The current COVID-19 pandemic underlines the importance of a mindful utilization of financial and human resources. Preserving resources and manpower is paramount in healthcare. It is important to ...ensure the ability of surgeons and specialized professionals to function through the pandemic. A conscious effort should be made to minimize infection in this sector. A high mortality rate within this group would be detrimental.This manuscript is the result of a collaboration between the major Italian surgical and anesthesiologic societies: ACOI, SIC, SICUT, SICO, SICG, SIFIPAC, SICE, and SIAARTI. We aim to describe recommended clinical pathways for COVID-19-positive patients requiring acute non-deferrable surgical care. All hospitals should organize dedicated protocols and workforce training as part of the effort to face the current pandemic.
A wide variety of hemostats are available as adjunctive measures to improve hemostasis during surgical procedures if residual bleeding persists despite correct application of conventional methods for ...hemorrhage control. Some are considered active agents, since they contain fibrinogen and thrombin and actively participate at the end of the coagulation cascade to form a fibrin clot, whereas others to be effective require an intact coagulation system. The aim of this study is to provide an evidence-based approach to correctly select the available agents to help physicians to use the most appropriate hemostat according to the clinical setting, surgical problem and patient's coagulation status.
The literature from 2000 to 2016 was systematically screened according to PRISMA Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. Sixty-six articles were reviewed by a panel of experts to assign grade of recommendation (GoR) and level of evidence (LoE) using the GRADE Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system, and a national meeting was held.
Fibrin adhesives, in liquid form (fibrin glues) or with stiff collagen fleece (fibrin patch) are effective in the presence of spontaneous or drug-induced coagulation disorders. Mechanical hemostats should be preferred in patients who have an intact coagulation system. Sealants are effective, irrespective of patient's coagulation status, to improve control of residual oozing. Hemostatic dressings represent a valuable option in case of external hemorrhage at junctional sites or when tourniquets are impractical or ineffective.
Local hemostatic agents are dissimilar products with different indications. A knowledge of the properties of each single agent should be in the armamentarium of acute care surgeons in order to select the appropriate product in different clinical conditions.
Background
In January 2010, the SICE (Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery), under the auspices of the EAES, decided to revisit the clinical recommendations for the role of laparoscopy in abdominal ...emergencies in adults, with the primary intent being to update the 2006 EAES indications and supplement the existing guidelines on specific diseases.
Methods
Other Italian surgical societies were invited into the Consensus to form a panel of 12 expert surgeons. In order to get a multidisciplinary panel, other stakeholders involved in abdominal emergencies were invited along with a patient’s association. In November 2010, the panel met in Rome to discuss each chapter according to the Delphi method, producing key statements with a grade of recommendations followed by commentary to explain the rationale and the level of evidence behind the statements. Thereafter, the statements were presented to the Annual Congress of the EAES in June 2011.
Results
A thorough literature review was necessary to assess whether the recommendations issued in 2006 are still current. In many cases new studies allowed us to better clarify some issues (such as for diverticulitis, small bowel obstruction, pancreatitis, hernias, trauma), to confirm the key role of laparoscopy (such as for cholecystitis, gynecological disorders, nonspecific abdominal pain, appendicitis), but occasionally previous strong recommendations have to be challenged after review of recent research (such as for perforated peptic ulcer).
Conclusions
Every surgeon has to develop his or her own approach, taking into account the clinical situation, her/his proficiency (and the experience of the team) with the various techniques, and the specific organizational setting in which she/he is working. This guideline has been developed bearing in mind that every surgeon could use the data reported to support her/his judgment.
A part of damage-control laparotomy is to leave the fascial edges and the skin open to avoid abdominal compartment syndrome and allow further explorations. This condition, known as open abdomen (OA), ...although effective, is associated with severe complications. Our aim was to develop evidence-based recommendations to define indications for OA, techniques for temporary abdominal closure, management of enteric fistulas, and methods of definitive wall closure.
The literature from 1990 to 2014 was systematically screened according to PRISMA Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses protocol. Seventy-six articles were reviewed by a panel of experts to assign grade of recommendations (GoR) and level of evidence (LoE) using the GRADE Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system, and an international consensus conference was held.
OA in trauma is indicated at the end of damage-control laparotomy, in the presence of visceral swelling, for a second look in vascular injuries or gross contamination, in the case of abdominal wall loss, and if medical treatment of abdominal compartment syndrome has failed (GoR B, LoE II). Negative-pressure wound therapy is the recommended temporary abdominal closure technique to drain peritoneal fluid, improve nursing, and prevent fascial retraction (GoR B, LoE I). Lack of OA closure within 8 days (GoR C, LoE II), bowel injuries, high-volume replacement, and use of polypropylene mesh over the bowel (GoR C, LoE I) are risk factors for frozen abdomen and fistula formation. Negative-pressure wound therapy allows to isolate the fistula and protect the surrounding tissues from spillage until granulation (GoR C, LoE II). Correction of fistula is performed after 6 months to 12 months. Definitive closure of OA has to be obtained early (GoR C, LoE I) with direct suture, traction devices, component separation with or without mesh. Biologic meshes are an option for wall reinforcement if bacterial contamination is present (GoR C, LoE II).
OA and negative-pressure techniques improve the care of trauma patients, but closure must be achieved early to avoid complications.
Purpose
Increasing pressure pushes towards the objective competence assessment of clinical operators. Hand motion analysis (HMA) was introduced to measure surgical and clinical procedures; its recent ...application to FAST examinations leaves unsolved issues. This study aimed at determining optimal HMA parameters to discriminate between operators’ skill levels, and which FAST tasks are experience-dependent.
Methods
Ten experienced (EG) and 13 beginner (BG) sonographers performed a FAST examination on one female and one male model. A motion capture system returned the duration, working volume, number of movements (absolute and time normalized), and hand path length (absolute and time normalized) of each view.
Results
BG took more time in completing specific views, with a higher working volume (
p
= 0.003) and longer hands path (
p
< 0.001). The number of movements was lower in the EG (
p
< 0.001) and differed between views (
p
= 0.014). No significant Group/Model differences were found for the normalized number of movements. The LUQ view required a higher number of movements (
p
< 0.001).
Conclusions
HMA identified kinematic parameters discriminating between proficiency level and critical subtasks in the FAST examination. These findings could be the base for a focused HMA-based evaluation of performances following a proctored training period. There is room to incorporate HMA into simulation metrics and evidence-based credentialing standards for clinical ultrasound applications.
There is increasing recognition that point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), performed by the clinician at the bedside, can be a natural extension of the clinical examination-the modern abdominal ..."stethoscope" and provides an opportunity to expedite the care pathway for patients with acute gallbladder disease. The primary aims of this study were to benchmark the accuracy of surgeon-performed POCUS in suspected acute gallbladder disease against standard radiology or pathology reports and to compare time to POCUS diagnosis with time to definitive imaging. This prospective single-arm observational cohort study was conducted in four hospitals in Ireland, Italy, and Portugal to assess the accuracy of POCUS against standard radiology in patients with suspected acute biliary disease (ClinicalTrials.govIdentifier: NCT02682368). The findings of surgeon-performed POCUS were compared with those on definitive imaging or surgery. Of 100 patients recruited, 89 were suitable for comparative analysis, comparing POCUS with radiological findings in 84 patients and with surgical/histological findings in five. The overall global accuracy of POCUS was 88.7% (95% CI, 80.3-94.4%), with a sensitivity of 94.7% (95% CI, 85.3-98.9%), a specificity of 78.1% (95% CI, 60.03-90.7%), a positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 4.33 and negative likelihood ratio (LR) of 0.07. The mean time from POCUS to the final radiological report was 11.9 h (range 0.06-54.9). In five patients admitted directly to surgery, the mean time between POCUS and incision was 2.30 h (range 1.5-5), which was significantly shorter than the mean time to formal radiology report. Sixteen patients were discharged from the emergency department, of whom nine did not need follow-up. Our study is one of the very few to demonstrate a high concordance between surgeon-performed POCUS of patients without a priori radiologic diagnosis of gallstone disease and shows that the expedited diagnosis afforded by POCUS can be reliably leveraged to deliver earlier definitive care for patients with acute gallbladder pathology, as the general surgeon skilled in POCUS is uniquely positioned to integrate it into their bedside assessment.
Background:
Intimal sarcomas are rare malignant mesenchymal tumors arising from the heart and large blood vessels. Their intraluminal growth leads to vascular obstructive symptoms and peripheral ...neoplastic embolization. Direct infiltration of the lungs or metastases to the pulmonary system, occur in 40% of cases and extrathoracic spread is frequent, also in presentation. Intussusception is an unusual event in adults, accounting for <5% of bowel obstructions. In most cases it is caused by a malignancy and requires surgical resection.
Case Presentation:
We describe a rare case of a 50-year-old man suffering of bowel obstruction due to intussusception sustained by a small bowel metastasis of a primary cardiac intimal sarcoma. One year and a half before the onset of abdominal symptoms, a grade II intimal sarcoma was removed from his left atrium and consequently he followed a chemotherapy protocol. Four months later a CT scan revealed local recurrence. Eighteen months after heart surgery he referred to the ER with abdominal pain. CT scan showed an ileal intussusception and the patient was scheduled for surgery. A tract of 10 cm ileus was removed containing an intramural polypoid solid mass. Histological analyses revealed a grade II intimal sarcoma consistent with his first diagnosis.
Conclusion:
Primary heart tumors are late found and often partially resected, therefore metastatic pathways are to be expected. Adult small bowel intussusception is a rare event and caused by a malignancy in one third of cases. Therefore, our recommendation is to always resect the tract involved in order to perform a proper diagnosis.
ObjectivesTo assess the survival predictivity of baseline blood cell differential count (BCDC), discretised according to two different methods, in adults visiting an emergency room (ER) for illness ...or trauma over 1 year.DesignRetrospective cohort study of hospital records.SettingTertiary care public hospital in northern Italy.Participants11 052 patients aged >18 years, consecutively admitted to the ER in 1 year, and for whom BCDC collection was indicated by ER medical staff at first presentation.Primary outcomeSurvival was the referral outcome for explorative model development. Automated BCDC analysis at baseline assessed haemoglobin, mean cell volume (MCV), red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet haematocrit (PCT), absolute red blood cells, white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils and platelets. Discretisation cut-offs were defined by benchmark and tailored methods. Benchmark cut-offs were stated based on laboratory reference values (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute). Tailored cut-offs for linear, sigmoid-shaped and U-shaped distributed variables were discretised by maximally selected rank statistics and by optimal-equal HR, respectively. Explanatory variables (age, gender, ER admission during SARS-CoV2 surges and in-hospital admission) were analysed using Cox multivariable regression. Receiver operating curves were drawn by summing the Cox-significant variables for each method.ResultsOf 11 052 patients (median age 67 years, IQR 51–81, 48% female), 59% (n=6489) were discharged and 41% (n=4563) were admitted to the hospital. After a 306-day median follow-up (IQR 208–417 days), 9455 (86%) patients were alive and 1597 (14%) deceased. Increased HRs were associated with age >73 years (HR=4.6, 95% CI=4.0 to 5.2), in-hospital admission (HR=2.2, 95% CI=1.9 to 2.4), ER admission during SARS-CoV2 surges (Wave I: HR=1.7, 95% CI=1.5 to 1.9; Wave II: HR=1.2, 95% CI=1.0 to 1.3). Gender, haemoglobin, MCV, RDW, PDW, neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophil counts were significant overall. Benchmark-BCDC model included basophils and platelet count (area under the ROC (AUROC) 0.74). Tailored-BCDC model included monocyte counts and PCT (AUROC 0.79).ConclusionsBaseline discretised BCDC provides meaningful insight regarding ER patients’ survival.
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