Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in Children: Current Practices and Outcomes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review will examine the most current evidence for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS) in the pediatric population, specifically in terms of weight loss outcomes and improvement in comorbid conditions and complications. Additionally, we compare surgical and non-surgical interventions, review current guidelines, and propose a stepwise evidence-based approach to the management of obesity in children. RECENT FINDINGS: MBS is a safe option for appropriately selected pediatric patients which leads to significant and sustained weight loss. This weight loss is associated with improvement of related comorbid conditions. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has emerged as the procedure of choice with a better safety profile. Despite the evidence, very few adolescents undergo MBS. New pharmacologic agents specifically the GLP-1/GIP agents have shown early promise especially in patients under body mass index 40, but the long-term effects are unknown. MBS is an effective tool in the management of pediatric obesity, and its use has been recommended by professional societies. Early referral to a multidisciplinary obesity team can help identify appropriate patients.

Quality of Trauma Surgery Podcasts in Credibility, Content, and Design.

Importance: There has been an emerging trend of podcast use in medical education over the past decade. With the increasing number of podcasts and learners' interest in trauma surgery, it is vital to validate the quality of these podcasts. Objective: To determine the quantity and quality of podcast episodes on trauma surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study identified trauma surgery podcasts published globally on the Google, Apple, and Spotify platforms as of May 31, 2023. An initial screening excluded podcasts not fulfilling the inclusion criteria (published as of May 31, 2023, and covering clinical knowledge or mentorship on general trauma surgery). A 10-item checklist developed from a modified Delphi consensus method was created to assess the podcasts' credibility, content, and design as indicators of quality. Data extracted from each podcast episode included the duration, setting, host and guest credentials, and fulfillment of quality indicators. Data were analyzed on August 13, 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: The quality of each podcast was assessed using the 10-question checklist. A score of at least 80% in credibility (4 of 5 points), 75% in content (3 of 4 points), and 100% in design (1 of 1 point) was required to classify a podcast episode as having good quality. Results: The initial search identified 204 podcasts on trauma surgery, of which 55 podcasts met the inclusion criteria. All 55 podcasts were published after 2014, with the majority hosted by males (85% [61 of 72 hosts]), based in the US (91% [50 of 55 podcasts]), and focused on clinical knowledge (80% [44 of 55 podcasts]). Podcast hosts and guests predominantly held a Doctor of Medicine degree (83% [113 of 136]), with 72% [46 of 64] of guests identifying as practicing trauma surgeons. While all 55 podcasts had excellent quality in terms of content and design, 20% (11 of 55) of podcasts were rated poorly on credibility. Credibility was further reduced for 60% (33 of 55) of podcasts because of nondisclosure of conflicts of interest. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of trauma surgery podcasts, most had good-quality content and design, but there was a lack of explicit conflict of interest disclosure. Content producers need to disclose their conflicts of interest appropriately to ensure credibility and improve the quality of their podcasts.

Communication skills of residents: are they as good as they think?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the current communication skills of resident physicians and identify areas for improvement. STUDY DESIGN: Using a cross-sectional design, data from medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty were assimilated at one of the largest academic medical centers in a low-and-middle-income country via a self-administered, validated survey with a 5-point LIKERT scale. One-way ANOVA was used to compare intra-group means, followed by the Bonferroni test, with a p-value <0.05 considered significant. Heat maps using means were generated and color-coded to signify the level of communication skills expertise. RESULTS: A total of 320 participants (119 residents, 34 fellows, 78 medical students and 89 attendings) completed the survey. Most residents (58%) reported not having received formal communication skills training. Major barriers impeding effective patient-resident communication were long working hours, inadequate time, and difficulty understanding patients' language (p < 0.001). Residents' self-evaluation of communication skills was significantly higher than observer evaluations from faculty, fellows, and students, reflecting a lack of self-awareness and overestimation of communication expertise. Observer cohorts rated residents moderately on para-verbal communication skills while giving the lowest ratings for breaking bad news (mean 2.8, p-value <0.001) and residents' experience in dealing with workplace conflicts (mean 2.8, p-value = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified a clear and critical need for a structured, longitudinal, competency-based communication skills program for residents. Targeted efforts towards bridging the gaps in communication skills identified in this study can improve trainee communication skills expertise and augment patient satisfaction rates to improve the quality of care in developing countries.

Kikuchi--Fujimoto disease: a rare presentation of a groin lump.

Lumps in the groin frequently present to the accident and emergency department and can relate to a number of diseases that require different management. Kikuchi's disease, first described in Japan in 1972 is a form of histiocytic necrotising lymphadenitis. It was discovered as a result of patients who were previously diagnosed with lymphoma but then recovered too quickly for it to be lymphoma. There appears to be no association with other pathologies but it remains important to exclude any autoimmune diseases and other causes of lymphadenopathy. We present a single rare case of a 39-year-old Caucasian gentleman who presented with a tender right inguinal groin lump.