Prevalence & Risk Factors of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Patients with Lower Limb Fractures in South Africa

BackgroundFractures occur at disproportionately higher rates in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC) and commonly occur following a traumatic event. The association between suffering from a fracture and the development of psychological symptoms is under-reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among patients following lower limb trauma in South Africa.MethodsThe study was undertaken from September 2017 to December 2018 and included a cohort of 260 patients with lower limb long bone fractures. Patients were screened using the Primary Care PTSD (PC-PTSD-5) screening tool, which is a gold standard measure to identify patients at risk of PTSD in the civilian population. Within this cohort, high-risk patients were assessed with the PTSD checklist (PCL-C), which is a standardized questionnaire scale to indicate if an individual may have PTSD.ResultsThere were 254 patients in the final cohort analysis with ages ranging from 18 to 71 years, and 75.6% (192/254) of the cohort were male patients. Femoral fractures were found in 51.6% (131/254) of patients while tibial fractures were found in 48.4% (123/254). The rate of PTSD within the study population was found to be 7.1% (18/254), and the risk of developing PTSD was 13.4% (34/254). We did not identify any risk factors, including open fractures, high-injury severity, and complication such as nonunion, for the development of PTSD.ConclusionsThis study found the rate of PTSD to be lower compared with that in high-income countries, but still higher than the general population in South Africa. Our study indicates that screening for PTSD in patients with lower limb trauma in LMICs could be beneficial. Early identification of patients at risk of developing PTSD would enable appropriate resources, support, and treatment to be provided.Level of evidenceLevel II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence

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

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

Localised bullous pemphigoid overlying knee arthroplasty: a diagnostic challenge

An elderly Caucasian woman developed bullous pemphigoid (BP) overlying the site of total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis 2 days after surgery. The clinical findings were consistent with blistering due to soft tissue swelling, bullous impetigo or allergic contact dermatitis. The blistering spread over weeks to months down the ipsilateral leg and then to the other leg and hips. A biopsy for H&amp;E and direct immunofluorescence established the diagnosis of BP. A concomitantly occurring wound infection was identified and treated. The blistering responded well to superpotent topical steroids and local care.</jats:p

Rate- and temperature-dependent strain softening in solid polymers

It is demonstrated that a large number of solid polymers (PMMA, PLLA, iPP, PS) display a pronounced change in kinetics (strain-rate and temperature dependence) after yield. The phenomenon finds its origin in the fact that, in specific ranges of temperature and strain rate, two different molecular processes may contribute to the yield stress. Because of strain softening, the post-yield response is only controlled by one of the two, resulting in a strain-rate dependence of the yield drop. The universality of the phenomenon is discussed in connection to the alleged influence of secondary transitions on the impact response of polymer glasses. A modification of the finite-strain elasto-viscoplastic EGP-model is proposed to enable an accurate description of the mechanical response of solid polymers in the transition range. The versatility of the model is demonstrated on the temperature and strain-rate dependence of the intrinsic mechanical behavior of PMMA, iPP, PS, and PLLA