Singap Med J
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There are currently no guidelines supporting the use of routine chemoprophylaxis to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in arthroscopic surgery. Studies and meta-analysis show opposing views on its routine use in arthroscopy. This study aimed to examine the incidence of DVT in a prospective cohort of knee arthroscopy and knee arthroplasty patients, and to analyse the risk factors contributing to DVT. ⋯ DVT incidence among Asian arthroplasty and arthroscopy patients remains low, even without chemoprophylaxis. Since age was found to be a significant risk factor for DVT, DVT prophylaxis can be considered for patients in high-risk age groups.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of the clinical performance of i-gel, LMA Supreme and LMA ProSeal in elective surgery.
The LMA Supreme™, i-gel® and LMA ProSeal™ are second-generation supraglottic airway devices. We tested the hypothesis that these devices differ in performance when used for spontaneous ventilation during anaesthesia. ⋯ The three devices were comparable in terms of ease and duration of placement, but the i-gel had higher initial oropharyngeal leak pressure and lower airway morbidity compared with the ProSeal and Supreme.
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The use of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) has increased worldwide due to the reported advantages associated with this minimally invasive procedure. However, widespread adoption is hindered by its technical complexity. Robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP) was introduced to overcome this limitation, but worldwide experience with RDP is still lacking. There is presently evidence that RDP is associated with decreased conversion rate and increased splenic preservation as compared to LDP. ⋯ Our preliminary experience with robotic SSVP-DP confirmed the feasibility of the procedure.
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This study aimed to report the injury or disease patterns, challenges, key observations, and recommendations by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) team that embarked on an Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. ⋯ The ability to transport healthcare personnel and essential medical equipment within a short time allowed the SAF medical team to provide crucial medical care in the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
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Gout, an inflammatory arthritis caused by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals, is commonly seen in primary care and specialist clinics. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in gout due to advances in therapies and the understanding of pathophysiology, with new guidelines being published by international bodies. ⋯ Barriers that result in poorly controlled gout include patient factors such as lack of understanding of the disease, stigma and nonadherence to treatment, as well as physician factors such as knowledge gaps, inadequate use of allopurinol and lack of ownership of the disease. The medical profession needs to do more to bridge the gap through physician and patient education, identification of treatment targets with appropriate use of drugs, and dissemination of guidelines.