervishaj, Antigona; Nuhiu, Beqir; Kelmendi, Baton; Limani, Dalip; Tolaj, Ilir

2008-01-01

Abdominal surgical site infections (SSI) cause substantial morbidity and mortality for patients undergoing operative procedures. We determined the incidence of and risk factors for SSI after abdominal surgery in the Department of Abdominal Surgery at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo (UCCK). Prospective surveillance of patients undergoing abdominal surgery was performed between December 2005 and June 2006. CDC definitions were followed to detect SSI and study forms were based on Europe Link for Infection Control through Surveillance (HELICS) protocol. A total of 253 surgical interventions in 225 patients were evaluated. The median age of patients was 42 years and 55.1% of them were male. The overall incidence rate of SSI was 12%. Follow-up was achieved for 84.1% of the procedures. For patients with an SSI, the median duration of hospitalization was 9 days compared with 4 days for those without an SSI (p 2, use of antibiotic prophylaxis and NNIS class of > 2 were all significant at p < .001. The SSI rates for the NNIS System risk classes 0, 1 and 2-3 were 4.2%, 46.7% and 100%, respectively. SSI caused considerable morbidity among surgical patients in UCCK. Appropriate active surveillance and infection control measures should be introduced during preoperative, intra-operative, and postoperative care to reduce infection rates.

Risk of Local Failure in Breast Cancer Patients With Lobular Carcinoma In Situ at the Final Surgical Margins: Is Re-excision Necessary?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sadek, Betro T.; Shenouda, Mina N.; Abi Raad, Rita F. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Niemierko, Andrzej [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Statistics Section, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Keruakous, Amany R. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Goldberg, Saveli I. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Statistics Section, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Taghian, Alphonse G., E-mail: ataghian@partners.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

2013-11-15

Purpose: To compare the outcome of patients with invasive breast cancer both with and without lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)-positive/close surgical margins after breast-conserving treatment. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively studied 2358 patients with T1-T2 invasive breast cancer treated with lumpectomy and radiation therapy from January 1980 to December 2009. Median age was 57 years (range, 24-91 years). There were 82 patients (3.5%) with positive/close LCIS margins (<0.2 cm) and 2232 patients (95.7%) with negative margins. A total of 1789 patients (76%) had negative lymph nodes. Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. A total of 1783 patients (76%) received adjuvant systemic therapy. Multivariable analysis (MVA) was performed using Cox's proportional hazards model. Results: The 5-year cumulative incidence of locoregional recurrence (LRR) was 3.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5%-4.1%) for the 2232 patients with LCIS-negative surgical margins (median follow-up 104 months) and 2.8% (95% CI 0.7%-10.8%) for the 82 patients with LCIS-positive/close surgical margins (median follow-up 90 months). This was not statistically significant (P=.5). On MVA, LCIS-positive margins after the final surgery were not associated with increased risk of LRR (hazard ratio [HR] 3.4, 95% CI 0.5-24.5, P=.2). Statistically significant prognostic variables on Cox's MVA for risk of LRR included systemic therapy (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.33-0.75, P=.001), number of positive lymph nodes (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.18, P=.001), menopausal status (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.95-0.98, P=.001), and histopathologic grade (grade 3 vs grade 1/2) (HR 2.6, 95% CI 1.4-4.7, P=.003). Conclusion: Our results suggest that the presence of LCIS at the surgical margin after lumpectomy does not increase the risk of LRR or the final outcome. These findings suggest that re-excision or mastectomy in patients with LCIS-positive/close final surgical margins is unnecessary.

Risk factors for adjacent segment degeneration after surgical correction of degenerative lumbar scoliosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kee-yong Ha

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Degenerative lumbar scoliosis surgery can lead to development of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD after lumbar or thoracolumbar fusion. Its incidence, risk factors, morbidity and correlation between radiological and clinical symptoms of ASD have no consensus. We evaluated the correlation between the occurrence of radiologic adjacent segment disease and certain imperative parameters. Materials and Methods: 98 patients who had undergone surgical correction and lumbar/thoracolumbar fusion with pedicle screw instrumentation for degenerative lumbar scoliosis with a minimum 5 year followup were included in the study. We evaluated the correlation between the occurrence of radiologic adjacent segment disease and imperative patient parameters like age at operation, sex, body mass index (BMI, medical comorbidities and bone mineral density (BMD. The radiological parameters taken into consideration were Cobb′s angle, angle type, lumbar lordosis, pelvic incidence, intercristal line, preoperative existence of an ASD on plain radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and surgical parameters were number of the fusion level, decompression level, floating OP (interlumbar fusion excluding L5-S1 level and posterolateral lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF. Clinical outcomes were assessed with the Visual Analogue Score (VAS and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI. Results: ASD was present in 44 (44.9% patients at an average period of 48.0 months (range 6-98 months. Factors related to occurrence of ASD were preoperative existence of disc degeneration (as revealed by MRI and age at operation ( P = 0.0001, 0.0364. There were no statistically significant differences between radiological adjacent segment degeneration and clinical results (VAS, P = 0.446; ODI, P = 0.531. Conclusions: Patients over the age of 65 years and with preoperative disc degeneration (as revealed by plain radiograph and MRI were at a higher risk of developing ASD.

A systematic review on the safety and efficacy of percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system for high surgical risk candidates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munkholm-Larsen, Stine; Wan, Benjamin; Tian, David H

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: MitraClip implantation has emerged as a viable option in high surgical risk patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR). We performed the present systematic review to assess the safety and efficacy of the MitraClip system for high surgical risk candidates with severe organic and....../or functional MR. METHODS: Six electronic databases were searched for original published studies from January 2000 to March 2013. Two reviewers independently appraised studies, using a standard form, and extracted data on methodology, quality criteria, and outcome measures. All data were extracted and tabulated...

The Art of Influencing Decision Makers.

Science.gov (United States)

Diegmueller, Karen

1992-01-01

Influencing educational decision makers requires creating ongoing relationships, keeping everyone informed, and developing persuasive skills. Persuasion requires preparation, refinement, hard work, and a sound understanding of the people being lobbied. Lobbying must be factual and relevant to the audience. The article looks at influence from the…

Articulations on form properties and action-function couplings of maker technologies in children’s education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Kasper Skov; Iversen, Ole Sejer

2016-01-01

In this paper, we present a framework to expand the design language used to articulate form properties and types of feedback that happen between children’s actions and the intended functionality of maker technologies. Based on field observations in Danish schools we analyze children’s (aged 11......-14 years old) interactions with three maker technologies used to work through design processes in school maker settings. Our findings are beneficial on three factors for designers, researchers and teachers involved in work within maker contexts. (1) reflections on form properties of maker technologies, (2....... Researchers can use the expanded design language to analyze maker technologies in the context of school maker settings. Finally, teachers can make better decisions on how and when to use different maker technologies when school children work through design processes....

Non-surgical treatment of esophageal achalasia

OpenAIRE

Annese, Vito; Bassotti, Gabrio

2006-01-01

Esophageal achalasia is an infrequent motility disorder characterized by a progressive stasis and dilation of the oesophagus; with subsequent risk of aspiration, weight loss, and malnutrition. Although the treatment of achalasia has been traditionally based on a surgical approach, especially with the introduction of laparoscopic techniques, there is still some space for a medical approach. The present article reviews the non-surgical therapeutic options for achalasia.

Surgical Apgar Score Predicts Postoperative Complications in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

complications were determined during the thirty day post operative period. ... An ideal model to predict postoperative complications ... their SAS for purposes of risk stratification; high risk. (0-4), medium .... surgical audit (9,14). Serial monitoring ...

Risk of surgical site infection in paediatric herniotomies without any prophylactic antibiotics: A preliminary experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhananjay Vaze

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Different studies underline the use of pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis in clean surgeries like herniotomy and inguinal orchiopexy. But, the meta-analyses do not recommend nor discard the use of prophylactic pre-operative antibiotics. The scarcity of controlled clinical trials in paediatric population further vitiates the matter. This study assessed the difference in the rate of early post-operative wound infection cases in children who received single dose of pre-operative antibiotics and children who did not receive antibiotics after inguinal herniotomy and orchiopexy. Materials and Methods: This randomised prospective study was conducted in Paediatric Surgery department of PGIMER Chandigarh. Out of 251 patients, 112 patients were randomised to the case group and 139 were ascribed to the control group. The patients in control group were given a standard regimen of single dose of intravenous antibiotic at the time of induction followed by 3-4 days of oral antibiotic. Case group patients underwent the surgical procedure in similar manner with no antibiotic either at the time of induction or post-operatively. Results: The incidence of surgical site infection in case group was 3.73 % and that in control group was 2.22%. The observed difference in the incidence of surgical site infection was statistically insignificant (P value = 0.7027. The overall infection rate in case and control group was 2.89%. Conclusions: Our preliminary experience suggests that there is no statistically significant difference in the proportion of early post-operative wound infection between the patients who received single dose of pre-operative antibiotics and the patients who received no antibiotics after inguinal herniotomy and orchiopexy. The risk of surgical site infection in paediatric heriotomies does not increase even if the child′s weight is less than his/her expected weight for age.

Rates and risk factors of unplanned 30-day readmission following general and thoracic pediatric surgical procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Polites, Stephanie F; Potter, Donald D; Glasgow, Amy E; Klinkner, Denise B; Moir, Christopher R; Ishitani, Michael B; Habermann, Elizabeth B

2017-08-01

Postoperative unplanned readmissions are costly and decrease patient satisfaction; however, little is known about this complication in pediatric surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine rates and predictors of unplanned readmission in a multi-institutional cohort of pediatric surgical patients. Unplanned 30-day readmissions following general and thoracic surgical procedures in children readmission per 30 person-days were determined to account for varied postoperative length of stay (pLOS). Patients were randomly divided into 70% derivation and 30% validation cohorts which were used for creation and validation of a risk model for readmission. Readmission occurred in 1948 (3.6%) of 54,870 children for a rate of 4.3% per 30 person-days. Adjusted predictors of readmission included hepatobiliary procedures, increased wound class, operative duration, complications, and pLOS. The predictive model discriminated well in the derivation and validation cohorts (AUROC 0.710 and 0.701) with good calibration between observed and expected readmission events in both cohorts (p>.05). Unplanned readmission occurs less frequently in pediatric surgery than what is described in adults, calling into question its use as a quality indicator in this population. Factors that predict readmission including type of procedure, complications, and pLOS can be used to identify at-risk children and develop prevention strategies. III. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Innovative approach using interprofessional simulation to educate surgical residents in technical and nontechnical skills in high-risk clinical scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicksa, Grace A; Anderson, Cristan; Fidler, Richard; Stewart, Lygia

2015-03-01

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies stress nontechnical skills that can be difficult to evaluate and teach to surgical residents. During emergencies, surgeons work in interprofessional teams and are required to perform certain procedures. To obtain proficiency in these skills, residents must be trained. To educate surgical residents in leadership, teamwork, effective communication, and infrequently performed emergency surgical procedures with the use of interprofessional simulations. SimMan 3GS was used to simulate high-risk clinical scenarios (15-20 minutes), followed by debriefings with real-time feedback (30 minutes). A modified Oxford Non-Technical Skills scale (score range, 1-4) was used to assess surgical resident performance during the first half of the academic year (July-December 2012) and the second half of the academic year (January-June 2013). Anonymous online surveys were used to solicit participant feedback. Simulations were conducted in the operating room, intensive care unit, emergency department, ward, and simulation center. A total of 43 surgical residents (postgraduate years [PGYs] 1 and 2) participated in interdisciplinary clinical scenarios, with other health care professionals (nursing, anesthesia, critical care, medicine, respiratory therapy, and pharmacy; mean number of nonsurgical participants/session: 4, range 0-9). Thirty seven surgical residents responded to the survey. Simulation of high-risk clinical scenarios: postoperative pulmonary embolus, pneumothorax, myocardial infarction, gastrointestinal bleeding, anaphylaxis with a difficult airway, and pulseless electrical activity arrest. Evaluation of resident skills: communication, leadership, teamwork, problem solving, situation awareness, and confidence in performing emergency procedures (eg, cricothyroidotomy). A total of 31 of 35 (89%) of the residents responding found the sessions useful. Additionally, 28 of 33 (85%) reported improved confidence

Frequency of nursing diagnoses in a surgical clinic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreza Cavalcanti Vasconcelos

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: to identify the frequency of Nursing Diagnoses of patients in a surgical clinic. Methods: cross-sectional study, performed with 99 patients in the postoperative of general surgery. Data were collected through a questionnaire validated according to domains of NANDA International, including physical and laboratory examination. Results: 17 nursing diagnoses were found; eight had a frequency higher than 50.0% (infection risk, impaired tissue integrity, constipation risk, anxiety, bleeding risk, acute pain, delayed surgical recovery, dysfunctional gastrointestinal motility. It was observed in all patients the Nursing Diagnostics: risk of infection, impaired tissue integrity and risk of constipation. Conclusion: the frequency of the most prevalent diagnosis is inserted in the domains safety/protection and nutrition, which determines the need to redirect nursing care, prioritizing the patient's clinic.

Trouble makers : Laura Poitras and the problem of dissent

OpenAIRE

Danchev, Alex

2015-01-01

This review article considers three works by the distinguished documentary film-maker Laura Poitras: My country, my country (2006); The oath (2010); and the recently released Citizenfour (2014), focusing on the whistle-blower Edward Snowden. Poitras describes these works as a trilogy about American power after 9/11, but they are also about disobedience and resistance, or the problem of dissent. The article argues for the significance (and the virtue) of Poitras's project, as film maker and tr...

An Evaluation of Preparedness, Delivery and Impact of Surgical and Anesthesia Care in Madagascar: A Framework for a National Surgical Plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, Emily; White, Michelle C; Baxter, Linden S; Ravelojaona, Vaonandianina Agnès; Rakotoarison, Hasiniaina Narindria; Andriamanjato, Hery Harimanitra; Close, Kristin L; Herbert, Alison; Raykar, Nakul; Saluja, Saurabh; Shrime, Mark G

2017-05-01

The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) described the lack of access to safe, affordable, timely surgical, and anesthesia care. It proposed a series of 6 indicators to measure surgery, accompanied by time-bound targets and a template for national surgical planning. To date, no sub-Saharan African country has completed and published a nationwide evaluation of its surgical system within this framework. Mercy Ships, in partnership with Harvard Medical School and the Madagascar Ministry of Health, collected data on the 6 indicators from 22 referral hospitals in 16 out of 22 regions of Madagascar. Data collection was by semi-structured interviews with ministerial, medical, laboratory, pharmacy, and administrative representatives in each region. Microsimulation modeling was used to calculate values for financial indicators. In Madagascar, 29% of the population can access a surgical facility within 2 h. Surgical workforce density is 0.78 providers per 100,000 and annual surgical volume is 135-191 procedures per 100,000 with a perioperative mortality rate of 2.5-3.3%. Patients requiring surgery have a 77.4-86.3 and 78.8-95.1% risk of incurring impoverishing and catastrophic expenditure, respectively. Of the six LCoGS indicator targets, Madagascar meets one, the reporting of perioperative mortality rate. Compared to the LCoGS targets, Madagascar has deficits in surgical access, workforce, volume, and the ability to offer financial risk protection to surgical patients. Its perioperative mortality rate, however, appears better than in comparable countries. The government is committed to improvement, and key stakeholder meetings to create a national surgical plan have begun.

Surgical Emphysema: A Rare Complication of a Simple Surgical Dental Extraction Without the Use of an Air-Driven Rotor.

Science.gov (United States)

Gowans, Keegan; Patel, Muneer; Lewis, Khari

2017-03-01

Surgical emphysema is a rare complication of dental extractions, often associated with the use of high-speed air rotors. This report describes a case of extensive surgical emphysema following a simple surgical extraction of a LL6 under local anaesthetic. There was no use of air-driven handpieces during the procedure. The patient developed extensive surgical emphysema bi-laterally in both cervical neck and facial planes. After prophylactic antibiotics with careful monitoring in a secondary care setting, the patient made a full unremarkable recovery. Clinical relevance: Simple extraction of teeth is a procedure carried out daily by most general dental practitioners. However, the risk of surgical emphysema without the use of high-speed air rotors or instruments using pressurized air/water is not well known or documented.

Decreasing Relative Risk Premium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Frank

relative risk premium in the small implies decreasing relative risk premium in the large, and decreasing relative risk premium everywhere implies risk aversion. We finally show that preferences with decreasing relative risk premium may be equivalently expressed in terms of certain preferences on risky......We consider the risk premium demanded by a decision maker with wealth x in order to be indifferent between obtaining a new level of wealth y1 with certainty, or to participate in a lottery which either results in unchanged present wealth or a level of wealth y2 > y1. We define the relative risk...... premium as the quotient between the risk premium and the increase in wealth y1–x which the decision maker puts on the line by choosing the lottery in place of receiving y1 with certainty. We study preferences such that the relative risk premium is a decreasing function of present wealth, and we determine...

Non-surgical treatment of esophageal achalasia

Science.gov (United States)

Annese, Vito; Bassotti, Gabrio

2006-01-01

Esophageal achalasia is an infrequent motility disorder characterized by a progressive stasis and dilation of the oesophagus; with subsequent risk of aspiration, weight loss, and malnutrition. Although the treatment of achalasia has been traditionally based on a surgical approach, especially with the introduction of laparoscopic techniques, there is still some space for a medical approach. The present article reviews the non-surgical therapeutic options for achalasia. PMID:17007039

Graft infections after surgical aortic reconstructions

OpenAIRE

Berger, P.

2015-01-01

Prosthetic vascular grafts are frequently used to reconstruct (part) of the aorta. Every surgical procedure caries a certain risk for infection and when a prosthetic aortic graft is implanted, this may lead to an aortic graft infection (AGI). Endovascular techniques have gradually replaced open surgical reconstructions as first line of treatment for aorto-iliac diseases. Nowadays, open reconstructions are primarily reserved for patients unsuitable for endovascular reconstructions or for redo ...

Benchmarking of surgical complications in gynaecological oncology: prospective multicentre study.

Science.gov (United States)

Burnell, M; Iyer, R; Gentry-Maharaj, A; Nordin, A; Liston, R; Manchanda, R; Das, N; Gornall, R; Beardmore-Gray, A; Hillaby, K; Leeson, S; Linder, A; Lopes, A; Meechan, D; Mould, T; Nevin, J; Olaitan, A; Rufford, B; Shanbhag, S; Thackeray, A; Wood, N; Reynolds, K; Ryan, A; Menon, U

2016-12-01

To explore the impact of risk-adjustment on surgical complication rates (CRs) for benchmarking gynaecological oncology centres. Prospective cohort study. Ten UK accredited gynaecological oncology centres. Women undergoing major surgery on a gynaecological oncology operating list. Patient co-morbidity, surgical procedures and intra-operative (IntraOp) complications were recorded contemporaneously by surgeons for 2948 major surgical procedures. Postoperative (PostOp) complications were collected from hospitals and patients. Risk-prediction models for IntraOp and PostOp complications were created using penalised (lasso) logistic regression using over 30 potential patient/surgical risk factors. Observed and risk-adjusted IntraOp and PostOp CRs for individual hospitals were calculated. Benchmarking using colour-coded funnel plots and observed-to-expected ratios was undertaken. Overall, IntraOp CR was 4.7% (95% CI 4.0-5.6) and PostOp CR was 25.7% (95% CI 23.7-28.2). The observed CRs for all hospitals were under the upper 95% control limit for both IntraOp and PostOp funnel plots. Risk-adjustment and use of observed-to-expected ratio resulted in one hospital moving to the >95-98% CI (red) band for IntraOp CRs. Use of only hospital-reported data for PostOp CRs would have resulted in one hospital being unfairly allocated to the red band. There was little concordance between IntraOp and PostOp CRs. The funnel plots and overall IntraOp (≈5%) and PostOp (≈26%) CRs could be used for benchmarking gynaecological oncology centres. Hospital benchmarking using risk-adjusted CRs allows fairer institutional comparison. IntraOp and PostOp CRs are best assessed separately. As hospital under-reporting is common for postoperative complications, use of patient-reported outcomes is important. Risk-adjusted benchmarking of surgical complications for ten UK gynaecological oncology centres allows fairer comparison. © 2016 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Primary Cleft Lip and Palate Repair in Assam, India: Does Preoperative Anthropometric Analysis Help Identify Patients With Increased Surgical Risk in a Clinically Prescreened Population?

Science.gov (United States)

Jerome, Mairin A; Gillenwater, Justin; Laub, Donald R; Osler, Turner; Allan, Anna Y; Restrepo, Carolina; Campbell, Alex

2017-11-01

  To compare anthropometric z-scores with incidence of post-operative complications for patients undergoing primary cleft lip or palate repair.   This was a retrospective observational analysis of patients from a surgical center in Assam, India, and includes a cohort from a single surgical mission completed before the opening of the center.   Patients included in the study underwent surgery during an Operation Smile mission before the opening of Operation Smile's Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center in Guwahati, India. The remaining cohort received treatment at the center. All patients received preoperative assessment and screening; surgery; and postoperative care, education, and follow-up.   Our sample size included 1941 patients and consisted of all patients with complete information in the database who returned for follow-up after receiving primary cleft lip repair or primary cleft palate repair between January 2011 and April 2013.   Preoperative anthropometric measurements.   Postoperative complications.   Anthropometric z-scores were not a significant predictor of adverse surgical outcomes in the group analyzed. Palate surgery had increased risk of complication versus lip repair, with an overall odds ratio of 5.66 (P < .001) for all patients aged 3 to 228 months.   Anthropometric z-scores were not correlated with increased risk of surgical complications, possibly because patients were well screened for malnutrition before surgery at this center. Primary palate repair is associated with an approximate fivefold increased risk of developing postoperative complication(s) compared with primary lip repair.

Single-port versus conventional multiport access prophylactic laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in high-risk patients for ovarian cancer: a comparison of surgical outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Angioni, Stefano; Pontis, Alessandro; Sedda, Federica; Zampetoglou, Theodoros; Cela, Vito; Mereu, Liliana; Litta, Pietro

2015-01-01

Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) in carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations is widely recommended as part of a risk-reduction strategy for ovarian or breast cancer due to an underlying genetic predisposition. BSO is also performed as a therapeutic intervention for patients with hormone-positive premenopausal breast cancer. BSO may be performed via a minimally invasive approach with the use of three to four 5 mm and/or 12 mm ports inserted through a skin incision. To further reduce the morbidity associated with the placement of multiple port sites and to improve cosmetic outcomes, single-port laparoscopy has been developed with a single access point from the umbilicus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes associated with reducing the risks of salpingo-oophorectomy performed in a single port, while comparing multiport laparoscopy in women with a high risk for ovarian cancer. Single-port laparoscopy-BSO is feasible and safe, with favorable surgical and cosmetic outcomes when compared to conventional laparoscopy.

Personal Factors That Influence Audit Manager’s Risk Behaviour

OpenAIRE

Ionescu Iancu Octavian; Turlea Eugeniu

2011-01-01

Risk is a fundamental concept in audit as well as in the business world at large. Yet, little is known about the personal factors that might influence the risk attitude of a decision maker. The business decision makers are usually faced with a degree of uncertainty when they have to assess risk and make decisions. This paper examines risk behaviour from an audit firm manager perspective and from an academic perspective. The emphasis is on the managerial risk behaviour in business decision mak...

Efficacy and safety of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in aortic stenosis patients at low to moderate surgical risk: a comprehensive meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Elmaraezy, Ahmed; Ismail, Ammar; Abushouk, Abdelrahman Ibrahim; Eltoomy, Moutaz; Saad, Soha; Negida, Ahmed; Abdelaty, Osama Mahmoud; Abdallah, Ahmed Ramadan; Aboelfotoh, Ahmed Magdy; Hassan, Hossam Mahmoud; Elmaraezy, Aya Gamal; Morsi, Mahmoud; Althaher, Farah; Althaher, Moath; AlSafadi, Ammar M

2017-08-24

Recently, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become the procedure of choice in high surgical risk patients with aortic stenosis (AS). However, its value is still debated in operable AS cases. We performed this meta-analysis to compare the safety and efficacy of TAVR to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in low-to-moderate surgical risk patients with AS. A systematic search of five authentic databases retrieved 11 eligible studies (20,056 patients). Relevant Data were pooled as risk ratios (RRs) or standardized mean differences (SMD), with their 95% confidence interval, using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis and RevMan software for windows. At one-year of follow-up, the pooled effect-estimates showed no significant difference between TAVR and SAVR groups in terms of all-cause mortality (RR 1.02, 95% CI [0.83, 1.26], stroke (RR 0.83, 95%CI [0.56, 1.21]), myocardial infarction (RR 0.82, 95% CI [0.57, 1.19]), and length of hospital stay (SMD -0.04, 95% CI [-0.34, 0.26]). The incidence of major bleeding (RR 0.45, 95% CI [0.24, 0.86]) and acute kidney injury (RR 0.52, 95% CI [0.30, 0.88]) was significantly lower in the TAVR group, compared to the SAVR group. However, TAVR was associated with a higher risk of permanent pacemaker implantation (RR 2.57, 95% CI [1.36, 4.86]), vascular-access complications at 1 year (RR 1.99, 95%CI [1.04, 3.80]), and paravalvular aortic regurgitation at 30 days (RR 3.90, 95% CI [1.25, 12.12]), compared to SAVR. Due to the comparable mortality rates in SAVR and TAVR groups and the lower risk of life-threatening complications in the TAVR group, TAVR can be an acceptable alternative to SAVR in low-to-moderate risk patients with AS. However, larger trials with longer follow-up periods are required to compare the long-term outcomes of both techniques.

ANAESTHESIA FOR OPHTHALMIC SURGICAL PROCEDURES

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To review factors influencing the choice of anaesthesia for ophthalmic surgical procedures. ... as risk associated with general anaesthesia (8) they are more .... Wilson ME, Pandey SK, Thakur J. Paediatric cataract blindness in the ...

uniportal vats for surgical repair

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2017-03-23

Mar 23, 2017 ... aDepartamet of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Teresa Herrera, Complejo Hospitalario. Universitario de A ... Advances in anesthesia, neonatal intensive, surgical, and cardiac care have ... First, these patients are at risk of airway ...

Surgical management of gynecomastia--a 10-year analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Handschin, A E; Bietry, D; Hüsler, R; Banic, A; Constantinescu, M

2008-01-01

Gynecomastia is defined as the benign enlargement of the male breast. Most studies on surgical treatment of gynecomastia show only small series and lack histopathology results. The aim of this study was to analyze the surgical approach in the treatment of gynecomastia and the related outcome over a 10-year period. All patients undergoing surgical gynecomastia corrections in our department between 1996 and 2006 were included for retrospective evaluation. The data were analyzed for etiology, stage of gynecomastia, surgical technique, complications, risk factors, and histological results. A total of 100 patients with 160 operations were included. Techniques included subcutaneous mastectomy alone or with additional hand-assisted liposuction, isolated liposuction, and formal breast reduction. Atypical histological findings were found in 3% of the patients (spindle-cell hemangioendothelioma, papilloma). The surgical revision rate among all patients was 7%. Body mass index and a weight of the resected specimen higher than 40 g were identified as significant risk factors for complications (p gynecomastia requires an individualized approach. Caution must be taken in performing large resections, which are associated with increased complication rates. Histological tissue analysis should be routinely performed in all true gynecomastia corrections, because histological results may reveal atypical cellular pathology.

Surgical Excision of Benign Papillomas Diagnosed with Core Biopsy: A Community Hospital Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozentsvayg, Eka; Carver, Kristen; Borkar, Sunita; Mathew, Melvy; Enis, Sean; Friedman, Paul

2011-01-01

Our goal was to assess the value of surgical excision of benign papillomas of the breast diagnosed on percutaneous core biopsy by determining the frequency of upgrade to malignancies and high risk lesions on a final surgical pathology. We reviewed 67 patients who had biopsies yielding benign papilloma and underwent subsequent surgical excision. Surgical pathology of the excised lesions was compared with initial core biopsy pathology results. 54 patients had concordant benign core and excisional pathology. Cancer (ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma) was diagnosed in five (7%) patients. Surgery revealed high-risk lesions in 8 (12%) patients, including atypical ductal hyperplasia, atypical lobular hyperplasia, and lobular carcinoma in situ. Cancer and high risk lesions accounted for 13 (19%) upstaging events from benign papilloma diagnosis. Our data suggests that surgical excision is warranted with core pathology of benign papilloma

The effect of intraoral suction on oxygen-enriched surgical environments: a mechanism for reducing the risk of surgical fires.

Science.gov (United States)

VanCleave, Andrea M; Jones, James E; McGlothlin, James D; Saxen, Mark A; Sanders, Brian J; Vinson, LaQuia A

2014-01-01

In this study, a mechanical model was applied in order to replicate potential surgical fire conditions in an oxygen-enriched environment with and without high-volume suction typical for dental surgical applications. During 41 trials, 3 combustion events were measured: an audible pop, a visible flash of light, and full ignition. In at least 11 of 21 trials without suction, all 3 conditions were observed, sometimes with an extent of fire that required early termination of the experimental trial. By contrast, in 18 of 20 with-suction trials, ignition did not occur at all, and in the 2 cases where ignition did occur, the fire was qualitatively a much smaller, candle-like flame. Statistically comparing these 3 combustion events in the no-suction versus with-suction trials, ignition (P = .0005), audible pop (P = .0211), and flash (P = .0092) were all significantly more likely in the no-suction condition. These results suggest a possible significant and new element to be added to existing surgical fire safety protocols toward making surgical fires the "never-events" they should be.

Cervical spine surgery performed in ambulatory surgical centers: Are patients being put at increased risk?

Science.gov (United States)

Epstein, Nancy E

2016-01-01

Spine surgeons are being increasingly encouraged to perform cervical operations in outpatient ambulatory surgical centers (ASC). However, some studies/data coming out of these centers are provided by spine surgeons who are part or full owners/shareholders. In Florida, for example, there was a 50% increase in ASC (5349) established between 2000-2007; physicians had a stake (invested) in 83%, and outright owned 43% of ASC. Data regarding "excessive" surgery by ASC surgeon-owners from Idaho followed shortly thereafter. The risks/complications attributed to 3279 cervical spine operations performed in 6 ASC studies were reviewed. Several studies claimed 99% discharge rates the day of the surgery. They also claimed major complications were "picked up" within the average postoperative observation window (e.g., varying from 4-23 hours), allowing for appropriate treatment without further sequelae. Morbidity rates for outpatient cervical spine ASC studies (e.g. some with conflicts of interest) varied up to 0.8-6%, whereas morbidity rates for 3 inpatient cervical studies ranged up to 19.3%. For both groups, morbidity included postoperative dysphagia, epidural hematomas, neck swelling, vocal cord paralysis, and neurological deterioration. Although we have no clear documentation as to their safety, "excessive" and progressively complex cervical surgical procedures are increasingly being performed in ASC. Furthermore, we cannot rely upon ASC-based data. At least some demonstrate an inherent conflict of interest and do not veridically report major morbidity/mortality rates for outpatient procedures. For now, cervical spine surgery performed in ASC would appear to be putting patients at increased risk for the benefit of their surgeon-owners.

Effect of phenylephrine/ketorolac on iris fixation ring use and surgical times in patients at risk of intraoperative miosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Visco D

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Denise Visco Eyes of York Cataract & Laser Center, York, PA, USA Purpose: To evaluate the effect of intracameral phenylephrine/ketorolac (1%/0.3% during cataract surgery on the use of iris fixation ring and surgical time in patients with poor pupil dilation (≤5.0 mm or intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS. Setting: Private practice outpatient surgical center. Design: This retrospective analysis was conducted from January 1, 2014 to October 7, 2015. Materials and methods: The use of iris fixation rings was evaluated in a retrospective analysis of 46 patients who underwent cataract surgery from January 1, 2014, to October 7, 2015, and who were identified before surgery to be at risk for intraoperative miosis. The qualifying factors were presurgical examination of pupil dilation ≤5.0 mm after being administered topical tropicamide 1% and phenylephrine 2.5% or history of IFIS during surgery in the fellow eye. All patients received a 2-day preoperative course of topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs and day-of-surgery preoperative dilation using topical cyclopentolate 1%, tropicamide 1%, and phenylephrine 10%. Phenylephrine/ketorolac 1%/0.3% (Omidria® or epinephrine 1:1,000 with sulfites was added to the ophthalmic irrigation solution and delivered intracamerally at the start of the procedure and throughout surgery. The use of iris fixation rings and surgical time for each patient were captured for each group. Results: Eighteen (50% of the patients in the epinephrine group and no patients in the phenylephrine/ketorolac group required iris fixation ring insertion to maintain pupil dilation or to control IFIS (p=0.0034. Mean surgical time was significantly shorter in the group of patients who received phenylephrine/ketorolac (p=0.0068. Conclusion: In this retrospective cohort analysis of patients with poorly dilated pupils and/or IFIS, the use of intracameral phenylephrine/ketorolac in patients at risk for intraoperative

Market Makers' Supply and Pricing of Financial Market Liquidity

OpenAIRE

Shen, Pu; Starr, Ross M.

2000-01-01

This study models the bid-ask spread in financial markets as a function of asset price variability and order flow. The market-maker is characterized as passively accepting orders to buy and to sell a security at the market's prevailing price (plus or minus half the bid-ask spread). The bid-ask spread adjusts to cover market-makers' average costs. The bid-ask spread then varies positively with: the security's price volatility, the volatility of order flow, and the absolute value of the market-...

The Morality of University Decision-Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Hatier, Cécile

2014-01-01

Ethical failures in UK higher education have recently made the news but are not a recent development. University decision-makers can, in order to adopt an ethical way of reasoning, resort to several ethical traditions. This article focuses, through the use of concrete examples, on three which have had a significant impact in recent higher…

Patient satisfaction and quality of surgical care in US hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Thomas C; Orav, E John; Jha, Ashish K

2015-01-01

The relationship between patient satisfaction and surgical quality is unclear for US hospitals. Using national data, we examined if hospitals with high patient satisfaction have lower levels of performance on accepted measures of the quality and efficiency of surgical care. Federal policymakers have made patient satisfaction a core measure for the way hospitals are evaluated and paid through the value-based purchasing program. There is broad concern that performance on patient satisfaction may have little or even a negative correlation with the quality of surgical care, leading to potential trade-offs in efforts to improve patient experience with other surgical quality measures. We used the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey data from 2010 and 2011 to assess performance on patient experience. We used national Medicare data on 6 common surgical procedures to calculate measures of surgical efficiency and quality: risk-adjusted length of stay, process score, risk-adjusted mortality rate, risk-adjusted readmission rate, and a composite z score across all 4 metrics. Multivariate models adjusting for hospital characteristics were used to assess the independent relationships between patient satisfaction and measures of surgical efficiency and quality. Of the 2953 US hospitals that perform one of these 6 procedures, the median patient satisfaction score was 69.5% (interquartile range, 63%-75.5%). Length of stay was shorter in hospitals with the highest levels of patient satisfaction (7.1 days vs 7.7 days, P patient satisfaction had the higher process of care performance (96.5 vs 95.5, P patient satisfaction also had a higher composite score for quality across all measures (P patient satisfaction provided more efficient care and were associated with higher surgical quality. Our findings suggest there need not be a trade-off between good quality of care for surgical patients and ensuring a positive patient experience.

Establishing a community of practice of researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and communities to sustainably manage environmental health risks in Ecuador.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiegel, Jerry M; Breilh, Jaime; Beltran, Efrain; Parra, Jorge; Solis, Fernanda; Yassi, Annalee; Rojas, Alejandro; Orrego, Elena; Henry, Bonnie; Bowie, William R; Pearce, Laurie; Gaibor, Juan; Velasquez, Patricio; Concepcion, Miriam; Parkes, Margot

2011-11-08

The Sustainably Managing Environmental Health Risk in Ecuador project was launched in 2004 as a partnership linking a large Canadian university with leading Cuban and Mexican institutes to strengthen the capacities of four Ecuadorian universities for leading community-based learning and research in areas as diverse as pesticide poisoning, dengue control, water and sanitation, and disaster preparedness. In implementing curriculum and complementary innovations through application of an ecosystem approach to health, our interdisciplinary international team focused on the question: "Can strengthening of institutional capacities to support a community of practice of researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and communities produce positive health outcomes and improved capacities to sustainably translate knowledge?" To assess progress in achieving desired outcomes, we review results associated with the logic framework analysis used to guide the project, focusing on how a community of practice network has strengthened implementation, including follow-up tracking of program trainees and presentation of two specific case studies. By 2009, train-the-trainer project initiation involved 27 participatory action research Master's theses in 15 communities where 1200 community learners participated in the implementation of associated interventions. This led to establishment of innovative Ecuadorian-led master's and doctoral programs, and a Population Health Observatory on Collective Health, Environment and Society for the Andean region based at the Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar. Building on this network, numerous initiatives were begun, such as an internationally funded research project to strengthen dengue control in the coastal community of Machala, and establishment of a local community eco-health centre focusing on determinants of health near Cuenca. Strengthening capabilities for producing and applying knowledge through direct engagement with affected populations and

Establishing a community of practice of researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and communities to sustainably manage environmental health risks in Ecuador

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry Bonnie

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Sustainably Managing Environmental Health Risk in Ecuador project was launched in 2004 as a partnership linking a large Canadian university with leading Cuban and Mexican institutes to strengthen the capacities of four Ecuadorian universities for leading community-based learning and research in areas as diverse as pesticide poisoning, dengue control, water and sanitation, and disaster preparedness. Methods In implementing curriculum and complementary innovations through application of an ecosystem approach to health, our interdisciplinary international team focused on the question: “Can strengthening of institutional capacities to support a community of practice of researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and communities produce positive health outcomes and improved capacities to sustainably translate knowledge?” To assess progress in achieving desired outcomes, we review results associated with the logic framework analysis used to guide the project, focusing on how a community of practice network has strengthened implementation, including follow-up tracking of program trainees and presentation of two specific case studies. Results By 2009, train-the-trainer project initiation involved 27 participatory action research Master’s theses in 15 communities where 1200 community learners participated in the implementation of associated interventions. This led to establishment of innovative Ecuadorian-led master’s and doctoral programs, and a Population Health Observatory on Collective Health, Environment and Society for the Andean region based at the Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar. Building on this network, numerous initiatives were begun, such as an internationally funded research project to strengthen dengue control in the coastal community of Machala, and establishment of a local community eco-health centre focusing on determinants of health near Cuenca. Discussion Strengthening capabilities for producing and

The effect of quitting smoking on the risk of unfavorable events after surgical treatment of oral potentially malignant lesions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vladimirov, B S; Schiødt, Morten

2009-01-01

smokers at the time of diagnosis and were treated surgically. Patients were advised to quit smoking at each visit. The change of smoking habits and occurrence of unfavorable events were noted during follow-up. Descriptive statistics, Fischer's exact test, Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank test, and Cox......The aim of this study was to examine if cessation of smoking after surgical excision of oral potentially malignant lesions in smokers reduced the risk of recurrences, development of new lesions or malignancies. 51 patients with oral leukoplakia or erythroplakia were included. They were daily...... proportional hazards model were used for analysis. 16 patients (31%) quit smoking during the observation period. Only one quitter (6%) developed recurrence compared with 11 continuing smokers (33%) (p

Hypoxaemia in the general surgical ward--a potential risk factor?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenberg, J

1994-01-01

After major operations, hypoxaemia is common in the late postoperative period in the surgical ward. Recent studies of humans after major operations showed that such hypoxaemia may be related to the development of myocardial ischaemia and cardiac arrhythmias, even in patients with no preoperative...... signs or symptoms of coronary artery disease. Experimental studies have shown an adverse effect of tissue hypoxia on wound healing and on resistance to bacterial wound infections. Finally, mental confusion and surgical delirium may be related to inadequate arterial oxygenation during the late...

An integrated assessment of climate change impacts for Athens- relevance to stakeholders and policy makers

Science.gov (United States)

Giannakopoulos, C.; Hatzaki, M.; Kostopoulou, E.; Varotsos, K.

2010-09-01

Analysing climate change and its impact needs a production of relevant elements for policy making that can be very different from the parameters considered by climate experts. In the framework of EU project CIRCE, a more realistic approach to match stakeholders and policy-makers demands is attempted. For this reason, within CIRCE selected case studies have been chosen that will provide assessments that can be integrated in practical decision making. In this work, an integrated assessment of climate change impacts on several sectors for the urban site of Athens in Greece is presented. The Athens urban case study has been chosen since it provides excellent opportunities for using an integrated approach across multiple temporal and spatial scales and sectors. In the spatial dimension, work extends from the inner city boundaries to the surrounding mountains and forests. In the temporal dimension, research ranges from the current observed time period (using available meteorological and sector data) to future time periods using data from several climate change projections. In addition, a multi-sector approach to climate change impacts is adopted. Impacts sectors covered range from direct climate impacts on natural ecosystems (such as flash floods, air pollution and forest fire risk) to indirect impacts resulting from combined climate-social-economic linkages (such as energy demand, tourism and health). Discussion of impact sector risks and adaptation measures are also exploited. Case-study work on impact sector risk to climate change is of particular interest to relevant policy makers and stakeholders, communication with who is ensured through a series of briefing notes and information sheets and through regional workshops.

Testicular neoplasia in undescended testes of cryptorchid boys-does surgical strategy have an impact on the risk of invasive testicular neoplasia?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cortes, Dina; Thorup, Jørgen Mogens; Petersen, Bodil Laub

2004-01-01

We investigated whether or not surgical strategy has an impact on the risk of invasive testicular neoplasia in cases of cryptorchidism. We made a database study of the incidence of testicular neoplasia at surgery for cryptorchidism in childhood, and evaluated if such abnormalities were found......, p placed...

Communication with U.S. federal decision makers : a primer with notes on the use of computer models as a means of communication.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Webb, Erik Karl; Tidwell, Vincent Carroll

2009-10-01

This document outlines ways to more effectively communicate with U.S. Federal decision makers by outlining the structure, authority, and motivations of various Federal groups, how to find the trusted advisors, and how to structure communication. All three branches of Federal governments have decision makers engaged in resolving major policy issues. The Legislative Branch (Congress) negotiates the authority and the resources that can be used by the Executive Branch. The Executive Branch has some latitude in implementation and prioritizing resources. The Judicial Branch resolves disputes. The goal of all decision makers is to choose and implement the option that best fits the needs and wants of the community. However, understanding the risk of technical, political and/or financial infeasibility and possible unintended consequences is extremely difficult. Primarily, decision makers are supported in their deliberations by trusted advisors who engage in the analysis of options as well as the day-to-day tasks associated with multi-party negotiations. In the best case, the trusted advisors use many sources of information to inform the process including the opinion of experts and if possible predictive analysis from which they can evaluate the projected consequences of their decisions. The paper covers the following: (1) Understanding Executive and Legislative decision makers - What can these decision makers do? (2) Finding the target audience - Who are the internal and external trusted advisors? (3) Packaging the message - How do we parse and integrate information, and how do we use computer simulation or models in policy communication?

Experiences with a dialogue process between policy makers and global modellers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Daalen, C.E.; Thissen, W.A.H.; Berk, M.M.

1998-01-01

Between 1995 and 1997, a series of five workshops, henceforth called the Delft process, took place with the aim to explore and enhance use of the IMAGE 2 model to support international climate negotiations. The IMAGE 2 model is a multi-disciplinary, integrated model designed to simulate the dynamics of the global society-biosphere-climate system. The workshops facilitated a dialogue between policy makers and scientists involved in the development and applications of the IMAGE 2 model. In this way, policy makers would benefit from the policy makers on how to improve the policy relevance of the IMAGE 2 model. The evaluation at the end of the workshop series showed that participants have used information from the workshop at international negotiation conferences and in preparation of policy documents. The process shows that creating a forum for direct science-policy interactions can be very useful and productive, and has confirmed the importance of creating an open and constructive atmosphere between policy makers, and between policy makers and analysts, to enhance utilisation of scientific knowledge. The authors' analysis also suggests that many factors have to be 'in the right position at the right time and place' to achieve such a success, and that it is difficult to prevent the occurrence of biases in processes like this. 33 refs

Surgical versus non-surgical management for pleural empyema.

Science.gov (United States)

Redden, Mark D; Chin, Tze Yang; van Driel, Mieke L

2017-03-17

Empyema refers to pus in the pleural space, commonly due to adjacent pneumonia, chest wall injury, or a complication of thoracic surgery. A range of therapeutic options are available for its management, ranging from percutaneous aspiration and intercostal drainage to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or thoracotomy drainage. Intrapleural fibrinolytics may also be administered following intercostal drain insertion to facilitate pleural drainage. There is currently a lack of consensus regarding optimal treatment. To assess the effectiveness and safety of surgical versus non-surgical treatments for complicated parapneumonic effusion or pleural empyema. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (2016, Issue 9), MEDLINE (Ebscohost) (1946 to July week 3 2013, July 2015 to October 2016) and MEDLINE (Ovid) (1 May 2013 to July week 1 2015), Embase (2010 to October 2016), CINAHL (1981 to October 2016) and LILACS (1982 to October 2016) on 20 October 2016. We searched ClinicalTrials.gov and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform for ongoing studies (December 2016). Randomised controlled trials that compared a surgical with a non-surgical method of management for all age groups with pleural empyema. Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data, and checked the data for accuracy. We contacted trial authors for additional information. We assessed the quality of the evidence using the GRADE approach. We included eight randomised controlled trials with a total of 391 participants. Six trials focused on children and two on adults. Trials compared tube thoracostomy drainage (non-surgical), with or without intrapleural fibrinolytics, to either VATS or thoracotomy (surgical) for the management of pleural empyema. Assessment of risk of bias for the included studies was generally unclear for selection and blinding but low for attrition and reporting bias. Data analyses compared

The association between caudal anesthesia and increased risk of postoperative surgical complications in boys undergoing hypospadias repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Taicher, Brad M; Routh, Jonathan C; Eck, John B; Ross, Sherry S; Wiener, John S; Ross, Allison K

2017-07-01

Recent reports have suggested that caudal anesthesia may be associated with an increased risk of postoperative surgical complications. We examined our experience with caudal anesthesia in hypospadias repair to evaluate for increased risk of urethrocutaneous fistula or glanular dehiscence. All hypospadias repairs performed by a single surgeon in 2001-2014 were reviewed. Staged or revision surgeries were excluded. Patient age, weight, hypospadias severity, surgery duration, month and year of surgery, caudal anesthesia use, and postoperative complications were recorded. Bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed. We identified 395 single-stage primary hypospadias repairs. Mean age was 15.6 months; 326 patients had distal (83%) and 69 had proximal (17%) hypospadias. Caudal anesthetics were used in 230 (58%) cases; 165 patients (42%) underwent local penile block at the discretion of the surgeon and/or anesthesiologist. Complications of urethrocutaneous fistula or glanular deshiscence occurred in 22 patients (5.6%) and were associated with caudal anesthetic use (OR 16.5, 95% CI 2.2-123.8, P = 0.007), proximal hypospadias (OR 8.2, 95% CI 3.3-20.0, P anesthesia was associated with an over 13-fold increase in the odds of developing postoperative surgical complications in boys undergoing hypospadias repair even after adjusting for urethral meatus location. Until further investigation occurs, clinicians should carefully consider the use of caudal anesthesia for children undergoing hypospadias repair. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Liability exposure for surgical robotics instructors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yu L; Kilic, Gokhan; Phelps, John Y

2012-01-01

Surgical robotics instructors provide an essential service in improving the competency of novice gynecologic surgeons learning robotic surgery and advancing surgical skills on behalf of patients. However, despite best intentions, robotics instructors and the gynecologists who use their services expose themselves to liability. The fear of litigation in the event of a surgical complication may reduce the availability and utility of robotics instructors. A better understanding of the principles of duty of care and the physician-patient relationship, and their potential applicability in a court of law likely will help to dismantle some concerns and uncertainties about liability. This commentary is not meant to discourage current and future surgical instructors but to raise awareness of liability issues among robotics instructors and their students and to recommend certain preventive measures to curb potential liability risks. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Is there an increased risk of post-operative surgical site infection after orthopaedic surgery in HIV patients? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kigera, James W M; Straetemans, Masja; Vuhaka, Simplice K; Nagel, Ingeborg M; Naddumba, Edward K; Boer, Kimberly

2012-01-01

There is dilemma as to whether patients infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) requiring implant orthopaedic surgery are at an increased risk for post-operative surgical site infection (SSI). We conducted a systematic review to determine the effect of HIV on the risk of post-operative SSI and sought to determine if this risk is altered by antibiotic use beyond 24 hours. We searched electronic databases, manually searched citations from relevant articles, and reviewed conference proceedings. The risk of postoperative SSI was pooled using Mantel-Haenszel method. We identified 18 cohort studies with 16 mainly small studies, addressing the subject. The pooled risk ratio of infection in the HIV patients when compared to non-HIV patients was 1.8 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.3-2.4), in studies in Africa this was 2.3 (95% CI 1.5-3.5). In a sensitivity analysis the risk ratio was reduced to 1.4 (95% CI 0.5-3.8). The risk ratio of infection in patients receiving prolonged antibiotics compared to patients receiving antibiotics for up to 24 hours was 0.7 (95% CI 0.1-4.2). The results may indicate an increased risk in HIV infected patients but these results are not robust and inconclusive after conducting the sensitivity analysis removing poor quality studies. There is need for larger good quality studies to provide conclusive evidence. To better develop surgical protocols, further studies should determine the effect of reduced CD4 counts, viral load suppression and prolonged antibiotics on the risk for infection.

Surgical strategies in childhood craniopharyngioma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jörg eFlitsch

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Craniopharyngiomas are biologically benign lesions (WHO Grade 1 of the sellar and suprasellar region, associated with a serious morbidity. About 50% of these tumors become clinically apparent during childhood. Clinical symptoms include headaches, chiasm syndrome, hydrocephalus, pituitary insufficiencies, and obesity. Growth arrest is a typical symptom in children. The treatment of craniopharyngiomas includes surgery as well as radiotherapy. The goal of surgery varies according to the tumor location and extension and may range from complete resection to biopsy. Surgical complications are well known and cause constant evaluation of surgical strategies. Diencephalic obesity is related to surgical manipulation of hypothalamic tissue. Therefore, a classification system for craniopharyngiomas based on preoperative MRI is suggested by the authors, which may help assess the surgical risk. Recurrences are frequent in craniopharyngiomas, even after complete or gross-total resection. Radiotherapy is therefore recommended to patients with incomplete resections. However, the ideal time for radiotherapy after surgery is under discussion.The treatment of craniopharyngiomas requires an interdisciplinary and multimodal approach. Each patient should receive an individually tailored treatment. Surgically, different approaches as well as different degrees of resection can be considered, depending on tumor location and tumor extension.

Surveillance of surgical site infections at a tertiary care hospital in Greece: incidence, risk factors, microbiology, and impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Roumbelaki, Maria; Kritsotakis, Evangelos I; Tsioutis, Constantinos; Tzilepi, Penelope; Gikas, Achilleas

2008-12-01

In this first attempt to implement a standardized surveillance system of surgical site infections (SSI) in a Greek hospital, our objective was to identify areas for improvement by comparing main epidemiologic and microbiologic features of SSI with international data. The National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system protocols were employed to prospectively collect data for patients in 8 surgical wards who underwent surgery during a 9-month period. SSI rates were benchmarked with international data using standardized infection ratios. Risk factors were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression. A total of 129 SSI was identified in 2420 operations (5.3%), of which 47.3% developed after discharge. SSI rates were higher for 2 of 20 operation categories compared with Spanish and Italian data and for 12 of 20 categories compared with NNIS data. Gram-positive microorganisms accounted for 52.1% of SSI isolates, and Enterococci were predominant. Alarming resistance patterns for Enterococcus faecium and Acinetobacter baumannii were recorded. Potentially modifiable risk factors for SSI included multiple procedures, extended duration of operation, and antibiotic prophylaxis. SSI was associated with prolongation of postoperative stay but not with mortality. Comparisons of surveillance data in our hospital with international benchmarks provided useful information for infection control interventions to reduce the incidence of SSI.

Short Operative Duration and Surgical Site Infection Risk in Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Dicks, Kristen V; Baker, Arthur W; Durkin, Michael J; Anderson, Deverick J; Moehring, Rebekah W; Chen, Luke F; Sexton, Daniel J; Weber, David J; Lewis, Sarah S

2015-12-01

To determine the association (1) between shorter operative duration and surgical site infection (SSI) and (2) between surgeon median operative duration and SSI risk among first-time hip and knee arthroplasties. Retrospective cohort study A total of 43 community hospitals located in the southeastern United States. Adults who developed SSIs according to National Healthcare Safety Network criteria within 365 days of first-time knee or hip arthroplasties performed between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012. Log-binomial regression models estimated the association (1) between operative duration and SSI outcome and (2) between surgeon median operative duration and SSI outcome. Hip and knee arthroplasties were evaluated in separate models. Each model was adjusted for American Society of Anesthesiology score and patient age. A total of 25,531 hip arthroplasties and 42,187 knee arthroplasties were included in the study. The risk of SSI in knee arthroplasties with an operative duration shorter than the 25th percentile was 0.40 times the risk of SSI in knee arthroplasties with an operative duration between the 25th and 75th percentile (risk ratio [RR], 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-0.56; Poperative duration did not demonstrate significant association with SSI for hip arthroplasties (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.79-1.37; P=.36). Knee arthroplasty surgeons with shorter median operative durations had a lower risk of SSI than surgeons with typical median operative durations (RR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.43-0.64; Poperative durations were not associated with a higher SSI risk for knee or hip arthroplasty procedures in our analysis.

The Maker Movement, the Promise of Higher Education, and the Future of Work

Science.gov (United States)

Wigner, Aubrey

The 21st century will be the site of numerous changes in education systems in response to a rapidly evolving technological environment where existing skill sets and career structures may cease to exist or, at the very least, change dramatically. Likewise, the nature of work will also change to become more automated and more technologically intensive across all sectors, from food service to scientific research. Simply having technical expertise or the ability to process and retain facts will in no way guarantee success in higher education or a satisfying career. Instead, the future will value those educated in a way that encourages collaboration with technology, critical thinking, creativity, clear communication skills, and strong lifelong learning strategies. These changes pose a challenge for higher education's promise of employability and success post-graduation. Addressing how to prepare students for a technologically uncertain future is challenging. One possible model for education to prepare students for the future of work can be found within the Maker Movement. However, it is not fully understood what parts of this movement are most meaningful to implement in education more broadly, and higher education in particular. Through the qualitative analysis of nearly 160 interviews of adult makers, young makers and young makers' parents, this dissertation unpacks how makers are learning, what they are learning, and how these qualities are applicable to education goals and the future of work in the 21st century. This research demonstrates that makers are learning valuable skills to prepare them for the future of work in the 21st century. Makers are learning communication skills, technical skills in fabrication and design, and developing lifelong learning strategies that will help prepare them for life in an increasingly technologically integrated future. This work discusses what aspects of the Maker Movement are most important for integration into higher education.

Effect of Surgical Safety Checklist on Mortality of Surgical Patients in the α University Hospitals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Mohebbifar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background & Aims: Patient safety is one of the indicators of risk management in clinical governance system. Surgical care is one of the most sophisticated medical care in the hospitals. So it is not surprising that nearly half of the adverse events, 66% were related to surgery. Pre-flight aircraft Inspection model is starting point for designing surgical safety checklist that use for audit procedure. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the use of surgical safety checklist on surgical patients mortality and complications. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective descriptive study. This study was conducted in 2012 in the North West of Iran. The population consisted of patients who had undergoing surgery in α university of medical science`s hospital which have surgical department. In this study, 1125 patients underwent surgery within 3 months were studied. Data collection tool was designed based on WHO model and Surgcical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program(SCOAP. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS-20 statistical software and logistic regression analysis was used to calculate P values for each comparison. Results: No significant differences between patients in the two periods (before and after There was. All complications rate reduced from 11 percent to 4 percent after the intervention by checklist (p<0.001. In the all hospitals mortality rate was decreased from 3.44% to 1.3% (p <0.003. Overall rate of surgical site infection and unplanned return to the operating room was reduced (p<0.001 and p<0.046. Conclusion: Many people every year due to lack of safety in hospitals, lose their lives. Despite the risks, such as leaving surgery sets in patient body and wrong surgery is due to lack of proper safety programs during surgery. By using safety checklist in all hospitals mortality rate and complications was reduced but this reduction was extremely in α3 hospital (from 5.2% to 1.48%.

Acetabular Dysplasia and Surgical Approaches Other Than Direct Anterior Increases Risk for Malpositioning of the Acetabular Component in Total Hip Arthroplasty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gromov, Kirill; Greene, Meridith E; Huddleston, James I

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Persistent acetabular dysplasia (AD) after periacetabular osteotomy has been hypothesized to increase the risk for malpositioning of the acetabular component. In this study, we investigate whether AD is an independent risk factor for cup malpositioning during primary total hip...... arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: Patient demographics, surgical approach, presence of AD assessed using the lateral center-edge angle, and acetabular cup positioning determined using Martell Hip Analysis Suite were investigated in 836 primary THA patients enrolled in a prospective multicenter study. RESULTS: We...

The flaws in the detail of an observational study on transcatheter aortic valve implantation versus surgical aortic valve replacement in intermediate-risks patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barili, Fabio; Freemantle, Nick; Folliguet, Thierry; Muneretto, Claudio; de Bonis, Michele; Czerny, Martin; Obadia, Jean Francois; Al-Attar, Nawwar; Bonaros, Nikolaos; Kluin, Jolanda; Lorusso, Roberto; Punjabi, Prakash; Sadaba, Rafael; Suwalski, Piotr; Benedetto, Umberto; Böning, Andreas; Falk, Volkmar; Sousa-Uva, Miguel; Kappetein, Pieter A.; Menicanti, Lorenzo

2017-01-01

The PARTNER group recently published a comparison between the latest generation SAPIEN 3 transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) system (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in intermediate-risk patients, apparently demonstrating superiority of

Change Makers: The Struggle for Consumer Rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Helen E.; And Others

1995-01-01

"Video Documentary Project: A Brief History" (Nelson, Clark) describes "Change Makers: The Struggle for Consumer Rights," a documentary that tells stories of ordinary people who participated in the struggle to obtain fairness in the marketplace. "An Appraisal" (Mayer) offers a review of the film. (JOW)

[Orthognathic surgery: surgical failures and complications].

Science.gov (United States)

Guyot, Laurent

2016-03-01

Orthognathic surgery procedures mark the endpoint of lengthy orthodontic-surgical preparations and herald the completion of treatment for patients and their families. The main types of procedure are full maxillary Le Fort I osteotomies, mandibular osteotomies and chin surgery. To ensure a successful outcome, all require a favorable environment and extreme technical skill. But, like all surgical operations, they are also subject to peri- and post-operative complications resulting from treatment hazards or errors. Whatever the cause, surgical complications can entail failures in the management of the malformation. By seeking to understand and analyzing these complications, we can already help to prevent and reduce the contingent risks of failure. © EDP Sciences, SFODF, 2016.

Physical Computing for STEAM Education: Maker-Educators' Experiences in an Online Graduate Course

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Yu-Chang; Ching, Yu-Hui; Baldwin, Sally

2018-01-01

This research explored how K-16 educators learned physical computing, and developed as maker-educators in an online graduate course. With peer support and instructor guidance, these educators designed maker projects using Scratch and Makey Makey, and developed educational maker proposals with plans of teaching the topics of their choice in STEAM…

Significance and management of positive surgical margins at the time of radical prostatectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Silberstein, Jonathan L; Eastham, James A

2014-10-01

Positive surgical margins (PSM) at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP) result in an increased risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) and secondary treatment. We review current literature with a focus on stratifying the characteristics of the PSM that may define its significance, the impact of modern imaging and surgical approaches in avoidance of PSM, and management strategies when PSM do occur. We performed a review of the available literature to identify factors associated with PSM and their management. PSM have been repeatedly demonstrated to be associated with an increased risk of BCR following RP. The specific characteristics (size, number, location, Gleason score at the margin) of the PSM may influence the risk of recurrence. Novel imaging and surgical approaches are being investigated and may allow for reductions of PSM in the future. The use of adjuvant treatment for a PSM remains controversial and should be decided on an individual basis after a discussion about the risks and benefits. The goal of RP is complete resection of the tumor. PSM are associated with increased risk of BCR and secondary treatments. Of the risk factors associated with BCR after RP, a PSM is directly influenced by surgical technique.

Significance and management of positive surgical margins at the time of radical prostatectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan L. Silberstein

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Positive surgical margins (PSM at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP result in an increased risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR and secondary treatment. We review current literature with a focus on stratifying the characteristics of the PSM that may define its significance, the impact of modern imaging and surgical approaches in avoidance of PSM, and management strategies when PSM do occur. We performed a review of the available literature to identify factors associated with PSM and their management. PSM have been repeatedly demonstrated to be associated with an increased risk of BCR following RP. The specific characteristics (size, number, location, Gleason score at the margin of the PSM may influence the risk of recurrence. Novel imaging and surgical approaches are being investigated and may allow for reductions of PSM in the future. The use of adjuvant treatment for a PSM remains controversial and should be decided on an individual basis after a discussion about the risks and benefits. The goal of RP is complete resection of the tumor. PSM are associated with increased risk of BCR and secondary treatments. Of the risk factors associated with BCR after RP, a PSM is directly influenced by surgical technique.

Effect of risk aversion on prioritizing conservation projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Tulloch, Ayesha I T; Maloney, Richard F; Joseph, Liana N; Bennett, Joseph R; Di Fonzo, Martina M I; Probert, William J M; O'Connor, Shaun M; Densem, Jodie P; Possingham, Hugh P

2015-04-01

Conservation outcomes are uncertain. Agencies making decisions about what threat mitigation actions to take to save which species frequently face the dilemma of whether to invest in actions with high probability of success and guaranteed benefits or to choose projects with a greater risk of failure that might provide higher benefits if they succeed. The answer to this dilemma lies in the decision maker's aversion to risk--their unwillingness to accept uncertain outcomes. Little guidance exists on how risk preferences affect conservation investment priorities. Using a prioritization approach based on cost effectiveness, we compared 2 approaches: a conservative probability threshold approach that excludes investment in projects with a risk of management failure greater than a fixed level, and a variance-discounting heuristic used in economics that explicitly accounts for risk tolerance and the probabilities of management success and failure. We applied both approaches to prioritizing projects for 700 of New Zealand's threatened species across 8303 management actions. Both decision makers' risk tolerance and our choice of approach to dealing with risk preferences drove the prioritization solution (i.e., the species selected for management). Use of a probability threshold minimized uncertainty, but more expensive projects were selected than with variance discounting, which maximized expected benefits by selecting the management of species with higher extinction risk and higher conservation value. Explicitly incorporating risk preferences within the decision making process reduced the number of species expected to be safe from extinction because lower risk tolerance resulted in more species being excluded from management, but the approach allowed decision makers to choose a level of acceptable risk that fit with their ability to accommodate failure. We argue for transparency in risk tolerance and recommend that decision makers accept risk in an adaptive management

Risk factors for worsened muscle strength after the surgical treatment of arteriovenous malformations of the eloquent motor area.

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Lin, Fuxin; Zhao, Bing; Wu, Jun; Wang, Lijun; Jin, Zhen; Cao, Yong; Wang, Shuo

2016-08-01

OBJECT Case selection for the surgical treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the eloquent motor area remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for worsened muscle strength after surgery in patients with this disorder. METHODS At their hospital the authors retrospectively studied 48 consecutive patients with AVMs involving motor cortex and/or the descending pathway. All patients had undergone preoperative functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), followed by resection. Both functional and angioarchitectural factors were analyzed with respect to the change in muscle strength. Functional factors included lesion-to-corticospinal tract distance (LCD) on DTI and lesion-to-activation area distance (LAD) and cortical reorganization on fMRI. Based on preoperative muscle strength, the changes in muscle strength at 1 week and 6 months after surgery were defined as short-term and long-term surgical outcomes, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical package SPSS (version 20.0.0, IBM Corp.). RESULTS Twenty-one patients (43.8%) had worsened muscle strength 1 week after surgery. However, only 10 patients (20.8%) suffered from muscle strength worsening 6 months after surgery. The LCD was significantly correlated with short-term (p 0 mm (p = 0.009) and LCD > 5 mm (p 0 mm group and LCD > 5 mm group (p = 0.116). Nidus size was the other significant predictor of short-term (p = 0.021) and long-term (p = 0.016) outcomes. For long-term outcomes, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.728, and the cutoff point was 3.6 cm. Spetzler-Martin grade was not associated with short-term surgical outcomes (0.143), although it was correlated with long-term outcomes (0.038). CONCLUSIONS An AVM with a nidus in contact with tracked eloquent fibers (LCD = 0) and having a large size is more likely to be associated with worsened muscle strength after surgery in patients with eloquent motor area AVMs. Surgical

Research on linear driving of wave maker; Zoha sochi no linear drive ka kenkyu

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Yamamoto, I; Taniguchi, S; Nohara, T [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-01

The water tank test of marine structures or submarine structures uses a wave maker to generate waves. A typical flap wave maker uses the wave making flap penetrating a water surface whose bottom is fixed on a tank bottom through a hinge, and the top is connected with a rod driven by rotating servomotor for reciprocating motion of the flap. However, this driving gear using a rotating servomotor and a bowl- screw has some defects such as noise caused by bowl rotation, backlash due to wear and limited driving speed. A linear motor with less friction mechanisms was thus applied to the driving gear. The performance test result of the prototype driving gear using a linear motor showed the possibility of the linear driven wave maker. The linear driven wave maker could also achieve low noise and simple mechanism. The sufficient durability and applicability of the linear driven wave maker mechanism were confirmed through strength calculation necessary for improving the prototype wave maker. 1 ref., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

Surgical treatment of gynecomastia: complications and outcomes.

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Li, Chun-Chang; Fu, Ju-Peng; Chang, Shun-Cheng; Chen, Tim-Mo; Chen, Shyi-Gen

2012-11-01

Gynecomastia is defined as the benign enlargement of the male breast. Multiple surgical options have been used to improve outcomes. The aim of this study was to analyze the surgical approaches to the treatment of gynecomastia and their outcomes over a 10-year period. All patients undergoing surgical correction of gynecomastia in our department between 2000 and 2010 were included for retrospective evaluation. The data were analyzed for etiology, stage of gynecomastia, surgical technique, complications, risk factors, and revision rate. The surgical result was evaluated with self-assessment questionnaires. A total of 41 patients with 75 operations were included. Techniques included subcutaneous mastectomy alone or with additional ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL) and isolated UAL. The surgical revision rate for all patients was 4.8%. The skin-sparing procedure gave good surgical results in grade IIb and grade III gynecomastia with low revision and complication rates. The self-assessment report revealed a good level of overall satisfaction and improvement in self-confidence (average scores 9.4 and 9.2, respectively, on a 10-point scale). The treatment of gynecomastia requires an individualized approach. Subcutaneous mastectomy combined with UAL could be used as the first choice for surgical treatment of grade II and III gynecomastia.

clusterMaker: a multi-algorithm clustering plugin for Cytoscape

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Morris John H

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the post-genomic era, the rapid increase in high-throughput data calls for computational tools capable of integrating data of diverse types and facilitating recognition of biologically meaningful patterns within them. For example, protein-protein interaction data sets have been clustered to identify stable complexes, but scientists lack easily accessible tools to facilitate combined analyses of multiple data sets from different types of experiments. Here we present clusterMaker, a Cytoscape plugin that implements several clustering algorithms and provides network, dendrogram, and heat map views of the results. The Cytoscape network is linked to all of the other views, so that a selection in one is immediately reflected in the others. clusterMaker is the first Cytoscape plugin to implement such a wide variety of clustering algorithms and visualizations, including the only implementations of hierarchical clustering, dendrogram plus heat map visualization (tree view, k-means, k-medoid, SCPS, AutoSOME, and native (Java MCL. Results Results are presented in the form of three scenarios of use: analysis of protein expression data using a recently published mouse interactome and a mouse microarray data set of nearly one hundred diverse cell/tissue types; the identification of protein complexes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae; and the cluster analysis of the vicinal oxygen chelate (VOC enzyme superfamily. For scenario one, we explore functionally enriched mouse interactomes specific to particular cellular phenotypes and apply fuzzy clustering. For scenario two, we explore the prefoldin complex in detail using both physical and genetic interaction clusters. For scenario three, we explore the possible annotation of a protein as a methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase within the VOC superfamily. Cytoscape session files for all three scenarios are provided in the Additional Files section. Conclusions The Cytoscape plugin clusterMaker

Mapping of multiple criteria for priority setting of health interventions: an aid for decision makers

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Tromp Noor

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In rationing decisions in health, many criteria like costs, effectiveness, equity and feasibility concerns play a role. These criteria stem from different disciplines that all aim to inform health care rationing decisions, but a single underlying concept that incorporates all criteria does not yet exist. Therefore, we aim to develop a conceptual mapping of criteria, based on the World Health Organization’s Health Systems Performance and Health Systems Building Blocks frameworks. This map can be an aid to decision makers to identify the relevant criteria for priority setting in their specific context. Methods We made an inventory of all possible criteria for priority setting on the basis of literature review. We categorized the criteria according to both health system frameworks that spell out a country’s health system goals and input. We reason that the criteria that decision makers use in priority setting exercises are a direct manifestation of this. Results Our map includes thirty-one criteria that are distributed among five categories that reflect the goals of a health system (i.e. to improve level of health, fair distribution of health, responsiveness, social & financial risk protection and efficiency and leadership/governance one category that reflects feasibiliy based on the health system building blocks (i.e. service delivery, health care workforce , information, medical products, vaccines & technologies, financing and. Conclusions This conceptual mapping of criteria, based on well-established health system frameworks, will further develop the field of priority setting by assisting decision makers in the identification of multiple criteria for selection of health interventions.

A Reward-Maximizing Spiking Neuron as a Bounded Rational Decision Maker.

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Leibfried, Felix; Braun, Daniel A

2015-08-01

Rate distortion theory describes how to communicate relevant information most efficiently over a channel with limited capacity. One of the many applications of rate distortion theory is bounded rational decision making, where decision makers are modeled as information channels that transform sensory input into motor output under the constraint that their channel capacity is limited. Such a bounded rational decision maker can be thought to optimize an objective function that trades off the decision maker's utility or cumulative reward against the information processing cost measured by the mutual information between sensory input and motor output. In this study, we interpret a spiking neuron as a bounded rational decision maker that aims to maximize its expected reward under the computational constraint that the mutual information between the neuron's input and output is upper bounded. This abstract computational constraint translates into a penalization of the deviation between the neuron's instantaneous and average firing behavior. We derive a synaptic weight update rule for such a rate distortion optimizing neuron and show in simulations that the neuron efficiently extracts reward-relevant information from the input by trading off its synaptic strengths against the collected reward.

Surgical smoke and infection control.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alp, E.; Bijl, D.; Bleichrodt, R.P.; Hansson, B.M.; Voss, A.

2006-01-01

Gaseous byproducts produced during electrocautery, laser surgery or the use of ultrasonic scalpels are usually referred to as 'surgical smoke'. This smoke, produced with or without a heating process, contains bio-aerosols with viable and non-viable cellular material that subsequently poses a risk of

A Framework for Investigating Influence of Organizational Decision Makers on Data Mining Process Achievement

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Hanieh Hajisafari

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Currently, few studies deal with evaluation of data mining plans in context of solvng organizational problems. A successful data miner is searching to solve a fully defined business problem. To make the data mining (DM results actionable, the data miner must explain them to the business insider. The interaction process between the business insiders and data miners is actually a knowledge-sharing process. In this study through representing a framwork, influence of organizational decision makers on data mining process and results investigated. By investigating research literature, the critical success factors of data mining plans was identified and the role of organizational decision makers in each step of data mining was investigated.‌ Then, the conceptual framework of influence of organizational decision makers on data mining process achievement was designed. By getting expert opinions, the proposed framework was analyzed and evantually designed the final framework of influence of organizational decision makers on data mining process achievement. Analysis of experts opinions showed that by knowledge sharing of data ming results with decision makers, "learning", "action or internalization" and "enforcing/unlearning" will become as critical success factors. Also, results of examining importance of decision makers' feedback on data mining steps showed that getting feedback from decision makers could have most influence on "knowledge extraction and representing model" step and least on "data cleaning and preprocessing" step.

Modeling risk and uncertainty in designing reverse logistics problem

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Aida Nazari Gooran

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Increasing attention to environmental problems and social responsibility lead to appear reverse logistic (RL issues in designing supply chain which, in most recently, has received considerable attention from both academicians and practitioners. In this paper, a multi-product reverse logistic network design model is developed; then a hybrid method including Chance-constrained programming, Genetic algorithm and Monte Carlo simulation, are proposed to solve the developed model. The proposed model is solved for risk-averse and risk-seeking decision makers by conditional value at risk, sum of the excepted value and standard deviation, respectively. Comparisons of the results show that minimizing the costs had no direct relation with the kind of decision makers; however, in the most cases, risk-seeking decision maker gained more return products than risk-averse ones. It is clear that by increasing returned products to the chain, production costs of new products and material will be reduced and also by this act, environmental benefits will be created.

Extracranial Carotid Artery Stenting in Surgically High-Risk Patients Using the Carotid Wallstent Endoprosthesis:Midterm Clinical and Ultrasound Follow-Up Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maleux, Geert; Bernaerts, Pauwel; Thijs, Vincent; Daenens, Kim; Vaninbroukx, Johan; Fourneau, Inge; Nevelsteen, Andre

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety and midterm outcome of elective implantation of the Carotid Wallstent (registered) in patients considered to be at high surgical risk. In a prospective study, 54 carotid artery stenoses in 51 patients were stented over a 24-month period. Three patients underwent bilateral carotid artery stenting. Institutional inclusion criteria for invasive treatment of carotid occlusive disease (carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting) are patients presenting with a 70% or more symptomatic stenosis and those with an 80% or more asymptomatic stenosis having a life-expectancy of more than 1 year. All patients treated by carotid artery stenting were considered at high risk for carotid endarterectomy because of a hostile neck (17 patients-31.5%) or because of severe comorbidities (37 patients-68.5%). No cerebral protection device was used. Of the 54 lesions, 33 (61.1%) were symptomatic and 21 (38.8%) were asymptomatic. Follow-up was performed by physical examination and by duplex ultrasonography at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after the procedure. All 54 lesions could be stented successfully without periprocedural stroke. Advert events during follow-up (mean 13.9 ± 5.7 months) were non-stroke-related death in 6 patients (11.1%), minor stroke in 4 stented hemispheres(7.4%), transient ipsilateral facial pain in 1 patient (1.8%),infection of the stented surgical patch in 1 patient (1.8%) and asymptomatic in stent restenosis in 4 patients (7.4%). The percutaneous implantation of the Carotid Wallstent (registered) , even without cerebral protection device, appears to be a safe procedure with acceptable clinical and ultrasonographic follow-up results in patients at high surgical risk. But some late adverse events such as ipsilateral recurrence of non-disabling (minor) stroke or in stent restenosis still remain real challenging problems

Risks and risk-analysis for the development of pressure ulcers in surgical patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keller, Bastiaan Paul Johan Aart

2006-01-01

With prevalence figures of 13% for university hospitals and 23% for general hospitals, pressure ulcers are a major health care issue in The Netherlands. Pressure ulcers in surgical patients are frequently encountered, as is illustrated by reported incidence rates up to 66%. The number of patients at

Spinal intramedullary ependymoma: surgical approaches and outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Lawrence F

2018-02-01

Intramedullary ependymomas are uncommon tumors that can occur within the medullary substance of the spinal cord. Despite this difficult location, they are typically benign tumors that can most often be removed completely with an acceptable surgical risk. Therefore, the recommended management approach is usually surgical excision. This review will consider the historical context in which surgeons began treating these tumors and then review the more recent literature that guides their current management.

Extended thromboprophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparins after hospital discharge in high-risk surgical and medical patients: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Michael H; Muntz, James

2009-06-01

Prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism (VTE) is routinely administered during the hospital stay in at-risk surgical and medical patients. However, in high-risk groups, the risk of deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism may persist for several weeks after discharge. The standard duration of thromboprophylaxis (6-14 days) may not provide adequate protection against such events. This article reviews published data on the efficacy and safety profile of extended-duration thromboprophylaxis in patients at high risk for VTE, the potential cost-effectiveness of such treatment, and practical aspects of ensuring an effective transition from the inpatient to the outpatient setting. MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched through January 2009 for relevant English-language reports of clinical trials, abstracts, and case reports. The search terms included, but were not limited to, venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism, anticoagulation, thromboprophylaxis, prolonged duration, and extended duration. The reference lists of the identified articles were reviewed for additional relevant publications. Congress Web sites were also consulted. The principal criteria for inclusion of a study were that it have a prospective, randomized design and include a control group. Case series and retrospective analyses were excluded. Studies have found that extended-duration thromboprophylaxis (28-45 days) with low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) can reduce the risk of VTE in high-risk patients. In separate meta-analyses, extended-duration thromboprophylaxis with LMWH was associated with significant reductions in the likelihood of symptomatic VTE compared with standard-duration thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery (odds ratio [OR] = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.24-0.61) or major abdominal or pelvic surgery (Peto OR = 0.22; 95% CI, 0.06-0.80). There was large heterogeneity in the reported rates of major and minor bleeding. The occurrence of

Risk factors and outcomes of organ-space surgical site infections after elective colon and rectal surgery

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Aina Gomila

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Organ-space surgical site infections (SSI are the most serious and costly infections after colorectal surgery. Most previous studies of risk factors for SSI have analysed colon and rectal procedures together. The aim of the study was to determine whether colon and rectal procedures have different risk factors and outcomes for organ-space SSI. Methods A multicentre observational prospective cohort study of adults undergoing elective colon and rectal procedures at 10 Spanish hospitals from 2011 to 2014. Patients were followed up until 30 days post-surgery. Surgical site infection was defined according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Oral antibiotic prophylaxis (OAP was considered as the administration of oral antibiotics the day before surgery combined with systemic intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis. Results Of 3,701 patients, 2,518 (68% underwent colon surgery and 1,183 (32% rectal surgery. In colon surgery, the overall SSI rate was 16.4% and the organ-space SSI rate was 7.9%, while in rectal surgery the rates were 21.6% and 11.5% respectively (p < 0.001. Independent risk factors for organ-space SSI in colon surgery were male sex (Odds ratio -OR-: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.14–2.15 and ostomy creation (OR: 2.65, 95% CI: 1.8–3.92 while laparoscopy (OR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.38–0.69 and OAP combined with intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis (OR: 0.7, 95% CI: 0.51–0.97 were protective factors. In rectal surgery, independent risk factors for organ-space SSI were male sex (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.34–3.31 and longer surgery (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.03–2.15, whereas OAP with intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis (OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.32–0.73 was a protective factor. Among patients with organ-space SSI, we found a significant difference in the overall 30-day mortality, being higher in colon surgery than in rectal surgery (11.5% vs 5.1%, p = 0.04. Conclusions Organ-space SSI in colon and rectal surgery has some

Carotid Stenting with Distal Protection in High-Surgical-Risk Patients: One-Year Results of the ASTI Trial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bosiers, Marc, E-mail: marc.bosiers@telenet.be [A.Z. Sint-Blasius, Department of Vascular Surgery (Belgium); Scheinert, Dierk, E-mail: dierk.scheinert@gmx.de [Park Hospital, Center for Vascular Medicine-Angiology and Vascular Surgery (Germany); Mathias, Klaus, E-mail: k.mathias@asklepios.com [Klinikum Dortmund GmbH (Germany); Langhoff, Ralf, E-mail: ralf.langhoff@sankt-gertrauden.de [Sankt Gertrauden-Krankenhaus (Germany); Mudra, Harald, E-mail: haraldmudra@aol.com [Klinikum Neuperlach (Germany); Diaz-Cartelle, Juan, E-mail: juan.diazcartelle@bostonscientific.com [One Boston Scientific Place, Boston Scientific Corporation (United States)

2015-04-15

PurposeThis prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized study evaluated the periprocedural and 1-year outcomes in high-surgical-risk patients with carotid artery stenosis treated with the Adapt Carotid Stent plus FilterWire EZ distal protection catheter (Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA).Materials and MethodsThe study enrolled 100 patients (32 symptomatic, 63 asymptomatic, 5 unknown) at high risk for carotid endarterectomy due to prespecified anatomical criteria and/or medical comorbidities. Thirty-day and 1-year follow-up included clinical evaluation, carotid duplex ultrasound, and independent neurologic and NIH stroke scale assessments. One-year endpoints included the composite rate of major adverse events (MAE), defined as death, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) and the rates of late ipsilateral stroke (31–365 days), target lesion revascularization, and in-stent restenosis.ResultsOf the 100 enrolled patients, technical success was achieved in 90.9 % (90/99). The 30-day MAE rate (5.1 %) consisted of major stroke (2.0 %) and minor stroke (3.1 %); no deaths or MIs occurred. The 1-year MAE rate (12.2 %) consisted of death, MI, and stroke rates of 4.4, 3.3, and 8.9 %, respectively. Late ipsilateral stroke (31–365 days) rate was 1.1 %. Symptomatic patients had higher rates of death (11.1 vs. 1.7 %) and MI (7.4 vs. 1.7 %), but lower rates of major (7.4 vs. 10.0 %) and minor stroke (0.0 vs. 6.7 %), compared with asymptomatic patients.ConclusionResults through 1 year postprocedure demonstrated that carotid artery stenting with Adapt Carotid Stent and FilterWire EZ is safe and effective in high-risk-surgical patients.

Carotid Stenting with Distal Protection in High-Surgical-Risk Patients: One-Year Results of the ASTI Trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosiers, Marc; Scheinert, Dierk; Mathias, Klaus; Langhoff, Ralf; Mudra, Harald; Diaz-Cartelle, Juan

2015-01-01

PurposeThis prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized study evaluated the periprocedural and 1-year outcomes in high-surgical-risk patients with carotid artery stenosis treated with the Adapt Carotid Stent plus FilterWire EZ distal protection catheter (Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA).Materials and MethodsThe study enrolled 100 patients (32 symptomatic, 63 asymptomatic, 5 unknown) at high risk for carotid endarterectomy due to prespecified anatomical criteria and/or medical comorbidities. Thirty-day and 1-year follow-up included clinical evaluation, carotid duplex ultrasound, and independent neurologic and NIH stroke scale assessments. One-year endpoints included the composite rate of major adverse events (MAE), defined as death, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) and the rates of late ipsilateral stroke (31–365 days), target lesion revascularization, and in-stent restenosis.ResultsOf the 100 enrolled patients, technical success was achieved in 90.9 % (90/99). The 30-day MAE rate (5.1 %) consisted of major stroke (2.0 %) and minor stroke (3.1 %); no deaths or MIs occurred. The 1-year MAE rate (12.2 %) consisted of death, MI, and stroke rates of 4.4, 3.3, and 8.9 %, respectively. Late ipsilateral stroke (31–365 days) rate was 1.1 %. Symptomatic patients had higher rates of death (11.1 vs. 1.7 %) and MI (7.4 vs. 1.7 %), but lower rates of major (7.4 vs. 10.0 %) and minor stroke (0.0 vs. 6.7 %), compared with asymptomatic patients.ConclusionResults through 1 year postprocedure demonstrated that carotid artery stenting with Adapt Carotid Stent and FilterWire EZ is safe and effective in high-risk-surgical patients

Role of Pre-Operative Blood Transfusion and Subcutaneous Fat Thickness as Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection after Posterior Thoracic Spine Stabilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Osterhoff, Georg; Burla, Laurin; Werner, Clément M L; Jentzsch, Thorsten; Wanner, Guido A; Simmen, Hans-Peter; Sprengel, Kai

2015-06-01

Surgical site infections (SSIs) increase morbidity and mortality rates and generate additional cost for the healthcare system. Pre-operative blood transfusion and the subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) have been described as risk factors for SSI in other surgical areas. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of pre-operative blood transfusion and the SFT on the occurrence of SSI in posterior thoracic spine surgery. In total, 244 patients (median age 55 y; 97 female) who underwent posterior thoracic spine fusions from 2008 to 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. Patient-specific characteristics, pre-operative hemoglobin concentration/hematocrit values, the amount of blood transfused, and the occurrence of a post-operative SSI were documented. The SFT was measured on pre-operative computed tomography scans. Surgical site infection was observed in 26 patients (11%). The SFT was 13 mm in patients without SSI and 14 mm in those with infection (p=0.195). The odds ratio for patients with pre-operative blood transfusion to present with SSI was 3.1 (confidence interval [CI] 1.4-7.2) and 2.7 (CI 1.1-6.4) when adjusted for age. There was no difference between the groups with regard to pre-operative hemoglobin concentration (p=0.519) or hematocrit (p=0.908). The SFT did not differ in the two groups. Allogeneic red blood cell transfusion within 48 h prior to surgery was an independent risk factor for SSI after posterior fusion for the fixation of thoracic spine instabilities. Pre-operative blood transfusion tripled the risk, whereas SFT had no influence on the occurrence of SSI.

Surgical site infection after open reduction and internal fixation of tibial plateau fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shishui; Mauffrey, Cyril; Hammerberg, E Mark; Stahel, Philip F; Hak, David J

2014-07-01

The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for surgical site infections and to quantify the contribution of independent risk factors to the probability of developing infection after definitive fixation of tibial plateau fractures in adult patients. A retrospective analysis was performed at a level I trauma center between January 2004 and December 2010. Data were collected from a review of the patient's electronic medical records. A total of 251 consecutive patients (256 cases) were divided into two groups, those with surgical site infections and those without surgical site infections. Preoperative and perioperative variables were compared between these groups, and risk factors were determined by univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression. Variables analyzed included age, gender, smoking history, diabetes, presence of an open fracture, presence of compartment syndrome, Schatzker classification, polytrauma status, ICU stay, time from injury to surgery, use of temporary external fixation, surgical approach, surgical fixation, operative time, and use of a drain. The overall rate of surgical site infection after ORIF of tibial plateau fractures during the 7 years of this study was 7.8% (20 of 256). The most common causative pathogens was Staphylococcus aureus (n=15, 75%). Independent predictors of surgical site infection identified by multivariate analyses were open tibial plateau fracture (odds ratio=3.9; 95% CI=1.3-11.6; p=0.015) and operative time (odds ratio=2.7; 95% CI=1.6-4.4; psite infection. Both open fracture and operative time are independent risks factors for postoperative infection.

Development and validation of a surgical-pathologic staging and scoring system for cervical cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuang; Li, Xiong; Zhang, Yuan; Zhou, Hang; Tang, Fangxu; Jia, Yao; Hu, Ting; Sun, Haiying; Yang, Ru; Chen, Yile; Cheng, Xiaodong; Lv, Weiguo; Wu, Li; Zhou, Jin; Wang, Shaoshuai; Huang, Kecheng; Wang, Lin; Yao, Yuan; Yang, Qifeng; Yang, Xingsheng; Zhang, Qinghua; Han, Xiaobing; Lin, Zhongqiu; Xing, Hui; Qu, Pengpeng; Cai, Hongbing; Song, Xiaojie; Tian, Xiaoyu; Shen, Jian; Xi, Ling; Li, Kezhen; Deng, Dongrui; Wang, Hui; Wang, Changyu; Wu, Mingfu; Zhu, Tao; Chen, Gang; Gao, Qinglei; Wang, Shixuan; Hu, Junbo; Kong, Beihua; Xie, Xing; Ma, Ding

2016-04-12

Most cervical cancer patients worldwide receive surgical treatments, and yet the current International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system do not consider surgical-pathologic data. We propose a more comprehensive and prognostically valuable surgical-pathologic staging and scoring system (SPSs). Records from 4,220 eligible cervical cancer cases (Cohort 1) were screened for surgical-pathologic risk factors. We constructed a surgical-pathologic staging and SPSs, which was subsequently validated in a prospective study of 1,104 cervical cancer patients (Cohort 2). In Cohort 1, seven independent risk factors were associated with patient outcome: lymph node metastasis (LNM), parametrial involvement, histological type, grade, tumor size, stromal invasion, and lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI). The FIGO staging system was revised and expanded into a surgical-pathologic staging system by including additional criteria of LNM, stromal invasion, and LVSI. LNM was subdivided into three categories based on number and location of metastases. Inclusion of all seven prognostic risk factors improves practical applicability. Patients were stratified into three SPSs risk categories: zero-, low-, and high-score with scores of 0, 1 to 3, and ≥4 (P=1.08E-45; P=6.15E-55). In Cohort 2, 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) outcomes decreased with increased SPSs scores (P=9.04E-15; P=3.23E-16), validating the approach. Surgical-pathologic staging and SPSs show greater homogeneity and discriminatory utility than FIGO staging. Surgical-pathologic staging and SPSs improve characterization of tumor severity and disease invasion, which may more accurately predict outcome and guide postoperative therapy.

Makification: Towards a Framework for Leveraging the Maker Movement in Formal Education

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Jonathan; Jones, W. Monty; Smith, Shaunna; Calandra, Brendan

2017-01-01

Maker culture is part of a burgeoning movement in which individuals leverage modern digital technologies to produce and share physical artifacts with a broader community. Certain components of the maker movement, if properly leveraged, hold promise for transforming formal education in a variety of contexts. The authors here work towards a…

Harvest surgical site infection following coronary artery bypass grafting: risk factors, microbiology, and outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Mamta; Fakih, Mohamad G; Berriel-Cass, Dorine; Meisner, Susan; Saravolatz, Louis; Khatib, Riad

2009-10-01

Our goals were to evaluate the risk factors predisposing to saphenous vein harvest surgical site infection (HSSI), the microbiology implicated, associated outcomes including 30-day mortality, and identify opportunities for prevention of infection. All patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures from January 2000 through September 2004 were included. Data were collected on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors, in addition to microbiology and outcomes. Eighty-six of 3578 (2.4%) patients developed HSSI; 28 (32.6%) of them were classified as deep. The median time to detection was 17 (range, 4-51) days. An organism was identified in 64 (74.4%) cases; of them, a single pathogen was implicated in 50 (78%) cases. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated pathogen: 19 (38% [methicillin-susceptible S aureus (MSSA) = 12, methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) = 7]). Gram-negative organisms were recovered in 50% of cases, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa predominating in 11 (22%) because of a single pathogen. Multiple pathogens were identified in 14 (22%) cases. The 30-day mortality was not significantly different in patients with or without HSSI. Multivariate analysis showed age, diabetes mellitus, obesity, congestive heart failure, renal insufficiency, and duration of surgery to be associated with increased risk. Diabetes mellitus, obesity, congestive heart failure, renal insufficiency, and duration of surgery were associated with increased risk for HSSI. S aureus was the most frequently isolated pathogen.

Budget-makers and health care systems.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Joseph

2013-10-01

Health programs are shaped by the decisions made in budget processes, so how budget-makers view health programs is an important part of making health policy. Budgeting in any country involves its own policy community, with key players including budgeting professionals and political authorities. This article reviews the typical pressures on and attitudes of these actors when they address health policy choices. The worldview of budget professionals includes attitudes that are congenial to particular policy perspectives, such as the desire to select packages of programs that maximize population health. The pressures on political authorities, however, are very different: most importantly, public demand for health care services is stronger than for virtually any other government activity. The norms and procedures of budgeting also tend to discourage adoption of some of the more enthusiastically promoted health policy reforms. Therefore talk about rationalizing systems is not matched by action; and action is better explained by the need to minimize blame. The budget-maker's perspective provides insight about key controversies in healthcare policy such as decentralization, competition, health service systems as opposed to health insurance systems, and dedicated vs. general revenue finance. It also explains the frequency of various "gaming" behaviors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eli Hecksher as a Portrait Maker

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benny Carlson

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Eli Heckscher was not only author of extensive investigations into economic history. He was also skillful in depicting phenomena in small format in encyclopædias, journals and newspapers. This article presents Heckscher as portrait maker of economic scholars. In these portraits—what he emphasized, what he praised, what he criticized—one can discern the stance of the portrait maker himself. Overall, his portraits are permeated by admiration of sharp theoretical analyses and massive economic historical investigations. He admires the founding fathers of political economy, Adam Smith and David Ricardo, stresses continuity in the development of economic thought, praises humble innovators like David Davidson, Knut Wicksell and Alfred Marshall and denounces (what he perceives as pretentious innovators like Gustav Cassel and John Maynard Keynes. He is critical towards economists who attempt to break out of the classical and neoclassical tradition, especially representatives of the German historical school, and what he judges to be a new type of mercantilism, represented by Bertil Ohlin and Keynes. At the same time he appreciates voluminous and solid investigations into economic history, even if performed without theoretical beacons, by scholars like William Cunningham, William Ashley, John Clapham, Marc Bloch, Richard Ehrenberg and Werner Sombart.

Analysis of Surgical Site Infection after Musculoskeletal Tumor Surgery: Risk Assessment Using a New Scoring System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi Nagano

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Surgical site infection (SSI has not been extensively studied in musculoskeletal tumors (MST owing to the rarity of the disease. We analyzed incidence and risk factors of SSI in MST. SSI incidence was evaluated in consecutive 457 MST cases (benign, 310 cases and malignant, 147 cases treated at our institution. A detailed analysis of the clinical background of the patients, pre- and postoperative hematological data, and other factors that might be associated with SSI incidence was performed for malignant MST cases. SSI occurred in 0.32% and 12.2% of benign and malignant MST cases, respectively. The duration of the surgery (P=0.0002 and intraoperative blood loss (P=0.0005 was significantly more in the SSI group than in the non-SSI group. We established the musculoskeletal oncological surgery invasiveness (MOSI index by combining 4 risk factors (blood loss, operation duration, preoperative chemotherapy, and the use of artificial materials. The MOSI index (0–4 points score significantly correlated with the risk of SSI, as demonstrated by an SSI incidence of 38.5% in the group with a high score (3-4 points. The MOSI index score and laboratory data at 1 week after surgery could facilitate risk evaluation and prompt diagnosis of SSI.

Surgical versus conservative treatment for high-risk stress fractures of the lower leg (anterior tibial cortex, navicular and fifth metatarsal base): a systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mallee, Wouter H.; Weel, Hanneke; van Dijk, C. Niek; van Tulder, Maurits W.; Kerkhoffs, Gino M.; Lin, Chung-Wei Christine

2015-01-01

To compare surgical and conservative treatment for high-risk stress fractures of the anterior tibial cortex, navicular and proximal fifth metatarsal. Systematic searches of CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus and PEDro were performed to identify relevant prospective and retrospective

Intraoperative monitoring technician: a new member of the surgical team.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Molly S; Brown, Debra S

2011-02-01

As surgery needs have increased, the traditional surgical team has expanded to include personnel from radiology and perfusion services. A new surgical team member, the intraoperative monitoring technician, is needed to perform intraoperative monitoring during procedures that carry a higher risk of central and peripheral nerve injury. Including the intraoperative monitoring technician on the surgical team can create challenges, including surgical delays and anesthesia care considerations. When the surgical team members, including the surgeon, anesthesia care provider, and circulating nurse, understand and facilitate this new staff member's responsibilities, the technician is able to perform monitoring functions that promote the smooth flow of the surgical procedure and positive patient outcomes. Copyright © 2011 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reliability of risk-adjusted outcomes for profiling hospital surgical quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Krell, Robert W; Hozain, Ahmed; Kao, Lillian S; Dimick, Justin B

2014-05-01

Quality improvement platforms commonly use risk-adjusted morbidity and mortality to profile hospital performance. However, given small hospital caseloads and low event rates for some procedures, it is unclear whether these outcomes reliably reflect hospital performance. To determine the reliability of risk-adjusted morbidity and mortality for hospital performance profiling using clinical registry data. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, 2009. Participants included all patients (N = 55,466) who underwent colon resection, pancreatic resection, laparoscopic gastric bypass, ventral hernia repair, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, and lower extremity bypass. Outcomes included risk-adjusted overall morbidity, severe morbidity, and mortality. We assessed reliability (0-1 scale: 0, completely unreliable; and 1, perfectly reliable) for all 3 outcomes. We also quantified the number of hospitals meeting minimum acceptable reliability thresholds (>0.70, good reliability; and >0.50, fair reliability) for each outcome. For overall morbidity, the most common outcome studied, the mean reliability depended on sample size (ie, how high the hospital caseload was) and the event rate (ie, how frequently the outcome occurred). For example, mean reliability for overall morbidity was low for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (reliability, 0.29; sample size, 25 cases per year; and event rate, 18.3%). In contrast, mean reliability for overall morbidity was higher for colon resection (reliability, 0.61; sample size, 114 cases per year; and event rate, 26.8%). Colon resection (37.7% of hospitals), pancreatic resection (7.1% of hospitals), and laparoscopic gastric bypass (11.5% of hospitals) were the only procedures for which any hospitals met a reliability threshold of 0.70 for overall morbidity. Because severe morbidity and mortality are less frequent outcomes, their mean

Do Robotic Surgical Systems Improve Profit Margins? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of California Hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Ya-Chen Tina; Shen, Chan; Hu, Jim C

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to examine the association between ownership of robotic surgical systems and hospital profit margins. This study used hospital annual utilization data, annual financial data, and discharge data for year 2011 from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. We first performed bivariate analysis to compare mean profit margin by hospital and market characteristics and to examine whether these characteristics differed between hospitals that had one or more robotic surgical systems in 2011 and those that did not. We applied the t test and the F test to compare mean profit margin between two groups and among three or more groups, respectively. We then conducted multilevel logistic regression to determine the association between ownership of robotic surgical systems and having a positive profit margin after controlling for other hospital and market characteristics and accounting for possible correlation among hospitals located within the same market. The study sample included 167 California hospitals with valid financial information. Hospitals with robotic surgical systems tended to report more favorable profit margins. However, multilevel logistic regression showed that this relationship (an association, not causality) became only marginally significant (odds ratio [OR] = 6.2; P = 0.053) after controlling for other hospital characteristics, such as ownership type, teaching status, bed size, and surgical volumes, and market characteristics, such as total number of robotic surgical systems owned by other hospitals in the same market area. As robotic surgical systems become widely disseminated, hospital decision makers should carefully evaluate the financial and clinical implications before making a capital investment in this technology. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surgical versus conservative treatment for high-risk stress fractures of the lower leg (anterior tibial cortex, navicular and fifth metatarsal base): a systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mallee, W.H.; Weel, H.; van Dijk, C.N.; van Tulder, M.W.; Kerkhoffs, G.M.; Lin, C.W.C.

2015-01-01

Aim To compare surgical and conservative treatment for high-risk stress fractures of the anterior tibial cortex, navicular and proximal fifth metatarsal. Methods Systematic searches of CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus and PEDro were performed to identify relevant prospective and

Adversarial risk analysis

CERN Document Server

Banks, David L; Rios Insua, David

2015-01-01

Flexible Models to Analyze Opponent Behavior A relatively new area of research, adversarial risk analysis (ARA) informs decision making when there are intelligent opponents and uncertain outcomes. Adversarial Risk Analysis develops methods for allocating defensive or offensive resources against intelligent adversaries. Many examples throughout illustrate the application of the ARA approach to a variety of games and strategic situations. The book shows decision makers how to build Bayesian models for the strategic calculation of their opponents, enabling decision makers to maximize their expected utility or minimize their expected loss. This new approach to risk analysis asserts that analysts should use Bayesian thinking to describe their beliefs about an opponent's goals, resources, optimism, and type of strategic calculation, such as minimax and level-k thinking. Within that framework, analysts then solve the problem from the perspective of the opponent while placing subjective probability distributions on a...

Network analysis of surgical innovation: Measuring value and the virality of diffusion in robotic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Garas, George; Cingolani, Isabella; Panzarasa, Pietro; Darzi, Ara; Athanasiou, Thanos

2017-01-01

Existing surgical innovation frameworks suffer from a unifying limitation, their qualitative nature. A rigorous approach to measuring surgical innovation is needed that extends beyond detecting simply publication, citation, and patent counts and instead uncovers an implementation-based value from the structure of the entire adoption cascades produced over time by diffusion processes. Based on the principles of evidence-based medicine and existing surgical regulatory frameworks, the surgical innovation funnel is described. This illustrates the different stages through which innovation in surgery typically progresses. The aim is to propose a novel and quantitative network-based framework that will permit modeling and visualizing innovation diffusion cascades in surgery and measuring virality and value of innovations. Network analysis of constructed citation networks of all articles concerned with robotic surgery (n = 13,240, Scopus®) was performed (1974-2014). The virality of each cascade was measured as was innovation value (measured by the innovation index) derived from the evidence-based stage occupied by the corresponding seed article in the surgical innovation funnel. The network-based surgical innovation metrics were also validated against real world big data (National Inpatient Sample-NIS®). Rankings of surgical innovation across specialties by cascade size and structural virality (structural depth and width) were found to correlate closely with the ranking by innovation value (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient = 0.758 (p = 0.01), 0.782 (p = 0.008), 0.624 (p = 0.05), respectively) which in turn matches the ranking based on real world big data from the NIS® (Spearman's coefficient = 0.673;p = 0.033). Network analysis offers unique new opportunities for understanding, modeling and measuring surgical innovation, and ultimately for assessing and comparing generative value between different specialties. The novel surgical innovation metrics developed may

PROBLEMATIC FEATURES OF THE POLITICAL DECISION MAKERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksey Sergeevih Voynov

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Purpose: identify the most important features in the process of making political decisions that affect the effectiveness of problem-solving situationsScientific novelty: as a result of the analysis identified the problematic features of major importance for the efficiency of the development and adoption of the most rational solution to a problem situation.Results: the analysis of the most significant features affecting the quality of decisions among them the interest of the person making decisions in the search for causes of the problem situation; decisions from the influence of the immediate environment; populism in decision making, creating a visibility problem-solving; decision making based on personal emotional factor face decision-makers; the perception of the population face decision-makers in relation to the current problem situation and possible ways of its resolution.Defined facts influencing the process of political decision-making such as: corruption, the struggle for influence on the process of political decision-making, lack of qualified specialists, staff shortage, including arose as the result of substitution of notions of "succession" to "nepotism".

Pre-surgical register of tobacco consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Gavilán, Eva; Moreno, Montse; Pérez, Àngels; Castellano, Yolanda; Fernández, Esteve; Martínez, Cristina

2018-03-24

Smoking cessation before surgery decreases the risk of complications. The aim of this study was to analyse the smoking register, associated variables and a short talk given to smokers in pre-surgical visits. Cross-sectional study. The pre-surgical records of 680 patients were assessed. We selected patient sociodemographic variables, surgical intervention characteristics, smoking status and consumption pattern. Logistic regression was used to study the variables association with smoking. A percentage of 97.2 of the pre-surgical records include information on tobacco consumption. Overall 20% of surgical patients are smokers. The probability of smoking is higher among men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-4.0) and≤60 years (aOR 5.4, 95% CI 3.2-9.1). None of the records had information regarding a short talk given to patients to give up smoking. Smoking consumption was prevalent, but the characterisation of a smoker's profile and short talk given to patient before surgery was practically nonexistent. Ensuring that patients who smokes receives a short talk to give up smoking before surgery is necessary. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Abdominal surgical site infections: incidence and risk factors at an Iranian teaching hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabouri Kashani Ahmad

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Abdominal surgical site infections are among the most common complications of inpatient admissions and have serious consequences for outcomes and costs. Different risk factors may be involved, including age, sex, nutrition and immunity, prophylactic antibiotics, operation type and duration, type of shaving, and secondary infections. This study aimed to determine the risk factors affecting abdominal surgical site infections and their incidence at Imam Khomeini, a major referral teaching hospital in Iran. Methods Patients (n = 802 who had undergone abdominal surgery were studied and the relationships among variables were analyzed by Student's t and Chi-square tests. The subjects were followed for 30 days and by a 20-item questionnaire. Data were collected through pre- and post-operative examinations and telephone follow-ups. Results Of the 802 patients, 139 suffered from SSI (17.4%. In 40.8% of the cases, the wound was dirty infected. The average age for the patients was 46.7 years. The operations were elective in 75.7% of the cases and 24.7% were urgent. The average duration of the operation was 2.24 hours, the average duration of pre-operative hospital stay 4.31 days and the average length of (pre- and post-operation hospital stay 11.2 days. Three quarters of the cases were shaved 12 hours before the operation. The increased operation time, increased bed stay, electivity of the operation, septicity of the wound, type of incision, the administration of prophylactic antibiotic, type of operation, background disease, and the increased time lapse between shaving and operation all significantly associated with SSI with a p-value less than 0.001. Conclusion In view of the high rate of SSI reported here (17.4% compared with the 14% quoted in literature, this study suggests that by reducing the average operation time to less than 2 hours, the average preoperative stay to 4 days and the overall stay to less than 11 days, and

From science to decision-making: taking the risk to communicate on risks

Science.gov (United States)

Leroi, Eric

2015-04-01

Geoscientists and decision-makers have the same responsibility toward the society: reducing the damaging consequences induced by natural phenomena. They have to work together, geoscientists to improve the knowledge and decision-makers to take the "best" decision, both to design and implement balanced solutions, both to communicate. Feedback shows that if the collaboration between them has already improved, a lot has still to be done, especially in terms of communication; endless litany, geoscientists don't communicate in the right way! In a hyperspecialized technological and segmented society with sophisticated methods of communication, geoscientists don't use appropriate tools and terminology. It's true, and a lot of examples can be shown that highlight this! Risks is based on complex concepts, on notions that are poorly understood, even by scientists themselves, especially the concepts of probability and occurrence of phenomena. But the problem rest as well on the role and on the responsibility of the geoscientists. Risk management experts address geosciences and technology to identify problems and define protection, including prohibitive measures (such as not allowing building in hazardous areas). Policy makers and local planners want to know where to develop territories. On one hand the identification of problems, on the other hand the needs of solutions. Dialectic is not the same. When responsibility, money and image are the three main pillars of decision-making, long-term modeling and uncertainty, are the basic ones for geosciences. In our participative democracies people want to be actor of the development of their own territories; they want more freedom, more protection and less tax. Face to unrealistic political answers geoscientists have to explain and convince. It's not possible to gain on everything and some are going to loose. Shall geoscientists let decision-makers communicate on topics they hardly understand? No. Shall geoscientists communicate on

Sarcopenia and Postoperative Complication Risk in Gastrointestinal Surgical Oncology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Casper; de Heer, Pieter; Bjerre, Eik D

2018-01-01

as prognostic tool in surgical oncology has not been established, and no consensus exists regarding assessment and management of sarcopenic patients. METHODS: We performed a systematic search for citations in EMBASE, Web of Science, and PubMed from 2004 to January 31, 2017. Random effects meta-analyses were...

Surgeon and type of anesthesia predict variability in surgical procedure times.

Science.gov (United States)

Strum, D P; Sampson, A R; May, J H; Vargas, L G

2000-05-01

Variability in surgical procedure times increases the cost of healthcare delivery by increasing both the underutilization and overutilization of expensive surgical resources. To reduce variability in surgical procedure times, we must identify and study its sources. Our data set consisted of all surgeries performed over a 7-yr period at a large teaching hospital, resulting in 46,322 surgical cases. To study factors associated with variability in surgical procedure times, data mining techniques were used to segment and focus the data so that the analyses would be both technically and intellectually feasible. The data were subdivided into 40 representative segments of manageable size and variability based on headers adopted from the common procedural terminology classification. Each data segment was then analyzed using a main-effects linear model to identify and quantify specific sources of variability in surgical procedure times. The single most important source of variability in surgical procedure times was surgeon effect. Type of anesthesia, age, gender, and American Society of Anesthesiologists risk class were additional sources of variability. Intrinsic case-specific variability, unexplained by any of the preceding factors, was found to be highest for shorter surgeries relative to longer procedures. Variability in procedure times among surgeons was a multiplicative function (proportionate to time) of surgical time and total procedure time, such that as procedure times increased, variability in surgeons' surgical time increased proportionately. Surgeon-specific variability should be considered when building scheduling heuristics for longer surgeries. Results concerning variability in surgical procedure times due to factors such as type of anesthesia, age, gender, and American Society of Anesthesiologists risk class may be extrapolated to scheduling in other institutions, although specifics on individual surgeons may not. This research identifies factors associated

Evolving issues in the prevention of surgical site infections.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Quinn, A

2009-06-01

Surgical site infection is one of the more common causes of post-operative morbidity. Such infections contribute to prolonged recovery, delayed discharge and increasing costs to both patients and the health service. In the current climate increased emphasis is being placed on minimising the risks of acquiring or transmitting these nosocomial infections. This article reviews the current literature obtained from a Pubmed database search in relation to three specific aspects of surgical site infection: compliance with prophylactic antibiotics, post-discharge surveillance and novel methods for preventing surgical site infections. These topics represent areas where many institutions will find room for improvement in the prevention of surgical site infections. Tight adherence to prophylactic antibiotic guidelines, close followup of surgical wounds during and after hospital discharge, and attention to oxygenation status and the body temperature of patients may all prove to be useful adjuncts in significantly decreasing surgical site infections.

Implementation of a SenseMaker® research project among Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakhache, Nour; Michael, Saja; Roupetz, Sophie; Garbern, Stephanie; Bergquist, Harveen; Davison, Colleen; Bartels, Susan

2017-01-01

The Syrian conflict has displaced over 1.2 million Syrians into Lebanon. As a result of displacement, some Syrian families are turning to child marriage as a coping mechanism. The prevalence of early marriage has reportedly increased and the average age of marriage decreased during the crisis. The aim of the project was to understand the underlying factors contributing to child marriage among Syrian refugees in Lebanon using Cognitive Edge's SenseMaker®. This manuscript explores the process of implementing this novel research tool in a humanitarian setting. Twelve interviewers conducted SenseMaker® interviews with married and unmarried Syrian girls, Syrian parents, as well as married and unmarried men. Participants were asked to share a story about the lives of Syrian girls in Lebanon and to self-interpret the narratives by answering follow-up questions in relation to the story provided. Data collection occurred across three locations: Beirut, Beqaa, and Tripoli. In total 1422 narratives from 1346 unique participants were collected over 7 weeks. Data collection using SenseMaker® was efficient, capable of electronically capturing a large volume of quantitative and qualitative data. SenseMaker® limitations from a research perspective include lack of skip logic and inability to adjust font size on the iOS app. SenseMaker® was an efficient mixed methods data collection tool that was well received by participants in a refugee setting in Lebanon. The utility of SenseMaker® for research could be improved by adding skip logic and by being able to adjust font size on the iOS app.

Comparing the sustainability impacts of solar thermal and natural gas combined cycle for electricity production in Mexico: Accounting for decision makers' priorities

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Serrano, Irene; Caldés, Natalia; Oltra, Christian; Sala, Roser

2017-06-01

The aim of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment of the electricity generation with two alternative electricity generation technologies by estimating its economic, environmental and social impacts through the "Framework for Integrated Sustainability Assessment" (FISA). Based on a Multiregional Input Output (MRIO) model linked to a social risk database (Social Hotspot Database), the framework accounts for up to fifteen impacts across the three sustainability pillars along the supply chain of the electricity production from Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) and Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) technologies in Mexico. Except for value creation, results show larger negative impacts for NGCC, particularly in the environmental pillar. Next, these impacts are transformed into "Aggregated Sustainability Endpoints" (ASE points) as a way to support the decision making in selecting the best sustainable project. ASE points obtained are later compared to the resulting points weighted by the reported priorities of Mexican decision makers in the energy sector obtained from a questionnaire survey. The comparison shows that NGCC achieves a 1.94 times worse negative score than STE, but after incorporating decision makerś priorities, the ratio increases to 2.06 due to the relevance given to environmental impacts such as photochemical oxidants formation and climate change potential, as well as social risks like human rights risks.

Digital maker-entrepreneurs in open design: What activities make up their business model?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dr. P. Troxler; Patricia Wolf

2017-01-01

The business models of digital maker-entrepreneurs in open design are inextricably linked to the broader open design community. Digital makers share designs on online platforms such as Thingiverse and use digital manufacturing technology such as 3-D printing as a generative mechanism for their

"And I think that we can fix it": mental models used in high-risk surgical decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruser, Jacqueline M; Pecanac, Kristen E; Brasel, Karen J; Cooper, Zara; Steffens, Nicole M; McKneally, Martin F; Schwarze, Margaret L

2015-04-01

To examine how surgeons use the "fix-it" model to communicate with patients before high-risk operations. The "fix-it" model characterizes disease as an isolated abnormality that can be restored to normal form and function through medical intervention. This mental model is familiar to patients and physicians, but it is ineffective for chronic conditions and treatments that cannot achieve normalcy. Overuse may lead to permissive decision making favoring intervention. Efforts to improve surgical decision making will need to consider how mental models function in clinical practice, including "fix-it." We observed surgeons who routinely perform high-risk surgery during preoperative discussions with patients. We used qualitative content analysis to explore the use of "fix-it" in 48 audio-recorded conversations. Surgeons used the "fix-it" model for 2 separate purposes during preoperative conversations: (1) as an explanatory tool to facilitate patient understanding of disease and surgery, and (2) as a deliberation framework to assist in decision making. Although surgeons commonly used "fix-it" as an explanatory model, surgeons explicitly discussed limitations of the "fix-it" model as an independent rationale for operating as they deliberated about the value of surgery. Although the use of "fix-it" is familiar for explaining medical information to patients, surgeons recognize that the model can be problematic for determining the value of an operation. Whether patients can transition between understanding how their disease is fixed with surgery to a subsequent deliberation about whether they should have surgery is unclear and may have broader implications for surgical decision making.

Allergic airway disease in Italian bakers and pastry makers.

Science.gov (United States)

De Zotti, R; Larese, F; Bovenzi, M; Negro, C; Molinari, S

1994-08-01

A survey was carried out on respiratory symptoms and skin prick test response to common allergens (atopy), storage mites, and occupational allergens among 226 bakers and pastry makers from 105 small businesses in northern Italy. Atopy was present in 54 workers (23.4%); 40 workers (17.7%) were skin positive to at least one storage mite, 27 (11.9%) to wheat flour and 17 (7.5%) to alpha-amylase. Work related asthma was reported by 11 (4.9%) workers and rhinoconjunctivitis by 31 (17.7%); 22 workers (10.2%) complained of chronic bronchitis. The distribution of skin prick test results among bakers and among 119 white collar workers did not indicate (by logistic analysis) an increased risk for bakers to skin sensitisation to common allergens, storage mite, or to a group of five flours. Sensitisation to wheat flour, on the other hand, was present only among exposed workers. Skin sensitisation to occupational allergens was significantly associated with atopy (p < 0.001), smoking habit (p = 0.015), and work seniority (p = 0.027). The risk of work related symptoms was associated with sensitisation to wheat or alpha-amylase, and with atopy, but not with sensitisation to storage mites, work seniority, or smoking habit. The results of the study indicate that there is still a significant risk of allergic respiratory disease among Italian bakers. Not only wheat allergens, but also alpha-amylase must be considered as causative agents, although sensitisation to storage mites is not important in the occupational allergic response. Atopy must be regarded as an important predisposing factor for skin sensitisation to occupational allergens and for the onset of symptoms at work. The data confirm that for effective prevention, greater care should be taken not only in limiting environmental exposure, but also in identifying susceptible people.

Surgical Eye Removal in Ile‑Ife, Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Surgical eye removal procedures include evisceration, enucleation, and ... eliminate the risk of sympathetic ophthalmitis in ruptured globes, relieve ... cite this article: ***. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative.

Graft infections after surgical aortic reconstructions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berger, P.

2015-01-01

Prosthetic vascular grafts are frequently used to reconstruct (part) of the aorta. Every surgical procedure caries a certain risk for infection and when a prosthetic aortic graft is implanted, this may lead to an aortic graft infection (AGI). Endovascular techniques have gradually replaced open

Putting research in place: an innovative approach to providing contextualized evidence synthesis for decision makers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Bornstein

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Contextualized Health Research Synthesis Program (CHRSP, developed in 2007 by the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research, produces contextualized knowledge syntheses for health-system decision makers. The program provides timely, relevant, and easy-to-understand scientific evidence; optimizes evidence uptake; and, most importantly, attunes research questions and evidence to the specific context in which knowledge users must apply the findings. Methods As an integrated knowledge translation (KT method, CHRSP: Involves intensive partnerships with senior healthcare decision makers who propose priority research topics and participate on research teams; Considers local context both in framing the research question and in reporting the findings; Makes economical use of resources by utilizing a limited number of staff; Uses a combination of external and local experts; and Works quickly by synthesizing high-level systematic review evidence rather than primary studies. Although it was developed in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the CHRSP methodology is adaptable to a variety of settings with distinctive features, such as those in rural, remote, and small-town locations. Results CHRSP has published 25 syntheses on priority topics chosen by the provincial healthcare system, including: Clinical and cost-effectiveness: telehealth, rural renal dialysis, point-of-care testing; Community-based health services: helping seniors age in place, supporting seniors with dementia, residential treatment centers for at-risk youth; Healthcare organization/service delivery: reducing acute-care length of stay, promoting flu vaccination among health workers, safe patient handling, age-friendly acute care; and Health promotion: diabetes prevention, promoting healthy dietary habits. These studies have been used by decision makers to inform local policy and practice decisions. Conclusions By asking the health

Lawsuits allege price fixing by generic drug makers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robbins RA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. Two years after high generic drug prices became a public controversy, Reuters is reporting that 20 states filed a lawsuit Thursday against Mylan, Teva Pharmaceuticals and four other generic drug makers (1. The suit alleges the companies conspired to fix prices or allocated markets to prop up prices. The civil lawsuit, led by antitrust investigators in Connecticut, comes one day after the U.S. Department of Justice filed criminal charges against two former executives of the generic drug maker, Heritage. The states attorneys general asked the court to order the companies to disgorge ill-gotten gains, which were not defined, pay attorneys' fees and stop collusion. Of the states in the Southwest only Nevada is participating in the lawsuit. The cases are part of a broader generic drug pricing probe that remains under way at the state and federal level, as well as in the U.S. Congress. In 2014, media reports of …

Informing the Romanian decision makers on nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chirica, T.; Sandru, P.

1997-01-01

The paper describes the 'pro-nuclear' sector of the Romanian civil society activity to better inform the Romanian Decision Makers on nuclear power issues. The 'Romanian Nuclear Energy Association' - AREN and the Romanian Radioprotection Society - SRRp, having the support of the 'Romanian General Association of Engineers' - AGIR, started on December 1996 a strong campaign to form a correct opinion among the new elected bodies and the new Government of the country, related to the future development of the Romanian Nuclear Program as a national priority and to expedite the restart of the Cernavoda NPP-Unit 2 completion. The paper describes the strategy of this lobby campaign, the objectives assumed and the results. The authors have taken advantage of the OECD - Nuclear Energy Agency information exchange about the Decision Makers informing process about nuclear energy and have the intention to share their experience with other sister societies dealing with similar conditions. This could be also a good experience for other areas of activity. (authors)

Actual and perceived risk: a review of the literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Covello, V.T.

1983-01-01

In response to growing concern about technological risks, a concerted effort is being made to improve risk analysis methods and approaches. As part of this effort, behavioral and social scientists have produced a substantial body of knowledge that is of value to risk analysts and decision-makers. This paper will focus on behavioral and social science studies of human intellectual limitations in thinking about risks, factors influencing risk attitudes and perceptions, and factors contributing to social conflicts and disputes about technological activities. A basic assumption of the paper is that analysts and decision-makers can benefit from a better understanding of how experts and non-experts think and make decisions about technological risks. Without such understanding, well-intended policies may be ineffective or even counterproductive

Postoperative adverse outcomes in intellectually disabled surgical patients: a nationwide population-based study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jui-An Lin

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Intellectually disabled patients have various comorbidities, but their risks of adverse surgical outcomes have not been examined. This study assesses pre-existing comorbidities, adjusted risks of postoperative major morbidities and mortality in intellectually disabled surgical patients. METHODS: A nationwide population-based study was conducted in patients who underwent inpatient major surgery in Taiwan between 2004 and 2007. Four controls for each patient were randomly selected from the National Health Insurance Research Database. Preoperative major comorbidities, postoperative major complications and 30-day in-hospital mortality were compared between patients with and without intellectual disability. Use of medical services also was analyzed. Adjusted odds ratios using multivariate logistic regression analyses with 95% confidence intervals were applied to verify intellectual disability's impact. RESULTS: Controls were compared with 3983 surgical patients with intellectual disability. Risks for postoperative major complications were increased in patients with intellectual disability, including acute renal failure (odds ratio 3.81, 95% confidence interval 2.28 to 6.37, pneumonia (odds ratio 2.01, 1.61 to 2.49, postoperative bleeding (odds ratio 1.35, 1.09 to 1.68 and septicemia (odds ratio 2.43, 1.85 to 3.21 without significant differences in overall mortality. Disability severity was positively correlated with postoperative septicemia risk. Medical service use was also significantly higher in surgical patients with intellectual disability. CONCLUSION: Intellectual disability significantly increases the risk of overall major complications after major surgery. Our findings show a need for integrated and revised protocols for postoperative management to improve care for intellectually disabled surgical patients.

Science in Society: Bridging the gap to connect science to decision makers

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, L.; Bwarie, J.; Pearce, I.

2016-12-01

The gap between science and decision making in our society can be large and multi-faceted, involving communication, process, cultural and even subconscious differences. In sweeping generalization, scientists reject anecdotes, focus on uncertainty and details, and expect conflict as part of the scientific process, while non-scientists respond to stories, want certainty and the big picture, and see conflict as a reason to reject the message. Bridging this gap often requires ongoing collaboration to find the intersection of three independent domains: what science can provide, the technical information decision makers need to make the most effective choices and what information decision makers need to motivate action. For ten years, the USGS has experimented with improving the usefulness of its science through the SAFRR (Science Application for Risk Reduction) Project and its predecessor, the Multi Hazards Demonstration Project in Southern California. Through leading and participating in these activities, we have recognized 3 steps that have been essential to successful partnerships between scientists and decision makers. First, determining what makes for a successful product cannot be done in isolation by either scientists or users. The users may want something science cannot produce (e.g., accurate short-term earthquake predictions), while the scientists can fail to see that the product they know how to make may not be relevant to the decisions that need to be made. Real discussions with real exchange and absorption of information on both sides makes for the most useful products. Second, most scientific results need work beyond what belongs in a journal to create a product that can be used. This is not just a different style of communication, but analyses that focus on the community's local questions rather than on scientific advances. Third, probabilities of natural hazards almost never motivate action to mitigate. The probabilities are usually low on human time

Lung cancer risk among bakers, pastry cooks and confectionary makers: the SYNERGY study.

Science.gov (United States)

Behrens, Thomas; Kendzia, Benjamin; Treppmann, Tabea; Olsson, Ann; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Gustavsson, Per; Pohlabeln, Hermann; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Brüske, Irene; Wichmann, Hans-Erich; Merletti, Franco; Mirabelli, Dario; Richiardi, Lorenzo; Simonato, Lorenzo; Zaridze, David; Szeszenia-Dabrowska, Neonila; Rudnai, Peter; Lissowska, Jolanta; Fabianova, Eleonora; Tardón, Adonina; Field, John; Stanescu Dumitru, Rodica; Bencko, Vladimir; Foretova, Lenka; Janout, Vladimir; Siemiatycki, Jack; Parent, Marie-Elise; McLaughlin, John; Demers, Paul; Landi, Maria Teresa; Caporaso, Neil; Kromhout, Hans; Vermeulen, Roel; Peters, Susan; Benhamou, Simone; Stücker, Isabelle; Guida, Florence; Consonni, Dario; Bueno-de-Mesquita, Bas; 't Mannetje, Andrea; Pearce, Neil; Tse, Lap Ah; Yu, Ignatius Tak-sun; Plato, Nils; Boffetta, Paolo; Straif, Kurt; Schüz, Joachim; Pesch, Beate; Brüning, Thomas

2013-11-01

Some studies have suggested increased lung cancer risks among bakers, however the results overall were inconsistent. The authors studied lung cancer risks among bakers and baking-related occupations in the SYNERGY pooled case-control database from 16 countries. Occupation in a baking-related job was identified from the subjects' job histories. ORs adjusted for log(age), study centre, smoking behaviour and ever employment in a job with known exposure to occupational lung carcinogens were calculated by unconditional logistic regression. Findings were stratified by sex, histological subtype of lung cancer and smoking status. 19 366 cases (15 606 men) and 23 670 control subjects (18 528 men) were included. 473 cases (415 men, 58 women) and 501 controls (437 men, 64 women) had ever worked in baking or a related job. We did not observe an increased risk for men in baking (OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.86 to 1.18). No linear trends were observed for duration of employment. Some results suggested increased lung cancer risks for women, for example, for working as a baker for >30 years and in never-smokers, but after exclusion of one study these increased risks disappeared. The findings from this study do not suggest increased lung cancer risks in baking-related professions.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery expands the surgical options for high-risks patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Petracek, Michael R; Leacche, Marzia; Solenkova, Natalia; Umakanthan, Ramanan; Ahmad, Rashid M; Ball, Stephen K; Hoff, Steven J; Absi, Tarek S; Balaguer, Jorge M; Byrne, John G

2011-10-01

A simplified minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIMVS) approach avoiding cross-clamping and cardioplegic myocardial arrest using a small (5 cm) right antero-lateral incision was developed. We hypothesized that, in high-risk patients and in patients with prior sternotomy, this approach would yield superior results compared to those predicted by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) algorithm for standard median sternotomy mitral valve surgery. Five hundred and four consecutive patients (249 males/255 females), median age 65 years (range 20-92 years) underwent MIMVS between 1/06 and 8/09. Median preoperative New York Heart Association function class was 3 (range 1-4). Eighty-two (16%) patients had an ejection fraction ≤35%. Forty-seven (9%) had a STS predicted mortality ≥10%. Under cold fibrillatory arrest (median temperature 28°C) without aortic cross-clamp, mitral valve repair (224/504, 44%) or replacement (280/504, 56%) was performed. Thirty-day mortality for the entire cohort was 2.2% (11/504). In patients with a STS predicted mortality ≥ 10% (range 10%-67%), the observed 30-day mortality was 4% (2/47), lower than the mean STS predicted mortality of 20%. Morbidity in this high-risk group was equally low: 1 of 47 (2%) patients underwent reexploration for bleeding, 1 of 47 (2%) patients suffered a permanent neurologic deficit, none had wound infection. The median length of stay was 8 days (range 1-68 days). This study demonstrates that MIMVS without aortic cross-clamp is reproducible with low mortality and morbidity rates. This approach expands the surgical options for high-risk patients and yields to superior results than the conventional median sternotomy approach.

Trends in surgical mortality following colorectal resection between 2002 and 2012: A single-centre, retrospective analysis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Stephens, I

2017-06-01

Surgical mortality is a commonly-used measurement of surgical risk. It is imperative that patients receive accurate, up-to-date information regarding operative risk. To date, studies investigating temporal changes in surgical mortality following colorectal resection in Ireland have been limited. This retrospective study investigates such trends in one of the eight centres for symptomatic and screen-detected colorectal cancers in Ireland, across an 11-year period. A steady decline in surgical mortality was found across this time, showing a significant difference in rates before and after centralisation of rectal cancer care and the advent of colorectal surgery as a surgical specialisation (5.2%, 1.52%). This has important implications for the organisation of colorectal cancer care in Ireland.

Low-frequency electrical and magnetic fields: The precautionary principle for national authorities. Guidance for decision-makers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-12-31

This publication is intended as a support for making decisions on health hazards and electromagnetic fields. It is based on the strength of scientific findings hitherto, at the same time as technical and economic aspects of possible measures are considered in the light of limited community resources. The national authorities recommend a precautionary principle based primarily on non-discountable cancer risks. Similar principles should also be applied to other suspected effects on health. The guide offers supportive documentation to decision-makers` tasks with assessing what is reasonable in each individual case, balancing possible hazards against technical and economic considerations. 6 refs

Infective endocarditis following Melody valve implantation: comparison with a surgical cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donnell, Clare; Holloway, Rhonda; Tilton, Elizabeth; Stirling, John; Finucane, Kirsten; Wilson, Nigel

2017-03-01

Infective endocarditis has been reported post Melody percutaneous pulmonary valve implant; the incidence and risk factors, however, remain poorly defined. We identified four cases of endocarditis from our first 25 Melody implants. Our aim was to examine these cases in the context of postulated risk factors and directly compare endocarditis rates with local surgical valves. We conducted a retrospective review of patients post Melody percutaneous pulmonary valve implant in New Zealand (October, 2009-May, 2015) and also reviewed the incidence of endocarditis in New Zealand among patients who have undergone surgical pulmonary valve implants. In total, 25 patients underwent Melody implantation at a median age of 18 years. At a median follow-up of 2.9 years, most were well with low valve gradient (median 27 mmHg) and only mild regurgitation. Two patients presented with life-threatening endocarditis and obstructive vegetations at 14 and 26 months post implant, respectively. Two additional patients presented with subacute endocarditis at 5.5 years post implant. From 2009 to May, 2015, 178 surgical pulmonic bioprostheses, largely Hancock valves and homografts, were used at our institution. At a median follow-up of 2.9 years, four patients (2%) had developed endocarditis in this group compared with 4/25 (16%) in the Melody group (p=0.0089). Three surgical valves have been replaced. The Melody valve offers a good alternative to surgical conduit replacement in selected patients. Many patients have excellent outcomes in the medium term. Endocarditis, however, can occur and if associated with obstruction can be life threatening. The risk for endocarditis in the Melody group was higher in comparison with that in a contemporaneous surgical pulmonary implant cohort.

Post-operative serious adverse events in a mixed surgical population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, M S; Petersen, E E; Dahl, J B

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: The number of surgical procedures is increasing, and knowledge of surgical risk factors, post-operative mortality and serious adverse events (SAE) is essential. The aim with our study was to determine the risk of a composite outcome of post-operative: death; myocardial infarction...... or gynaecological surgery was conducted retrieving data from The Danish Civil Registration System and the National Patient Register. Total observation time was from January 1, 2012 to June 6, 2013. RESULTS: A total7449 adult patients were included in the final analysis. The risk of the composite outcome during...... of 8.3% (7.8-9.0). The results are applicable in estimations of adequate sample sizes in future clinical trials investigating effects of interventions on SAEs....

Surgical therapeutic management of perforated peptic ulcer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Karla de Sousa Almeida

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Perforated peptic ulcer is an emergency should be readily corrected by surgical approach to reduce potential damage and the risk of mortality associated with the extension frame. The option of handling most commonly used by surgeons is laparotomy, however, there is evidence pointing to approach laparoscopically like a viable, safe and with good results for their treatment. Therefore, it is appropriate to evaluate the data about each management and minimally invasive procedure, laparoscopy if overcomes the open surgical approach regarding the laparotomy regarding the treatment of patients with this condition.

Statins: antimicrobial resistance breakers or makers?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Humphrey H.T. Ko

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction The repurposing of non-antibiotic drugs as adjuvant antibiotics may help break antimicrobial resistance (AMR. Statins are commonly prescribed worldwide to lower cholesterol. They also possess qualities of AMR “breakers”, namely direct antibacterial activity, synergism with antibiotics, and ability to stimulate the host immune system. However, statins’ role as AMR breakers may be limited. Their current extensive use for cardiovascular protection might result in selective pressures for resistance, ironically causing statins to be AMR “makers” instead. This review examines statins’ potential as AMR breakers, probable AMR makers, and identifies knowledge gaps in a statin-bacteria-human-environment continuum. The most suitable statin for repurposing is identified, and a mechanism of antibacterial action is postulated based on structure-activity relationship analysis. Methods A literature search using keywords “statin” or “statins” combined with “minimum inhibitory concentration” (MIC was performed in six databases on 7th April 2017. After screening 793 abstracts, 16 relevant studies were identified. Unrelated studies on drug interactions; antifungal or antiviral properties of statins; and antibacterial properties of mevastatin, cerivastatin, antibiotics, or natural products were excluded. Studies involving only statins currently registered for human use were included. Results Against Gram-positive bacteria, simvastatin generally exerted the greatest antibacterial activity (lowest MIC compared to atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and fluvastatin. Against Gram-negative bacteria, atorvastatin generally exhibited similar or slightly better activity compared to simvastatin, but both were more potent than rosuvastatin and fluvastatin. Discussion Statins may serve as AMR breakers by working synergistically with existing topical antibiotics, attenuating virulence factors, boosting human immunity, or aiding in wound healing. It

The psychology of chronic post-surgical pain: new frontiers in risk factor identification, prevention and management.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinrib, Aliza Z; Azam, Muhammad A; Birnie, Kathryn A; Burns, Lindsay C; Clarke, Hance; Katz, Joel

2017-11-01

In an era of considerable advances in anaesthesiology and pain medicine, chronic pain after major surgery continues to be problematic. This article briefly reviews the known psychological risk and protective factors associated with the development of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP). We begin with a definition of CPSP and then explain what we mean by a risk/protective factor. Next, we summarize known psychological risk and protective factors for CPSP. Psychological interventions that target risk factors and may impact postsurgical pain are reviewed, including the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based approach to CPSP prevention and management we use in the Transitional Pain Service (TPS) at the Toronto General Hospital. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for research in risk factor identification and psychological interventions to prevent CPSP. Several pre-surgical psychological risk factors for CPSP have been consistently identified in recent years. These include negative affective constructs, such as anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, pain catastrophizing and general psychological distress. In contrast, relatively few studies have examined psychological protective factors for CPSP. Psychological interventions that target known psychological risk factors while enhancing protective psychological factors may reduce new incidence of CPSP. The primary goal of our ACT intervention is to teach patients a mindful way of responding to their postsurgical pain that empowers them to interrupt the negative cycle of pain, distress, behavioural avoidance and escalating opioid use that can limit functioning and quality of life while paradoxically amplifying pain over time. Early clinical outcome data suggest that patients who receive care from TPS physicians reduce their pain and opioid use, yet patients who also receive our ACT intervention have a larger decrease in daily opioid dose while reporting less pain interference and lower depression scores.

Social values and solar energy policy: the policy maker and the advocate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shama, A.; Jacobs, K.

1980-07-01

Solar energy policy makers and advocates have significantly different hierarchies (clusters) of values upon which they evaluate the adoption of solar technologies. Content analysis, which examines the frequency with which policy makers identify different types of values, indicates that they hold economic values to be of primary importance. Environmental, social, and national security values are also substantial elements of the policy makers' value clusters associated with solar energy. This finding is confirmed by a qualitative analysis of policy makers' values. Advocates, on the other hand, assign almost equal weights (33%) to economic values and social values, slightly less weight to environmental values, and significant attention to ethical and security values as well. These results of frequency analysis are made somewhat more complicated by a qualitative interpretation of the advocates' positions. As part of their more holistic approach, several of the advocates indicated that all values discussed by them are instrumental toward achieving higher-order, ethical and environmental values. In addition, our preliminary investigation indicates that neither group is entirely homogeneous. Testing this and other propositions, as well as obtaining a similar picture of the values which the public associates with solar energy, are topics of future research.

The Decision-Makers' Forum on a new paradigm for nuclear energy. Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motloch, C.G.

1998-01-01

The Decision-Makers' Forum on a New Paradigm for Nuclear Energy was created in response to the challenge by Sen. Pete V. Domenici to begin, ''a new dialogue with serious discussion about the full range of nuclear technologies.'' Sponsored by the Senate Nuclear Issues Caucus, the Forum was organized and facilitated by the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. The participants were decision-makers and key staff from industry, government, the national laboratories, academia and professional societies. Overall, the Forum was designed to capture the ideas of a large number of decision-makers about the high priority actions recommended to help set a new national agenda for nuclear energy. The Forum recommended 10 priority actions toward this end

Bridging the gap among healthcare workers and decision-makers ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Bridging the gap among healthcare workers and decision-makers through improved ... Through this project, researchers will build on insights gained from previous ... and identify the critical factors required for the scale-up and integration of the ...

[Value of PUSSOM and P-POSSUM for the prediction of surgical operative risk in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary tumors].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yingtai; Chu, Yunmian; Che, Xu; Lan, Zhongmin; Zhang, Jianwei; Wang, Chengfeng

2015-06-01

To investigate the value of Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) and a modification of the POSSUM system (P-P0SSUM) scoring system in predicting the surgical operative risk of pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary tumors. POSSUM and P-POSSUM scoring systems were used to retrospectively evaluate the clinical data of 432 patients with periampullar tumors who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy in the Department of Abdominal Surgery, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 1985 to December 2010. The predictive occurrence of postoperative complications and mortality rate were calculated according to the formula. ROC curve analysis and different group of risk factors were used to determine the discrimination ability of the two score systems, and to determine their predictive efficacy by comparing the actual and predictive complications and mortality rates, using Hosmer-Lemeshow test to determine the goodness of fit of the two scoring systems. The average physiological score of the 432 patients was 16.1 ± 3.5, and the average surgical severity score was 19.6 ± 2.7. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve for mortality predicted by POSSUM and P-POSSUM were 0.893 and 0.888, showing a non-significant difference (P > 0.05) between them. The area under ROC curve for operative complications predicted by POSSUM scoring system was 0.575. The POSSUM score system was most accurate for the prediction of complication rates of 20%-40%, showing the O/E value of 0.81. Compared with the POSSUM score system, P-POSSUM had better ability in the prediction of postoperative mortality, when the predicted value of mortality was greater than 15%, the predictive result was more accurate, and the O/E value was 1.00. POSSUM and P-POSSUM scoring system have good value in predicting the mortality of patients with periampullary tumors undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy, but a poorer value of

Abortion - surgical

Science.gov (United States)

Suction curettage; Surgical abortion; Elective abortion - surgical; Therapeutic abortion - surgical ... Surgical abortion involves dilating the opening to the uterus (cervix) and placing a small suction tube into the uterus. ...

[Surgical manipulators in ear surgery: a future vision?].

Science.gov (United States)

Hofer, M; Dietz, A; Strauss, G

2011-04-01

Middle ear surgery bears a high risk for injury of difficult to differentiate risk structures. Thus, a precise preparation in this area must be the surgical task. However, there are human (tremor) and systematic limitations (OR setup, narrow access). Assistance systems in terms of manipulators are so far not part of the clinical routine. Although, they could compensate for the above mentioned limitations. MANIPULATORS: This work reviews existing surgical manipulator systems. The expected value is an elevated patient safety through improving surgical accuracy and the reduction of ergonomic deficits. CLINICAL APPLICATION AND DEVELOPMENT: In clinical application there are simply modified industrial robots, highly complex master slave systems and small miniature master slave systems which are directly located at the patient. A disadvantage of most systems is the limited number of applicable instruments. Often, only especially designed instruments can be used. The goal in development should be to create a compact, short distance operated master slave system. The usability of standard (already available) instruments with an easy integration into the surgical and sterilisation procedure would lower the threshold for acceptance of such systems.The surgeon will remain the key player. He can only work efficiently in an ergonomic environment and will always have the responsibility for the intervention. From the authors perspective, highly automated systems should not be the research goal. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Assessment of policy makers' individual and organizational capacity ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An evidence to policy self-assessment questionnaire was used to assess the capacity of forty MNCH policy makers to acquire, assess, adapt and apply research evidence for policy making. Results: Low mean ratings were observed ranging from 2.68-3.53 on a scale of 5 for knowledge about initiating/conducting research ...

The Promise of the Maker Movement for Education

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Lee

2015-01-01

The Maker Movement is a community of hobbyists, tinkerers, engineers, hackers, and artists who creatively design and build projects for both playful and useful ends. There is growing interest among educators in bringing making into K-12 education to enhance opportunities to engage in the practices of engineering, specifically, and STEM more…

Applying Four Different Risk Models in Local Ore Selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richmond, Andrew

2002-01-01

Given the uncertainty in grade at a mine location, a financially risk-averse decision-maker may prefer to incorporate this uncertainty into the ore selection process. A FORTRAN program risksel is presented to calculate local risk-adjusted optimal ore selections using a negative exponential utility function and three dominance models: mean-variance, mean-downside risk, and stochastic dominance. All four methods are demonstrated in a grade control environment. In the case study, optimal selections range with the magnitude of financial risk that a decision-maker is prepared to accept. Except for the stochastic dominance method, the risk models reassign material from higher cost to lower cost processing options as the aversion to financial risk increases. The stochastic dominance model usually was unable to determine the optimal local selection

Public and policy maker support for point-of-sale tobacco policies in New York.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, Carol L; Juster, Harlan R; Dench, Daniel; Willett, Jeffrey; Curry, Laurel E

2014-01-01

To compare public and policy maker support for three point-of-sale tobacco policies. Two cross-sectional surveys--one of the public from the New York Adult Tobacco Survey and one of policy makers from the Local Opinion Leader Survey; both collected and analyzed in 2011. Tobacco control programs focus on educating the public and policy makers about tobacco control policy solutions. Six hundred seventy-six county-level legislators in New York's 62 counties and New York City's five boroughs (response rate: 59%); 7439 New York residents aged 18 or older. Landline response rates: 20.2% to 22%. Cell phone response rates: 9.2% to 11.1%. Gender, age, smoking status, presence of a child aged 18 years or younger in the household, county of residence, and policy maker and public support for three potential policy solutions to point-of-sale tobacco marketing. t-tests to compare the demographic makeup for the two samples. Adjusted Wald tests to test for differences in policy support between samples. The public was significantly more supportive of point-of-sale policy solutions than were policy makers: cap on retailers (48.0% vs. 19.2%, respectively); ban on sales at pharmacies (49.1% vs. 38.8%); and ban on retailers near schools (53.3% vs. 42.5%). cross-sectional data, sociodemographic differences, and variations in item wording. Tobacco control programs need to include information about implementation, enforcement, and potential effects on multiple constituencies (including businesses) in their efforts to educate policy makers about point-of-sale policy solutions.

Market orientation in the mental models of decision-makers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunert, Klaus G.; Trondsen, Torbjørn; Campos, Emilio Gonzalo

2010-01-01

Purpose: This study determines whether predictions about different degrees of market orientation in two cross-border value chains also appear in the mental models of decision makers at two levels of these value chains. Design: The laddering method elicits mental models of actors in two value chains......: Norwegian salmon exported to Japan and Danish pork exported to Japan. The analysis of the mental models centers on potential overlap and linkages between actors in the value chain, including elements in the mental models that may relate to the actors' market orientation. Findings: In both value chains......, decision makers exhibit overlap in their views of what drives their business. The pork chain appears dominated by a focus on efficiency, technology, and quality control, though it also acknowledges communication as important. The salmon chain places more emphasis on new product development and good...

Post surgical complications from students' large animal surgical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A retrospective study of post surgical complications was conducted on records of students' Large Animal Surgical Laboratories in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (F.V.M.), Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U), Zaria from 1989 to 1993. Three hundred and eleven surgical complications were recorded from five surgical ...

Nuclear energy risks and benefits in perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordelier, S.

2007-01-01

Energy demand, rising prices, security of supply, climate change... these are major issues facing today's energy policy makers. In response, the NEA has recently published a study on Risks and Benefits of Nuclear Energy in order to provide these policy makers with authoritative information in support of their decision making. The study has also provided much of the basis for this article. (author)

High lung cancer surgical procedure volume is associated with shorter length of stay and lower risks of re-admission and death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Henrik; Riaz, Sharma P; Holmberg, Lars

2016-01-01

It is debated whether treating cancer patients in high-volume surgical centres can lead to improvement in outcomes, such as shorter length of hospital stay, decreased frequency and severity of post-operative complications, decreased re-admission, and decreased mortality. The dataset for this anal......It is debated whether treating cancer patients in high-volume surgical centres can lead to improvement in outcomes, such as shorter length of hospital stay, decreased frequency and severity of post-operative complications, decreased re-admission, and decreased mortality. The dataset...... to their geographical population. Higher volume hospitals had shorter length of stay and the odds of re-admission were 15% lower in the highest hospital volume quintile compared with the lowest quintile. Mortality risks were 1% after 30 d and 3% after 90 d. Patients from hospitals in the highest volume quintile had...

Evaluating the optimal timing of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Mujagic, Edin; Zwimpfer, Tibor; Marti, Walter R; Zwahlen, Marcel; Hoffmann, Henry; Kindler, Christoph; Fux, Christoph; Misteli, Heidi; Iselin, Lukas; Lugli, Andrea Kopp; Nebiker, Christian A; von Holzen, Urs; Vinzens, Fabrizio; von Strauss, Marco; Reck, Stefan; Kraljević, Marko; Widmer, Andreas F; Oertli, Daniel; Rosenthal, Rachel; Weber, Walter P

2014-05-24

Surgical site infections are the most common hospital-acquired infections among surgical patients. The administration of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis reduces the risk of surgical site infections . The optimal timing of this procedure is still a matter of debate. While most studies suggest that it should be given as close to the incision time as possible, others conclude that this may be too late for optimal prevention of surgical site infections. A large observational study suggests that surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis should be administered 74 to 30 minutes before surgery. The aim of this article is to report the design and protocol of a randomized controlled trial investigating the optimal timing of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis. In this bi-center randomized controlled trial conducted at two tertiary referral centers in Switzerland, we plan to include 5,000 patients undergoing general, oncologic, vascular and orthopedic trauma procedures. Patients are randomized in a 1:1 ratio into two groups: one receiving surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in the anesthesia room (75 to 30 minutes before incision) and the other receiving surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in the operating room (less than 30 minutes before incision). We expect a significantly lower rate of surgical site infections with surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis administered more than 30 minutes before the scheduled incision. The primary outcome is the occurrence of surgical site infections during a 30-day follow-up period (one year with an implant in place). When assuming a 5% surgical site infection risk with administration of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in the operating room, the planned sample size has an 80% power to detect a relative risk reduction for surgical site infections of 33% when administering surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in the anesthesia room (with a two-sided type I error of 5%). We expect the study to be completed within three years. The results of this

Bone mineral density and fractures after surgical menopause : systematic review and meta-analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fakkert, I. E.; Teixeira, N.; Abma, E. M.; Slart, R. H. J. A.; Mourits, M. J. E.; de Bock, G. H.

Background Oophorectomy is recommended for women at increased risk for ovarian cancer. When performed at premenopausal age oophorectomy induces acute surgical menopause, with unwanted consequences. Objective To investigate bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture prevalence after surgical menopause.

Network analysis of surgical innovation: Measuring value and the virality of diffusion in robotic surgery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Garas

Full Text Available Existing surgical innovation frameworks suffer from a unifying limitation, their qualitative nature. A rigorous approach to measuring surgical innovation is needed that extends beyond detecting simply publication, citation, and patent counts and instead uncovers an implementation-based value from the structure of the entire adoption cascades produced over time by diffusion processes. Based on the principles of evidence-based medicine and existing surgical regulatory frameworks, the surgical innovation funnel is described. This illustrates the different stages through which innovation in surgery typically progresses. The aim is to propose a novel and quantitative network-based framework that will permit modeling and visualizing innovation diffusion cascades in surgery and measuring virality and value of innovations.Network analysis of constructed citation networks of all articles concerned with robotic surgery (n = 13,240, Scopus® was performed (1974-2014. The virality of each cascade was measured as was innovation value (measured by the innovation index derived from the evidence-based stage occupied by the corresponding seed article in the surgical innovation funnel. The network-based surgical innovation metrics were also validated against real world big data (National Inpatient Sample-NIS®.Rankings of surgical innovation across specialties by cascade size and structural virality (structural depth and width were found to correlate closely with the ranking by innovation value (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient = 0.758 (p = 0.01, 0.782 (p = 0.008, 0.624 (p = 0.05, respectively which in turn matches the ranking based on real world big data from the NIS® (Spearman's coefficient = 0.673;p = 0.033.Network analysis offers unique new opportunities for understanding, modeling and measuring surgical innovation, and ultimately for assessing and comparing generative value between different specialties. The novel surgical innovation metrics

Digital stereoscopic photography using StereoData Maker

Science.gov (United States)

Toeppen, John; Sykes, David

2009-02-01

Stereoscopic digital photography has become much more practical with the use of USB wired connections between a pair of Canon cameras using StereoData Maker software for precise synchronization. StereoPhoto Maker software is now used to automatically combine and align right and left image files to produce a stereo pair. Side by side images are saved as pairs and may be viewed using software that converts the images into the preferred viewing format at the time of display. Stereo images may be shared on the internet, displayed on computer monitors, autostereo displays, viewed on high definition 3D TVs, or projected for a group. Stereo photographers are now free to control composition using point and shoot settings, or are able to control shutter speed, aperture, focus, ISO, and zoom. The quality of the output depends on the developed skills of the photographer as well as their understanding of the software, human vision and the geometry they choose for their cameras and subjects. Observers of digital stereo images can zoom in for greater detail and scroll across large panoramic fields with a few keystrokes. The art, science, and methods of taking, creating and viewing digital stereo photos are presented in a historic and developmental context in this paper.

Combination of Surgical Drainage and Renal Artery Embolization: An Alternative Treatment for Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Upasani, Anand, E-mail: anand.upasani@gosh.nhs.uk [Great Ormond Street Hospital, Department of Paediatric Urology (United Kingdom); Barnacle, Alex, E-mail: alex.barnacle@gosh.nhs.uk; Roebuck, Derek, E-mail: derek.roebuck@gosh.nhs.uk; Cherian, Abraham, E-mail: abraham.cherian@gosh.nhs.uk [Great Ormond Street Hospital (United Kingdom)

2017-03-15

Conventionally, xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is treated with antibiotics and drainage of abscess followed by nephrectomy for definitive treatment. Surgical excision of the affected kidney carries risk of significant complications. An alternative treatment modality is described in the form of embolization of the renal artery to devascularise the renal parenchyma and ablate the renal tissue, thus avoiding a major surgical procedure and the significant risks involved.

Combination of Surgical Drainage and Renal Artery Embolization: An Alternative Treatment for Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upasani, Anand; Barnacle, Alex; Roebuck, Derek; Cherian, Abraham

2017-01-01

Conventionally, xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is treated with antibiotics and drainage of abscess followed by nephrectomy for definitive treatment. Surgical excision of the affected kidney carries risk of significant complications. An alternative treatment modality is described in the form of embolization of the renal artery to devascularise the renal parenchyma and ablate the renal tissue, thus avoiding a major surgical procedure and the significant risks involved.

Management of antithrombotic therapy in patients with coronary artery disease or atrial fibrillation who underwent abdominal surgical operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Schizas, Dimitrios; Kariori, Maria; Boudoulas, Konstantinos Dean; Siasos, Gerasimos; Patelis, Nikolaos; Kalantzis, Charalampos; Carmen-Maria, Moldovan; Vavuranakis, Manolis

2018-04-02

Patients treated with antithrombotic therapy that require abdominal surgical procedures has progressively increased overtime. The management of antithrombotics during both the peri- and post- operative period is of crucial importance. The goal of this review is to present current data concerning the management of antiplatelets in patients with coronary artery disease and of anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation who had to undergo abdominal surgical operations. For this purpose, incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and risk of antithrombotic use during surgical procedures, as well as the recommendations based on recent guidelines were reported. A thorough search of PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Databases was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials, observational studies, novel current reviews, and ESC and ACC/AHA guidelines on the subject. Antithrombotic use in daily clinical practice results to two different pathways: reduction of thromboembolic risk, but a simultaneous increase of bleeding risk. This may cause a therapeutic dilemma during the perioperative period. Nevertheless, careless cessation of antithrombotics can increase MACE and thromboembolic events, however, maintenance of antithrombotic therapy may increase bleeding complications. Studies and current guidelines can assist clinicians in making decisions for the treatment of patients that undergo abdominal surgical operations while on antithrombotic therapy. Aspirin should not be stopped perioperatively in the majority of surgical operations. Determining whether to discontinue the use of anticoagulants before surgery depends on the surgical procedure. In surgical operations with a low risk for bleeding, oral anticoagulants should not be discontinued. Bridging therapy should only be considered in patients with a high risk of thromboembolism. Finally, patients with an intermediate risk for thromboembolism, management should be individualized according to patient

Comparative risks in the energy scene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, A.V.

1981-01-01

Studies comparing the risks in different energy systems are discussed, and the usefulness of the quantified risk assessment to the decision maker is outlined. Information is presented on (a) risks from fuel extraction, processing and fabrication (for coal, oil and nuclear); (b) annual risk per unit output (coal, oil and nuclear); (c) major events (nuclear, coal, oil and chemical). (U.K.)

Risk management and errors in the surgical clinic of Serres hospital compared with the requirements of standard OHSAS 18001: 1999

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Eleni Megalomystaka

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the measures implemented to manage risks at work in the surgical clinic of a public hospital in Northern Greece, in relation to the requirements of the standard OHSAS 18001: 1999, and to refer to an integrated program to manage those risks. The right to safe and high-quality patient care and management of adverse events is part of the quality system and must be pursued by every health organization. In recent years, in Greece, there are measures taken by the country to align with European Union directives on matters related to safety in the workplace. In this direction, this hospital takes the initiative to reduce accidents and improve working conditions. The ELOT 1801 is a model for the management of health and safety, it is compatible and has technical equivalence with the corresponding BSI-OHSAS 18001: 1999. Since the relevant investigation found that the implementation of policy on health and safety in the surgical clinic under hospital study showed that there is a will by the authorities to adopt and implement procedures that contribute to the proper management and reduction of upcoming events. However, improvement actions are related to staff training can be made in the provision of health services, while considered necessary staffing the department with personnel and equipping adequate consumables.

Surging Seas Risk Finder: A Tool for Local-Scale Flood Risk Assessments in Coastal Cities

Science.gov (United States)

Kulp, S. A.; Strauss, B.

2015-12-01

Local decision makers in coastal cities require accurate, accessible, and thorough assessments of flood exposure risk within their individual municipality, in their efforts to mitigate against damage due to future sea level rise. To fill this need, we have developed Climate Central's Surging Seas Risk Finder, an interactive data toolkit which presents our sea level rise and storm surge analysis for every coastal town, city, county, and state within the USA. Using this tool, policy makers can easily zoom in on their local place of interest to receive a detailed flood risk assessment, which synthesizes a wide range of features including total population, socially vulnerable population, housing, property value, road miles, power plants, schools, hospitals, and many other critical facilities. Risk Finder can also be used to identify specific points of interest in danger of exposure at different flood levels. Additionally, this tool provides localized storm surge probabilities and sea level rise projections at tidal gauges along the coast, so that users can quickly understand the risk of flooding in their area over the coming decades.

Using Cognitive Conflict to Promote the Use of Dialectical Learning for Strategic Decision-Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, Jeffrey G.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model that uses dialectical inquiry (DI) to create cognitive conflict in strategic decision-makers for the purpose of improving strategic decisions. Activation of the dialectical learning process using DI requires strategic decision-makers to integrate conflicting information causing…

The Reddy maker

Science.gov (United States)

Nof, Doron; Paldor, Nathan; Gorder, Stephen Van

2002-09-01

alterations bring the outflow closer and closer to the critical condition and it is, therefore, argued that all outflows ultimately reach the critical point (unless diffusion and mixing destroy them prior to that stage). It is suggested that Reddies (i.e., isolated lenses containing Red Sea water) are formed by the above processes. Namely, we propose that the "Reddy maker" is a combination of three processes, the natural reduction in the bottom slope which the outflow senses as it approaches the bottom of the ocean, the entrainment-induced increase in the outflow's thickness, and the entrainment-induced decrease in the outflow's density. An animation of the eddy generation process can be viewed at http://doronnof.net/features.html#video (click on "Reddy maker video").

Environment of care: Is it time to reassess microbial contamination of the operating room air as a risk factor for surgical site infection in total joint arthroplasty?

Science.gov (United States)

Parvizi, Javad; Barnes, Sue; Shohat, Noam; Edmiston, Charles E

2017-11-01

In the modern operating room (OR), traditional surgical mask, frequent air exchanges, and architectural barriers are viewed as effective in reducing airborne microbial populations. Intraoperative sampling of airborne particulates is rarely performed in the OR because of technical difficulties associated with sampling methodologies and a common belief that airborne contamination is infrequently associated with surgical site infections (SSIs). Recent studies suggest that viable airborne particulates are readily disseminated throughout the OR, placing patients at risk for postoperative SSI. In 2017, virtually all surgical disciplines are engaged in the implantation of selective biomedical devices, and these implants have been documented to be at high risk for intraoperative contamination. Approximately 1.2 million arthroplasties are performed annually in the United States, and that number is expected to increase to 3.8 million by the year 2030. The incidence of periprosthetic joint infection is perceived to be low (<2.5%); however, the personal and fiscal morbidity is significant. Although the pharmaceutic and computer industries enforce stringent air quality standards on their manufacturing processes, there is currently no U.S. standard for acceptable air quality within the OR environment. This review documents the contribution of air contamination to the etiology of periprosthetic joint infection, and evidence for selective innovative strategies to reduce the risk of intraoperative microbial aerosols. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Informed consent in surgical trials.

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Etchells, E

1999-12-01

All participants must provide a valid consent to surgical clinical trials. A valid consent requires patient capacity, adequate disclosure of information, and voluntariness. Capacity is the ability to understand information relevant to making a decision and to appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of a decision or lack of decision. To protect vulnerable persons, an incapable person should not be enrolled in most clinical trials. The only exception is if the study can only be conducted on incapable persons. If the willing research participant is incapable, consent must be obtained from others through a process called substitute (or proxy) consent. Disclosure refers to the provision of relevant information to the patient and its comprehension by the patient. Most surgical trials carry more than minimal risks, so the requirement for careful disclosure of these risks to potential participants is generally stringent. Voluntariness refers to the freedom of a person to make a treatment decision. In specific circumstances related to emergency research, the requirement for consent may be waived. Waiver can be justified only if the delay required to obtain consent would prevent the research from occurring and only after prior consultation with from the "community" of potential research participants.

Market Makers' Recognition of Key Success Factors in Electronic Marketplaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosemary Stockdale

2003-05-01

Full Text Available This study examines the recognition and use of critical success factors by market makers in electronic marketplaces. A content analysis of e-marketplace websites enabled an examination of how these factors have been incorporated into marketplace sites. Evidence of market makers’ awareness of the success factors was found in all the sites although there remain questions and issues to be addressed. Awareness of the need for critical mass and privacy were very evident, but the key factors of security, technological infrastructure and neutrality were identified as areas of concern. Evidence of an awareness of the importance of trust by market makers was found, but more effective signalling of trust to buyers and sellers within the marketplaces is required.

Transcatheter aortic valve prosthesis surgically replaced 4 months after implantation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thyregod, Hans Gustav; Lund, Jens Teglgaard; Engstrøm, Thomas

2010-01-01

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is a new and rapidly evolving treatment option for high-risk surgical patients with degenerative aortic valve stenosis. Long-term results with these new valve prostheses are lacking, and potential valve dysfunction and failure would require valve replacemen....... We report the first case of surgical valve replacement in a patient with a dysfunctional transcatheter-implanted aortic valve prosthesis 4 months after implantation....

Portsmouth physiological and operative severity score for the Enumeration of Mortality and morbidity scoring system in general surgical practice and identifying risk factors for poor outcome

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Tyagi, Ashish; Nagpal, Nitin; Sidhu, D. S.; Singh, Amandeep; Tyagi, Anjali

2017-01-01

Background: Estimation of the outcome is paramount in disease stratification and subsequent management in severely ill surgical patients. Risk scoring helps us quantify the prospects of adverse outcome in a patient. Portsmouth-Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the Enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity (P-POSSUM) the world over has proved itself as a worthy scoring system and the present study was done to evaluate the feasibility of P-POSSUM as a risk scoring system as a tool in efficacious prediction of mortality and morbidity in our demographic profile. Materials and Methods: Validity of P-POSSUM was assessed prospectively in fifty major general surgeries performed at our hospital from May 2011 to October 2012. Data were collected to obtain P-POSSUM score, and statistical analysis was performed. Results: Majority (72%) of patients was male and mean age was 40.24 ± 18.6 years. Seventy-eight percentage procedures were emergency laparotomies commonly performed for perforation peritonitis. Mean physiological score was 17.56 ± 7.6, and operative score was 17.76 ± 4.5 (total score = 35.3 ± 10.4). The ratio of observed to expected mortality rate was 0.86 and morbidity rate was 0.78. Discussion: P-POSSUM accurately predicted both mortality and morbidity in patients who underwent major surgical procedures in our setup. Thus, it helped us in identifying patients who required preferential attention and aggressive management. Widespread application of this tool can result in better distribution of care among high-risk surgical patients. PMID:28250670

Surgical treatment of buried penis.

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Lipszyc, E; Pfister, C; Liard, A; Mitrofanoff, P

1997-10-01

The buried penis is a rare congenital entity, whose treatment is surgical. There are few publications concerning this matter. The authors report on their experience in 10 cases (1990-1995). In this abnormality, the tip of the glans does not project from the pubic or scrotal skin. It is due to: 1) an excessive development of the penile fascia which retracts the penis; 2) insufficient attachment of the penile skin at the base of the penis; 3) often excessive prepubic fat worsens the appearance of the abnormality but does not by itself totally explain it; 4) a tight phimosis is often present. Surgical treatment is necessary because this aspect tends to persist even after puberty. One cannot indeed count on the development at the age of puberty, neither on the diminution of the fat, nor on the simple cure of the phimosis. One must above all ban circumcision which causes the risk of eliminating the skin necessary for reconstruction. The surgical procedure will comprise: 1) a longitudinal dorsal incision extended circumferentially; 2) resection of the thickened fascia penis; 3) anchoring of the deep face of the dermis to the proximal part of the fascia penis at the base of the penis. This surgical procedure has always brought a significant improvement to the appearance of the penis.

10 CFR 431.132 - Definitions concerning automatic commercial ice makers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... CERTAIN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT Automatic Commercial Ice Makers § 431.132 Definitions... necessarily shipped in 1 package) that— (1) Consists of a condensing unit and ice-making section operating as...

Decision process in MCDM with large number of criteria and heterogeneous risk preferences

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Jian Liu

Full Text Available A new decision process is proposed to address the challenge that a large number criteria in the multi-criteria decision making (MCDM problem and the decision makers with heterogeneous risk preferences. First, from the perspective of objective data, the effective criteria are extracted based on the similarity relations between criterion values and the criteria are weighted, respectively. Second, the corresponding types of theoretic model of risk preferences expectations will be built, based on the possibility and similarity between criterion values to solve the problem for different interval numbers with the same expectation. Then, the risk preferences (Risk-seeking, risk-neutral and risk-aversion will be embedded in the decision process. Later, the optimal decision object is selected according to the risk preferences of decision makers based on the corresponding theoretic model. Finally, a new algorithm of information aggregation model is proposed based on fairness maximization of decision results for the group decision, considering the coexistence of decision makers with heterogeneous risk preferences. The scientific rationality verification of this new method is given through the analysis of real case. Keywords: Heterogeneous, Risk preferences, Fairness, Decision process, Group decision

Key Policy Makers' Awareness of Tobacco Taxation Effectiveness through a Sensitization Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Heydari, Gholamreza; Ebn Ahmady, Arezoo; Lando, Harry A; Chamyani, Fahimeh; Masjedi, Mohammadreza; Shadmehr, Mohammad B; Fadaizadeh, Lida

2015-12-01

The implementation of 5 of the 6 WHO MPOWER program in Iran is satisfactory; the only notable shortcoming is the lack of tobacco taxation increases. This study was designed to increase key policy makers' awareness of tobacco taxation effectiveness through a sensitization program in Iran. This analytical and semi-experimental study in 2014 included 110 tobacco control key policy makers, who were trained and received educational materials on the importance of tobacco taxation. A valid and reliable questionnaire was completed before and three months after intervention. Data were analyzed using mean (SD), t-Test and analysis of variance. The mean (SD) scores at pre- and post-test were 2.7 ± 3 and 8.8 ± 1 out of 10, respectively. Paired t-tests demonstrated a significant difference in the pre- post-test knowledge scores. Increasing knowledge and promoting favorable attitudes of policy makers can lead to greater attention which could in turn change tobacco taxation policies.

MAKER2: an annotation pipeline and genome-database management tool for second-generation genome projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Carson; Yandell, Mark

2011-12-22

Second-generation sequencing technologies are precipitating major shifts with regards to what kinds of genomes are being sequenced and how they are annotated. While the first generation of genome projects focused on well-studied model organisms, many of today's projects involve exotic organisms whose genomes are largely terra incognita. This complicates their annotation, because unlike first-generation projects, there are no pre-existing 'gold-standard' gene-models with which to train gene-finders. Improvements in genome assembly and the wide availability of mRNA-seq data are also creating opportunities to update and re-annotate previously published genome annotations. Today's genome projects are thus in need of new genome annotation tools that can meet the challenges and opportunities presented by second-generation sequencing technologies. We present MAKER2, a genome annotation and data management tool designed for second-generation genome projects. MAKER2 is a multi-threaded, parallelized application that can process second-generation datasets of virtually any size. We show that MAKER2 can produce accurate annotations for novel genomes where training-data are limited, of low quality or even non-existent. MAKER2 also provides an easy means to use mRNA-seq data to improve annotation quality; and it can use these data to update legacy annotations, significantly improving their quality. We also show that MAKER2 can evaluate the quality of genome annotations, and identify and prioritize problematic annotations for manual review. MAKER2 is the first annotation engine specifically designed for second-generation genome projects. MAKER2 scales to datasets of any size, requires little in the way of training data, and can use mRNA-seq data to improve annotation quality. It can also update and manage legacy genome annotation datasets.

Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI)

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — EPA’s Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) is a geographically-based model that helps policy makers and communities explore data on releases of toxic...

Surgical lighting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knulst, A.J.

2017-01-01

The surgical light is an important tool for surgeons to create and maintain good visibility on the surgical task. Chapter 1 gives background to the field of (surgical) lighting and related terminology. Although the surgical light has been developed strongly since its introduction a long time ago,

Family Communication about End-of-Life Decisions and the Enactment of the Decision-Maker Role

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April R. Trees

2017-06-01

Full Text Available End-of-life (EOL decisions in families are complex and emotional sites of family interaction necessitating family members coordinate roles in the EOL decision-making process. How family members in the United States enact the decision-maker role in EOL decision situations was examined through in-depth interviews with 22 individuals who participated in EOL decision-making for a family member. A number of themes emerged from the data with regard to the enactment of the decision-maker role. Families varied in how decision makers enacted the role in relation to collective family input, with consulting, informing and collaborating as different patterns of behavior. Formal family roles along with gender- and age-based roles shaped who took on the decision-maker role. Additionally, both family members and medical professionals facilitated or undermined the decision-maker’s role enactment. Understanding the structure and enactment of the decision-maker role in family interaction provides insight into how individuals and/or family members perform the decision-making role within a cultural context that values autonomy and self-determination in combination with collective family action in EOL decision-making.

Risk adjusted surgical audit in gynaecological oncology: P-POSSUM does not predict outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, N; Talaat, A S; Naik, R; Lopes, A D; Godfrey, K A; Hatem, M H; Edmondson, R J

2006-12-01

To assess the Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) and its validity for use in gynaecological oncology surgery. All patients undergoing gynaecological oncology surgery at the Northern Gynaecological Oncology Centre (NGOC) Gateshead, UK over a period of 12months (2002-2003) were assessed prospectively. Mortality and morbidity predictions using the Portsmouth modification of the POSSUM algorithm (P-POSSUM) were compared to the actual outcomes. Performance of the model was also evaluated using the Hosmer and Lemeshow Chi square statistic (testing the goodness of fit). During this period 468 patients were assessed. The P-POSSUM appeared to over predict mortality rates for our patients. It predicted a 7% mortality rate for our patients compared to an observed rate of 2% (35 predicted deaths in comparison to 10 observed deaths), a difference that was statistically significant (H&L chi(2)=542.9, d.f. 8, prisk of mortality for gynaecological oncology patients undergoing surgery. The P-POSSUM algorithm will require further adjustments prior to adoption for gynaecological cancer surgery as a risk adjusted surgical audit tool.

Prevalence and risk factors of metallo β-lactamase producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species in burns and surgical wards in a tertiary care hospital

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Simit H Kumar

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The production of Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs is one of the resistance mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species. There is not much Indian data on the prevalence of MBLs in burns and surgical wards. Materials and Methods: A total of 145 non-duplicate isolates of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species, isolated from pus/wound swabs and endotracheal secretions from burns and surgical wards, were tested for MBL production by modified ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA disc synergy and double disc synergy tests. Results: Prevalence of MBLs was 26.9% by both the above tests. All MBL-positive isolates were multidrug resistant. Only 6.06% (2/33 P.aeruginosa and 16.67% (1/06 Acinetobacter species were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam and netilmycin, respectively. These patients had multiple risk factors like >8 days hospital stay, catheterization, IV lines, previous antibiotic use, mechanical ventilation, etc. Graft application and surgical intervention were significant risk factors in MBL-positive patients. Overall mortality in MBL-positive patients was 34.21%. Conclusion: Emergence of MBL-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species in this hospital is alarming, which reflect excessive use of carbapenems and at the same time, pose a therapeutic challenge to clinicians as well as to microbiologists. Therefore, a strict antibiotic policy and implementation of proper infection control practices will go a long way to prevent further spread of MBLs. Detection of MBLs should also become mandatory in all hospitals.

Additive Manufacturing for Surgical Planning of Mandibular Fracture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadja Maria da Silva Oliveira Brito

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, imaging techniques such as Computed Tomography with three-dimensional reconstruction (3D and Magnetic Resonances are being routinely used in pre-surgical planning in all fields of medicine. Nowadays, virtual three-dimensional images, commonly displayed on two-dimensional surfaces, such as the computer screen, can be used to produce rapidly prototyped models, with excellent dimensional accuracy and fine reproduction of anatomical structures, providing professionals with the ability to use the biomodel in planning and simulating medical and dental procedures (oral and maxillofacial surgery, making individualized facial implants and prostheses, measurements and previous adaptations of prefabricated fixation plates, thus contributing to considerable reductions in surgical time and consequently the duration of anesthesia, minimizing infection risks and reducing hospital costs. In this report, we describe a case of surgical planning and treatment of bilateral atrophic mandibular fracture, in which, for surgical planning, authors used Rapid Prototyping as an adjunct tool, considering the advantages already outlined.

Paracentesis as Surgical Intervention in Traumatic Hyphaema: Opinions and Practices of Nigerian Ophthalmologists

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Okosa Michael Chuka

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction Various aspects of management of traumatic hyphaema are enmeshed in controversy. Surgery is done to prevent complications: optic atrophy and corneal blood staining occurring if a high risk exists of either or both occurring. Circumstances considered high risk do not enjoy universal consensus. Objectives To determine what Nigerian ophthalmologists consider absolute indications for surgical intervention by means of anterior chamber paracentesis and hyphaema washout in closed globe traumatic hyphaema, evaluate these absolute indications, and attempt to evolve a guideline for surgical intervention based on areas of consensus and disagreement. Method A semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaire with responses analyzed with SPSS 11 software. Result Near universal agreement on indication exist on early corneal blood staining and sickle cell haemoglobinopathy. Differing views concern blackball, volume and duration of hyphaema and secondary hypertension-associated hyphaema. However, it appears surgery is embarked on earlier than other practitioners elsewhere may consider necessary. Conclusion Risk level for non-surgical management against risk and benefit of surgery should be evaluated for each individual before surgery.

Preoperative Embolization Reduces the Risk of Cathecolamines Release at the Time of Surgical Excision of Large Pelvic Extra-Adrenal Sympathetic Paraganglioma

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Nicola Di Daniele

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A 30-year-old woman with severe hypertension was admitted to the hospital with a history of headache, palpitations, and diaphoresis following sexual intercourse. Twenty-four hour urinary excretion of free catecholamines and metabolites was markedly increased as was serum chromogranin A. Computed tomography scan revealed a large mass in the left adnex site and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the computer tomography finding, suggesting the presence of extra-adrenal sympathetic paraganglioma. I-metaiodobenzyl guanidine scintigram revealed an increased uptake in the same area. Transcatheter arterial embolization of the mass resulted in marked decreases in blood pressure and urinary excretion of free catecholamines and metabolites. Surgical excision of the mass was then accomplished without complication. Preoperative embolization is a useful and safe procedure which may reduce the risk of catecholamines release at the time of surgical excision in large pelvic extra-adrenal sympathetic paraganglioma.

Non-surgical management of extradural haematomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tysvaer, A.T.; Oedegaard, H.

1987-01-01

The widespread use of computed tomographic (CT) scanning has shown that not all extradural haematomas require surgical evacuation. Eleven patients with epidural haematomas, 8-113 ml in volume, were treated successfully non-surgically. Seven were diagnosed later than four days after the head injury. The haematomas showed complete resolution over a period of 5-12 weeks. As some epidural haematomas have been shown to undergo considerable enlargement during the first weeks of treatment, conservative management of those greather than 35-40 ml initially is not advisable. In patients showing a decreasing level of consciousness and neurological deficits, even smaller haematomas must be evacuated. Extradural haematomas of the posterior fossa are high risk lesion and therefore unsuitable for conservative management

Surgical treatment of pathological obesity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portie Felix, Antonio; Navarro Sanchez, Gustavo; Hernandez Solar, Abel; Grass Baldoquin, Jorge Alberto; Domloge Fernandez, Joana

2011-01-01

The obesity is the chronic non-communicable disease with a higher rate of growth in past 20 years. It is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, cardiovascular and respiratory affections, infertility, sexual and functional impotence, metabolic syndrome, load joint disorders and some types of cancer (breast, colon, prostate). The metabolic bariatric surgery is the surgical treatment more effective for the morbid obesity at long -and medium- term and not the pharmacologic treatment and the isolated diets. The aim of present historical review of the international literature on the evolution of surgical techniques of the bariatric surgery (malabsorption techniques, gastric restrictive techniques and mixed techniques), is to make available to those interested in this subject, a valuable therapeutic tool to be rationally used. (author)

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high risk for surgical complications: summary assessment of the California Technology Assessment Forum.

Science.gov (United States)

Tice, Jeffrey A; Sellke, Frank W; Schaff, Hartzell V

2014-08-01

The California Technology Assessment Forum is dedicated to assessment and public reporting of syntheses of available data on medical technologies. In this assessment, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was evaluated for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) who are at high risk for complications. In this assessment, 5 criteria were used: Regulatory approval, sufficient scientific evidence to allow conclusions on effectiveness, evidence that the technology improves net health outcomes, evidence that the technology is as beneficial as established methods, and availability of the technology outside investigational settings. In this assessment, all 5 criteria were judged to have been met. The primary benefit of TAVR is the ability to treat AS in patients who would otherwise be ineligible for surgical aortic valve replacement. It may also be useful for patients at high surgical risk by potentially reducing periprocedural complications and avoiding the morbidity and recovery from undergoing heart surgery. Potential harms include the need for conversion to an open procedure, perioperative death, myocardial infarction, stroke, bleeding, valve embolization, aortic regurgitation, heart block that requires a permanent pacemaker, renal failure, pulmonary failure, and major vascular complications such as cardiac perforation or arterial dissection. Potential long-term harms include death, stroke, valve failure or clotting, and endocarditis. As highlighted at the February 2012 California Technology Assessment Forum meeting, the dispersion of this technology to new centers across the United States must proceed with careful thought given to training and proctoring multidisciplinary teams to become new centers of excellence. TAVR is a potentially lifesaving procedure that may improve quality of life for patients at high risk for surgical AVR. However, attention needs to be paid to appropriate patient selection, their preoperative evaluation, surgical techniques, and

Surgical versus non-surgical management of abdominal injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Oyo-Ita, Angela; Chinnock, Paul; Ikpeme, Ikpeme A

2015-11-13

Injury to the abdomen can be blunt or penetrating. Abdominal injury can damage internal organs such as the liver, spleen, kidneys, intestine, and large blood vessels. There are controversies about the best approach to manage abdominal injuries. To assess the effects of surgical and non-surgical interventions in the management of abdominal trauma in a haemodynamically stable and non-peritonitic abdomen. We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group's Specialised Register, The Cochrane Library, Ovid MEDLINE(R), Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE(R) Daily and Ovid OLDMEDLINE(R), EMBASE Classic+EMBASE (Ovid), ISI WOS (SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI, CPCI-S & CPSI-SSH), CINAHL Plus (EBSCO), and clinical trials registers, and screened reference lists. We ran the most recent search on 17 September 2015. Randomised controlled trials of surgical interventions and non-surgical interventions involving people with abdominal injury who were haemodynamically stable with no signs of peritonitis. The abdominal injury could be blunt or penetrating. Two review authors independently applied the selection criteria. Data were extracted by two authors using a standard data extraction form, and are reported narratively. Two studies are included, which involved a total of 114 people with penetrating abdominal injuries. Both studies are at moderate risk of bias because the randomisation methods are not fully described, and the original study protocols are no longer available. The studies were undertaken in Finland between 1992 and 2002, by the same two researchers.In one study, 51 people were randomised to surgery or an observation protocol. None of the participants in the study died. Seven people had complications: 5 (18.5%) in the surgical group and 2 (8.3%) in the observation group; the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.42; Fischer's exact). Among the 27 people who had surgery, 6 (22.2%) surgeries were negative laparotomies, and 15 (55.6%) were non

Antibiotic prophylaxis adequacy in knee arthroplasty and surgical wound infection: Prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Del-Moral-Luque, J A; Checa-García, A; López-Hualda, Á; Villar-Del-Campo, M C; Martínez-Martín, J; Moreno-Coronas, F J; Montejo-Sancho, J; Rodríguez-Caravaca, G

Antibiotic prophylaxis is the most suitable tool for preventing surgical wound infection. This study evaluated adequacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery for knee arthroplasty and its effect on surgical site infection. Prospective cohort study. We assessed the degree of adequacy of antibiotic prophylaxis, the causes of non-adequacy, and the effect of non-adequacy on surgical site infection. Incidence of surgical site infection was studied after a maximum incubation period of a year. To assess the effect of prophylaxis non-adequacy on surgical site infection we used the relative risk adjusted with the aid of a logistic regression model. The study covered a total of 1749 patients. Antibiotic prophylaxis was indicated in all patients and administered in 99.8% of cases, with an overall protocol adequacy of 77.6%. The principal cause of non-compliance was the duration of prescription of the antibiotics (46.5%). Cumulative incidence of surgical site infection was 1.43%. No relationship was found between prophylaxis adequacy and surgical infection (RR=1.15; 95% CI: .31-2.99) (P>.05). Surveillance and infection control programs enable risk factors of infection and improvement measures to be assessed. Monitoring infection rates enables us to reduce their incidence. Adequacy of antibiotic prophylaxis was high but could be improved. We did not find a relationship between prophylaxis adequacy and surgical site infection rate. Copyright © 2017 SECOT. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Second branchial cleft fistulae: patient characteristics and surgical outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajosaari, Lauri; Mäkitie, Antti; Salminen, Päivi; Klockars, Tuomas

2014-09-01

Second branchial cleft anomalies predispose to recurrent infections, and surgical resection is recommended as the treatment of choice. There is no clear consensus regarding the timing or surgical technique in the operative treatment of these anomalies. Our aim was to compare the effect of age and operative techniques to patient characteristics and treatment outcome. A retrospective study of pediatric patients treated for second branchial sinuses or fistulae during 1998-2012 at two departments in our academic tertiary care referral center. Comparison of patient characteristics, preoperative investigations, surgical techniques and postoperative sequelae. Our data is based on 68 patients, the largest series in the literature. One-fourth (24%) of patients had any infectious symptoms prior to operative treatment. Patient demographics, preoperative investigations, use of methylene blue, or tonsillectomy had no effect on the surgical outcome. There were no re-operations due to residual disease. Three complications were observed postoperatively. Our patient series of second branchial cleft sinuses/fistulae is the largest so far and enables analyses of patient characteristics and surgical outcomes more reliably than previously. Preoperative symptoms are infrequent and mild. There was no difference in clinical outcome between the observed departments. Performing ipsilateral tonsillectomy gave no outcome benefits. The operation may be delayed to an age of approximately three years when anesthesiological risks are and possible harms are best avoided. Considering postoperative pain and risk of postoperative hemorrhage a routine tonsillectomy should not be included to the operative treatment of second branchial cleft fistulae. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

It's All in the Lens: Differences in Views on Obesity Prevention between Advocates and Policy Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Ellen; Nguyen, Leah; Kong, Jooyoung; Brownson, Ross C.; Bailey, Jessica H.

2012-01-01

Abstract Background: Intervention strategies to reduce obesity include policy and environmental changes that are designed to provide opportunities, support, and cues to help people develop healthier behaviors. Policy changes at the state level are one way to influence access, social norms, and opportunities for better nutrition and increased physical activity among the population. Methods: Ten states were selected for a broad variance in obesity rates and number of enacted obesity prevention policies during the years of 2006–2009. Within the selected states, a purely qualitative study of attitudes of childhood obesity policy using semistructured telephone interviews was conducted. Interviews were conducted with state policy makers who serve on public health committees. A set of six states that had more than eight childhood obesity policies enacted were selected for subsequent qualitative interviews with a convenience sample of well-established advocates. Results: Policy makers in states where there was more childhood obesity policy action believed in the evidence behind obesity policy proposals. Policy makers also varied in the perception of obesity as a constituent priority. The major differences between advocates and policy makers included a disconnect in information dissemination, opposition, and effectiveness of these policies. Conclusions: The findings from this study show differences in perceptions among policy makers in states with a greater number of obesity prevention bills enacted. There are differences among policy makers and advocates regarding the role and effectiveness of state policy on obesity prevention. This presents an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to improve communication and translation of evidence to policy makers, particularly in states with low legislation. PMID:22799551

Communication among scientists, decision makers and society: Developing policy-relevant global climate change research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernabo, J.C.

1995-01-01

Defining the research most relevant to policy is not simply a technical task that can be answered by scientists. Decision makers need and value information differently than curiosity-driven scientists. In order to link science more effectively to policy, the two communities must gain a greater mutual understanding. Decision makers must define their needs so that scientists can determine how, and by when, research can address these needs. This vital dialogue between communities typically has been more ad hoc than systematic. The complexity and urgency of the global climate change issue necessitate ongoing communication between scientists and decision makers on the information needed for policy development and what research can provide The results of relevant science policy dialogues are discussed herein. Effective communication between researchers and decision makers is a crucial ingredient for successfully addressing society's pressing environmental concerns. The increase in policy makers' demands for research that is relevant to solving societal issues highlights the communication gap between the technical and policy communities. The gap, largely caused by lack of mutual understanding, results in flawed and inadequate communication that hinders decision making and confuses the public. This paper examines the cause of this communication gap and describes the significance of recent efforts to develop more fruitful science-policy dialogues on the issue of global climate change. First, the post-Cold War shift in government priorities for research funding is described; then the underlying relationship between science and policy is explored to identify key sources of ongoing mis-communication. The paper then explains the importance of defining policy-relevant science questions that research can address. Finally, three projects are described involving the elicitation of decision makers' information needs in The United States, The Netherlands, and internationally

Endovascular Versus Open Surgical Intervention in Patients with Takayasu's Arteritis: A Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Jae Hyun; Lee, Young Ho; Song, Gwan Gyu; Jeong, Han Saem; Kim, Jae-Hoon; Choi, Sung Jae

2018-06-01

Although medical treatment has advanced, surgical treatment is needed to control symptoms of Takayasu's arteritis (TA), such as angina, stroke, hypertension, or claudication. Endovascular or open surgical intervention is performed; however, there are few comparative studies on these methods. This meta-analysis and systematic review aimed to examine the outcome of surgical treatment of TA. A meta-analysis comparing outcomes of endovascular and open surgical intervention was performed using MEDLINE and Embase. This meta-analysis included only observational studies, and the evidence level was low to moderate. Data were pooled and analysed using a fixed or random effects model with the I 2 statistic. The included studies involved a total of 770 patients and 1363 lesions, with 389 patients treated endovascularly and 420 treated by surgical revascularization. Restenosis was more common with endovascular than open surgical intervention (odds ratio [OR] 5.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.78-9.62; p open surgical intervention patients in the coronary artery, supra-aortic branches, and renal artery. In both the active and inactive stages, restenosis was more common in those treated endovascularly than in those treated by open surgery. However, stroke occurred less often with endovascular intervention than with open surgical intervention (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.12-0.90; p = .003). Mortality and complications other than stroke and mortality did not differ between endovascular and open surgical intervention. This meta-analysis has shown a lower risk of restenosis with open surgical intervention than with endovascular intervention. Stroke was generally more common with open surgical intervention than with endovascular intervention. However, there were differences according to the location of the lesion, and the risk of stroke in open surgery is higher when the supra-aortic branches are involved rather than the renal arteries. Copyright © 2018 European Society for Vascular

A novel surgical approach to impacted mandibular third molars to reduce the risk of paresthesia: a case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Landi, Luca; Manicone, Paolo Francesco; Piccinelli, Stefano; Raia, Alessandro; Raia, Roberto

2010-05-01

Extraction of impacted mandibular third molars (M3s) may cause temporary or permanent neurosensorial disturbances of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN). Although the incidence of this complication is low, a great range of variability has been reported in the literature. Several methods to reduce or eliminate this complication have been proposed, such as orthodontic-assisted extraction, extraction of the second molar, or intentional odontoectomy. The purpose of this series of cases is to present a novel approach for a riskless extraction of impacted mandibular M3s in contact with the IAN. Nine consecutive patients (4 male and 5 female; mean age 24.9 years, range 18-43 years) required the extraction of 10 horizontally or mesioangular impacted mandibular M3s. In all cases the M3 was in contact with the IAN with a high risk of nerve injury. A staged approached was proposed and accepted by the patients. This approach consisted in the surgical removal of the mesial portion of the anatomic crown to create adequate space for mesial M3 migration. After the migration of the M3 had taken place, the extraction could then be accomplished in a second surgical session minimizing neurological risks. All M3s moved mesially within 6 months (mean 174.1 days, range 92-354 days) and could be successfully removed without any neurological consequences. This technique may be considered as an alternative approach to the extraction of horizontally or mesioangular impacted M3s in proximity to the IAN. Copyright 2010 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surgical site infection rates following laparoscopic urological procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

George, Arvin K; Srinivasan, Arun K; Cho, Jane; Sadek, Mostafa A; Kavoussi, Louis R

2011-04-01

Surgical site infections have been categorized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as "never events". The incidence of surgical site infection following laparoscopic urological surgery and its risk factors are poorly defined. We evaluated surgical site infection following urological laparoscopic surgery and identified possible factors that may influence occurrence. Patients who underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic procedures during a 4-year period by a single laparoscopic surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical site infections were identified postoperatively and defined using the Centers for Disease Control criteria. Clinical parameters, comorbidities, smoking history, preoperative urinalysis and culture results as well as operative data were analyzed. Nonparametric testing using the Mann-Whitney U test, multivariable logistic regression and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. In 556 patients undergoing urological laparoscopic procedures 14 surgical site infections (2.5%) were identified at mean postoperative day 21.5. Of the 14 surgical site infections 10 (71.4%) were located at a specimen extraction site. Operative time, procedure type and increasing body mass index were significantly associated with the occurrence of surgical site infections (p = 0.007, p = 0.019, p = 0.038, respectively), whereas history of diabetes mellitus (p = 0.071) and intraoperative transfusion (p = 0.053) were found to trend toward significance. Age, gender, positive urine culture, steroid use, procedure type and smoking history were not significantly associated with surgical site infection. Body mass index and operative time remained significant predictors of surgical site infection on multivariate logistic regression analysis. Surgical site infection is an infrequent complication following laparoscopic surgery with the majority occurring at the specimen extraction site. Infection is associated with prolonged operative time and

Studies on cycle characteristics and application of split heat pipe adsorption ice maker

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.J.; Wang, R.Z.; Wang, L.W.; Lu, Z.S.

2007-01-01

A split heat pipe adsorption ice maker, which uses a solidified compound adsorbent (calcium chloride and activated carbon)-ammonia as working pair, is studied. The application of split heat pipe technology in this system (ice maker for fishing boat powered by waste heat of exhaust gases from diesel engine) solves the corrosion problem caused by using seawater to cool the adsorber directly. Therefore, the adsorbers can be cooled or heated by the working substance of the heat pipe in the adsorption or desorption state, respectively. There are two adsorbers in the adsorption ice maker, and each adsorber contains 2.35 kg compound adsorbent in which the mass of calcium chloride is 1.88 kg. The mass transfer performance and volume cooling density of the chemical adsorbent are greatly improved by the use of the compound adsorbent. Water is chosen as the working substance of the heat pipe due to its high cooling power in comparison with the experiments performed using acetone as working substance. When the cycle time is 70 min, the average SCP of ice making is about 329.8-712.8 W/kg calcium chloride with heat and mass recovery, which is approximately 1.6-3.5 times that of the best results of a conventional chemical adsorption ice maker

The Impact of Success Maker Software on Grade 4 Math Proficiency on State Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Geer, Brandon Terrell

2014-01-01

Success Maker is an educational software that differentiates and personalizes K-8 reading and math. Limited research has been conducted on the impact of Success Maker on Grade 4 math state tests. At the research site, located in southeastern United States, 33.7% of fourth grade students did not pass the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards…

Surgical Assisting

Science.gov (United States)

... instruction, including: Microbiology Pathophysiology Pharmacology Anatomy and physiology Medical terminology Curriculum . Course content includes: Advanced surgical anatomy Surgical microbiology Surgical pharmacology Anesthesia methods and agents Bioscience Ethical ...

Paediatric Abdominal Surgical Emergencies in a General Surgical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... organized for general surgeons undertaking paediatric surgical emergencies. More paediatric surgeons should be trained and more paediatric surgical units should established in the country. Key Words: Paediatric Abdominal Surgical Emergencies; Paediatric Surgeons, General Surgeons. Journal of College of Medicine ...

History-Dependent Risk Attitude, Second Version

OpenAIRE

David Dillenberger; Kareen Rozen

2011-01-01

We propose a model of history-dependent risk attitude, allowing a decision maker’s risk attitude to be affected by his history of disappointments and elations. The decision maker recursively evaluates compound risks, classifying realizations as disappointing or elating using a threshold rule. We establish equivalence between the model and two cognitive biases: risk attitudes are reinforced by experiences (one is more risk averse after disappointment than after elation) and there is a primacy ...

The incidence of surgical site dehiscence following full-thickness gastrointestinal biopsy in dogs and cats and associated risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Swinbourne, F; Jeffery, N; Tivers, M S; Artingstall, R; Bird, F; Charlesworth, T; Doran, I; Freeman, A; Hall, J; Hattersley, R; Henken, J; Hughes, J; de la Puerta, B; Rutherford, L; Ryan, T; Williams, H; Woods, S; Nicholson, I

2017-09-01

The objectives of this study were to: (1) document the incidence of surgical site dehiscence after full-thickness gastrointestinal biopsy in dogs and cats and (2) identify potential risk factors. Data relating to dogs and cats undergoing full-thickness gastrointestinal biopsy were reviewed retrospectively following submission of a completed questionnaire by 12 referral institutions. Outcome measures were definite dehiscence, possible dehiscence (clinical records suggestive of dehiscence but not confirmed), suspected dehiscence (definite and possible combined) and death within 14 days. Logistic regression was planned for analysis of association of dehiscence with low preoperative serum albumin, biopsy through neoplastic tissue, biopsy alongside another major abdominal surgical procedure and biopsy of the colon. Of 172 cats, two (1·2%) had definite dehiscence, and four (2·3%) had possible dehiscence. Low preoperative serum albumin was significantly associated with definite dehiscence in univariable analysis and with suspected dehiscence and death within 14 days in univariable analysis, but all odds ratios had wide 95% confidence intervals. A histopathological diagnosis of neoplasia was significantly associated with death within 14 days in univariable analysis. Of 195 dogs, two (1·0%) had definite dehiscence, and three (1·5%) had possible dehiscence. In dogs, there was no association between any outcome measure and the putative risk factors. Incidence of dehiscence following full-thickness gastrointestinal biopsy was low in this study. When determining the appropriateness of biopsy in individual cases, this information should be balanced against the potentially life-threatening consequences of dehiscence. © 2017 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

A pragmatic multi-centre randomised controlled trial of fluid loading and level of dependency in high-risk surgical patients undergoing major elective surgery: trial protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norrie John

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients undergoing major elective or urgent surgery are at high risk of death or significant morbidity. Measures to reduce this morbidity and mortality include pre-operative optimisation and use of higher levels of dependency care after surgery. We propose a pragmatic multi-centre randomised controlled trial of level of dependency and pre-operative fluid therapy in high-risk surgical patients undergoing major elective surgery. Methods/Design A multi-centre randomised controlled trial with a 2 * 2 factorial design. The first randomisation is to pre-operative fluid therapy or standard regimen and the second randomisation is to routine intensive care versus high dependency care during the early post-operative period. We intend to recruit 204 patients undergoing major elective and urgent abdominal and thoraco-abdominal surgery who fulfil high-risk surgical criteria. The primary outcome for the comparison of level of care is cost-effectiveness at six months and for the comparison of fluid optimisation is the number of hospital days after surgery. Discussion We believe that the results of this study will be invaluable in determining the future care and clinical resource utilisation for this group of patients and thus will have a major impact on clinical practice. Trial Registration Trial registration number - ISRCTN32188676

Social intervention and risk reduction - indirect countermeasures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgins, N.A.; Morrey, M.

1996-01-01

An indirect countermeasure (IC) is an action which is intended to mitigate detrimental effects experienced by individuals or the community after an accident. Indirect countermeasures (ICs) achieve this, both by averting radiation risks arising from the accident, but by removing or reducing other risks and sources of stress or harm to which the community may be subject. ICs naturally fall into two categories: social action ICs, which range from introducing compensation payments to providing information centres; and risk reducing ICs which mitigate risks to which the population might be exposed, such as radon. By including a consideration of ICs in an assessment of the optimal response, it is likely that a decision maker will become aware of a greater range of harms and benefits that might result from the application of a countermeasure. The decision maker will then be in a better position to judge the appropriateness of any action. (author)

EDUCATION MANAGEMENT DECISION-MAKERS IN EUROPEAN PRE – UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DUMITRAȘCU DANUȚ DUMITRU

2012-12-01

Full Text Available EDUCATION MANAGEMENT DECISION-MAKERS IN EUROPEAN PRE – UNIVERSITY EDUCATION Ana Tuºa, 1 Affiliation , “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economics, Department of management Claudiu Sorin Voinia 2 , Affiliation, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering Dãnuþ Dumitru Dumitraºcu 3 Affiliation, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economics, Department of management The theme paper consists in a comparative analysis of European preuniveristary education decision makers. Decision makers in preuniversity education management remain the key issue in the political agenda of most European countries. The diversity of educational policies in each European country aims to increase school autonomy, in a way that allows comparison of their main elements of management. Scientific research carried out aimed both theoretical and practical terms: - comparative analysis of how the makers of European schools are responsible for the management practiced in the educational institution. - identification of the achievement of school autonomy. Lately, in terms of policy makers and school autonomy, schools have gone through many reforms. It was felt the need to improve the democratic management and the quality of the educational process. The analysis and the approaches differ in terms of pace of reform, scale transfer of authority and areas that apply. No approach can be chosen as the ideal one or more effective than others, because the contexts in which they were made are so diverse. However, as it moves along, educational policy makers can learn from the approaches and experiences of others. The methodology was based on: the study of scientific literature from the country and abroad, on the theory and practice regarding the decision in the management of school education activities. Comparative analysis was conducted based on questionnaires

Surgical Consultation as Social Process: Implications for Shared Decision Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Clapp, Justin T; Arriaga, Alexander F; Murthy, Sushila; Raper, Steven E; Schwartz, J Sanford; Barg, Frances K; Fleisher, Lee A

2017-12-12

This qualitative study examines surgical consultation as a social process and assesses its alignment with assumptions of the shared decision-making (SDM) model. SDM stresses the importance of patient preferences and rigorous discussion of therapeutic risks/benefits based on these preferences. However, empirical studies have highlighted discrepancies between SDM and realities of surgical decision making. Qualitative research can inform understanding of the decision-making process and allow for granular assessment of the nature and causes of these discrepancies. We observed consultations between 3 general surgeons and 45 patients considering undergoing 1 of 2 preference-sensitive elective operations: (1) hernia repair, or (2) cholecystectomy. These patients and surgeons also participated in semi-structured interviews. By the time of the consultation, patients and surgeons were predisposed toward certain decisions by preceding events occurring elsewhere. During the visit, surgeons had differential ability to arbitrate surgical intervention and construct the severity of patients' conditions. These upstream dynamics frequently displaced the centrality of the risk/benefit-based consent discussion. The influence of events preceding consultation suggests that decision-making models should account for broader spatiotemporal spans. Given surgeons' authority to define patients' conditions and control service provision, SDM may be premised on an overestimation of patients' power to alter the course of decision making once in a specialist's office. Considering the subordinate role of the risk/benefit discussion in many surgical decisions, it will be important to study if and how the social process of decision making is altered by SDM-oriented decision aids that foreground this discussion.

Application of a general risk management model to portfolio optimization problems with elliptical distributed returns for risk neutral and risk averse decision makers.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

B. Kaynar; S.I. Birbil (Ilker); J.B.G. Frenk (Hans)

2007-01-01

textabstractWe discuss a class of risk measures for portfolio optimization with linear loss functions, where the random returns of financial instruments have a multivariate elliptical distribution. Under this setting we pay special attention to two risk measures, Value-at-Risk and

The role of student surgical interest groups and surgical Olympiads in anatomical and surgical undergraduate training in Russia.

Science.gov (United States)

Dydykin, Sergey; Kapitonova, Marina

2015-01-01

Traditional department-based surgical interest groups in Russian medical schools are useful tools for student-based selection of specialty training. They also form a nucleus for initiating research activities among undergraduate students. In Russia, the Departments of Topographical Anatomy and Operative Surgery play an important role in initiating student-led research and providing learners with advanced, practical surgical skills. In tandem with department-led activities, student surgical interest groups prepare learners through surgical competitions, known as "Surgical Olympiads," which have been conducted in many Russian centers on a regular basis since 1988. Surgical Olympiads stimulate student interest in the development of surgical skills before graduation and encourage students to choose surgery as their postgraduate specialty. Many of the participants in these surgical Olympiads have become highly qualified specialists in general surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, urology, gynecology, and emergency medicine. The present article emphasizes the role of student interest groups and surgical Olympiads in clinical anatomical and surgical undergraduate training in Russia. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Differences in risk factors associated with surgical site infections following two types of cardiac surgery in Japanese patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Morikane, K; Honda, H; Yamagishi, T; Suzuki, S

2015-05-01

Differences in the risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) following open heart surgery and coronary artery bypass graft surgery are not well described. To identify and compare risk factors for SSI following open heart surgery and coronary artery bypass graft surgery. SSI surveillance data on open heart surgery (CARD) and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CBGB) submitted to the Japan Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (JANIS) system between 2008 and 2010 were analysed. Factors associated with SSI were analysed using univariate modelling analysis followed by multi-variate logistic regression analysis. Non-binary variables were analysed initially to determine the most appropriate category. The cumulative incidence rates of SSI for CARD and CBGB were 2.6% (151/5895) and 4.1% (160/3884), respectively. In both groups, the duration of the operation and a high American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) score were significant in predicting SSI risk in the model. Wound class was independently associated with SSI in CARD but not in CBGB. Implants, multiple procedures and emergency operations predicted SSI in CARD, but none of these factors predicted SSI in CBGB. There was a remarkable difference in the prediction of risk for SSI between the two types of cardiac surgery. Risk stratification in CARD could be improved by incorporating variables currently available in the existing surveillance systems. Risk index stratification in CBGB could be enhanced by collecting additional variables, because only two of the current variables were found to be significant for the prediction of SSI. Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insolvency and challenges of regulating providers that bear risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Brewster, L R; Jackson, L; Lesser, C S

2000-02-01

Risk contracting and capitation are two widely used financial mechanisms that give incentives to health care providers to control costs. Risk-bearing arrangements have failed in a number of communities, however. This has shaken local markets, disrupting consumers' access to health care services and triggering losses for physicians and hospitals. It also has raised questions about the adequacy of related regulatory oversight, which holds important implications for local and national policy makers. This Issue Brief provides case studies of failed risk-contracting arrangements in two of the 12 communities that the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) tracks intensively--Northern New Jersey and Orange County, Calif.--and examines implications for policy makers.

Imaginative Thinking: Addressing Social Justice Issues through MovieMaker

Science.gov (United States)

Boske, Christa A.

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of aspiring school leaders who utilized artmaking in this case, photography, poetry, music, collage, and short films through Microsoft MovieMaker as a means for addressing injustices within surrounding school communities. The paper aims to explore how aspiring school leaders…

Educational Goods and Values: A Framework for Decision Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Brighouse, Harry; Ladd, Helen F.; Loeb, Susanna; Swift, Adam

2016-01-01

This article articulates a framework suitable for use when making decisions about education policy. Decision makers should establish what the feasible options are and evaluate them in terms of their contribution to the development, and distribution, of educational goods in children, balanced against the negative effect of policies on important…

Factors that explain how policy makers distribute resources to mental health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrigan, Patrick W; Watson, Amy C

2003-04-01

Advocates hope to influence the resource allocation decisions of legislators and other policy makers to capture more resources for mental health programs. Findings from social psychological research suggest factors that, if pursued, may improve advocacy efforts. In particular, allocation decisions are affected by policy makers' perceptions of the scarcity of resources, effectiveness of specific programs, needs of people who have problems that are served by these programs, and extent of personal responsibility for these problems. These perceptions are further influenced by political ideology. Conservatives are motivated by a tendency to punish persons who are perceived as having personal responsibility for their problems by withholding resources, whereas liberals are likely to avoid tough allocation decisions. Moreover, these perceptions are affected by political accountability, that is, whether politicians perceive that their constituents will closely monitor their decisions. Just as the quality of clinical interventions improves when informed by basic research on human behavior, the efforts of mental health advocates will be advanced when they understand the psychological forces that affect policy makers' decisions about resources.

A surgical approach in the management of mucormycosis in a trauma patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahoor, B A; Piercey, J E; Wall, D R; Tetsworth, K D

2016-11-01

Mucormycosis as a consequence of trauma is a devastating complication; these infections are challenging to control, with a fatality rate approaching 96% in immunocompromised patients. We present a case where a proactive approach was successfully employed to treat mucormycosis following complex polytrauma. Aggressive repeated surgical debridement, in combination with appropriate antifungal therapy, proved successful in this instance. In our opinion, mucormycosis in trauma mandates an aggressive surgical approach. This prevents ascending dissemination of mucormycosis and certainly reduces the risk of patient mortality as a direct result. Anti-fungal therapy should be used secondarily as an adjunct together with surgical debridement, or as an alternative when surgical intervention is not feasible.

Information paradox of new product development: A case of decision-makers' focus of attention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jespersen, Kristina Risom

Drawing on theory of bounded rationality and the attention-based view of the company, decision-makers' focus of attention is examined within the new product development process. Attention, defined as something which occupies individual consciousness, should be directed at selecting development...... activities and applying information resulting from these activities to go/no-go decision-making. Based on the information behavior of 42 development managers collected through a virtual role-play simulation of new product development, this research finds two information paradoxes of new product development....... First, competitive behavior makes decision-makers apply logic of reassurances in their implementation of NPD activities. Second, the information processing competence of decision-makers is unbalanced as information increases uncertainty in the concrete decision-making situation....

Effect of laminar airflow ventilation on surgical site infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bischoff, Peter; Kubilay, N Zeynep; Allegranzi, Benedetta; Egger, Matthias; Gastmeier, Petra

2017-05-01

The role of the operating room's ventilation system in the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) is widely discussed, and existing guidelines do not reflect current evidence. In this context, laminar airflow ventilation was compared with conventional ventilation to assess their effectiveness in reducing the risk of SSIs. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and WHO regional medical databases from Jan 1, 1990, to Jan 31, 2014. We updated the search for MEDLINE for the period between Feb 1, 2014, and May 25, 2016. We included studies most relevant to our predefined question: is the use of laminar airflow in the operating room associated with the reduction of overall or deep SSI as outcomes in patients of any age undergoing surgical operations? We excluded studies not relevant to the study question, studies not in the selected languages, studies published before Jan 1, 1990, or after May 25, 2016, meeting or conference abstracts, and studies of which the full text was not available. Data were extracted by two independent investigators, with disagreements resolved through further discussion. Authors were contacted if the full-text article was not available, or if important data or information on the paper's content was absent. Studies were assessed for publication bias. Grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation was used to assess the quality of the identified evidence. Meta-analyses were done with RevMan (version 5.3). We identified 1947 records of which 12 observational studies were comparing laminar airflow ventilation with conventional turbulent ventilation in orthopaedic, abdominal, and vascular surgery. The meta-analysis of eight cohort studies showed no difference in risk for deep SSIs following total hip arthroplasty (330 146 procedures, odds ratio [OR] 1·29, 95% CI 0·98-1·71; p=0·07, I 2 =83%). For total knee arthroplasty, the meta-analysis of six cohort studies showed no difference

Helminthiasis Prevalence in Brick Makers at Lambada Peukan Village, Aceh Besar Region, Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Syahrizal, Dedy; Mustika, Cut; Ikhsan,; Azhary, Mulkan

2011-01-01

Helminthiasis are the common health problem in the develop country. WHO prediction 400 million people had infection of helminthiasis. Soil is the usual media to transmitted helminth to human (soil transmitted helminthiasis). One of the rule worker that has hard contact to helminth is the brick maker. This activity usual doing with convensional technique.The objective of this devotion are to knowing helminthiasis prevalence on brick maker in Lambada Peukan Village. The primer data is the co...

Percutaneous implantation of thoracic and abdominal aortic prostheses in patients at high surgical risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan C Ortiz

2013-02-01

intraluminal stent implantation is an alternative. Objective: to analyze the impact of percutaneous implantation of aortic stents in high-risk surgical patients with a minimum of one y ear follow-up. Method: Descriptive study conducted from December 2005 to March 2010 which included 125 patients with thoracic or abdominal aortic aneurysm, meeting surgical criteria by its diameter and that were rejected from surgery due to their high risk. The outcomes were intraoperative death from any cause and aneurysm-related at one, six and twelve months. Complications were defined as vascular occurred during the first thirty days. Results: Abdominal aneurysm was more frequent (70.4%. The overall mortality at 25.7 months follow-up was 14.8%. Of this percentage, 5.2% died from causes related to the aneurysm. One patient died during surgery. 4.3% were reoperated for leaks. There was higher aneurysm-related mortality in the thoracic (14.7 vs. 1.2% p = 0.003 and a trend in those of larger diameter (6.9 vs. 5.7 cm p = 0.210. There was no association between mortality and diabetes mellitus, smoking, heart disease, hypertension or dyslipidemia. Conclusions: aneurysm-related mortality in patients undergoing aortic stent graft is low. Mortality was associated with thoracic aneurysm and to its greater diameter. Complications did not imply an increase in mortality. In conclusion, in patients with aortic aneurysm and high surgical risk rejected for open surgery, percutaneous approach is a safe and effective treatment in a medium-term follow-up.

The Protein Maker: an automated system for high-throughput parallel purification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Eric R.; Begley, Darren W.; Anderson, Vanessa; Raymond, Amy C.; Haffner, Taryn E.; Robinson, John I.; Edwards, Thomas E.; Duncan, Natalie; Gerdts, Cory J.; Mixon, Mark B.; Nollert, Peter; Staker, Bart L.; Stewart, Lance J.

2011-01-01

The Protein Maker instrument addresses a critical bottleneck in structural genomics by allowing automated purification and buffer testing of multiple protein targets in parallel with a single instrument. Here, the use of this instrument to (i) purify multiple influenza-virus proteins in parallel for crystallization trials and (ii) identify optimal lysis-buffer conditions prior to large-scale protein purification is described. The Protein Maker is an automated purification system developed by Emerald BioSystems for high-throughput parallel purification of proteins and antibodies. This instrument allows multiple load, wash and elution buffers to be used in parallel along independent lines for up to 24 individual samples. To demonstrate its utility, its use in the purification of five recombinant PB2 C-terminal domains from various subtypes of the influenza A virus is described. Three of these constructs crystallized and one diffracted X-rays to sufficient resolution for structure determination and deposition in the Protein Data Bank. Methods for screening lysis buffers for a cytochrome P450 from a pathogenic fungus prior to upscaling expression and purification are also described. The Protein Maker has become a valuable asset within the Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID) and hence is a potentially valuable tool for a variety of high-throughput protein-purification applications

Readmission Following Surgical Resection for Intractable Epilepsy: Nationwide Rates, Causes, Predictors, and Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rumalla, Kavelin; Smith, Kyle A; Arnold, Paul M; Schwartz, Theodore H

2018-06-04

Hospital readmissions can be detrimental to patients and may interfere with the potential benefits of the therapeutic procedure. Government agencies have begun to focus on reducing readmissions; however, the etiology of readmissions is lacking. To report the national rates, risk factors, and outcomes associated with 30- and 90-d readmissions following surgery for intractable epilepsy. We queried the Nationwide Readmissions Database from January to September 2013 using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification codes to identify all patients with intractable epilepsy, who underwent hemispherectomy (01.52), brain lobectomy (01.53), amydalohippocampectomy, or partial lobectomy (01.59). Predictor variables included epilepsy type, presurgical diagnostic testing, surgery type, medical complications, surgical complications, and discharge disposition. In 1587 patients, the 30- and 90-d readmission rates were 11.5% and 16.8%, respectively. The most common reasons for readmission were persistent epilepsy, video electroencephalography monitoring, postoperative infection, and postoperative central nervous system complication. In multivariable analysis, risk factors associated with both 30- and 90-d readmission were Medicare payer status, lowest quartile of median income, depression, hemispherectomy, and postoperative complications (P < .05). The only unique predictor of 30-d readmission was small bedsize hospital (P = .001). Readmissions within 30 d were associated with longer length of stay (6.8 vs 5.8 d), greater costs ($18 660 vs $15 515), and increased adverse discharges (26.4% vs 21.8%). Following epilepsy surgery, most readmissions that occurred within 30 d can be attributed to management of persistent epilepsy and predicted by Medicare payer status, depression, and complications. These data can assist the clinician in preventing readmissions and assist policy makers determine which admissions are potentially avoidable.

Surgery Risk Assessment (SRA) Database

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Veterans Affairs — The Surgery Risk Assessment (SRA) database is part of the VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP). This database contains assessments of selected surgical...

Dynamic Model of Market with Uninformed Market Maker

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šmíd, Martin; Kopa, Miloš

2017-01-01

Roč. 53, č. 5 (2017), s. 922-958 ISSN 0023-5954 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP402/12/G097 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : market maker * optimal decision * price and inventory * high frequency data * dynamic model Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research OBOR OECD: Statistics and probability Impact factor: 0.379, year: 2016 http://www.library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2017/E/smid-0483753.pdf

Penicillin allergy and surgical prophylaxis: Cephalosporin cross-reactivity risk in a pediatric tertiary care center.

Science.gov (United States)

Beltran, Ralph J; Kako, Hiromi; Chovanec, Thomas; Ramesh, Archana; Bissonnette, Bruno; Tobias, Joseph D

2015-05-01

First generation cephalosporins are commonly used as antibiotic prophylaxis prior to surgery. Patients labeled as penicillin-allergic are often precluded from receiving cephalosporins because of an allergic cross-reactivity. The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical practice for surgical prophylaxis at Nationwide Children's Hospital and to determine the incidence of adverse effects and allergic reactions when using cephalosporins in patients labeled as penicillin-allergic. A retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients who were allergic to penicillin, penicillin antibiotic family, who required surgical treatment for an existing medical condition, and received an antibiotic to prevent surgical site infection. Five hundred thirteen penicillin-allergic patients were identified, encompassing 624 surgical cases. Cephalosporins were administered in 153 cases (24.5%) with cefazolin used 83% of the time. Only one documented case of nonanaphylactic reaction was reported. Clindamycin was the most common cephalosporin substitute (n=387), and the reported adverse reaction rate was 1.5%. No cases of anaphylaxis were documented. Our data suggest that the administration of cephalosporins for surgical prophylaxis following induction of anesthesia in a patient with a known or reported penicillin-allergy appears appropriate and results in a lower adverse event rate that when clindamycin is administered. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

International benchmaking: Supplying the information for product efficiency policy makers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Siderius, H.P.; Jeffcott, S.; Blok, K.

2012-01-01

In the development of effective product efficiency policy, the critical element for policy makers is comprehensive, independent information. However, easily accessible, reliable information on the energy performance of products and policies is often scarce within a particular market, and rarer still

Methods for measuring risk-aversion: problems and solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, P J

2013-01-01

Risk-aversion is a fundamental parameter determining how humans act when required to operate in situations of risk. Its general applicability has been discussed in a companion presentation, and this paper examines methods that have been used in the past to measure it and their attendant problems. It needs to be borne in mind that risk-aversion varies with the size of the possible loss, growing strongly as the possible loss becomes comparable with the decision maker's assets. Hence measuring risk-aversion when the potential loss or gain is small will produce values close to the risk-neutral value of zero, irrespective of who the decision maker is. It will also be shown how the generally accepted practice of basing a measurement on the results of a three-term Taylor series will estimate a limiting value, minimum or maximum, rather than the value utilised in the decision. A solution is to match the correct utility function to the results instead

Methods for measuring risk-aversion: problems and solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, P. J.

2013-09-01

Risk-aversion is a fundamental parameter determining how humans act when required to operate in situations of risk. Its general applicability has been discussed in a companion presentation, and this paper examines methods that have been used in the past to measure it and their attendant problems. It needs to be borne in mind that risk-aversion varies with the size of the possible loss, growing strongly as the possible loss becomes comparable with the decision maker's assets. Hence measuring risk-aversion when the potential loss or gain is small will produce values close to the risk-neutral value of zero, irrespective of who the decision maker is. It will also be shown how the generally accepted practice of basing a measurement on the results of a three-term Taylor series will estimate a limiting value, minimum or maximum, rather than the value utilised in the decision. A solution is to match the correct utility function to the results instead.

Quantifying uncertainty in pest risk maps and assessments: adopting a risk-averse decision maker’s perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Denys Yemshanov; Frank H. Koch; Mark J. Ducey; Robert A. Haack; Marty Siltanen; Kirsty Wilson

2013-01-01

Pest risk maps are important decision support tools when devising strategies to minimize introductions of invasive organisms and mitigate their impacts. When possible management responses to an invader include costly or socially sensitive activities, decision-makers tend to follow a more certain (i.e., risk-averse) course of action. We presented a new mapping technique...

Wrong-Site Surgery, Retained Surgical Items, and Surgical Fires : A Systematic Review of Surgical Never Events.

Science.gov (United States)

Hempel, Susanne; Maggard-Gibbons, Melinda; Nguyen, David K; Dawes, Aaron J; Miake-Lye, Isomi; Beroes, Jessica M; Booth, Marika J; Miles, Jeremy N V; Shanman, Roberta; Shekelle, Paul G

2015-08-01

Serious, preventable surgical events, termed never events, continue to occur despite considerable patient safety efforts. To examine the incidence and root causes of and interventions to prevent wrong-site surgery, retained surgical items, and surgical fires in the era after the implementation of the Universal Protocol in 2004. We searched 9 electronic databases for entries from 2004 through June 30, 2014, screened references, and consulted experts. Two independent reviewers identified relevant publications in June 2014. One reviewer used a standardized form to extract data and a second reviewer checked the data. Strength of evidence was established by the review team. Data extraction was completed in January 2015. Incidence of wrong-site surgery, retained surgical items, and surgical fires. We found 138 empirical studies that met our inclusion criteria. Incidence estimates for wrong-site surgery in US settings varied by data source and procedure (median estimate, 0.09 events per 10,000 surgical procedures). The median estimate for retained surgical items was 1.32 events per 10,000 procedures, but estimates varied by item and procedure. The per-procedure surgical fire incidence is unknown. A frequently reported root cause was inadequate communication. Methodologic challenges associated with investigating changes in rare events limit the conclusions of 78 intervention evaluations. Limited evidence supported the Universal Protocol (5 studies), education (4 studies), and team training (4 studies) interventions to prevent wrong-site surgery. Limited evidence exists to prevent retained surgical items by using data-matrix-coded sponge-counting systems (5 pertinent studies). Evidence for preventing surgical fires was insufficient, and intervention effects were not estimable. Current estimates for wrong-site surgery and retained surgical items are 1 event per 100,000 and 1 event per 10,000 procedures, respectively, but the precision is uncertain, and the per

Surgical management for lumbar disc herniation in pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapetanakis, S; Giovannopoulou, E; Blontzos, N; Kazakos, G; Givissis, P

2017-12-01

Lumbar disc herniation is a common surgical spine pathology that may be presented during pregnancy. The state of pregnancy complicates the diagnosis and therapeutical management of this entity. Specific considerations rule the decision for surgical intervention, the optimal timing of it and the type of selected procedure in a pregnant patient, due to the potential risks for the fetus. In the last 30 years, evolution in the field of spine surgery has provided options other than open standard discectomy. The well-established concept of "minimal intervention" has led to the development of microdiscectomy and other innovative, full-endoscopic techniques for lumbar discectomy. The aim of the present study is to review the surgical management of lumbar disc herniation in pregnancy and investigate the potential role of minimally invasive spine surgery in this specific population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The surgical care improvement project and prevention of post-operative infection, including surgical site infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberger, Laura H; Politano, Amani D; Sawyer, Robert G

2011-06-01

In response to inconsistent compliance with infection prevention measures, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services collaborated with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the Surgical Infection Prevention (SIP) project, introduced in 2002. Quality improvement measures were developed to standardize processes to increase compliance. In 2006, the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) developed out of the SIP project and its process measures. These initiatives, published in the Specifications Manual for National Inpatient Quality Measures, outline process and outcome measures. This continually evolving manual is intended to provide standard quality measures to unify documentation and track standards of care. Seven of the SCIP initiatives apply to the peri-operative period: Prophylactic antibiotics should be received within 1 h prior to surgical incision (1), be selected for activity against the most probable antimicrobial contaminants (2), and be discontinued within 24 h after the surgery end-time (3); (4) euglycemia should be maintained, with well-controlled morning blood glucose concentrations on the first two post-operative days, especially in cardiac surgery patients; (6) hair at the surgical site should be removed with clippers or by depilatory methods, not with a blade; (9) urinary catheters are to be removed within the first two post-operative days; and (10) normothermia should be maintained peri-operatively. There is strong evidence that implementation of protocols that standardize practices reduce the risk of surgical infection. The SCIP initiative targets complications that account for a significant portion of preventable morbidity as well as cost. One of the goals of the SCIP guidelines was a 25% reduction in the incidence of surgical site infections from implementation through 2010. Process measures are becoming routine, and as we practice more evidence-based medicine, it falls to us, the surgeons and scientists, to be active

Failed medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction: Causes and surgical strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchis-Alfonso, Vicente; Montesinos-Berry, Erik; Ramirez-Fuentes, Cristina; Leal-Blanquet, Joan; Gelber, Pablo E; Monllau, Joan Carles

2017-01-01

Patellar instability is a common clinical problem encountered by orthopedic surgeons specializing in the knee. For patients with chronic lateral patellar instability, the standard surgical approach is to stabilize the patella through a medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction. Foreseeably, an increasing number of revision surgeries of the reconstructed MPFL will be seen in upcoming years. In this paper, the causes of failed MPFL reconstruction are analyzed: (1) incorrect surgical indication or inappropriate surgical technique/patient selection; (2) a technical error; and (3) an incorrect assessment of the concomitant risk factors for instability. An understanding of the anatomy and biomechanics of the MPFL and cautiousness with the imaging techniques while favoring clinical over radiological findings and the use of common sense to determine the adequate surgical technique for each particular case, are critical to minimizing MPFL surgery failure. Additionally, our approach to dealing with failure after primary MPFL reconstruction is also presented. PMID:28251062

Do Additional Cardiac Surgical Procedures Increase the Surgical Risk in Patients 80 Years of age or Older Undergoing Coronary Bypass Gragting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Korhan Erkanlı

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Aim: In association with increasing life expectancy, the number of elderly individuals undergoing coronary bypass grafting (CABG and additional cardiac surgical procedures are increasing. In this study, we evaluated the effects of additional cardiac procedures and preoperative risk factors for postoperative mortality and morbidity in patients 80 years of age and older. Methods: The records of 29 patients aged 80 years and older (82.86±2.91 who had undergone coronary bypass surgery in the department of cardiac surgery between September 2009 and June 2012, were retrospectively reviewed. The subjects were divided into two groups: group 1 included the patients who had undergone CABG, group 2 consisted of those who had undergone CABG and additional cardiac procedures. Results: The mean age of the patients [14 male (48.3% 15 female (51.7%] was 82.86±2.91 years. The left internal thoracic artery was harvested for all patients. The mean number of graft per patient was 3.07±0.95. Carotid endarterectomy was performed in 3 patients before CABG. CABG and aortic valve replacement were performed in 1 patient. CABG, mitral valve replacement ant tricuspid plasty were performed in another patient. Furthermore, in one patient, abdominal aortic graft replacement due to ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and CABG was performed at the same session. The mean EuroSCORE was 5.06±5.16. Postoperative 30 days mortality was 6.8%, and the mean length of stay in hospital was 10.45±8.18 days. Conclusion: Coronary bypass surgery is an acceptable treatment method in patients 80 years of age and older. Although additional cardiac procedures may increase sugical risks, they can be successfully performed. (The Me­di­cal Bul­le­tin of Ha­se­ki 2014; 52: 14-8

Effective Leadership of Surgical Teams: A Mixed Methods Study of Surgeon Behaviors and Functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Juliana L; Aveling, Emma-Louise; Frean, Molly; Shields, Morgan C; Wright, Cameron; Gino, Francesca; Sundt, Thoralf M; Singer, Sara J

2017-08-01

The importance of effective team leadership for achieving surgical excellence is widely accepted, but we understand less about the behaviors that achieve this goal. We studied cardiac surgical teams to identify leadership behaviors that best support surgical teamwork. We observed, surveyed, and interviewed cardiac surgical teams, including 7 surgeons and 116 team members, from September 2013 to April 2015. We documented 1,926 surgeon/team member interactions during 22 cases, coded them by behavior type and valence (ie, positive/negative/neutral), and characterized them by leadership function (conductor, elucidator, delegator, engagement facilitator, tone setter, being human, and safe space maker) to create a novel framework of surgical leadership derived from direct observation. We surveyed nonsurgeon team members about their perceptions of individual surgeon's leadership effectiveness on a 7-point Likert scale and correlated survey measures with individual surgeon profiles created by calculating percentage of behavior types, leader functions, and valence. Surgeon leadership was rated by nonsurgeons from 4.2 to 6.2 (mean, 5.4). Among the 33 types of behaviors observed, most interactions constituted elucidating (24%) and tone setting (20%). Overall, 66% of interactions (range, 43%-84%) were positive and 11% (range, 1%-45%) were negative. The percentage of positive and negative behaviors correlated strongly (r = 0.85 for positive and r = 0.75 for negative, p leadership. Facilitating engagement related most positively (r = 0.80; p = 0.03), and negative forms of elucidating, ie, criticism, related most negatively (r = -0.81; p = 0.03). We identified 7 surgeon leadership functions and related behaviors that impact perceptions of leadership. These observations suggest actionable opportunities to improve team leadership behavior. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surgical Instrument Sets for Special Operations Expeditionary Surgical Teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Hale, Diane F; Sexton, Justin C; Benavides, Linda C; Benavides, Jerry M; Lundy, Jonathan B

The deployment of surgical assets has been driven by mission demands throughout years of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The transition to the highly expeditious Golden Hour Offset Surgical Transport Team (GHOST- T) now offers highly mobile surgical assets in nontraditional operating rooms; the content of the surgical instrument sets has also transformed to accommodate this change. The 102nd Forward Surgical Team (FST) was attached to Special Operations assigned to southern Afghanistan from June 2015 to March 2016. The focus was to decrease overall size and weight of FST instrument sets without decreasing surgical capability of the GHOST-T. Each instrument set was evaluated and modified to include essential instruments to perform damage control surgery. The overall number of main instrument sets was decreased from eight to four; simplified augmentation sets have been added, which expand the capabilities of any main set. The overall size was decreased by 40% and overall weight decreased by 58%. The cardiothoracic, thoracotomy, and emergency thoracotomy trays were condensed to thoracic set. The orthopedic and amputation sets were replaced with an augmentation set of a prepackaged orthopedic external fixator set). An augmentation set to the major or minor basic sets, specifically for vascular injuries, was created. Through the reorganization of conventional FST surgical instrument sets to maintain damage control capabilities and mobility, the 102nd GHOST-T reduced surgical equipment volume and weight, providing a lesson learned for future surgical teams operating in austere environments. 2017.

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS REGARDING THE DECISION-MAKERS IN TERMS OF TOURISM PROMOTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ariadna-Ioana GAVRA JURAVLE

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper was to obtain qualitative information from the decision-makers in Bucovina in order to identify their attitude in terms of tourism promotion and their level of information regarding promotion, tourism and tourists. We set four objectives: analyzing the level of awareness regarding the benefits provided by tourism for the municipality and the locality; identifying the level of information regarding the range of services available for tourists in the localities where the mayors carry out their activities; determining the attitude of the decision-makers vis-à-vis promotion and identifying the perceptions of the interviewees regarding the place of promotion in tourism development. The research method we used is qualitative research, namely the in-depth interview.

Practice management education during surgical residency.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Kory; Lebron, Ricardo A; Mangram, Alicia; Dunn, Ernest

2008-12-01

Surgical education has undergone radical changes in the past decade. The introductions of laparoscopic surgery and endovascular techniques have required program directors to alter surgical training. The 6 competencies are now in place. One issue that still needs to be addressed is the business aspect of surgical practice. Often residents complete their training with minimal or no knowledge on coding of charges or basic aspects on how to set up a practice. We present our program, which has been in place over the past 2 years and is designed to teach the residents practice management. The program begins with a series of 10 lectures given monthly beginning in August. Topics include an introduction to types of practices available, negotiating a contract, managed care, and marketing the practice. Both medical and surgical residents attend these conferences. In addition, the surgical residents meet monthly with the business office to discuss billing and coding issues. These are didactic sessions combined with in-house chart reviews of surgical coding. The third phase of the practice management plan has the coding team along with the program director attend the outpatient clinic to review in real time the evaluation and management coding of clinic visits. Resident evaluations were completed for each of the practice management lectures. The responses were recorded on a Likert scale. The scores ranged from 4.1 to 4.8 (average, 4.3). Highest scores were given to lectures concerning negotiating employee agreements, recruiting contracts, malpractice insurance, and risk management. The medical education department has tracked resident coding compliance over the past 2 years. Surgical coding compliance increased from 36% to 88% over a 12-month period. The program director who participated in the educational process increased his accuracy from 50% to 90% over the same time period. When residents finish their surgical training they need to be ready to enter the world of business

Surveillance and epidemiology of surgical site infections after cardiothoracic surgery in The Netherlands, 2002-2007

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Manniën, Judith; Wille, Jan C.; Kloek, Jaap J.; van Benthem, Birgit H. B.

2011-01-01

Surgical site infections after cardiothoracic surgery substantially increase the risk for illness, mortality, and costs. Surveillance of surgical site infections might assist in the prevention of these infections. This study describes the Dutch surveillance methods and results of data collected

Creativity Assessment in the Context of Maker-Based Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Lille, Benjamin; Romero, Margarida

2017-01-01

Creativity is a key competence in 21st century education. Among the active learning pedagogies which aims to develop creativity, learning by making is an emerging approach in which the students are engaged in the co-creation of a shared artefact. In this study, we aim to analyse the creativity competency through a maker-based projects.…

A Semi-Infinite Interval-Stochastic Risk Management Model for River Water Pollution Control under Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Liu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, a semi-infinite interval-stochastic risk management (SIRM model is developed for river water pollution control, where various policy scenarios are explored in response to economic penalties due to randomness and functional intervals. SIRM can also control the variability of the recourse cost as well as capture the notion of risk in stochastic programming. Then, the SIRM model is applied to water pollution control of the Xiangxihe watershed. Tradeoffs between risks and benefits are evaluated, indicating any change in the targeted benefit and risk level would yield varied expected benefits. Results disclose that the uncertainty of system components and risk preference of decision makers have significant effects on the watershed's production generation pattern and pollutant control schemes as well as system benefit. Decision makers with risk-aversive attitude would accept a lower system benefit (with lower production level and pollutant discharge; a policy based on risk-neutral attitude would lead to a higher system benefit (with higher production level and pollutant discharge. The findings can facilitate the decision makers in identifying desired product generation plans in association with financial risk minimization and pollution mitigation.

Surgical orthodontics.

Science.gov (United States)

Strohl, Alexis M; Vitkus, Lauren

2017-08-01

The article reviews some commonly used orthodontic treatments as well as new strategies to assist in the correction of malocclusion. Many techniques are used in conjunction with surgical intervention and are a necessary compliment to orthognathic surgery. Basic knowledge of these practices will aid in the surgeon's ability to adequately treat the patient. Many orthodontists and surgeons are eliminating presurgical orthodontics to adopt a strategy of 'surgery first' orthodontics in orthognathic surgery. This has the benefit of immediate improvement in facial aesthetics and shorter treatment times. The advent of virtual surgical planning has helped facilitate the development of this new paradigm by making surgical planning faster and easier. Furthermore, using intraoperative surgical navigation is improving overall precision and outcomes. A variety of surgical and nonsurgical treatments may be employed in the treatment of malocclusion. It is important to be familiar with all options available and tailor the patient's treatment plan accordingly. Surgery-first orthodontics, intraoperative surgical navigation, virtual surgical planning, and 3D printing are evolving new techniques that are producing shorter treatment times and subsequently improving patient satisfaction without sacrificing long-term stability.

[Surgical treatment of diffuse adult orbital lymphangioma: two case studies].

Science.gov (United States)

Berthout, A; Jacomet, P V; Putterman, M; Galatoire, O; Morax, S

2008-12-01

Orbital lymphangioma is a rare vascular malformation; it is a benign but severe anomaly because of its infiltrative, diffuse, and hemorrhagic nature, and its high morbidity rate. Surgical resection is a real challenge on account of the intricate architecture of the lesion. The authors report their surgical experience concerning two cases of diffuse orbital lymphangioma whose diagnosis was established in adulthood and whose surgical treatment was successful. Two patients presented with adult orbital lymphangioma. Progression was slow during the first decade and then was quickly followed by complications: major exorbitism, compressive optic neuropathy, and corneal exposure. Neuroimaging showed a diffuse and cystic orbital malformation. Surgical resection was performed as completely as possible, in one case with a Krönlein orbitotomy and in the other case only via a conjunctive route. An aspirate drain was put in the orbit for 48 h so as to prevent dead spaces forming after resection, an essential risk factor of hemorrhagic or cystic recurrence. Systemic corticotherapy was administered for the 5 days following surgery. The resection was total in one case and subtotal in the other. The surgical follow-up was uneventful with an excellent aesthetic result and an improvement in visual acuity. After 12 months, no tumoral or hemorrhagic recurrence was noted. The surgical treatment of orbital lymphangiomas is challenging because of their infiltrative nature. In diffuse forms, a complete resection is rarely possible because of the risk of sacrificing visual function. In the two cases reported herein, the resection of the extraconal portion was complete, but the intraconal portion was completely removed only in one case. Using the aspirate drain, negative pressure was maintained in the orbital cavity, preventing the formation of chocolate cysts induced by surgery. Although the clinical result was very satisfying, long-term follow-up is necessary to evaluate recurrence

[Palliative surgical correction of respiratory insufficiency in diffusive pulmonary emphysema].

Science.gov (United States)

Gorbunkov, S D; Varlamov, V V; Cherny, S M; Lukina, O V; Kiryukhina, L D; Romanikhin, A I; Zinchenko, A V; Akopov, A L

To analyze early postoperative period in patients with diffuse pulmonary emphysema after palliative surgical correction of respiratory failure. The study included 196 patients who underwent bullectomy (n=111) and surgical reduction of pulmonary volume (n=85). Overall morbidity and mortality were 40.8% and 12.2% respectively. Among patients older than 60 years these values were significantly higher (58.0% and 22.6% respectively). It was shown that age over 60 years is associated with high risk of complications and mortality after excision of large and giant bulls. In patients pulmonary volume. Selection of patients for palliative surgical correction of respiratory failure is generally corresponded to that for lung transplantation. However, these methods should be considered complementary rather competing.

A contemporary analysis of Fournier gangrene using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Stanley Y; Dupree, James M; Le, Brian V; Kim, Dae Y; Zhao, Lee C; Kundu, Shilajit D

2015-05-01

To determine a nationwide contemporary description of surgical Fournier gangrene (FG) and necrotizing fasciitis of the genitalia (NFG) outcomes because historically reported mortality rates for FG and NFG are based on small single-institution studies from the 1980s and the 1990s. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program is a risk-adjusted surgical database used by nearly 400 hospitals nationwide, which tracks preoperative, intraoperative, and 30-day postoperative clinical variables. Data are extracted from patient charts by an independent surgical clinical reviewer at each hospital. Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data from 2005 to 2009, we calculated 30-day mortality rates and identified preoperative factors associated with increased mortality. A total of 650 patients were identified with surgery for FG or NFG. Fourteen patients with do not resuscitate orders placed preoperatively were excluded from analyses. For the remaining 636 patients, the overall 30-day mortality was 10.1% (64 of 636). Fifty-seven percent of patients (360 of 636) were men, 70% (446 of 636) were white, and 13% (81 of 636) were African American. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that increased age (odds ratio [OR], 1.041; P = .004), body mass index (OR, 1.045; P <.001), and preoperative white blood cell count (OR, 1.061; P = .001), and decreased platelet count (OR, 0.993; P <.001) were all associated with increased risk of death. We determined a surgical mortality rate for FG-NFG of 10.1%. This rate is about half of historically published estimates and similar to recent studies. The lower rate may indicate improvements in therapy. Increased age, body mass index, and white blood cell count, and decreased platelet count were all associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review of MRSA screening and antibiotics prophylaxis in orthopaedic trauma patients; The risk of surgical site infection with inadequate antibiotic prophylaxis in patients colonized with MRSA.

Science.gov (United States)

Iqbal, H J; Ponniah, N; Long, S; Rath, N; Kent, M

2017-07-01

The primary aim of this study was to determine whether orthopaedic trauma patients receive appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis keeping in view the results of their MRSA screening. The secondary aim was to analyse the risk of developing MRSA surgical site infection with and without appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis in those colonized with MRSA. We reviewed 400 consecutive orthopaedic trauma patient episodes. Preoperative MRSA screening results, operative procedures, prophylactic antibiotics and postoperative course were explored. In addition to these consecutive patients, the hospital MRSA database over the previous 5 years identified 27 MRSA colonized acute trauma patients requiring surgery. Of the 400 consecutive patient episodes, 395(98.7%) had MRSA screening performed on admission. However, in 236 (59.0%) cases, the results were not available before the surgery. Seven patient episodes (1.8%) had positive MRSA colonization. Analysis of 27 MRSA colonized patients revealed that 20(74%) patients did not have the screening results available before the surgery. Only 5(18.5%) received Teicoplanin and 22(81.4%) received cefuroxime for antibiotic prophylaxis before their surgery. Of those receiving cefuroxime, five (22.73%) patients developed postoperative MRSA surgical site infection (SSI) but none of those (0%) receiving Teicoplanin had MRSA SSI. The absolute risk reduction for SSI with Teicoplanin as antibiotic prophylaxis was 22.73% (CI=5.22%-40.24%) and NNT (Number Needed to Treat) was 5 (CI=2.5-19.2) CONCLUSION: Lack of available screening results before the surgery may lead to inadequate antibiotic prophylaxis increasing the risk of MRSA surgical site infection. Glycopeptide (e.g.Teicoplanin) prophylaxis should be considered when there is history of MRSA colonization or MRSA screening results are not available before the surgery. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evidence-Informed Health Policies in Eastern Mediterranean Countries: Comparing Views of Policy Makers and Researchers

Science.gov (United States)

El-Jardali, Fadi; Lavis, John N.; Jamal, Diana; Ataya, Nour; Dimassi, Hani

2014-01-01

The objective of this paper is to conduct comparative analysis about the views and practices of policy makers and researchers on the use of health systems evidence in policy making in selected Eastern Mediterranean countries. We analysed data from two self-reported surveys, one targeted at policy makers and the other at researchers. Results show a…

Hip Arthroscopy Surgical Volume Trends and 30-Day Postoperative Complications.

Science.gov (United States)

Cvetanovich, Gregory L; Chalmers, Peter N; Levy, David M; Mather, Richard C; Harris, Joshua D; Bush-Joseph, Charles A; Nho, Shane J

2016-07-01

To determine hip arthroscopy surgical volume trends from 2006 to 2013 using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, the incidence of 30-day complications of hip arthroscopy, and patient and surgical risk factors for complications. Patients who underwent hip arthroscopy from 2006 to 2013 were identified in the NSQIP database for the over 400 NSQIP participating hospitals from the United States using Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Trends in number of hip arthroscopy procedures per year were analyzed. Complications in the 30-day period after hip arthroscopy were identified. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for complications. We identified 1,338 patients who underwent hip arthroscopy, with a mean age of 39.5 ± 13.0 years. Female patients comprised 59.6%. Hip arthroscopy procedures became 25 times more common in 2013 than 2006 (P arthroscopy. Hip arthroscopy is an increasingly common procedure, with a 25-fold increase from 2006 to 2013. There is a low incidence of 30-day postoperative complications (1.3%), most commonly bleeding requiring a transfusion, return to the operating room, and superficial infection. Regional/monitored anesthesia care and steroid use were independent risk factors for minor complications. Level III, retrospective comparative study. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrical Bioimpedance-Controlled Surgical Instrumentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brendle, Christian; Rein, Benjamin; Niesche, Annegret; Korff, Alexander; Radermacher, Klaus; Misgeld, Berno; Leonhardt, Steffen

2015-10-01

A bioimpedance-controlled concept for bone cement milling during revision total hip replacement is presented. Normally, the surgeon manually removes bone cement using a hammer and chisel. However, this procedure is relatively rough and unintended harm may occur to tissue at any time. The proposed bioimpedance-controlled surgical instrumentation improves this process because, for example, most risks associated with bone cement removal are avoided. The electrical bioimpedance measurements enable online process-control by using the milling head as both a cutting tool and measurement electrode at the same time. Furthermore, a novel integrated surgical milling tool is introduced, which allows acquisition of electrical bioimpedance data for online control; these data are used as a process variable. Process identification is based on finite element method simulation and on experimental studies with a rapid control prototyping system. The control loop design includes the identified process model, the characterization of noise as being normally distributed and the filtering, which is necessary for sufficient accuracy ( ±0.5 mm). Also, in a comparative study, noise suppression is investigated in silico with a moving average filter and a Kalman filter. Finally, performance analysis shows that the bioimpedance-controlled surgical instrumentation may also performs effectively at a higher feed rate (e.g., 5 mm/s).

Risk factors for surgical site infection after transvaginal mesh placement in a nationwide Japanese cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamei, Jun; Yazawa, Satoshi; Yamamoto, Shingo; Kaburaki, Naoto; Takahashi, Satoru; Takeyama, Masami; Koyama, Masayasu; Homma, Yukio; Arakawa, Soichi; Kiyota, Hiroshi

2018-03-01

We conducted a nationwide survey on perioperative management and antimicrobial prophylaxis of transvaginal mesh surgeries for pelvic organ prolapse in Japan to understand the practice and risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI). Health records of women undergoing tension-free vaginal mesh (TVM) surgeries from 2010 to 2012 were obtained from 135 medical centers belonging to the Japanese Society of Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery. The questionnaire addressed hospital volume, perioperative management, and SSI. Risk factors for SSI were investigated by comparing cases with and without SSI. The hospital volume among institutions varied from 0 to 248 per year (median 16.7). Preoperative hair removal, bowel preparation, and urine culture were routinely performed at 74 (55%), 66 (49%), and 24 (18%) hospitals, respectively. Prophylactic antimicrobials used were mostly first-generation (43%) or second-generation (42%) cephalosporin. SSI was reported in 86 of 9323 patients (0.92%). A multivariate analysis indicated lower hospital volume (odds ratio [OR], 0.995 [by 1-point increase]; P < 0.001), preoperative bowel preparation (OR, 2.08; P = 0.013), non-routine urine culture (OR, 3.00; P = 0.0006), and the use of antibiotics other than first-generation cephalosporin (OR, 5.29; P = 0.0011) as significant risk factors for SSI. In contrast, the cut-off points of hospital volume for preventing SSI was 116.7 cases (area under curve: 0.61). The prevalence of SSI in TVM surgeries was 0.92% in Japan. Lower hospital volume, bowel preparation, non-routine preoperative urine culture, and prophylactic antibiotics other than first-generation cephalosporin significantly elevated the incidence of SSI. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The introduction of an acute physiological support service for surgical patients is an effective error reduction strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, D L; Kong, V Y; Naidoo, L C; Furlong, H; Aldous, C

2013-01-01

Acute surgical patients are particularly vulnerable to human error. The Acute Physiological Support Team (APST) was created with the twin objectives of identifying high-risk acute surgical patients in the general wards and reducing both the incidence of error and impact of error on these patients. A number of error taxonomies were used to understand the causes of human error and a simple risk stratification system was adopted to identify patients who are particularly at risk of error. During the period November 2012-January 2013 a total of 101 surgical patients were cared for by the APST at Edendale Hospital. The average age was forty years. There were 36 females and 65 males. There were 66 general surgical patients and 35 trauma patients. Fifty-six patients were referred on the day of their admission. The average length of stay in the APST was four days. Eleven patients were haemo-dynamically unstable on presentation and twelve were clinically septic. The reasons for referral were sepsis,(4) respiratory distress,(3) acute kidney injury AKI (38), post-operative monitoring (39), pancreatitis,(3) ICU down-referral,(7) hypoxia,(5) low GCS,(1) coagulopathy.(1) The mortality rate was 13%. A total of thirty-six patients experienced 56 errors. A total of 143 interventions were initiated by the APST. These included institution or adjustment of intravenous fluids (101), blood transfusion,(12) antibiotics,(9) the management of neutropenic sepsis,(1) central line insertion,(3) optimization of oxygen therapy,(7) correction of electrolyte abnormality,(8) correction of coagulopathy.(2) CONCLUSION: Our intervention combined current taxonomies of error with a simple risk stratification system and is a variant of the defence in depth strategy of error reduction. We effectively identified and corrected a significant number of human errors in high-risk acute surgical patients. This audit has helped understand the common sources of error in the general surgical wards and will inform

Surgical intervention for complications caused by late radiation damage of the small bowel; a retrospective analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halteren, H.K. van; Gortzak, E.; Taal, B.G.; Helmerhorst, Th.J.M.; Aleman, B.M.P.; Hart, A.A.M.; Zoetmulder, F.A.N.

1993-01-01

The authors studied the records of 46 patients who had been operated on between 1974 and 1990 in the Netherlands Cancer Institute because of complications due to late radiation damage of the small bowel. The following factors led to an increase in complication-risk: hypalbuminemia. more than one laparotomy prior to irradiation and a short interval (< 12 months) between irradiation and surgical intervention. The following factors related to a poorer survival: incomplete resection of the primary tumor and a short interval (< 12 months) between irradiation and surgical intervention. The type f surgical intervention did not have cumulative prognostic value in relation to complication-risk or survival. (author)

Concordance Between Veterans' Self-Report and Documentation of Surrogate Decision Makers: Implications for Quality Measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Garner, Kimberly K; Dubbert, Patricia; Lensing, Shelly; Sullivan, Dennis H

2017-01-01

The Measuring What Matters initiative of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association identified documentation of a surrogate decision maker as one of the top 10 quality indicators in the acute hospital and hospice settings. To better understand the potential implementation of this Measuring What Matters quality measure #8, Documentation of Surrogate in outpatient primary care settings by describing primary care patients' self-reported identification and documentation of a surrogate decision maker. Examination of patient responses to self-assessment questions from advance health care planning educational groups conducted in one medical center primary care clinic and seven community-based outpatient primary care clinics. We assessed the concordance between patient reports of identifying and naming a surrogate decision maker and having completed an advance directive (AD) with presence of an AD in the electronic medical record. Of veterans without a documented AD on file, more than half (66%) reported that they had talked with someone they trusted and nearly half (52%) reported that they had named someone to communicate their preferences. Our clinical project data suggest that many more veterans may have initiated communications with surrogate decision makers than is evident in the electronic medical record. System changes are needed to close the gap between veterans' plans for a surrogate decision maker and the documentation available to acute care health care providers. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Risk-sensitivity in Bayesian sensorimotor integration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordi Grau-Moya

Full Text Available Information processing in the nervous system during sensorimotor tasks with inherent uncertainty has been shown to be consistent with Bayesian integration. Bayes optimal decision-makers are, however, risk-neutral in the sense that they weigh all possibilities based on prior expectation and sensory evidence when they choose the action with highest expected value. In contrast, risk-sensitive decision-makers are sensitive to model uncertainty and bias their decision-making processes when they do inference over unobserved variables. In particular, they allow deviations from their probabilistic model in cases where this model makes imprecise predictions. Here we test for risk-sensitivity in a sensorimotor integration task where subjects exhibit Bayesian information integration when they infer the position of a target from noisy sensory feedback. When introducing a cost associated with subjects' response, we found that subjects exhibited a characteristic bias towards low cost responses when their uncertainty was high. This result is in accordance with risk-sensitive decision-making processes that allow for deviations from Bayes optimal decision-making in the face of uncertainty. Our results suggest that both Bayesian integration and risk-sensitivity are important factors to understand sensorimotor integration in a quantitative fashion.

Post-operative urinary retention in a general surgical population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dreijer, Bjørn; Møller, Morten H; Bartholdy, Jens

2011-01-01

Post-operative urine retention is a frequent and serious complication. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of post-operative urinary retention in a general surgical population and to identify the perioperative risk factors for developing this condition....

The power of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program--achieving a zero pneumonia rate in general surgery patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchshuber, Pascal R; Greif, William; Tidwell, Chantal R; Klemm, Michael S; Frydel, Cheryl; Wali, Abdul; Rosas, Efren; Clopp, Molly P

2012-01-01

The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) of the American College of Surgeons provides risk-adjusted surgical outcome measures for participating hospitals that can be used for performance improvement of surgical mortality and morbidity. A surgical clinical nurse reviewer collects 135 clinical variables including preoperative risk factors, intraoperative variables, and 30-day postoperative mortality and morbidity outcomes for patients undergoing major surgical procedures. A report on mortality and complications is prepared twice a year. This article summarizes briefly the history of NSQIP and how its report on surgical outcomes can be used for performance improvement within a hospital system. In particular, it describes how to drive performance improvement with NSQIP data using the example of postoperative respiratory complications--a major factor of postoperative mortality. In addition, this article explains the benefit of a collaborative of several participating NSQIP hospitals and describes how to develop a "playbook" on the basis of an outcome improvement project.

Pre-operative urinary tract infection: is it a risk factor for early surgical site infection with hip fracture surgery? A retrospective analysis

OpenAIRE

Yassa, Rafik RD; Khalfaoui, Mahdi Y; Veravalli, Karunakar; Evans, D Alun

2017-01-01

Objective The aims of the current study were to determine whether pre-operative urinary tract infections in patients presenting acutely with neck of femur fractures resulted in a delay to surgery and whether such patients were at increased risk of developing post-operative surgical site infections. Design A retrospective review of all patients presenting with a neck of femur fracture, at a single centre over a one-year period. The hospital hip fracture database was used as the main source of ...

The impact of recent hospitalization on surgical site infection after a pancreatectomy

Science.gov (United States)

Sanford, Dominic E; Strasberg, Steven M; Hawkins, William G; Fields, Ryan C

2015-01-01

Background Surgical site infections (SSI) are a major cause of increased morbidity and cost after a pancreatectomy. Patients undergoing a pancreatectomy frequently have had recent inpatient hospital admissions prior to their surgical admission (recent pre-surgical admission, RPSA), which could increase the risk of SSI. Methods The 2009–2011 Healthcare Cost Utilization Project California State Inpatient Database was used. Chi-square tests, Student's t-tests and multivariable logistic regression were used. Results Three thousand three hundred and seventy-six patients underwent a pancreatectomy, and 444 (13.2%) had RPSA. One hundred and eighty (40.5%) RPSAs were to different hospitals other than where patients' pancreatectomy took place. In univariate analysis, patients with RPSA had a significantly higher rate of post-operative SSIs, and this was associated with a longer length of post-operative stay, higher post-operative hospital costs and increased postoperative 30-day readmission rates (Table 1). In Multivariate analysis, RPSA was an independent predictor of post-operative SSI [odds ratio (OR) = 1.68, P = 0.013], and the risk of SSI increased with increasing RPSA length of stay (OR = 1.07 per day, P = 0.001). Conclusions Recent pre-surgical admission is an important risk factor for SSI after a pancreatectomy. Many patients with RPSA are not admitted pre-operatively to the same hospital where the pancreatectomy occurs; in such circumstances, SSI rates may not be a sole reflection of the care provided by operating hospitals. PMID:26221859

Cardiovascular events and hospital resource utilization pre- and post-transcatheter mitral valve repair in high-surgical risk patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Vemulapalli, Sreekanth; Lippmann, Steven J; Krucoff, Mitchell; Hernandez, Adrian F; Curtis, Lesley H; Foster, Elyse; Qasim, Atif; Wang, Andrew; Glower, Donald D; Feldman, Ted; Hammill, Bradley G

2017-07-01

MitraClip is an approved therapy for mitral regurgitation (MR); however, health care resource utilization pre- and post-MitraClip remains understudied. Patients with functional and degenerative MR at high surgical risk in the EVEREST II High-Risk Registry and REALISM Continued-Access Study were linked to Medicare data. Pre- and post-MitraClip all-cause death, stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure (HF), and bleeding hospitalizations were identified. Inpatient costs, adjusted to 2010 US dollars, were calculated, and event rate ratios and cost ratios were estimated with multivariable modeling. Among 403 linked patients, the mean age was 80 years, 60% were male, mean baseline left ventricular ejection fraction was 49.6%, 83.3% were New York Heart Association class III/IV, 78.2% were MR grade 3+/4+, and 63.3% had functional MR. All-cause hospitalization decreased from 1,854 to 1,435/1,000 person-years (Pproviders seeking to reduce HF hospitalizations and associated Medicare costs may consider MitraClip among appropriate patients likely to survive 1 year. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surgical and procedural skills training at medical school - a national review.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Christopher R; Toll, Edward C; Bates, Anthony S; Cole, Matthew D; Smith, Frank C T

2014-01-01

This national study quantifies procedural and surgical skills training at medical schools in the United Kingdom (UK), a stipulated requirement of all graduates by the General Medical Council (GMC). A questionnaire recorded basic procedural and surgical skills training provided by medical schools and surgical societies in the UK. Skills were extracted from (1) GMC Tomorrows Doctors and (2) The Royal College of Surgeons Intercollegiate Basic Surgical Skills (BSS) course. Data from medical school curricula and extra-curricular student surgical societies were compared against the national GMC guidelines and BSS course content. Data were analysed using Mann-Whitney U tests. Representatives from 23 medical schools completed the survey (71.9% response). Thirty one skills extracted from the BSS course were split into 5 categories, with skills content cross referenced against GMC documentation. Training of surgical skills by medical schools was as follows: Gowning and gloving (72.8%), handling instruments (29.4%), knot tying (17.4%), suturing (24.7%), other surgical techniques (4.3%). Surgical societies provided significantly more training of knot tying (64.4%, P = 0.0013) and suturing (64.5%, P = 0.0325) than medical schools. Medical schools provide minimal basic surgical skills training, partially supplemented by extracurricular student surgical societies. Our findings suggest senior medical students do not possess simple surgical and procedural skills. Newly qualified doctors are at risk of being unable to safely perform practical procedures, contradicting GMC Guidelines. We propose a National Undergraduate Curriculum in Surgery and Surgical Skills to equip newly qualified doctors with basic procedural skills to maximise patient safety. Copyright © 2014 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk attitudes in a changing environment: An evolutionary model of the fourfold pattern of risk preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallpress, Dave E W; Fawcett, Tim W; Houston, Alasdair I; McNamara, John M

2015-04-01

A striking feature of human decision making is the fourfold pattern of risk attitudes, involving risk-averse behavior in situations of unlikely losses and likely gains, but risk-seeking behavior in response to likely losses and unlikely gains. Current theories to explain this pattern assume particular psychological processes to reproduce empirical observations, but do not address whether it is adaptive for the decision maker to respond to risk in this way. Here, drawing on insights from behavioral ecology, we build an evolutionary model of risk-sensitive behavior, to investigate whether particular types of environmental conditions could favor a fourfold pattern of risk attitudes. We consider an individual foraging in a changing environment, where energy is needed to prevent starvation and build up reserves for reproduction. The outcome, in terms of reproductive value (a rigorous measure of evolutionary success), of a one-off choice between a risky and a safe gain, or between a risky and a safe loss, determines the risk-sensitive behavior we should expect to see in this environment. Our results show that the fourfold pattern of risk attitudes may be adaptive in an environment in which conditions vary stochastically but are autocorrelated in time. In such an environment the current options provide information about the likely environmental conditions in the future, which affect the optimal pattern of risk sensitivity. Our model predicts that risk preferences should be both path dependent and affected by the decision maker's current state. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of an Integrated Theory of Surgical Recovery in Older Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, Rose

2016-01-01

Experts argue the health care system is not prepared to meet the unique needs of older surgical patients, including how to provide the best care during the recovery phase. Nutrition plays a critical role in the recovery of surgical patients. Since older adults are at risk for malnutrition, examining the role of nutrition as a mediator for surgical recovery across the care continuum in older adults is critical. Presently there is a paucity of frameworks, models, and guidelines that integrate the role of nutrition on the trajectory of postoperative recovery in older surgical patients. The purpose of this article is to introduce the Integrated Theory of Surgical Recovery in Older Adults, an interdisciplinary middle-range theory, so that scholars, researchers, and clinicians can use this framework to promote recovery from surgery in older adults by considering the contribution of mediators of recovery (nutritional status, functional status, and frailty) unique to the older adults.

Frequency and outcomes of biopsy-proven fibroadenomas recommended for surgical excision.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Shimwoo; Mercado, Cecilia L; Cangiarella, Joan F; Chhor, Chloe M

2017-12-16

Our aim was to investigate the outcomes of fibroadenomas recommended for surgical excision due to large size (>2cm) or interval growth. A retrospective review of our institutional radiology database from 2007 to 2015 was performed. We identified 167 biopsy-proven fibroadenomas recommended for surgical consultation. Of these, 75 (45%) cases actually underwent excision, 7 (9%, 95% CI: 4-18%) of which were upgraded to phyllodes tumors upon histopathological examination. Our results support the current recommendation to surgically excise breast lesions diagnosed as fibroadenomas with size >2cm or with interval growth due to the considerable risk of finding phyllodes tumors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surgical Patients\\' Knowledge and Acceptance of Autologous Blood ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Homologous blood transfusion carries a well-documented array of risks especially in an HIV endemic environment like Nigeria. It is therefore imperative to consider other forms of restoring blood volume in surgical patients. Autologous blood transfusion (ABT) is one of the ways the problem of HIV transmission ...

Cost-effectiveness of transcatheter aortic valve replacement compared with surgical aortic valve replacement in high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis: results of the PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) trial (Cohort A).

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Matthew R; Magnuson, Elizabeth A; Lei, Yang; Wang, Kaijun; Vilain, Katherine; Li, Haiyan; Walczak, Joshua; Pinto, Duane S; Thourani, Vinod H; Svensson, Lars G; Mack, Michael J; Miller, D Craig; Satler, Lowell E; Bavaria, Joseph; Smith, Craig R; Leon, Martin B; Cohen, David J

2012-12-25

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) for patients with severe aortic stenosis and high surgical risk. TAVR is an alternative to AVR for patients with severe aortic stenosis and high surgical risk. We performed a formal economic analysis based on cost, quality of life, and survival data collected in the PARTNER A (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) trial in which patients with severe aortic stenosis and high surgical risk were randomized to TAVR or AVR. Cumulative 12-month costs (assessed from a U.S. societal perspective) and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were compared separately for the transfemoral (TF) and transapical (TA) cohorts. Although 12-month costs and QALYs were similar for TAVR and AVR in the overall population, there were important differences when results were stratified by access site. In the TF cohort, total 12-month costs were slightly lower with TAVR and QALYs were slightly higher such that TF-TAVR was economically dominant compared with AVR in the base case and economically attractive (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio economically dominated by AVR in the base case and economically attractive in only 7.1% of replicates. In the PARTNER trial, TAVR was an economically attractive strategy compared with AVR for patients suitable for TF access. Future studies are necessary to determine whether improved experience and outcomes with TA-TAVR can improve its cost-effectiveness relative to AVR. Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Operating room data management: improving efficiency and safety in a surgical block.

Science.gov (United States)

Agnoletti, Vanni; Buccioli, Matteo; Padovani, Emanuele; Corso, Ruggero M; Perger, Peter; Piraccini, Emanuele; Orelli, Rebecca Levy; Maitan, Stefano; Dell'amore, Davide; Garcea, Domenico; Vicini, Claudio; Montella, Teresa Maria; Gambale, Giorgio

2013-03-11

European Healthcare Systems are facing a difficult period characterized by increasing costs and spending cuts due to economic problems. There is the urgent need for new tools which sustain Hospitals decision makers work. This project aimed to develop a data recording system of the surgical process of every patient within the operating theatre. The primary goal was to create a practical and easy data processing tool to give hospital managers, anesthesiologists and surgeons the information basis to increase operating theaters efficiency and patient safety. The developed data analysis tool is embedded in an Oracle Business Intelligence Environment, which processes data to simple and understandable performance tachometers and tables. The underlying data analysis is based on scientific literature and the projects teams experience with tracked data. The system login is layered and different users have access to different data outputs depending on their professional needs. The system is divided in the tree profile types Manager, Anesthesiologist and Surgeon. Every profile includes subcategories where operators can access more detailed data analyses. The first data output screen shows general information and guides the user towards more detailed data analysis. The data recording system enabled the registration of 14.675 surgical operations performed from 2009 to 2011. Raw utilization increased from 44% in 2009 to 52% in 2011. The number of high complexity surgical procedures (≥120 minutes) has increased in certain units while decreased in others. The number of unscheduled procedures performed has been reduced (from 25% in 2009 to 14% in 2011) while maintaining the same percentage of surgical procedures. The number of overtime events decreased in 2010 (23%) and in 2011 (21%) compared to 2009 (28%) and the delays expressed in minutes are almost the same (mean 78 min). The direct link found between the complexity of surgical procedures, the number of unscheduled procedures

The Power Makers' Challenge And the Need for Fission Energy

CERN Document Server

Nicholson, Martin

2012-01-01

The Power Makers - the producers of our electricity - must meet the demands of their customers while also addressing the threat of climate change. There are widely differing views about solutions to electricity generation in an emission constrained world. Some see the problem as relatively straight forward, requiring deep cuts in emissions now by improving energy efficiency, energy conservation and using only renewable resources. Many electricity industry engineers and scientists see the problem as being much more involved.   The Power Makers ’ Challenge: and the need for Fission Energy looks at why using only conventional renewable energy sources is not quite as simple as it seems. Following a general introduction to electricity and its distribution, the author quantifies the reductions needed in greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector in the face of ever increasing world demands for electricity. It provides some much needed background on the many energy sources available for producing electricity ...

Non-apical positive surgical margins after radical prostatectomy for pT2 prostate cancer is associated with the highest risk of recurrence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roder, Martin Andreas; Kawa, Sandra; Scheike, Thomas

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To investigate how location of positive surgical margins (PSM) in pT2 tumors affect the risk of biochemical recurrence (BR). METHODS: The study includes 1,133 consecutive patients from 1995 until end of 2011, who had organ-confined disease (pT2) following RP. The location...... a 3.1-fold increased risk of BR compared to margin negative patients. Patients with pT2 apical and non-apical PSM had a 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival of 84.9% (95% CI: 77.6-92.2%) and 78.6% (95% CI: 71.3-85.9%), respectively. In multivariate analysis, pT2 apical and non-apical PSM...... was individually associated with a 2.2- and 3.8-fold increased risk of BR compared to margin negative patients. CONCLUSION: In our cohort the location of pT2 PSM was associated with time to BR, that is, patients with non-apical pT2 PSM endured the highest risk of BR compared to apical PSM. This may indicate...

The Virtual Workplace Ethnography: Positioning Student Writers as Knowledge Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Sommers, Jeff

2015-01-01

The Virtual Workplace Ethnography is a first-year composition assignment that positions students as knowledge makers by requiring them to apply a theoretical lens ("Working Knowledge") to a video representation of a workplace. The lens provides multiple terms for analysis of workplace behaviors in context, providing a scaffolding for…

Development of the England Wildlife Health Strategy--a framework for decision makers.