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

A CASE REPORT OF MORVAN SYNDROME

Electromyography and neurotransmission examination results were concordant with peripheral nerve hyperreactivity. Contactin-associated protein-like 2 antibodies and leucine-rich glioma inactivated protein 1 antibodies were detected as positive. The patient was diagnosed with Morvan syndrome; intravenous immunoglobulin and corticosteroid treatment was started. Almost full remission was achieved. This very rare syndrome implies challenges in diagnosis and treatment; however, remission can be achieved during the follow-up. In addition, caution is needed in the long-term follow-up of these patients regarding the development of malignancies

The effect of urethroplasty surgery on erectile and orgasmic functions: a prospective study

ABSTRACT Objectives: to examine the effects of urethroplasty surgery on sexual functions by taking into account age, location of stenosis, length of stenosis and surgical technique parameters. Materials and Methods: The prospective study was conducted between January 2015 and August 2017 with 60 cases. Patients were categorized according to age groups (19-65 / 65-75 years), surgery technique and stricture localization and length. Before the urethroplasty operation and postoperative 6th month follow-up, the international index of erectile function (IIEF) form (15 questions), was filled, the relevant domains of sexual function; erectile function (Q1,2,3,4,5,15), orgasmic function (Q9,10) and overall satisfaction (Q13,14) were assessed. Results: The mean age of the cases is 54 ± 13. However, preoperative IIEF, sexual satisfaction and orgasmic function averages of patients with a stenosis segment length of 1-3 cm was found to be significantly higher than that of patients with a stenosis segment length of 4-7 cm. Between stenosis segment length groups, there was no statistical difference in terms of preoperative and postoperative sexual functions. And also, there was no statistically significant change in patients’ preoperative and postoperative sexual function scores in terms of localization of stricture and surgery techniques. However, there were statistically significant change in the postoperative IIEF and sexual satisfaction averages according to preoperative averages. Conclusion: Our study suggests that urethroplasty surgery itself does not significantly affect erectile function, orgasmic function, and general sexual satisfaction regardless of the type of surgery, localization and length of stenosis. Besides, there was a significant decrease in erectile function in senior adults

Management of acute ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19 infection: Report of an international panel

Background and purpose On 11 March 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 infection a pandemic. The risk of ischemic stroke may be higher in patients with COVID-19 infection similar to those with other respiratory tract infections. We present a comprehensive set of practice implications in a single document for clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. Methods The practice implications were prepared after review of data to reach the consensus among stroke experts from 18 countries. The writers used systematic literature reviews, reference to previously published stroke guidelines, personal files, and expert opinion to summarize existing evidence, indicate gaps in current knowledge, and when appropriate, formulate practice implications. All members of the writing group had opportunities to comment in writing on the practice implications and approved the final version of this document. Results This document with consensus is divided into 18 sections. A total of 41 conclusions and practice implications have been developed. The document includes practice implications for evaluation of stroke patients with caution for stroke team members to avoid COVID-19 exposure, during clinical evaluation and performance of imaging and laboratory procedures with special considerations of intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy in stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Conclusions These practice implications with consensus based on the currently available evidence aim to guide clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke who are suspected of, or confirmed, with COVID-19 infection. Under certain circumstances, however, only limited evidence is available to support these practice implications, suggesting an urgent need for establishing procedures for the management of stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection

İNME KLİNİK PRATİĞİNDE NOAK KULLANIMI:TÜRK BEYİN DAMAR HASTALIKLARI DERNEĞİ UZMAN GÖRÜŞÜ

Non-vitamin K oral antikoagülanların (NOAK) atrial fibrilasyonda inmenin önlenmesi amacıyla on yılı aşan bir süredirbaşarı ile kullanıldığı açıktır. Varfarine göre belirgin derecede az kanamaya yol açmaları ve inmeyi de eşit veya daha fazlaoranda önleyebilmeleri yanı sıra kolay kullanım özellikleri primer proflakside atrial fibrilasyona bağlı inmeyi azaltmakonusunda öne çıkmaktadır. Bunlar aynı zamanda genel inme prevalansının azalması anlamına gelmektedir. Yani AFnedenli inmenin engellenmesi toplum sağlığı için çağdaş bir gereklilik olarak algılanmalıdır. İnme klinik pratiğindekardiyoloji uzmanları ile birlikte bu bağlamda çaba sarf eden nöroloji uzmanları için Türk Beyin Damar HastalıklarıDerneği bu uzman görüşünü hazırladı. Görüşler NOAK grubu ilaçların kullanımında sıkça karşılaşılan sorunlar ve buproblemler için güncel çözüm önerilerini içermektedir.It is clear that nonvitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been used successfully for more than ten years to preventstroke in atrial fibrillation. In addition to the fact that they cause significantly less bleeding compared to warfarin and canprevent stroke equally or more, their easy-to-use features stand out in reducing stroke due to atrial fibrillation in primaryprophylaxis. These also mean a decrease in the overall prevalence of stroke. For sure, prevention of AF-induced strokeshould be perceived as a contemporary requirement for public health. Turkish Society of Cerebrovascular Diseases hasprepared this expert opinion for neurologists who strive for this purpose together with cardiologists in the clinicalpractice of stroke. The article contains frequently encountered problems in the use of NOACs and current solutions forthese problems

A Multicenter Study of 1144 Patients with Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: the VENOST Study

Senol, M. Guney/0000-0001-6397-9293; Genc, Hamit/0000-0002-6198-2883; UZUNER, NEVZAT/0000-0002-4961-4332; Yesilot, Nilufer/0000-0002-9655-9487; Kozak, Hasan Huseyin/0000-0001-6904-8545; Afsar, Nazire/0000-0001-8123-8560; Uzuner, Nevzat/0000-0002-4961-4332; karahan, ali yavuz/0000-0001-8142-913X; Kusbeci, Ozge Yilmaz/0000-0002-4048-210X; Batur Caglayan, Hale/0000-0002-3279-1842; Tascilar, Nida/0000-0003-0780-0783; Zeydan, Burcu/0000-0002-2270-9868; Nazliel, Bijen/0000-0002-6148-3814; Ekmekci, Hakan/0000-0002-5605-2980WOS: 000407019200036PubMed: 28583818Background: Based on a number of small observational studies, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis has diverse clinical and imaging features, risk factors, and variable outcome. in a large, multicenter cerebral venous thrombosis (VENOST) study, we sought to more precisely characterize the clinical characteristics of Caucasian patients. Methods: All data for the VENOST study were collected between the years 2000 and 2015 from the clinical follow-up files. Clinical and radiological characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes were compared in terms of age and sex distribution. Results: Among 1144 patients 68% were women, and in older age group (>50 years) male patients were more prevalent (16.6% versus 27.8%). the most frequent symptoms were headache (89.4%) and visual field defects (28.9%) in men, and headache (86.1%) and epileptic seizures (26.8%) in women. Gynecological factors comprised the largest group in women, in particular puerperium (18.3%). Prothrombotic conditions (26.4%), mainly methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase mutation (6.3%) and Factor V Leiden mutation (5.1%), were the most common etiologies in both genders. 8.1% of patients had infection-associated and 5.2% had malignancy-related etiology that was significantly higher in men and older age group. Parenchymal involvement constitutively hemorrhagic infarcts, malignancy, and older age was associated with higher Rankin score. Epileptic seizures had no effect on prognosis. Conclusions: Clinical and radiological findings were consistent with previous larger studies but predisposing factors were different with a higher incidence of puerperium. Oral contraceptive use was not a prevalent risk factor in our cohort. Malignancy, older age, and hemorrhagic infarcts had worse outcome. (c) 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis as a Rare Complication of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Subgroup Analysis of the VENOST Study

Kozak, Hasan Huseyin/0000-0001-6904-8545; Sahin, Sevki/0000-0003-2016-9965; Batur Caglayan, Hale/0000-0002-3279-1842; GUNES, TASKIN/0000-0002-9343-0573; Afsar, Nazire/0000-0001-8123-8560; Uzuner, Nevzat/0000-0002-4961-4332WOS: 000498868800011PubMed: 31562041Aim: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an unusual risk factor for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). As few CVST patients with SLE have been reported, little is known regarding its frequency as an underlying etiology, clinical characteristics, or long-term outcome. We evaluated a large cohort of CVST patients with SLE in a multicenter study of cerebral venous thrombosis, the VENOST study, and their clinical characteristics. Material and Method: Among the 1144 CVST patients in the VENOST cohort, patients diagnosed with SLE were studied. Their demographic and clinical characteristics, etiological risk factors, venous involvement status, and outcomes were recorded. Results: In total, 15 (1.31%) of 1144 CVST patients had SLE. The mean age of these patients was 39.9 +/- 12.1 years and 13 (86.7%) were female. Presenting symptoms included headache (73.3%), visual field defects (40.0%), and altered consciousness (26.7%). The main sinuses involved were the transverse (60.0%), sagittal (40.0%), and sigmoid (20.0%) sinuses. Parenchymal involvement was not seen in 73.3% of the patients. On the modified Rankin scale, 92.9% of the patients scored 0-1 at the 1-month follow-up and 90.9% scored 0-1 at the 1-year follow-up. Conclusions: SLE was found in 1.31% of the CVST patients, most frequently in young women. Headache was the most common symptom and the CVST onset was chronic in the majority of cases. The patient outcomes were favorable. CVST should be suspected in SLE patients, even in those with isolated chronic headache symptoms with or without other neurological findings