The American surgeon
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The American surgeon · Aug 2020
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyTreatment With Oral Versus Intravenous Acetaminophen in Elderly Trauma Patients With Rib Fractures: A Prospective Randomized Trial.
Rib fractures are common injuries among traumatically injured patients, and elderly patients with rib fractures are at increased risk for adverse events and death. The purpose of this study was to determine if oral Per os (PO) acetaminophen is as effective as intravenous (IV) acetaminophen in treating the pain associated with rib fractures. ⋯ In elderly trauma patients (age ≥65 years) with 1 or more rib fractures, PO acetaminophen is equivalent to IV acetaminophen for pain control, with no difference in morbidity or mortality. Oral acetaminophen should be preferentially used over IV acetaminophen when treating the elderly trauma patient with rib fractures.
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The American surgeon · Aug 2020
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Surgical Practice in the Southeastern United States: Results of a Survey of the Membership of the Southeastern Surgical Congress.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically altered the delivery of surgical care. ⋯ The COVID-19 slowdown affected surgeons throughout the southeastern United States. Variations between different practice models, communities, and case-mix categories may help inform surgeons in the future.
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The American surgeon · Aug 2020
Is Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Necessary for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Patients Undergoing Mastectomy?
Current treatment guidelines for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with mastectomy recommend sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). In the modern era, there is a trend toward minimizing invasive staging and treatment of the axilla. In this study, we seek to determine the role of SLNB in patients undergoing mastectomy for the treatment of DCIS. ⋯ Only 3% of patients with DCIS undergoing mastectomy were found to have SLN metastases. However, a significant number of patients (36%) were upstaged due to invasive cancer. Although limited by a small sample size, our results suggest that SLNB should still be recommended to patients undergoing mastectomy for DCIS on core needle biopsy due to the high rate of upstage rate to invasive disease.
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Recent data on opioid consumption indicate that patients typically require far less than is prescribed. Prisma Health Upstate Hernia Center adopted standardized postoperative prescribing after hernia repair and began tracking patient-reported opioid utilization. The aim of this study is to evaluate patient opioid use after hernia repair in order to guide future prescribing. ⋯ Patients require little to no opioid after primary ventral or inguinal hernia repair and opioid-free surgery is feasible. Incisional hernia is more heterogenous, but the majority of patients still required less opioid than previously thought.