ANZ journal of surgery
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ANZ journal of surgery · Oct 2012
Multi-site videoconference tutorials for medical students in Australia.
About two-thirds of medical students are distributed among the major metropolitan tertiary teaching hospitals in Queensland, while the remainder are sent to regional hospitals up to 500 km away. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of conducting surgical tutorials via videoconferencing (VC) for medical students undertaking at remote hospitals. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that VC is a feasible and effective method of engaging medical students regardless of their location. VC provides equitable access to medical teaching for medical students undertaking remote clinical placements.
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In this paper, we review the literature to date on technical competence in surgeons; how it can be defined, taught to trainees and assessed. We also examine how we can predict which candidates for surgical training will most likely develop technical competence. While technical competency is just one aspect of what makes a good surgeon, we have recognized a need to review the literature in this area and to combine this with broader definitions of competency. Our review found that several methods are available to objectively measure, assess and predict technical competence and should be used in surgical training.
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ANZ journal of surgery · Oct 2012
Comparative StudyEnhanced recovery after surgery versus conventional care in colonic and rectal surgery.
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programmes have been shown to improve outcomes after colonic surgery. However, there is less evidence supporting ERAS in rectal surgery. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes of conventional perioperative care with those of an ERAS pathway including both colonic and rectal surgery patients. ⋯ Patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery managed within the ERAS pathway had shorter hospital stays without increased morbidity or mortality. Differences were less pronounced in the rectal surgery subgroup and further research is needed to investigate the use of ERAS pathways for patients undergoing elective rectal surgery.
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ANZ journal of surgery · Sep 2012
Appendicectomy at a children's hospital: what has changed over a decade?
Appendicectomy remains the most common abdominal emergency procedure performed by surgeons. We reviewed appendicectomies for the calendar years 1999 and 2009 to assess any changes in the referral, presentation and management at a tertiary paediatric institution. ⋯ Our institution has experienced an extraordinary rise in the number of appendicectomies performed, which cannot be explained by an increase in the local paediatric population alone. There appears to have been dramatic shift in the surgical care of children to our tertiary paediatric centre. The majority of appendicectomies in 2009 were laparoscopic, with a reduced length of stay despite longer operative times.
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ANZ journal of surgery · Sep 2012
Time to computed tomography scanning for major trauma patients: the Australian reality.
Computed tomography (CT) can facilitate the diagnosis of life-threatening injuries in polytrauma patients. Reported times to imaging vary widely, but it has been suggested that rapid whole body scanning improves mortality rates. The aim of this study was to determine the time to CT for severe polytrauma patients presenting to a level I trauma centre in Australia. ⋯ Although 93 min to completion of trauma CT scans is comparable with some international reports, it falls well behind centres who have demonstrated improved outcomes with CT scanning. Our results serve as a baseline to our and potentially other Australasian trauma centres to improve on this surrogate measure of trauma team efficacy.