Global overview of the management of acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (CHOLECOVID study)

Background: This study provides a global overview of the management of patients with acute cholecystitis during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: CHOLECOVID is an international, multicentre, observational comparative study of patients admitted to hospital with acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on management were collected for a 2-month study interval coincident with the WHO declaration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and compared with an equivalent pre-pandemic time interval. Mediation analysis examined the influence of SARS-COV-2 infection on 30-day mortality. Results: This study collected data on 9783 patients with acute cholecystitis admitted to 247 hospitals across the world. The pandemic was associated with reduced availability of surgical workforce and operating facilities globally, a significant shift to worse severity of disease, and increased use of conservative management. There was a reduction (both absolute and proportionate) in the number of patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 3095 patients (56.2 per cent) pre-pandemic to 1998 patients (46.2 per cent) during the pandemic but there was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality after cholecystectomy comparing the pre-pandemic interval with the pandemic (13 patients (0.4 per cent) pre-pandemic to 13 patients (0.6 per cent) pandemic; P = 0.355). In mediation analysis, an admission with acute cholecystitis during the pandemic was associated with a non-significant increased risk of death (OR 1.29, 95 per cent c.i. 0.93 to 1.79, P = 0.121). Conclusion: CHOLECOVID provides a unique overview of the treatment of patients with cholecystitis across the globe during the first months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study highlights the need for system resilience in retention of elective surgical activity. Cholecystectomy was associated with a low risk of mortality and deferral of treatment results in an increase in avoidable morbidity that represents the non-COVID cost of this pandemic

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

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

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

Gastroesophageal reflux in anesthetized dogs: a review

Gastroesophageal reflux can be a catastrophic illness in small animals during anesthesia since its complications can cause serious pathologies, such as esophagitis, esophageal stenosis and aspiration pneumonia. With an incidence from 12 to 78.5% in anesthetized dogs, gastroesophageal reflux is normally silent during anesthesia and will be notices only if regurgitation occurs and stomach acid is present in the nasal or oral cavities. In humans, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a well-defined pathology where the lower esophageal sphincter has a sustained weakness. However, in dogs, gastroesophageal reflux disease as such is not well established, if at all; it has only been described as gastroesophagic reflux, occurring principally in anesthetized animals. There are several factors influencing the presentation of reflux in anesthetized dogs, which may be inherent to the patient (e.g. age, sex, breed, weight, or body condition), medications used prior to and during anesthesia, type of surgery or position of the animal during surgery. The objective of this review is to discuss a series of conditions that could predispose dogs to gastroesophageal reflux during anesthesia and to assist in the prevention and diagnosis of this condition.O refluxo gastroesofágico durante a anestesia pode ser uma entidade catastrófica na clínica de pequenas espécies, já que suas complicações resultam em entidades realmente graves, como esofagite, estenose esofágica e pneumonia por aspiração. O refluxo gastroesofágico em cães anestesiados é geralmente silencioso, com uma incidência de 12 até 78.5% e só é observada quando há regurgitação e o refluxo passa até a cavidade oral ou nasal. Nos humanos, a doença pelo refluxo gastroesofágico (ERGE) é uma patologia bem definida, onde o esfíncter esofágico inferior apresenta uma debilidade continua. Porém, esta doença em cães não está bem estabelecida, pelo qual só se descreve o refluxo gastroesofágico, que ocorre principalmente em animais anestesiados. Existem diversos fatores que influenciam na apresentação do refluxo em cães anestesiados. Estes podem ser inerentes ao paciente (por exemplo: idade, sexo, raça, peso ou condição corporal), a medicamentos utilizados previamente e durante a anestesia, ao tipo de cirurgia ou a posição do animal durante a cirurgia. O objetivo da revisão foi discutir uma guia das condições que predispõem à aparição de refluxo gastroesofágico durante a anestesia em cães com o fim de facilitar o diagnóstico e a prevenção dessa condição.El reflujo gastroesofágico durante la anestesia puede ser una entidad catastrófica en la clínica de pequeñas especies, ya que sus complicaciones derivan en entidades realmente graves como esofagitis, estenosis esofágica y neumonía por aspiración. Con una incidencia del 12 al 78.5% en perros anestesiados, el reflujo gastroesofágico durante la anestesia es generalmente silencioso y sólo se observa cuando existe regurgitación y el reflujo pasa a cavidad oral o nasal. En el humano, la enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico (ERGE) es una patología bien definida, donde el esfínter esofágico inferior presenta una debilidad sostenida. Sin embargo, en el perro esta enfermedad como tal no está bien establecida, si acaso se describe el reflujo gastroesofágico, que ocurre principalmente en animales anestesiados. Existen diversos factores que influyen en la presentación del reflujo en los perros anestesiados. Estos pueden ser inherentes al paciente (por ejemplo: edad, sexo, raza, peso o condición corporal), a medicamentos utilizados previamente y durante la anestesia, al tipo de cirugía o a la posición del animal durante la cirugía. El objetivo de esta revisión es discutir una guía de las condiciones que predisponen a la aparición de reflujo gastroesofágico durante la anestesia en perros con el fin de facilitar el diagnóstico y la prevención de esta condición