Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
General Surgery (general + surgery)
Selected AbstractsHealing of Venous Ulcers of Long Duration with a Bilayered Living Skin Substitute: Results from a General Surgery and Dermatology DepartmentDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 11 2001Harold Brem MD Background. A laboratory-grown bilayered living skin substitute (LSS) has been shown to accelerate the healing of venous ulcers. However, issues related to optimal wound bed preparation prior to the application of LSS have not been addressed. Objective. When combined with standard compression therapy and near elimination of wound exudate, bioengineered skin can achieve complete closure of venous ulcers which have been present for more than a year and which are difficult to heal. Methods. In the general surgery (center A) and dermatology (center B) departments at two separate medical centers, LSS was used to treat venous ulcers of more than 1 year's duration and which had been unresponsive to conventional therapy. Wound bed preparation at both centers had as common goals the removal of necrotic tissue, optimal formation of granulation tissue, and elimination of wound exudate. Results. There was great comparability between the two centers in the patients being treated, wound size and duration, and number of LSS applications. Both centers achieved a frequency of complete wound closure of greater than 70% within 6 months. Conclusion. At two separate clinical and specialty sites having a common goal of optimal wound preparation, treatment with LSS was associated with a high rate of complete closure of hard to heal venous ulcers. [source] Predisposing factors to phlebitis in patients with peripheral intravenous catheters: A descriptive studyJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 4 2008Esin Uslusoy BSN, MS (Research Assistant) Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the predisposing factors in the development of phlebitis in peripheral intravenous (IV) catheterization sites in patients treated with a variety of IV infusion solutions and drugs. Data sources: Systematic observation of 568 IV sites inserted for fluid infusion and drug administration in 355 patients in the Department of General Surgery of a University Hospital in Turkey. A data collection tool was based on standards established by the Infusion Nurses Society. Patients' infusion sites were monitored every 24 h during treatment and for 48 h after discontinuation of the IV. Conclusions: In contrast to the usual findings in the literature, the authors found that infusion through an infusion pump and insertion of catheters in the veins around the elbow increased the risk of phlebitis. Also, the number of times infusions were started led to an increased rate of phlebitis. However, conflicting results were obtained about the relation between phlebitis, gender, and catheter size. Implications for practice: Phlebitis causes sepsis, pain, additional diagnostic investigations, and treatments, and may lead to increased duration of hospitalization, patient's stress level, and financial burden, as well as increasing staff workload. Advanced practice nurses need to be aware of the factors that increase the likelihood of phlebitis and take appropriate measures to prevent it. [source] Pre-audit survey of documentation of invasive procedures in paediatric anaesthesiaPEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA, Issue 9 2002A. Patil Introduction Consent of patients for any medical procedure is an essential part of good practice (1). Verbal consent is increasingly sought for invasive anaesthetic procedures and documentation of this is an important feature of risk management. Paediatric consent is a complex issue and although it is common practice to explain things to the child, written consent is generally still sought from the parent (2). Recent guidelines from the Royal College (3) are quite specific about having a ,child centred approach'. They clearly state that ,where special techniques (e.g. epidurals, other regional blocks including caudal, and invasive monitoring or blood transfusion) are used there should generally be written evidence that these have been discussed with the child (when appropriate) and the parents'. Our aim was to discover the current amount of documentation on invasive procedures in our paediatric anaesthetic notes and to subsequently agree on a local standard. Method We looked retrospectively at anaesthetic records of children aged 10, 11 and 12 years undergoing general anaesthesia for elective surgery over a 2-month period. We specifically looked for documentation of who was present at the pre-operative discussion and where an invasive anaesthetic technique was planned. written evidence that it had been discussed. Results 73 anaesthetic records were examined. The case mix was as follows: 37% ENT, 28% Plastic Surgery, 24% General Surgery, 11 % Orthopaedic and Oral Surgery. A Consultant was present for 98% of the anaesthetics and was accompanied by a trainee in half of those cases. In 82% (60 patients) there was no documentation of who was present at the pre-operative discussion. In 2 cases (3%) the child was seen alone, in 8 cases (11 %) both a parent and child were documented to have been involved in the discussion and in 3 cases (4%) only the parents appeared to have been involved. Of the 73 anaesthetic records, 11 did not have invasive procedures planned or performed and the following data is from the remaining 62 anaesthetic records ,,83.5% of invasive procedures were documented pre-operatively ,,12 patients (19%) had more than one procedure. ,,Only 7 notes (11 %) had a record of the procedure being specifically discussed with the child. ,,2 out of the 4 caudal (50%) were done without documentatior, of discussion about the procedure ,,7 out of 48 suppositories (14%) were given without record of verbal consent ,,5 out of 16 (31 %) of the local anaesthetic techniques were performed without documentation of discussion. Discussion This pre-audit survey demonstrates that in 82% of cases there was no record of exactly who was present at the preoperative discussion and that some invasive procedures were carried out without any record of a discussion having taken place. We feel that this level of documentation is insufficient. We looked at the age range 10,12 years as this might be regarded as approximately the age at which agreement should be sought for relatively simple procedures such as those chosen in this survey. This is not to imply that children below this age should not be involved in a plan of management or that all children of this age will be fully competent to participate in decisions. We deliberately chose to look at elective surgery, as there should be better documentation in these cases. One reason for such poor results may be that most anaesthetists do not realise the importance of documentation. Our current chart provides no means of prompting the anaesthetist to record who was present at pre-operative discussions. There is also a lack of a clear standard as to an age when invasive procedures should generally be discussed. We feel that this is probably a common problem and hope this surveys increases awareness on this important topic. Conclusions The results of this survey are to be brought to the attention of the local department. Having identified the problem we hope to agree on a local standard and audit against these standards. [source] Revising the surgical registrar on-call rosterANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 7-8 2010A. Peter Wysocki Abstract Background:, The work hours of junior doctors have been in the spotlight since the mid-1980s. Rostering and the structure of surgical units aim to balance quality and continuity of patient care with reasonable working hours. Methods:, Actual hours worked during two 12-week surgical registrar rosters were compared. Compliance of each roster with fatigue recommendations was assessed with Fatigue Audit InterDyne (FAID, InterDynamics Pty Ltd, Adelaide, Australia) software. Workload was determined from an electronic prospective surgical audit. Impact of the roster change was discussed with consultants and registrars. The traditional roster started on 16 July 2007 and the fatigue-friendly roster on 14 July 2008. Results:, The total number of hours worked reduced by 11% (from 5085.17 h in 2007 to 4530.85 h in 2008). Fatigue was eliminated (from 133.25 h in 2007 to 0 h in 2008). Over the 12-month period, the operative workload for the Department of General Surgery increased by 18%. FAID compliance improved from 67.3 to 91.2%. Consultant and registrar satisfaction with the new roster was high. Conclusions:, Safe working hours have been achieved for surgical registrars by restructuring the surgical units and implementing a new on-call rota without a perceived effect on patient care. [source] High-dose intravenous paraoxon exposure does not cause organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) in mini pigsJOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2001G. Petroianu Abstract Organophosphorus compounds are inhibitors of serine hydrolases. Some of these compounds produce, in addition to their high acute toxicity, a more persistent effect: organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN). The putative molecular entity whose inhibition is thought to be responsible for OPIDN is the neuropathy target esterase (NTE). Although in vitro NTE is resistant to paraoxon (PX), occasional case reports have associated PX with OPIDN. To assess clinically whether or not high-dose i.v. PX causes OPIDN in mini pigs, 14 mini pigs were anaesthesized, intubated and mechanically ventilated. In a first set of experiments eight pigs received 1 mg PX kg,1 body weight (BW) dissolved in alcohol. Two control animals received alcohol in a corresponding amount. After infusion of PX, survival of the animals during the acute phase of intoxication was achieved by intensive-care support, using appropriate drugs and fluids according to a pre-established protocol. The mini pigs were extubated 1036 ± 363 min later (mean ± SD). The pigs were observed prior to PX application and for 6 weeks thereafter for any abnormalities and/or signs of OPIDN, such as leg weakness, ataxia and paralysis. Observations were graded on a scale for three categories (position, motor deficiency, reaction), with a maximal cumulative score of 9. In a second set of experiments (four additional pigs) larger PX doses were used (3, 9, 27 and 81 mg kg,1 BW). After recovering from general anaesthesia/surgery, within 2 weeks all animals reached the initial score on the scale. It can be concluded that high-dose i.v. PX exposure does not induce OPIDN in mini pigs during the 6-week observation period. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Review of the Liposuction, Abdominoplasty, and Face-Lift Mortality and Morbidity Risk LiteratureDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 7 2005Robert A. Yoho MD Background The statistical discrepancies that exist in the mortality and morbidity risk literature are such that surgeons and patients cannot accurately assess the true risk rates associated with plastic surgery procedures. Objectives and Methods To review any relevant literature published to date in which the risk rates from liposuction, abdominoplasty, and rhytidectomy are cited and to reassess these figures alongside those published for both elective and emergency general surgeries. Results and Conclusion Despite the lack of reliable, comprehensive reporting of deaths and complications resulting from cosmetic surgeries, published data demonstrate that the risks associated with liposuction and rhytidectomy compare favorably with those from most general surgical procedures. In contrast, the morbidity and mortality rates from abdominoplasty remain unacceptably high. A significant lack of literature documenting cosmetic breast implant surgery and blepharoplasty risks is observed, which should be of concern to both patients and physicians. Liposuction and face-lift surgery data generally show that surgical centers are statistically safer than hospital operating rooms, although the data have not been standardized for the patients' American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) risk class, the health of the patient prior to surgery. General anesthesia may carry a risk roughly equivalent to or perhaps greater than cosmetic surgery, although, again, ASA class variables confound clear comparison between studies. Recent anesthesia literature refutes the many claims that general anesthesia risks are now remote: a landmark study that surveyed the entire scholarly literature showed a mortality rate of 1 in 13,000, roughly similar to overall cosmetic surgery mortality risks. Moreover, a prolonged operating time has been repeatedly implicated in other surgical literature to be related to morbidity and mortality. The latter certainly has relevance to cosmetic surgery. [source] Healing of Venous Ulcers of Long Duration with a Bilayered Living Skin Substitute: Results from a General Surgery and Dermatology DepartmentDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 11 2001Harold Brem MD Background. A laboratory-grown bilayered living skin substitute (LSS) has been shown to accelerate the healing of venous ulcers. However, issues related to optimal wound bed preparation prior to the application of LSS have not been addressed. Objective. When combined with standard compression therapy and near elimination of wound exudate, bioengineered skin can achieve complete closure of venous ulcers which have been present for more than a year and which are difficult to heal. Methods. In the general surgery (center A) and dermatology (center B) departments at two separate medical centers, LSS was used to treat venous ulcers of more than 1 year's duration and which had been unresponsive to conventional therapy. Wound bed preparation at both centers had as common goals the removal of necrotic tissue, optimal formation of granulation tissue, and elimination of wound exudate. Results. There was great comparability between the two centers in the patients being treated, wound size and duration, and number of LSS applications. Both centers achieved a frequency of complete wound closure of greater than 70% within 6 months. Conclusion. At two separate clinical and specialty sites having a common goal of optimal wound preparation, treatment with LSS was associated with a high rate of complete closure of hard to heal venous ulcers. [source] Rural hospital generalist and emergency medicine training in Papua New GuineaEMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 2 2007David Symmons Abstract The present paper describes the role of the hospital generalist in rural Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the contribution of emergency medicine training to that practice. Generalist practice in Tinsley District Hospital in Western Highlands Province is described, with emphasis on emergency surgery and anaesthesia. The potential of the PNG emergency medicine training programme for preparing generalists is discussed. Tinsley Hospital served a population of 40 000 people, with 4000 admissions and 300,400 operations performed annually. Two doctors and 50 nurses and community health workers provided care with minimal resources. The doctors provided supervision and teaching for nurses, community health workers, hospital administrators and primary health carers, including on long range medical patrols. Over 16 months, doctors performed 243 emergency surgical procedures including orthopaedics, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology. The generalist in rural hospitals is required to perform a wide variety of medical tasks in isolated settings yet there is no active postgraduate training programme. The Master of Medicine, Emergency Medicine programme includes rotations through the major disciplines of surgery, anaesthesia, internal medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology. It has the potential to train doctors in PNG for a generalist role as graduates will learn the foundations of the required skills. [source] Japanese guidelines for prevention of perioperative infections in urological fieldINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 10 2007Tetsuro Matsumoto Abstract: For urologists, it is very important to master surgical indications and surgical techniques. On the other hand, the knowledge of the prevention of perioperative infections and the improvement of surgical techniques should always be considered. Although the prevention of perioperative infections in each surgical field is a very important issue, the evidence and the number of guidelines are limited. Among them, the preparation of guidelines has progressed, especially in gastrointestinal surgery. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposed guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infections, which have been used worldwide. In urology, the original guidelines were different from those of general surgery, due to many endourological procedures and urine exposure in the surgical field. The Japanese Society of UTI Cooperative Study Group has thus framed these guidelines supported by The Japanese Urological Association. The guidelines consist of the following nine techniques: open surgeries, laparoscopic surgeries, transurethral resection of bladder tumor, ureterorenoscope and transurethral lithotripsy, transurethral resection of the prostate, prostate biopsy, cystourethroscope, pediatric surgeries in the urological field, and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and febrile neutropenia. These are the first guidelines for the prevention of perioperative infections in the urological field in Japan. Although most of these guidelines were made using reliable evidence, there are parts without enough evidence. Therefore, if new reliable data is reported, it will be necessary for these guidelines to be revised in the future. [source] Surgical site infection rate and associated risk factors in elective general surgery at a public sector medical university in PakistanINTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL, Issue 1 2008Ahmed Khan Sangrasi Abstract This prospective study aimed to determine the surgical site infection (SSI) rate and associated risk factors was carried in a general surgical ward at Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro. A total of 460 patients requiring elective general surgery from July 2005 to June 2006 were included in this study. All four surgical wound categories were included. Primary closure was employed in all cases. Patients were followed up to 30th day postoperatively. All cases were evaluated for postoperative fever, redness, swelling of wound margins and collection of pus. Cultures were taken from all the cases with any of the above finding. Mean ± SD age of the patients was 38·8 ± 17·4 years with male to female ratio of 1·5:1. The overall rate of surgical site infection was 13·0%. The rate of wound infection was 5·3% in clean operations, 12·4% in clean-contaminated, 36·3% in contaminated and 40% in dirt-infected cases. Age, use of surgical drain, duration of operation and wound class were significant risk factors for increased surgical site infection (P < 0·05). Postoperative hospital stay was double in cases who had surgical site infection. Sex, haemoglobin level and diabetes were not statistically significant risk factors (P > 0·05). In conclusion, surgical site infection causes considerable morbidity and economic burden. The routine reporting of SSI rates stratified by potential risk factors associated with increased risk of infection is highly recommended. [source] Serological analysis of patients treated with a new surgical hemostat containing bovine proteins and autologous plasma ,JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH, Issue 6 2001Patricia A. Nelson Abstract A randomized, controlled clinical study of the management of diffuse bleeding with CoStasis® surgical hemostat, a new hemostat containing bovine thrombin and collagen with the patient's own plasma, included patients undergoing cardiac, hepatic, iliac, and general surgery. Sera from 92 patients treated with CoStasis and 84 control patients were collected preoperatively and at a post surgical follow-up of 8 weeks. Among the control group, 57 patients were treated with Instat® collagen sponge in noncardiac indications. Results showed that antibody responses in the CoStasis clinical study were similar to the reported literature for all antigens screened and were not associated with any adverse reactions. The bovine thrombin preparations in CoStasis and other commercially available thrombins were compared with the use of SDS-PAGE and Western blot analyses. Within this clinical study, CoStasis was shown to be a safe and effective hemostatic product containing bovine thrombin and bovine collagen and no pooled human blood products. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res (Appl Biomater) 58: 710,719, 2001 [source] Waiting for scheduled services in Canada: development of priority-setting scoring systemsJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2003T. W. Noseworthy MD MSc MPH FRCPC FACP FCCP FCCM CHE Abstract Rationale, aims and objectives An Achilles' heel of Canadian Medicare is long waits for elective services. The Western Canada Waiting List (WCWL) project is a collaboration of 19 partner organizations committed to addressing this issue and influencing the way waiting lists are structured and managed. The focus of the WCWL project has been to develop and refine practical tools for prioritizing patients on scheduled waiting lists. Methods Scoring tools for priority setting were developed through extensive clinical input and highly iterative exchange by clinical panels constituted in five clinical areas: cataract surgery; general surgery procedures; hip and knee replacement; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning, and children's mental health. Several stages of empirical work were conducted to formulate and refine criteria and to assess and improve their reliability and validity. To assess the acceptability and usability of the priority-setting tools and to identify issues pertaining to implementation, key personnel in the seven regional health authorities (RHAs) participated in structured interviews. Public opinion focus groups were conducted in the seven western cities. Results Point-count scoring systems were constructed in each of the clinical areas. Participating clinicians confirmed that the tools offered face validity and that the scoring systems appeared practical for implementation and use in clinical settings. Reliability was strongest for the general surgery and hip and knee criteria, and weakest for the diagnostic MRI criteria. Public opinion focus groups endorsed wholeheartedly the application of point-count priority measures. Regional health authorities were generally supportive, though cautiously optimistic towards implementation. Conclusions While the WCWL project has not ,solved' the problem of waiting lists and times, having a standardized, reliable means of assigning priority for services is an important step towards improved management in Canada and elsewhere. [source] Neurodevelopmental outcomes and surgery in neonatesJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 12 2006Karen Walker Abstract: A neonate requiring major surgery in 2006 has a greater prospect of survival than ever before. Increasingly, however, there is awareness that critical illness may affect later neurodevelopment. Pre-existing conditions in addition to the physiologic stresses associated with cardiac and general surgery are implicated but remain unavoidable in the case of significant structural abnormalities such as transposition of the great arteries or congenital diaphragmatic hernia. For those affected by neurodevelopmental impairment, there is a significant cost to the child, family and society. Current research focuses on the preventable causes of brain injury, before, during and after the intervention, and the rate of impairment in apparently uncomplicated procedures. In contrast to the quantity of neurodevelopmental outcome data following cardiac surgery, there remain few outcome studies dealing with non-cardiac surgery despite such intervention being two to three times more common. There appear to be compelling clinical and economic arguments for the instigation of formalised population-based developmental assessments for all infants undergoing major surgery. [source] Biostimulation; Cardiovascular, general surgery, thoracic, orthopedic surgeryLASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue S13 2001Article first published online: 29 MAR 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Cardiovascular, general surgery, thoracic, orthopedic surgery; Dentistry/O & MLASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue S13 2001Article first published online: 29 MAR 200 First page of article [source] The effect of heat and moisture exchanger on humidity and body temperature in a low-flow anaesthesia systemACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2003A. Johansson Background: Artificial humidification of dry inspired gases seems to reduce the drop in body temperature during surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the humidity and temperature of anaesthetic gases with heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs). The secondary aim was to evaluate if HMEs in combination with low-flow anaesthesia could prevent a decrease in the body temperature during general anaesthesia. Methods: Ninety patients scheduled for general surgery were randomised to receive a fresh gas flow of 1.0, 3.0 or 6.0 l min,1 with or without HMEs in a circle anaesthesia system. Relative humidity, absolute humidity, temperature of inspired gases and body temperatures were measured during 120 min of anaesthesia. Results: The inspiratory absolute humidity levels with HMEs were 32.7 ± 3.1, 32.1 ± 1.1 and 29.2 ± 1.9 mg H2O l,1 and 26.6 ± 2.3, 22.6 ± 3.0 and 13.0 ± 2.6 mg H2O l,1 without HMEs after 120 min of anaesthesia with 1.0, 3.0, or 6.0 l min,1 fresh gas flows (P < 0.05, between with and without HME). The relative humidity levels with HMEs were 93.8 ± 3.3, 92.7 ± 2.2 and 90.7 ± 3.5%, and without the HMEs 95.2 ± 4.5, 86.8 ± 8.0 and 52.8 ± 9.8% (P < 0.05, between with and without HMEs in the 3.0 and 6.0 l min,1 groups). The inspiratory gas temperatures with HMEs were 32.5 ± 2.0, 32.4 ± 0.5 and 31.0 ± 1.9°C, and 28.4 ± 1.5, 27.1 ± 0.8 and 26.1 ± 0.6°C without HMEs after 120 min of anaesthesia (P < 0.05, between with and without HME). The tympanic membrane temperatures at 120 min of anaesthesia were 35.8 ± 0.6, 35.5 ± 0.6 and 35.4 ± 0.8°C in the groups with HMEs, and 35.8 ± 0.6, 35.3 ± 0.7 and 35.3 ± 0.9°C in the groups without the HMEs (NS). Conclusions: The HMEs improved the inspiratory absolute humidity, relative humidity and temperature of the anaesthetic gases during different fresh gas flows. However, the HMEs were not able to prevent a body temperature drop during low-flow anaesthesia. [source] Cognitive dysfunction 1,2 years after non-cardiac surgery in the elderlyACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 10 2000H. Abildstrom Background: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a well-recognised complication of cardiac surgery, but evidence of POCD after general surgery has been lacking. We recently showed that POCD was present in 9.9% of elderly patients 3 months after major non-cardiac surgery. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether POCD persists for 1,2 years after operation. Methods: A total of 336 elderly patients (median age 69 years, range 60,86) was studied after major surgery under general anesthesia. Psychometric testing was performed before surgery and at a median of 7, 98 and 532 days postoperatively using a neuropsychological test battery with 7 subtests. A control group of 47 non-hospitalised volunteers of similar age were tested with the test battery at the same intervals. Results: 1,2 years after surgery, 35 out of 336 patients (10.4%, CI: 7.2,13.7%) had cognitive dysfunction. Three patients had POCD at all three postoperative test sessions (0.9%). From our definition of POCD, there is only a 1:64 000 likelihood that a single subject would have POCD at all three test points by chance. Logistic regression analysis identified age, early POCD, and infection within the first three postoperative months as significant risk factors for long-term cognitive dysfunction. Five of 47 normal controls fulfilled the criteria for cognitive dysfunction 1,2 years after initial testing (10.6%, CI: 1.8,19.4%), i.e. a similar incidence of age-related cognitive impairment as among patients. Conclusion: POCD is a reversible condition in the majority of cases but may persist in approximately 1% of patients. [source] The efficacy of a smoking cessation programme in patients undergoing elective surgery , a randomised clinical trialANAESTHESIA, Issue 3 2009O. Sadr Azodi Summary It is known that smokers constitute an important risk group of patients undergoing surgery. It is unknown how smoking cessation intervention initiated 4 weeks prior to elective surgery affects the probability of permanent cessation. We randomly assigned 117 patients, scheduled to undergo elective orthopaedic and general surgery, to smoking cessation intervention and control group. The intervention group underwent a programme initiated, on average, 4 weeks prior to surgery with weekly meetings or telephone counselling and were provided with free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). The control group received standard care. As a result, 20/55 (36%) patients the intervention group vs 1/62 (2%) in the control group became completely abstinent throughout the peri-operative period (p < 0.001). After 1 year, those in the intervention group was most likely to be abstinent (18/55 (33%) vs 9/62 (15%) of the controls (p = 0.03). Level of nicotine dependence and obesity seemed to be a predictor of long-term abstinence (p = 0.02). [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||