Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Management von Dammrissen dritten und vierten Grades nach vaginaler Geburt. Leitlinie der DGGG, OEGGG und SGGG (S2k-Level, AWMF-Register Nr. 015/079, Dezember 2020)

Purpose This guideline provides recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care of 3rd and 4th degree perineal tears which occur during vaginal birth. The aim is to improve the management of 3rd and 4th degree perineal tears and reduce the immediate and long-term damage. The guideline is intended for midwives, obstetricians and physicians involved in caring for high-grade perineal tears. Methods A selective search of the literature was carried out. Consensus about the recommendations and statements was achieved as part of a structured process during a consensus conference with neutral moderation. Recommendations After every vaginal birth, a careful inspection and/or palpation by the obstetrician and/or the midwife must be carried out to exclude a 3rd or 4th degree perineal tear. Vaginal and anorectal palpation is essential to assess the extent of birth trauma. The surgical team must also include a specialist physician with the appropriate expertise (preferably an obstetrician or a gynecologist or a specialist for coloproctology) who must be on call. In exceptional cases, treatment may also be delayed for up to 12 hours postpartum to ensure that a specialist is available to treat the individual layers affected by trauma. As neither the end-to-end technique nor the overlapping technique have been found to offer better results for the management of tears of the external anal sphincter, the surgeon must use the method with which he/she is most familiar. Creation of a bowel stoma during primary management of a perineal tear is not indicated. Daily cleaning of the area under running water is recommended, particularly after bowel movements. Cleaning may be carried out either by rinsing or alternate cold and warm water douches. Therapy should also include the postoperative use of laxatives over a period of at least 2 weeks. The patient must be informed about the impact of the injury on subsequent births as well as the possibility of anal incontinence.Ziel Die Leitlinie soll insbesondere durch Empfehlungen zu Diagnostik, Therapie und Nachsorge nach höhergradigen Dammrissen im Rahmen vaginaler Geburten das Management dieser Situationen verbessern und mitwirken, unmittelbare sowie langzeitige Folgeschäden zu reduzieren. Die Leitlinie richtet sich an Hebammen, an geburtshilflich tätige Ärztinnen und Ärzte sowie an Ärztinnen und Ärzte, die in die Versorgung von höhergradigen Dammrissen involviert sind. Methoden Es erfolgte eine selektive Literaturrecherche. Die strukturierte Konsensfindung der Empfehlungen und Statements erfolgte bei der Konferenz unter neutraler Moderation. Empfehlungen Nach jeder vaginalen Geburt soll ein Dammriss III°/IV° zunächst durch sorgfältige Inspektion und/oder Palpation durch den Geburtshelfer und/oder die Hebamme ausgeschlossen werden. Die vaginale sowie anorektale Palpation zur Evaluierung von Geburtsverletzungen sind dabei un- abdingbar. Im Operationsteam soll ein Facharzt mit ausreichender Erfahrung (vorrangig Facharzt für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe oder Facharzt mit koloproktologischer Expertise) zur Verfügung stehen. In Ausnahmefällen kann die Versorgung auch bis zu 12 Stunden postpartal durchgeführt werden, um eine fachgerechte Versorgung in den einzelnen, durch das Trauma einbezogenen Schichten, zu gewährleisten. Da weder die Stoß-auf-Stoß-Technik noch die überlappende Technik in der Versorgung des Risses des M. sphincter ani externus eine Überlegenheit gezeigt hat, soll der Operateur die Methode, bei der die größere Routine besteht, zur Anwendung bringen. Hierbei soll die Anlage eines Anus praeters im Rahmen der primären Versorgung nicht vorgenommen werden. Eine tägliche Reinigung mit fließendem Wasser, insbesondere nach dem Stuhlgang, wird empfohlen. Diese kann z. B. als Spülung oder Wechseldusche durchgeführt werden. Die postoperative Gabe von Laxanzien sollte über eine Therapiedauer von zumindest 2 Wochen erfolgen. Eine Aufklärung über das Vorgehen bei Folgegeburten wie auch einer potenziellen analen Inkontinenz soll erfolgen

Multimodal Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults-Extended Follow-Up of the NPC-2003-GPOH Study Cohort and Patients of the Interim Cohort

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Multimodal treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in children and young adults with induction chemotherapy, followed by radiochemotherapy and interferon-β (IFN-β) maintenance, has been successfully applied in studies NPC-91 and NPC-2003 of the German Society of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (GPOH). We, here, present updated survival rates of the NPC-2003 study cohort after longer follow-up and include 21 additional patients recruited after closure of the study and treated as per the NPC-2003 study protocol (interim cohort) in our survival analysis. Survival rates remain high after extended follow-up and in the larger cohort with EFS and OS of 94% and 97%, respectively, reinforcing the high antitumor efficacy of this multimodal treatment concept. Seven patients with CR after induction therapy received a reduced radiation dose of 54 Gy, and none of them relapsed. Thus, the reduction of radiation dose seems feasible and has the potential to reduce treatment-related late effects in this vulnerable population. ABSTRACT: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in children and young adults has been treated within two consecutive prospective trials in Germany, the NPC-91 and the NPC-2003 study of the German Society of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (GPOH). In these studies, multimodal treatment with induction chemotherapy, followed by radio (chemo)therapy and interferon-beta maintenance, yielded promising survival rates even after adapting total radiation doses to tumor response. The outcome of 45 patients in the NPC-2003 study was reassessed after a median follow-up of 85 months. In addition, we analyzed 21 further patients after closure of the NPC-2003 study, recruited between 2011 and 2017, and treated as per the NPC-2003 study protocol. The EFS and OS of 66 patients with locoregionally advanced NPC were 93.6% and 96.7%, respectively, after a median follow-up of 73 months. Seven patients with CR after induction therapy received a reduced radiation dose of 54 Gy; none relapsed. In young patients with advanced locoregional NPC, excellent long-term survival rates can be achieved by multimodal treatment, including interferon-beta. Radiation doses may be reduced in patients with complete remission after induction chemotherapy and may limit radiogenic late effects