Initial evaluation of the "Trauma surgery course"

BACKGROUND: The consequence of the low rate of penetrating injuries in Europe and the increase in non-operative management of blunt trauma is a decrease in surgeons' confidence in managing traumatic injuries has led to the need for new didactic tools. The aim of this retrospective study was to present the Corso di Chirurgia del Politrauma (Trauma Surgery Course), developed as a model for teaching operative trauma techniques, and assess its efficacy. METHOD: the two-day course consisted of theoretical lectures and practical experience on large-sized swine. Data of the first 126 participants were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: All of the 126 general surgeons who had participated in the course judged it to be an efficient model to improve knowledge about the surgical treatment of trauma. CONCLUSION: A two-day course, focusing on trauma surgery, with lectures and life-like operation situations, represents a model for simulated training and can be useful to improve surgeons' confidence in managing trauma patients. Cooperation between organizers of similar initiatives would be beneficial and could lead to standardizing and improving such courses

A 73-year-old man with long-term immobility presenting with abdominal pain.

Salomone Di Saverio and colleagues discuss the diagnosis and management of a man presenting with symptoms of partial intestinal obstruction

Modelli educazionali in Chirurgia del Trauma. Il “Corso Teorico-Pratico di Chirurgia del politrauma”

BACKGROUND: The consequences of low incidence of penetrating injuries in Europe and of the increasing in nonoperative management of blunt trauma are a decrease in surgeons' confidence for managing traumatic injuries. The Corso Teorico Pratico di Chirurgia del Politrauma was developed as model for teaching operative trauma techniques. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the course and compare it with other similar courses. METHOD: The Corso Teorico Pratico di Chirurgia del Politrauma is a two day course and consists of lecture on trauma topics and porcine operative experience. Data on the first 124 participants were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred twenty general surgeons and 2 pediatric surgeons had participated at the course. All the participants judged the course an efficient model to improve knowledge on surgical treatment of trauma. CONCLUSION: A two days course, focused on trauma, with didactic lectures and operative life-like situations, can be a model for simulated education and useful to improve surgeons' confidence in trauma patients

Flow diagram for diagnostic assessment of bowel obstruction.

<p>ASBO, adhesive small bowel obstruction; EGDS, esophagogastroduodenoscopy; GI: gastrointestinal; i.v., intravenous; SBO, small bowel obstruction.</p

Clinical view of the abdomen, still grossly distended after ten days of conservative treatment.

<p>Clinical view of the abdomen, still grossly distended after ten days of conservative treatment.</p