Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Use of the ON-Q pain management system is associated with decreased postoperative analgesic requirement: double blind randomized placebo pilot study.
Narcotics are routinely used to decrease postoperative pain after laparotomy. But they are associated with unwarranted side effects. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of local perfusion of bupivacaine in decreasing narcotic consumption after midline laparotomy. ⋯ This preliminary pilot study revealed that the ON-Q pain management system after midline laparotomy, as part of a multimodal approach, is an effective approach to postoperative pain control.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of epsilon-aminocaproic acid for reducing blood loss in coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.
Epsilon-aminocaproic acid is a plasmin inhibitor that potentially reduces perioperative bleeding when administered prophylactically to cardiac surgery patients. To evaluate the efficacy of epsilon-aminocaproic acid, a prospective placebo-controlled trial was conducted in patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. ⋯ Prophylactic administration of epsilon-aminocaproic acid reduces postoperative thoracic-drainage volume by 30%, but it may not be potent enough to reduce the requirement and the risk for donor blood transfusion in cardiac surgery patients. This information is useful for deciding on a therapy for hemostasis in cardiac surgery.
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American Pediatric Surgical Association consensus guidelines for children with blunt spleen injuries have been defined and validated in children's hospitals, but large administrative data sets indicate that only 10% to 15% of children with blunt spleen injuries are treated at children's hospitals. We sought to identify the frequency and compare the treatment of children with spleen injury in hospitals with and without recognized trauma expertise, with the aim of identifying a meaningful target for dissemination of benchmarks and consensus guidelines. ⋯ These multistate discharge data indicate that treatment of children with blunt spleen injury differs significantly when comparing trauma centers and nontrauma centers. Because nearly two-thirds of these children were treated at trauma centers, dissemination of American Pediatric Surgical Association guidelines and benchmarks through state or regional trauma systems may reduce the number of children having operations for splenic injury.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Ischemic preconditioning for major liver resection under vascular exclusion of the liver preserving the caval flow: a randomized prospective study.
Two randomized prospective studies suggested that ischemic preconditioning (IP) protects the human liver against ischemia-reperfusion injury after hepatectomy performed under continuous clamping of the portal triad. The primary goal of this study was to determine whether IP protects the human liver against ischemia-reperfusion injury after hepatectomy under continuous vascular exclusion with preservation of the caval flow. ⋯ IP does not improve liver tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion after hepatectomy under vascular exclusion of the liver with preservation of the caval flow. This maneuver does not improve postoperative liver function and does not affect morbidity or mortality rates. The clinical use of IP through 10 minutes of warm ischemia in this technique of hepatectomy is not currently recommended.
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Comparative Study
Gender and geographic influence on the racial disparity in bladder cancer mortality in the US.
In 2005, there were an estimated 63,210 new cases of bladder cancer and 13,180 related deaths in the US. African Americans reportedly have a lower incidence of bladder cancer, but a higher mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the gender and geographic differences in bladder cancer survival between Caucasians and African Americans to better understand the racial disparity in bladder cancer survival. ⋯ African Americans were diagnosed with more aggressive and more advanced tumors. Adjusted multivariable models demonstrated a survival advantage for Caucasians, with African-American race being an independent predictor of poor survival, especially when diagnosed in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Racial disparity continues to exist in bladder cancer presentation and survival in the US.