Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Comparative Study
Slide Esophagoplasty vs End-to-End Anastomosis for Recalcitrant Esophageal Stricture after Esophageal Atresia Repair.
Anastomotic stricture is a common complication after esophageal atresia (EA) repair. Patients with a recalcitrant stricture may require surgical intervention. The technique of reanastomosis after stricture resection can affect patient outcomes. ⋯ Slide esophagoplasty may be a useful technique of anastomotic configuration for selected patients with recalcitrant esophageal stricture, offering more favorable outcomes compared with end-to-end anastomosis.
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To ensure that residents are appropriately trained in the era of the 80-hour work-week, training programs have restructured resident duties and hired advanced practice providers (APPs). However, the effect of APPs on surgical training remains unknown. ⋯ Most residents report that the integration of APPs has decreased the administrative burden. The reduction in patient counseling might be an unrecognized and unintended consequence of implementing APPs. The perceived effect on operative experience is dependent on the role of the APPs.
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The development of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) is a common complication associated with immobilization and prolonged hospitalization in trauma patients. Our semi-annual Trauma Quality Improvement Program report identified HAPUs as an outlier complication. We used a hospital-wide initiative to reduce the incidence of HAPUs among our trauma patient population. Our study aimed to determine whether the implemented measures would decrease HAPUs incidence rates. ⋯ The novel 7-step care-based process changes, acquisition of specialized equipment, and educational initiatives implemented were associated with a significant decrease in the incidence rates of HAPUs.
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Database quality measurement should be considered a mandatory step to ensure an adequate level of confidence in data used for research and quality improvement. Several metrics have been described in the literature, but no standardized approach has been established. We aimed to describe a methodological approach applied to measure the quality and inter-rater reliability of a regional multicentric thoracic surgical database (Paulista Lung Cancer Registry). ⋯ The methodological approach applied to the Paulista Lung Cancer Registry showed that completeness and consistency metrics did not sufficiently reflect the real quality status of a database. The inter-rater reliability associated with κ and intraclass correlation was a better quality metric than completeness and consistency metrics because it could determine the reliability of specific variables used in research or benchmark reports. This report can be a paradigm for future studies of data quality measurement.
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Comparative Study
Comparative Analysis of Clinical, Treatment, and Survival Characteristics of Basaloid and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus.
Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSC) is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) of the esophagus. Even though pathologically thought to be more aggressive than SqCC, there is discrepancy in the literature regarding the outcomes of BSC compared with those of SqCC. ⋯ Even though more likely to be poorly differentiated at presentation, BSC of the esophagus seems to have similar clinical features and survival outcomes when compared with SqCC. Patients with BSC and SqCC should undergo stage-specific treatment to achieve optimal outcomes.