Articles: cations.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Implementation of EuroSCORE II as an adjunct to APACHE II model and SOFA score, for refining the prognostic accuracy in cardiac surgical patients.
The aim of this paper was to assess the comparable applicability of European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II (EuroSCORE II), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) and Sequential Organ Failure (SOFA) scores, in cardiac surgical population, on the basis of morbidity and mortality. ⋯ EuroSCORE II seems to confer noteworthy prognostic value, being almost equivalent to that of TMS, MeanSOFA and MaxSOFA scores, and superior than APACHE II in cardiac surgical population. Thus, EuroSCORE II emerges as an imperative adjunct to ICU-based APACHE II and SOFA algorithms as it enables risk stratification, morbidity and mortality prediction even from preoperative assessment.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Dec 2015
Extracorporeal Life Support in "Awake" Patients as a Bridge to Lung Transplant.
Traditionally, patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are sedated and mechanically ventilated, which increases risk of complications related to immobility and mechanical ventilation. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and highlight the benefits of a bridge to lung transplant (LTx) using "awake ECMO" support. ⋯ In end-stage lung disease, the ECMO can be commenced in "awake" patients and patients can be awakened on ECMO. The "awake ECMO" strategy may avoid complications related to mechanical ventilation, sedation, and immobilization and provide comparable outcomes in the high-risk LTx patients.
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Multicenter Study
Variation in the risk of venous thromboembolism following colectomy.
Guidelines recommend extended thromboprophylaxis following colectomy for malignant disease, but not for non-malignant disease. The aim of this study was to determine absolute and relative rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following colectomy by indication, admission type and time after surgery. ⋯ Patients undergoing emergency colectomy for non-malignant disease have a similar risk of VTE as patients with malignant disease in the first month after surgery.
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Surgical infections · Dec 2015
In the Absence of a Mechanical Bowel Prep, Does The Addition of Pre-Operative Oral Antibiotics to Parental Antibiotics Decrease the Incidence of Surgical Site Infection after Elective Segmental Colectomy?
Pre-operative oral antibiotics administered the day prior to elective colectomy have been shown to decrease the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) if a mechanical bowel prep (MBP) is used. Recently, the role for mechanical bowel prep has been challenged as being unnecessary and potentially harmful. We hypothesize that if MBP is omitted, oral antibiotics do not alter the incidence of SSI following colectomy. ⋯ Even in the absence of mechanical bowel prep, pre-operative oral antibiotics appear to reduce the incidence of surgical site infection following elective colectomy.
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Surgical infections · Dec 2015
Surgery for Conditions of Infectious Etiology in Resource-Limited Countries Affected by Crisis: The Médecins Sans Frontières Operations Centre Brussels Experience.
Surgery for infection represents a substantial, although undefined, disease burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Médecins Sans Frontières-Operations Centre Brussels (MSF-OCB) provides surgical care in LMICs and collects data useful for describing operative epidemiology of surgical need otherwise unmet by national health services. This study aimed to describe the experience of MSF-OCB operations for infections in LMICs. By doing so, the results might aid effective resource allocation and preparation of future humanitarian staff. ⋯ Surgical infections are common causes for operation in LMICs, particularly during crisis. This study found that infections require greater than expected surgical input given frequent need for serial operations to overcome contextual challenges and those associated with limited resources in other areas (e.g., ward care). Furthermore, these results demonstrate that the pattern of operations for infections is related to nature of the crisis. Incorporating training into humanitarian preparation (e.g., surgical sepsis care, ultrasound-guided drainage procedures) and ensuring adequate resources for the care of surgical infections are necessary components for providing essential surgical care during crisis.