American journal of surgery
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Despite significant evolutions in health care, outcome discrepancies exist among demographic cohorts. We sought to determine the impact of race on emergency surgery outcomes. ⋯ Following emergency abdominal surgery, minority race is independently associated with increased complications and reduced mortality.
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American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines recommend only office visits and mammograms as the primary modalities for patient surveillance after treatment for breast carcinoma. This study aimed to quantify differences in posttreatment surveillance among medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and surgeons. ⋯ There are notable variations in surveillance intensity. This suggests overuse or underuse or misuse of scarce medical resources.
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Women represent roughly 50% of US medical students and one third of US surgery residents. Within academic surgery departments, however, women are disproportionately underrepresented, particularly at senior levels. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that female surgeons perceive different barriers to academic careers relative to their male colleagues. ⋯ Female academic surgeons experience challenges that are perceived to differ from their male counterparts. Women who participated in this study reported feeling excluded from the dominant culture in departments of surgery. This study may help guide transformative initiatives within academic surgery departments.
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the transition to acute care surgery (ACS) on trauma volumes and outcomes. ⋯ Despite a 60% increase in total patient volume and a 233% increase in operative volume over the study period, the addition of emergency surgery to a trauma service did not compromise trauma patient outcomes.
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Effective therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery remain elusive despite the tremendous advances in surgical techniques, technology, and understanding of disease processes. Recent developments and their effect on the incidence of AKI after cardiac surgery are discussed. ⋯ The definition of AKI has changed, and the focus of interventions has shifted from treatment to prevention to recovery from AKI. Antioxidants and biological agents have been added to classic armaments of hydration and diuretics in addition to tighter metabolic control to prevent AKI. Although the treatment options remain unsatisfactory, a lot of progress nevertheless continues to be made in the prevention and treatment of AKI.