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Surgical Journals (surgical + journal)
Selected AbstractsChanges in the impact factor of anesthesia/critical care journals within the past 10 yearsACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 7 2000J. Boldt Background: The impact factor (IF) is published by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). There is a tendency to assess quality of scientific journals with the help of the IF. An analysis of the changes in the IF over time in the different specialities may help to further enlighten the worth and problems of the IF. Methods: The IFs listed under the subheadings Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine & Critical Care in the Science Citation Index , Journal Citation Report were descriptively analysed over the past 10 years. Additionally, IFs of some other important journals (subheadings Surgery, Cardiovascular, General Medicine) were analysed. Results: The IF of most of the journals showed a constant increase over the years (average in Anesthesiology: +65%; average in Emergency Medicine & Critical Care: +145%). IFs of the highest ranked journals of other specialities showed a similar increase over the years (average in surgical journals: +56%; average in cardiac journals: +59%; average in general journals: +40%). More Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine & Critical Care journals originated from the USA show an IF >2.0 over the past 10 years than do European journals. Conclusion: Although the value of the IF is highly controversial, it is a frequently used tool to assess rating of a medical journal. Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine & Critical Care journals showed a continuous increase in the IF over the past 10 years. [source] Anesthetic experience of 100 pediatric tracheostomiesPEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA, Issue 7 2009FIONA WRIGHTSON MB ChB FRCA Summary Background:, Tracheostomy is more hazardous in the pediatric population than in adults (Paediatr Nurs, 17, 2005, 38; Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 67, 2003, 7; J R Soc Med, 89, 1996, 188). Airway management in these children and infants is potentially challenging. Previous case series of pediatric tracheostomy published in the surgical journals make little mention of anesthetic techniques used and do not describe airway management. The aim of this study was to review the anesthetic, and in particular the airway management of children undergoing tracheostomy at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). Methods:, Between September 2004 and December 2007, the ENT surgical database showed that 109 children had a surgical tracheostomy performed at GOSH. We were only able to locate the notes of 100 of these cases. The anesthetic records of these 100 patients undergoing tracheostomy were analyzed retrospectively. Results:, Ninety-four percent (94/100) of tracheostomies were elective, and 6% (6/100) were emergency. In this study, 26% (26/100) of children were recorded as difficult to intubate. These difficult airways were managed as follows: 10/26 used a laryngeal mask airway (LMA), 5/26 were managed with facemask alone, 3/26 had fiber-optic intubation, 5/26 had surgical intubation and 2/26 were intubated with the aid of a bougie and cricoid pressure. Conclusions:, This case series demonstrates that intubation is difficult in up to 26% of children presenting for tracheostomy. While intubation of the trachea remains the preferred option when anesthetizing children for tracheostomy, the LMA or facemask can provide a successful airway where intubation is not possible. The use of the LMA or facemask may therefore be life saving in the unintubatable child. [source] Are peripheral and neuraxial blocks with ultrasound guidance more effective and safe in children?PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA, Issue 2 2009KASIA RUBIN MD Summary Background and aims:, The efficacy and safety of ultrasound guided (USG) pediatric peripheral nerve and neuraxial blocks in children have not been evaluated. In this review, we have looked at the success rate, efficacy and complications with USG peripheral nerve blocks and compared with nerve stimulation or anatomical landmark based techniques in children. Methods:, All suitable studies in MEDLINE, EMBASE Drugs and Cochrane Evidence Based Medicine Reviews: Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews databases were identified. In addition, citation review and hand search of recent pediatric anesthesia and surgical journals were done. All three authors read all selected articles independently and a consensus was achieved. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing USG peripheral and neuraxial blocks with other techniques in children were included. Results:, Ultrasound guidance has been demonstrated to improve block characteristics in children including shorter block performance time, higher success rates, shorter onset time, longer block duration, less volume of local anesthetic agents and visibility of neuraxial structures. Conclusion:, Clinical studies in children suggest that US guidance has some advantages over more traditional nerve stimulation,based techniques for regional block. However, the advantage of US guidance on safety over traditional has not been adequately demonstrated in children except ilio-inguinal blocks. [source] How to dissect surgical journals: III , The contents of surgical journalsANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 9 2010FRACS, John C. Hall MS First page of article [source] How to dissect surgical journals: II , The publishing enterpriseANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 7-8 2010FRACS, John C. Hall MS First page of article [source] How to dissect surgical journals: I , Getting startedANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 6 2010FRACS, John C. Hall MS First page of article [source] Reporting of minimum clinically important differences in surgical trialsANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 4 2009Irwin Kashani Background:, The minimum clinically important difference (MCID) is the smallest difference in outcome between the groups that would be of clinical interest. It influences the estimates that are made to determine the required sample side. The aim of this study was to explore the reporting of the MCID in surgical trials. Method:, Surgical trials that were published between January 1981 and December 2006 in five prestigious surgical journals were evaluated. Selected for study were trials that studied two groups and reported the main outcome event as a proportion. Results:, Only 21% (100/486) of the admissible surgical trials mentioned a value for the MCID when estimating the sample size. There was a trend, however, for compliance with these factors to increase during the study period. The present post-hoc calculations of the required sample size, which were based on the observed differences between the groups at the end of the study, suggested that one-third of the trials should have accrued at least fivefold the number of patients. Although reporting an estimate of the sample size was associated with the study of more patients (median sample size 145 vs 100), it was not associated with the reporting of more positive results, that is, 61% (95/155) versus 65% (214/331). Conclusion:, There has been an improvement in the proportion of surgical trials reporting formal estimates of sample size during the last three decades. But the construct of these estimates is often suspect because of a failure to provide realistic values for the MCID. [source] GS26P ABDOMINAL WALL ENDOMETRIOMA FOLLOWING CAESAREAN SECTIONANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 2007R. J. Whitfield Purpose Endometriosis is defined as the presence of aberrant endometrial tissue outside of the uterus that responds to stimulation by ovarian hormones. A large, circumscribed mass of such tissue is commonly termed an endometrioma. Abdominal wall endometriomas in association with caesarean section scars have been reported repeatedly in the obstetrics and gynaecology literature, but rarely in general surgical journals. Methodology In this paper, six patients are reviewed who presented between 2001 and 2006 with painful, tender nodules in and around caesarean section scars. Of these, four reported exacerbation of symptoms during, or just prior to menstruation. One patient had experienced 12 years of symptoms, previously attributed to intra-abdominal adhesions. Results All patients had their scar nodules excised. Five procedures were performed electively. One patient underwent emergency exploration of her caesarean scar for possible incarcerated incisional hernia. Ectopic endometrial tissue was seen in the histological specimens of all patients. Four patients reported resolution of their symptoms following surgery. One patient had ongoing symptoms post-operatively, with an additional mass lesion seen on ultrasound consistent with a second endometrioma. One patient did not attend follow-up. Conclusion General surgeons are commonly required to assess and manage abdominal wall masses, and should have an awareness of endometrioma in the differential diagnosis when such a lesion is seen in association with a caesarean section scar. Wide excision is usually very effective at alleviating symptoms of abdominal wall endometrioma. [source] Volvulus of the sigmoid colonCOLORECTAL DISEASE, Issue 7Online 2010V. Raveenthiran Abstract Aims, The current status of sigmoid volvulus (SV) was reviewed to assess trends in management and to assess the literature. Method, The literature on SV was retrieved using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Pakmedinet, African Journals online (AJOL), Indmed and Google scholar. These databases were searched for text words including ,sigmoid', ,colon' and ,volvulus'. Relevant nonindexed surgical journals published from endemic countries were also manually searched. We focused on original articles published within the last 10 years; but classical references prior to this period were also included. Seminal papers published in non-English languages were also included. Results, Sigmoid volvulus is a leading cause of acute colonic obstruction in South America, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. It is rare in developed countries such as USA, UK, Japan and Australia. Characteristic geographic variations in the incidence, clinical features, prognosis and comorbidity of SV justify recognition of endemic and sporadic subtypes. Controversy on aetiologic agents can be minimized by classifying them into ,predisposing' and ,precipitating' factors. Modern imaging systems, although more effective than plain radiographs, are yet to gain popularity. Emergency endoscopic reduction is the treatment of choice in uncomplicated patients. But it is only a temporizing procedure, and it should be followed in most cases by elective definitive surgery. Resection of the redundant sigmoid colon is the gold standard operation. The role of newer nonresective alternatives is yet to be ascertained. Although emergency resection with primary anastomosis (ERPA) has been controversial in the past, it is now increasingly accepted as a safe option with superior results. Management in elderly debilitated patients is extremely difficult. Paediatric SV significantly differs from that in adults. SV is frequently associated with neuropsychiatric diseases, diabetes mellitus and Chagas disease. The overall mortality in recent studies is < 5%. Conclusion, There are almost no randomised controlled studies. According to the grading system of Oxford Center for Evidence Based Medicine (CEVM), available published evidence is at level 4. The recommendations resulting form this review are of ,C' grade. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||