Anaesthesia
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Implementation of a quality improvement bundle for peri-operative management of emergency laparotomy (ELPQuIC) improved mortality in a previous study. We used data from one site that participated in that study to examine whether it was associated with the cost of care. We collected data from 396 patients: 144 before, 144 during and 108 after implementation of the bundle. ⋯ The costs per patient and per survivor did not differ between the time periods, p = 0.87 and p = 0.17, respectively. Costs were similar for patients aged < 80 years vs. ≥ 80 years. Implementation of a quality improvement bundle for emergency laparotomy has the capacity to save lives without increasing hospital costs.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A randomised controlled trial comparing two popliteal nerve catheter tip positions for postoperative analgesia after day-case hallux valgus repair.
We compared the effect of two different positions of a sciatic nerve catheter within the popliteal fossa on local anaesthetic consumption and postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing day-case hallux valgus repair. Eighty-four patients were randomly allocated to receive a sciatic nerve catheter either between the tibial and peroneal components (sciatic group) or medial to the tibial nerve (tibial group). ⋯ Insensate limb occurred in 14 patients in the sciatic group versus one patient in the tibial group (p < 0.001), while foot drop was reported by six patients in the sciatic group and none in the tibial group (p = 0.012). Sciatic nerve catheter placement medial to the tibial nerve may be a superior analgesic technique for day-case foot surgery.