Citations

AbstractIntroductionIn response to the need for simple, rapid means of quantifying surgical capacity in low resource settings, Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) developed the personnel, infrastructure, procedures, equipment and supplies (PIPES) tool. The present investigation assessed the inter‐rater reliability of the PIPES tool.MethodsAs part of a government assessment of surgical services in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the PIPES tool was translated into Spanish and applied in interviews with physicians at 31 public hospitals. An additional interview was conducted with nurses at a convenience sample of 25 of these hospitals. Physician and nurse responses were then compared to generate an estimate of reliability. For dichotomous survey items, inter‐rater reliability between physicians and nurses was assessed using the Cohen’s kappa statistic and percent agreement. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess agreement for continuous items. ResultsCohen’s kappa was 0.46 for infrastructure, 0.43 for procedures, 0.26 for equipment, and 0 for supplies sections. The median correlation coefficient was 0.91 for continuous items. Correlation was 0.79 for the PIPES index, and ranged from 0.32 to 0.98 for continuous response items.ConclusionsReliability of the PIPES tool was moderate for the infrastructure and procedures sections, fair for the equipment section, and poor for supplies section when comparing surgeons’ responses to nurses’ responses—an extremely rigorous test of reliability. These results indicate that the PIPES tool is an effective measure of surgical capacity but that the equipment and supplies sections may need to be revised.

SUMMARY Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a tremendous burden for individual patients as well as the global health care industry. While a small minority of joint arthroplasties will become infected, appropriate recognition and management are critical to preserve or restore adequate function and prevent excess morbidity. In this review, we describe the reported risk factors for and clinical manifestations of PJI. We discuss the pathogenesis of PJI and the numerous microorganisms that can cause this devastating infection. The recently proposed consensus definitions of PJI and approaches to accurate diagnosis are reviewed in detail. An overview of the treatment and prevention of this challenging condition is provided.

Background— The incidence and impact of clinical stroke and silent radiographic cerebral infarction complicating open surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) are poorly characterized. Methods and Results— We performed a prospective cohort study of subjects ≥65 years of age who were undergoing AVR for calcific aortic stenosis. Subjects were evaluated by neurologists preoperatively and postoperatively and underwent postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Over a 4-year period, 196 subjects were enrolled at 2 sites (mean age, 75.8±6.2 years; 36% women; 6% nonwhite). Clinical strokes were detected in 17%, transient ischemic attack in 2%, and in-hospital mortality was 5%. The frequency of stroke in the Society for Thoracic Surgery database in this cohort was 7%. Most strokes were mild; the median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was 3 (interquartile range, 1–9). Clinical stroke was associated with increased length of stay (median, 12 versus 10 days; P =0.02). Moderate or severe stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ≥10) occurred in 8 (4%) and was strongly associated with in-hospital mortality (38% versus 4%; P =0.005). Of the 109 stroke-free subjects with postoperative magnetic resonance imaging, silent infarct was identified in 59 (54%). Silent infarct was not associated with in-hospital mortality or increased length of stay. Conclusions— Clinical stroke after AVR was more common than reported previously, more than double for this same cohort in the Society for Thoracic Surgery database, and silent cerebral infarctions were detected in more than half of the patients undergoing AVR. Clinical stroke complicating AVR is associated with increased length of stay and mortality.

AbstractBronchoscopy education is undergoing significant changes in step with other medical and surgical specialties that seek to incorporate simulation‐based training and objective measurement of procedural skills into training programmes. Low‐ and high‐fidelity simulators are now available and allow learners to gain fundamental bronchoscopy skills in a zero‐risk environment. Testing trainees on simulators is currently possible by using validated assessment tools for both essential bronchoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound skills, and more tools are under development for other bronchoscopic techniques. Educational concepts including the ‘flipped classroom’ model and problem‐based learning exercises are increasingly used in bronchoscopy training programmes. These learner‐centric teaching modalities require well‐trained educators, which is possible thorough the expansion of existing faculty development programmes.

ABSTRACTObjectives:Limited data suggest complete mucosal healing in treated children with celiac disease (CD), but recent data from adult endoscopic biopsies have shown substantial numbers with persistent mucosal injury. We aimed to assess the rate of mucosal healing and indications for repeat small bowel (SB) biopsy in children with CD.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed records of children (ages 1–18 years) with CD who underwent a second SB biopsy. All of the children were seen at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) from January 1997 through June 2013.Results:Forty children were identified (14 boys); average age at diagnosis was 8.5 years. Indications for second SB biopsy were abdominal pain (n = 20), diarrhea (n = 7), constipation (n = 5), non–celiac‐related concern (n = 2), follow‐up (n = 5), and persistent serology (n = 1). Average time between biopsies was 24 months (range 4–120 months). Histology on the second biopsy showed complete healing (n = 25), intraepithelial lymphocytes (n = 9), and persistent villous atrophy (n = 6). Of these, 3 patients had partial villous atrophy and 3 had with complete villous atrophy. Persistent villous atrophy was observed in 2 of 20 patients with abdominal pain and 1 of 7 with diarrhea. All of the patients with persistent constipation (n = 5) had complete resolution.Conclusions:Mucosal healing in children with CD may not be complete as previously assumed. Abdominal pain was the most common indication for repeating the SB biopsy. Persistence of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation was poorly associated with persistence of mucosal injury.

The care of patients at risk for amputation includes the identification of at-risk patients, appropriate follow-up and treatment, and the anticipation of possible complications. Education and long-term follow-up are vital for management of the patient at risk for amputation. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 91(1): 2-5, 2001)

Three patients who originally presented with a mass in the tarsal tunnel are described to develop an algorithm for management of the tarsal ganglion. All three patients had complications from ganglion excision, including complete division of the posterior tibial nerve, injury to the posterior tibial artery, and ganglion recurrence. The guiding principles relating to the presence of an extraneural versus an intraneural ganglion are developed. An example of a posterior tibial intraneural ganglion is presented. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 95(5): 459–463, 2005)