Advanced trauma life support course for medical students. A new era?

IntroductionTrauma represents a major public health issue and is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. A systematic approach toward dealing with trauma patients was facilitated through the ATLS program, which has become a milestone in trauma care. Our new ATLS course for medical students was set in motion in 2015. Our aim was to make medical students familiar with trauma patients interactively, through a program like ATLS, and here we present the results of this endeavor.MethodsA two-day ATLS-Medical Student (MS) course was offered from November 2015 to July 2018, and analysis was performed retrospectively on the data gathered over a three-month period through online questionnaires. Before graduating, 261 newly qualified medical doctors were interviewed and evaluated as part of the ATLS course.ResultsAfter the course, the vast majority of medical students (251 MSs; 96.16%) felt more capable of managing severely injured patients and 58% of students felt that the medical services they offered were better due to the ATLS training. Regarding the educational fee for the course, 56.7% of the students reported that they felt the fee of 100 euros was fair.DiscussionThe interactive format of the course, which differs from more traditional methods of teaching, has been endorsed by medical students. Though they lack clinical experience, that does not prohibit them from acquiring more specialized or specific knowledge, enabling them to excel. Most of the students improved their skillset either in theoretical knowledge, practical skills, or even in the emotional component of the course, i.e., dealing with treating a severely injured patient. It was decided that the program would be re-evaluated and extended to all Greek Medical Schools.ConclusionThe advantage of providing doctors with trauma training at the beginning of their careers is evident. For that reason, it was decided that the program would be re-evaluated and extended to all Greek Medical Schools

Diversity and ethics in trauma and acute care surgery teams: results from an international survey

Background Investigating the context of trauma and acute care surgery, the article aims at understanding the factors that can enhance some ethical aspects, namely the importance of patient consent, the perceptiveness of the ethical role of the trauma leader, and the perceived importance of ethics as an educational subject. Methods The article employs an international questionnaire promoted by the World Society of Emergency Surgery. Results Through the analysis of 402 fully filled questionnaires by surgeons from 72 different countries, the three main ethical topics are investigated through the lens of gender, membership of an academic or non-academic institution, an official trauma team, and a diverse group. In general terms, results highlight greater attention paid by surgeons belonging to academic institutions, official trauma teams, and diverse groups. Conclusions Our results underline that some organizational factors (e.g., the fact that the team belongs to a university context or is more diverse) might lead to the development of a higher sensibility on ethical matters. Embracing cultural diversity forces trauma teams to deal with different mindsets. Organizations should, therefore, consider those elements in defining their organizational procedures. Level of evidence Trauma and acute care teams work under tremendous pressure and complex circumstances, with their members needing to make ethical decisions quickly. The international survey allowed to shed light on how team assembly decisions might represent an opportunity to coordinate team member actions and increase performance

Goodbye Hartmann trial: a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study on the current use of a surgical procedure developed a century ago

Background: Literature suggests colonic resection and primary anastomosis (RPA) instead of Hartmann's procedure (HP) for the treatment of left-sided colonic emergencies. We aim to evaluate the surgical options globally used to treat patients with acute left-sided colonic emergencies and the factors that leading to the choice of treatment, comparing HP and RPA. Methods: This is a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. A total 1215 patients with left-sided colonic emergencies who required surgery were included from 204 centers during the period of March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020. with a 1-year follow-up. Results: 564 patients (43.1%) were females. The mean age was 65.9 ± 15.6 years. HP was performed in 697 (57.3%) patients and RPA in 384 (31.6%) cases. Complicated acute diverticulitis was the most common cause of left-sided colonic emergencies (40.2%), followed by colorectal malignancy (36.6%). Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3b) were higher in the HP group (P < 0.001). 30-day mortality was higher in HP patients (13.7%), especially in case of bowel perforation and diffused peritonitis. 1-year follow-up showed no differences on ostomy reversal rate between HP and RPA. (P = 0.127). A backward likelihood logistic regression model showed that RPA was preferred in younger patients, having low ASA score (≤ 3), in case of large bowel obstruction, absence of colonic ischemia, longer time from admission to surgery, operating early at the day working hours, by a surgeon who performed more than 50 colorectal resections. Conclusions: After 100 years since the first Hartmann's procedure, HP remains the most common treatment for left-sided colorectal emergencies. Treatment's choice depends on patient characteristics, the time of surgery and the experience of the surgeon. RPA should be considered as the gold standard for surgery, with HP being an exception

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Case Report: Sacral Nerve Root Pelvic Neural Retraining, With Long-Term Sustainability After the Device Explantation

Introduction: Sacral-Nerve-Neuromodulation (SNM) is an effective treatment increasingly used in patients with urinary (UI) and fecal incontinence (FI). The way it acts in the body at its full potential have not yet been elucidated. The authors review the literature on SNM and the way it possibly works, relating it to a case with an unusually favorable outcome.Case Presentation: A female presented with UI and FI. Operated for meningocele as a neonate. It the age of 5 bilateral Cohen ureter reimplantation performed for persistent urinary infections due to vesicourethral reflux. At the age of 13, she started complaining about UI associated with a hyper functional detrusor muscle. After a diary incontinence evaluation with a standardized questionnaire, SNM was applied at the age of 18 and was retained for 4 years. She was re-evaluated with a yearly follow-up.Results: The patient retained the positive effect of SNM even after its removal and in addition showed signs of improvement. The patient developed the sensation of fillingness of the bladder and the rectum, which she never had before the SNM implantation, sensation which she retained 29 months after (last follow-up) device removal, allowing her to control her voids.Discussion: The modern literature hypothesis that SNM contributes to the plasticity of the nerves through the stimulated area is supported by the present case, in which the SNM effect remained and led to improvements even after its removal. Device settings are presented as they may correlate with the result. This reinforces and expands the frontiers of SNM application and research.</jats:p

Case Report: Sacral Nerve Root Pelvic Neural Retraining, With Long-Term Sustainability After the Device Explantation

Introduction: Sacral-Nerve-Neuromodulation (SNM) is an effective treatment increasingly used in patients with urinary (UI) and fecal incontinence (FI). The way it acts in the body at its full potential have not yet been elucidated. The authors review the literature on SNM and the way it possibly works, relating it to a case with an unusually favorable outcome. Case Presentation: A female presented with UI and FI. Operated for meningocele as a neonate. It the age of 5 bilateral Cohen ureter reimplantation performed for persistent urinary infections due to vesicourethral reflux. At the age of 13, she started complaining about UI associated with a hyper functional detrusor muscle. After a diary incontinence evaluation with a standardized questionnaire, SNM was applied at the age of 18 and was retained for 4 years. She was re-evaluated with a yearly follow-up. Results: The patient retained the positive effect of SNM even after its removal and in addition showed signs of improvement. The patient developed the sensation of fillingness of the bladder and the rectum, which she never had before the SNM implantation, sensation which she retained 29 months after (last follow-up) device removal, allowing her to control her voids. Discussion: The modern literature hypothesis that SNM contributes to the plasticity of the nerves through the stimulated area is supported by the present case, in which the SNM effect remained and led to improvements even after its removal. Device settings are presented as they may correlate with the result. This reinforces and expands the frontiers of SNM application and research. Copyright © 2021 Vassiliu, Patoulis, Naar, Dendias and Arkadopoulos

A prospective study of erectile dysfunction in men after pelvic surgical procedures and its association with non - modifiable risk factors

Abstract Objective: A pelvic surgery can cause erectile dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate erectile function at various times after pelvic surgery in male patients; to search the non-modifiable risk factors associated with the presence and intensity of sexuality in these patients. This prospective study used the erectile dysfunction IIEF scale. Results: The study population comprised of 106 male patients who had undergone minor pelvic surgery at least 9 months before and during the 2010–2016 period in the 4th Surgical Clinic. A control group of healthy males (N=106) who underwent no pelvic surgery matched for age was also used for reference values. The main age of the participants was 66.16 ±13.07 years old. A history of colectomy was present in 36.8%, 18.9% had undergone sigmoidectomy, and 33% inguinal hernia repair. The percentage of severe erectile function increased from 38.7% before surgery to 48.1% (25% increase) after surgery, at the end of the follow-up period (p&lt;0.05). In the multivariate analysis model, age emerged as an independent predictor of erectile function (p&lt;0.001). Age was the most important determinant of the IIEF score, which was aggravated by 25% from the first to the last assessment of patients.</jats:p