Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Biography Historical Article
Fred W Rankin, MD: a man of medicine during a time of war and change.
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Similarity between the ICU patient data acquired by the APACHE system and the patient outcomes data acquired by the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) suggests that variables in NSQIP data could be effective mortality predictors. We theorized that identifying ACS-NSQIP preoperative data points predictive of patient outcomes would assist in identifying potential complications earlier. ⋯ APACHE score predictions are consistent with ACS-NSQIP-recorded postoperative outcomes. Higher APACHE scores correlated with increased incidence of postoperative outcomes and were associated with earlier mortality in the most extremely ill. Poorer states of health before surgery also correlated with poor outcomes postoperatively.
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Trauma surgeons increasingly care for emergency general surgery (EGS) patients. The extent to which trauma center (TC) performance improvement translates into improved quality for EGS is unknown. We hypothesized that EGS outcomes in TCs would be similar to outcomes in non-trauma centers (NTC); failure to support our hypothesis suggests that the effects of trauma performance improvement have extended beyond trauma patients. ⋯ Although overall morbidity tended to favor NTCs, mortality was no different. This suggests that the trauma performance improvement processes have not been applied to EGS patients, despite being cared for by similar providers. Despite having processes for trauma, there remains the opportunity for quality improvement for EGS care.
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There has been a repeal of the universal helmet law in several states despite definitive evidence that helmets reduce mortality, traumatic brain injury, and hospital expenditures. Opponents of the universal helmet law have successfully claimed that helmets should not be required because of greater torque on the neck, which is thought to increase the likelihood of a cervical spine injury. There is currently insufficient evidence to counter claims that helmets do not increase the risk of cervical spine injury after a motorcycle collision. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of motorcycle helmets on the likelihood of developing a cervical spine injury after a motorcycle collision. ⋯ Helmeted motorcyclists are less likely to suffer a cervical spine injury after a motorcycle collision. This finding challenges a long-standing objection to mandatory helmet use that claims helmets are associated with cervical spine injury. Re-enactment of the universal helmet law should be considered in states where it has been repealed.