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Selected Abstracts

Impact of Critical Bed Status on Emergency Department Patient Flow and Overcrowding

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 4 2003
Stephen Liu MD
Objective: To compare measurements of emergency department (ED) patient flow during periods of acute ED overcrowding and times of normal patient volume (NPV). Methods: Retrospective ED chart review comparing ED flow for patients treated in a tertiary care teaching hospital during periods of ED overcrowding, defined as critical bed status (CBS), and NPV. All periods of CBS during July 2001 were identified. CBS time intervals were matched with NPV times by month, day of the week, time of day, and number of care providers. All patients registered during these matched time intervals were reviewed. Times were collected for each of the following activities: check-in, bed placement, physician assessment, first intervention, and disposition. Corresponding intervals were calculated in minutes. Triage category was used as a marker of illness severity (1 = most severe, 5 = least severe). Descriptive statistics were performed. Results: One hundred eighteen patient charts were reviewed: 61 CBS and 57 NPV. There was no statistical difference in illness severity between the two groups. In the cumulative analysis, patients waited significantly longer for an ED bed (30.4 min, p = 0.01) but did not experience significant delays in other intervals. Triage category analysis revealed no significant difference in triage 2 patients. Intermediate-severity patients (triage 3) waited longer in every interval and significantly longer for physician assessment (30.8 min longer, p < 0.05). Low-severity patients (triage 4) waited longer for an ED bed (40 min, p = 0.02) but did not experience other significant delays. Conclusions: During times of acute overcrowding, the most significant delay occurs awaiting placement in the ED bed. [source]

Learning curve of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy in less-experienced laparoscopic surgeons

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 1 2005
AKIHIRO KAWAUCHI
Abstract Aim:, To evaluate the learning curve of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy (HALS) performed by less-experienced surgeons. Methods:, The operative records of 166 patients, including 103 with renal tumors and 63 with renal pelvic or ureteral tumors, who underwent HALS performed by 18 less-experienced urologists were reviewed. Results:, The insufflation time in the first four cases was significantly longer than that in the sixteenth and later cases. The insufflation time in cases 5,10 was 14,24 min longer than that in the cases 16 onward, although the differences were not significant. The estimated blood loss did not differ in each group of cases. The complication rate in early cases, in which the operators' experience was five cases or less, was 6% (4/71), while that in later cases was also 7% (7/95). In the analysis of the learning curve of a single surgeon who performed 57 procedures, the insufflation time in cases 1,5 was significantly longer than in cases 41,57. The insufflation times in cases 5,10 were 45 min longer than those in cases 41,57, although the difference was not significant. The estimated blood loss did not differ in each group of cases. Complications did not seem related to operation experience. Conclusion:, In HALS, 5,10 cases were necessary for less-experienced urologists to gain average operating skills for this procedure. It may be reasonable for less-experienced surgeons to begin standard laparoscopic procedures after experiencing 10 cases of the present procedure. [source]

Concomitant management of renal calculi and pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction with robotic laparoscopic surgery

BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 9 2005
Fatih Atug
Authors from the USA describe their experience using robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty and stone extraction, and present their technical recommendations. They point out the not unexpected finding that concurrent stone extraction and pyeloplasty was rather longer than in patients having pyeloplasty alone. OBJECTIVE To present technical recommendations for robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) and stone extraction, as patients with kidney stones proximal to a pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) present a technical challenge, and have traditionally been managed with open surgery or percutaneous antegrade endopyelotomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS From November 2002 to April 2005, 55 patients had RALP for PUJO; eight of these had concomitant renal calculi. Stone burden and location were assessed with a preoperative radiological examination. Before completing the PUJO repair, one robot working arm (cephalad one) was temporarily undocked to allow passage of a flexible nephroscope into the renal pelvis and collecting systems under direct vision. Stones were extracted with graspers or basket catheters and removed via the port. The surgical-assistant port in the subxiphoid area was used to introduce laparoscopic suction and other instruments. RESULTS The Anderson-Hynes dismembered pyeloplasty was the preferred reconstructive technique in all patients. Operations were completed robotically with no conversions to open surgery. All patients were rendered stone-free, confirmed by imaging, and there were no intraoperative or delayed complications during a mean (range) follow-up of 12.3 (4,22) months. The mean operative time was 275.8 min, 61.7 min longer than in patients who did not have concomitant stone removal. CONCLUSIONS Concurrent stone extraction and PUJO repair can be successful with RALP. Operative times are longer than in patients with isolated PUJO repair, but this is to be expected as there is an additional procedure. [source]

Does extended lymphadenectomy increase the morbidity of radical cystectomy?

BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2004
C. Brössner
OBJECTIVE To report the events during and after radical cystectomy and urinary diversion for bladder cancer, in terms of major and minor complications, comparing a minimal with an extended lymphadenectomy, as more lymph nodes obtained during radical cystectomy may improve staging and thus the outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed 92 consecutive patients who underwent radical cystectomy from March 1998 to February 2002; 46 had a minimal (group A) and 46 an extended lymphadenectomy (group B). Cases were selected according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, only including those graded 2 or 3. We specifically evaluated the incidence and type of complications within 30 days after surgery. RESULTS Because of extending the lymphadenectomy the operative duration was a median of 63 min longer in group B (P < 0.01). Complications requiring surgical interventions occurred in four (9%) patients in group A and five (11%) in group B (P = 0.28). Complications requiring no surgical intervention were also similar in both groups. Three patients died, two in group A and one in group B (P = 0.57). CONCLUSION Extended lymphadenectomy in radical cystectomy does not increase the morbidity within 30 days of surgery. [source]

Carotid artery stenting: Do procedural complications relate to the side intervened upon?,

CATHETERIZATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS, Issue 1 2009
Registry of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Leitende Kardiologische Krankenhausärzte (ALKK), Results From the Carotid Artery Stent (CAS)
Abstract Objectives: To determine the influence of the side intervened upon on outcomes during carotid artery stenting (CAS). Background: Anatomic and technical aspects may influence the results of CAS. The value of the side intervened upon has not been analyzed yet. Methods: We analyzed data from the Carotid Artery Stent (CAS) , Registry.Results: A total of 3,165 CAS procedures, 1,613 (51%) at the left and 1,552 (49%) at the right carotid artery were included. There was a higher proportion of patients treated for symptomatic stenoses when CAS was performed at the left carotid artery (50.1% versus 45.8%, P = 0.016) and more patients already had prior carotid endarterectomy (8.5% versus 5.8%, P = 0.003). Interventions at the left side took 3 min longer than interventions at the right side (46.6 ± 24.3 versus 43.8 ± 23.6, P = 0.003). In patients treated at the left carotid artery amaurosis fugax (0.7% versus 0.1%, P = 0.005), ipsilateral stroke (3.1% versus 1.8%, P = 0.017), and the primary endpoint of in-hospital death or stroke (4.1% versus 2.3%, P = 0.005) occurred significantly more often. Even after adjusting for confounding parameters, CAS procedures performed at the left carotid arteries remained an independent predictor of death or stroke (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.15,2.72, P = 0.009). Conclusions: In current clinical practice, CAS is performed frequently at the right carotid artery as at the left carotid artery. CAS interventions have a higher in-hospital complication rate if performed at the left carotid artery. Technical improvements might help to overcome this situation. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Infants sleeping outdoors in a northern winter climate: skin temperature and duration of sleep

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 9 2010
Marjo Tourula
Abstract Aim:, The aim of the study is to describe the relationships among thermal environment, skin temperatures and infants' daytime outdoor sleep duration in northern winter conditions. Methods:, This study is a cross-over observational study. Skin temperatures of three-month-old infants were recorded from seven skin sites continuously throughout outdoor (n = 34) and indoor sleep (n = 33) in the families' homes. The duration of the sleep was observed, and temperature and the air velocity of the environment were recorded. Results:, Skin temperatures increased towards the end of indoor sleeping, whereas they decreased during outdoor sleeping. The cooling rate of mean skin temperature (Tsk) increased in lower outdoor temperatures (rs = 0.628, p < 0.001) in spite of increased clothing. On some occasions, cold extremities were observed, suggesting slight deviations from thermoneutrality. Sleep time was 92 min longer in outdoors than in indoors. However, outdoor sleep duration was shortened when the cooling rate of Tsk increased (rs = 0.611, p < 0.001). Conclusion:, The longest sleep was recorded outdoors when the cooling rate of Tsk was minimal. Restriction of movements by clothing probably increases the length of sleep, and a cold environment makes swaddling possible without overheating. A decrease in ambient temperature increased the cooling rate, suggesting that the cold protection of the clothing compensated only partly for the increased heat loss. [source]