Journal of the American College of Surgeons
-
An early predictive model for massive transfusion (MT) is critical for management of combat casualties because of limited blood product availability, component preparation, and the time necessary to mobilize fresh whole blood donors. The purpose of this study was to determine which variables, available early after injury, are associated with MT. We hypothesized that International Normalized Ratio and penetrating mechanism would be predictive. ⋯ MT after combat injury is associated with high mortality. Simple variables available early after admission allow accurate prediction of MT.
-
Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) has become increasingly popular for the treatment of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT), and the specific techniques used vary from surgeon to surgeon. This strategy depends on preoperative localization tests, of which the MIBI scan is the most commonly used. This study details one surgeon's MIP experience and examines factors that correlate with the results of sestamibi (MIBI) scans. ⋯ The MIBI scan is a good localization test that made unilateral exploration and MIP possible in 76% of the cases. MIBI scans are more likely to be correct with higher preoperative PTH and larger adenomas.
-
Curricula for surgical technical skills laboratories have traditionally been designed to accommodate the clinical activities of residents, so they typically consist of individual, episodic training sessions. We believe that the skills laboratory offers an opportunity to design a surgical skills curriculum based on the fundamental elements known to be important for motor skill instruction. We hypothesized that training novices with such a curriculum for a 1-month period would yield skills performance levels equivalent to those of second year surgery residents who had trained in a traditional program. ⋯ These results demonstrate the effectiveness of a laboratory-based training program that includes fundamentals of motor skills acquisition.