Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 associated stroke: a UK multicentre case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: We set out to determine which characteristics and outcomes of stroke are associated with COVID-19. METHODS: This case-control study included patients admitted with stroke to 13 hospitals in England and Scotland between 9 March and 5 July 2020. We collected data on 86 strokes (81 ischaemic strokes and 5 intracerebral haemorrhages) in patients with evidence of COVID-19 at the time of stroke onset (cases). They were compared with 1384 strokes (1193 ischaemic strokes and 191 intracerebral haemorrhages) in patients admitted during the same time period who never had evidence of COVID-19 (controls). In addition, the whole group of stroke admissions, including another 37 patients who appeared to have developed COVID-19 after their stroke, were included in two logistic regression analyses examining which features were independently associated with COVID-19 status and with inpatient mortality. RESULTS: Cases with ischaemic stroke were more likely than ischaemic controls to occur in Asians (18.8% vs 6.7%, p<0.0002), were more likely to involve multiple large vessel occlusions (17.9% vs 8.1%, p<0.03), were more severe (median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 8 vs 5, p<0.002), were associated with higher D-dimer levels (p<0.01) and were associated with more severe disability on discharge (median modified Rankin Scale score 4 vs 3, p<0.0001) and inpatient death (19.8% vs 6.9%, p<0.0001). Recurrence of stroke during the patient's admission was rare in cases and controls (2.3% vs 1.0%, NS). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that COVID-19 may be an important modifier of the onset, characteristics and outcome of acute ischaemic stroke.

A Longitudinal Population Analysis of Cumulative Risks of Circumcision.

BACKGROUND: Circumcision is widely accepted for newborns in the United States. However, circumcision carries a risk of complications, the rates of which are not well described in the contemporary era. METHODS: We performed a longitudinal population analysis of the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database between 2005 and 2010. Using International Classification of Procedures, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification and Current Procedural Terminology codes, we calculated early and late complication rates by Kaplan-Meier survival estimates. Late complications were defined as those that occurred between 30 d and 5 y after circumcision. Descriptive analysis of complications was obtained by analysis of variance, chi-square test, or log-rank test. On adjusted analysis, a Cox proportional hazard model was performed to determine the risk of early and late complications, adjusting for patient demographics. RESULTS: A total of 24,432 circumcised children under age 5 y were analyzed. Overall, cumulative complication rates over 5 y were 1.5% in neonates, 0.5% of which were early, and 2.9% in non-neonates, 2.2% of which were early. On adjusted analysis, non-neonates had a higher risk of early complications (OR 18.5). In both neonates and non-neonates, the majority of patients with late complications underwent circumcision revision. CONCLUSIONS: Circumcision has a complication rate higher than previously recognized. Most patients with late complications after circumcision received an operative circumcision revision. Clinicians should weigh the surgical risks against the reported medical benefits of circumcision when counseling parents about circumcision.

The need to collect, aggregate, and analyze global anesthesia and surgery data.

In the Sustainable Development Goals era, there is a new awareness of the need for an integrated approach to healthcare interventions and a strong commitment to Universal Health Coverage. To achieve the goal of strengthening entire health systems, surgery, as a crosscutting treatment modality, is indispensable. For any health system strengthening exercise, baseline data and longitudinal monitoring of progress are necessary. With improved data capabilities, there are unparalleled possibilities to map out and understand systems, integrating data from many sources and sectors. Nevertheless, there is also a need to prioritize among indicators to avoid information overload and data collection fatigue. There is a similar need to define indicators and collection methodology to create standardized and comparable data. Finally, there is a need to establish data pathways to ensure clear responsibilities amongst national and international institutions and integrate surgical metrics into existing mechanisms for sustainable data collection. This is a call to collect, aggregate, and analyze global anesthesia and surgery data, with an account of existing data sources and a proposed way forward.

RéSUMé: À l'époque des objectifs du développement durable, on constate une nouvelle sensibilisation au besoin d'une approche intégrée dans les interventions en soins de santé et un fort engagement en faveur d'une couverture médicale universelle. Pour atteindre l'objectif du renforcement de systèmes entiers de santé, la chirurgie en tant que modalité thérapeutique transversale est indispensable. Pour toute activité de renforcement du système de santé, des données de référence et un suivi longitudinal des progrès sont nécessaires. Avec de meilleures données, il existe des possibilités sans équivalent de cartographier et de comprendre les systèmes, en intégrant des données provenant de multiples sources et secteurs. Néanmoins, il est également nécessaire de prioriser les indicateurs pour éviter une surcharge d'informations et une fatigue dans la collecte des données. Il existe un besoin similaire de définition des indicateurs et de la méthodologie de collecte afin de créer des données standardisées et comparables. Enfin, il est nécessaire d'établir des cheminements de données pour garantir des responsabilités claires entre les institutions nationales et internationales et intégrer les paramètres chirurgicaux dans les mécanismes existants pour une collecte durable des données. Ceci est un appel à la collecte, au regroupement et à l'analyse de données globales en anesthésie et en chirurgie avec un compte rendu des sources de données existantes et une proposition d'avancée.

How Much Data are Good Enough? Using Simulation to Determine the Reliability of Estimating POMR for Resource-Constrained Settings.

INTRODUCTION: Perioperative mortality rate (POMR) is a suggested indicator for surgical quality worldwide. Currently, POMR is often sampled by convenience; a data-driven approach for calculating sample size has not previously been attempted. We proposed a novel application of a bootstrapping sampling technique to estimate how much data are needed to be collected to reasonably estimate POMR in low-resource countries where 100% data capture is not possible. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six common procedures in low- and middle-income countries were analysed by using population database in New York and California. Relative margin of error by dividing the absolute margin of error by the true population rate was calculated. Target margin of error was ±50%, because this level of precision would allow us to detect a moderate-to-large effect size. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Target margin of error was achieved at 0.3% sampling size for abdominal surgery, 7% for fracture, 10% for craniotomy, 16% for pneumonectomy, 26% for hysterectomy and 60% for C-section. POMR may be estimated with fairly good reliability with small data sampling. This method demonstrates that it is possible to use a data-driven approach to determine the necessary sampling size to accurately collect POMR worldwide.

Derivation and validation of a novel risk score to predict need for haemostatic intervention in acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (London Haemostat Score).

BACKGROUND: Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) is a common medical emergency, which takes up considerable healthcare resources. However, only approximately 20%-30% of bleeds require urgent haemostatic intervention. Current standard of care is for all patients admitted to hospital to undergo endoscopy within 24 hours for risk stratification, but this is difficult to achieve in practice, invasive and costly. AIM: To develop a novel non-endoscopic risk stratification tool for AUGIB to predict the need for haemostatic intervention by endoscopic, radiological or surgical treatments. We compared this with the Glasgow-Blatchford Score (GBS). DESIGN: Model development was carried out using a derivation (n=466) and prospectively collected validation cohort (n=404) of patients who were admitted with AUGIB to three large hospitals in London, UK (2015-2020). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables that were associated with increased or decreased chances of requiring haemostatic intervention. This model was converted into a risk scoring system, the London Haemostat Score (LHS). RESULTS: The LHS was more accurate at predicting need for haemostatic intervention than the GBS, in the derivation cohort (area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) 0.82; 95% CI 0.78 to 0.86 vs 0.72; 95% CI 0.67 to 0.77; p<0.001) and validation cohort (AUROC 0.80; 95% CI 0.75 to 0.85 vs 0.72; 95% CI 0.67 to 0.78; p<0.001). At cut-off scores at which LHS and GBS identified patients who required haemostatic intervention with 98% sensitivity, the specificity of the LHS was 41% vs 18% with the GBS (p<0.001). This could translate to 32% of inpatient endoscopies for AUGIB being avoided at a cost of only a 0.5% false negative rate. CONCLUSIONS: The LHS is accurate at predicting the need for haemostatic intervention in AUGIB and could be used to identify a proportion of low-risk patients who can undergo delayed or outpatient endoscopy. Validation in other geographical settings is required before routine clinical use.

Medical equipment donation in low-resource settings: a review of the literature and guidelines for surgery and anaesthesia in low-income and middle-income countries.

BACKGROUND: Medical equipment donation to low-resource settings is a frequently used strategy to address existing disparities, but there is a paucity of reported experience and evaluation. Challenges such as infrastructure gaps, lack of technological and maintenance capabilities, and non-prioritisation of essential supplies have previously been highlighted. This pragmatic review summarises existing guidelines and literature relevant to surgical and anaesthesia equipment, with recommendations for future initiatives and research. METHODS: Retrospective literature review including both academic and grey literature from 1980 to 2018. We conducted a narrative synthesis to identify key factors that were condensed thematically. RESULTS: Thirty-three biomedical equipment donation guidelines were identified from governments, WHO, World Bank, academic colleges and non-governmental organisations, and 36 relevant studies in peer-reviewed literature. These highlighted the need to consider all stages of the donation process, including planning, sourcing, transporting, training, maintaining and evaluating equipment donation. Donors were advised to consult national guidelines to ensure equipment was appropriate, desirable and non-costly to both parties. User training and access to biomechanical engineers were suggested as necessary for long-term sustainability. Finally, equitable partnerships between donors and recipients were integral to reducing inappropriate donations and to improve follow-up and evaluation. CONCLUSION: There is a paucity of evidence on the causes of success or failure in medical equipment donation, despite its domination of equipment sourcing across many low-resource settings. Equitable partnerships, consultation of policies and guidelines, and careful planning may improve equipment usability and life span. A concerted effort is required to increase awareness of guidelines among health professionals worldwide.

Perioperative mortality rates in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery proposed the perioperative mortality rate (POMR) as one of the six key indicators of the strength of a country's surgical system. Despite its widespread use in high-income settings, few studies have described procedure-specific POMR across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to estimate POMR across a wide range of surgical procedures in LMICs. We also describe how POMR is defined and reported in the LMIC literature to provide recommendations for future monitoring in resource-constrained settings. METHODS: We did a systematic review of studies from LMICs published from 2009 to 2014 reporting POMR for any surgical procedure. We extracted select variables in duplicate from each included study and pooled estimates of POMR by type of procedure using random-effects meta-analysis of proportions and the Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation to stabilise variances. RESULTS: We included 985 studies conducted across 83 LMICs, covering 191 types of surgical procedures performed on 1 020 869 patients. Pooled POMR ranged from less than 0.1% for appendectomy, cholecystectomy and caesarean delivery to 20%-27% for typhoid intestinal perforation, intracranial haemorrhage and operative head injury. We found no consistent associations between procedure-specific POMR and Human Development Index (HDI) or income-group apart from emergency peripartum hysterectomy POMR, which appeared higher in low-income countries. Inpatient mortality was the most commonly used definition, though only 46.2% of studies explicitly defined the time frame during which deaths accrued. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to improve access to surgical care in LMICs should be accompanied by investment in improving the quality and safety of care. To improve the usefulness of POMR as a safety benchmark, standard reporting items should be included with any POMR estimate. Choosing a basket of procedures for which POMR is tracked may offer institutions and countries the standardisation required to meaningfully compare surgical outcomes across contexts and improve population health outcomes.

Is all-cause readmission an appropriate performance measure for pediatric surgeons? A case study in pyloromyotomy.

INTRODUCTION: All cause readmissions are used as a surrogate metric for quality of care for both hospitals and physicians, and are considered in pay for performance initiatives. However, the integrity of using all cause readmissions as a benchmark for surgical outcomes has received little attention. Pyloromyotomy for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is considered a safe pediatric surgical procedure with few complications or readmissions. The incidence of in hospital complications has been reported, however the rate of readmissions and specifically the proportion of readmissions related to surgical complications have not been previously reported. METHODS: Data were abstracted from the longitudinally linked Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development data from the State of California from 1995 to 2009, allowing patient tracking across all hospitals and years within California. Inclusion criteria were primary procedure code of pyloromyotomy, a diagnosis code of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, and no prior record of any in-hospital admission. RESULTS: A total of 1900 patients were identified: 16.8% girls, 31.7% whites, 5.1% blacks, and 58.2% Hispanics. The median length of stay was 2days (IQR 2-3days). The in-hospital complication rate was 5.16% and overall complication rate was 6.84%; there were no deaths. The rate of 30-day all-cause readmission was 4.01%, with a median of 0% across hospitals (IQR 0%-1.1%); and 13.2% of readmissions occurred at a different hospital. Surgically-related readmission rate was 2.16%. Surgically-related readmission comprised 36% readmissions at 30days, but only 13% readmissions overall. The top three primary diagnoses on readmission were respiratory infections (43%), nonrespiratory infections (14%) and other nonsurgical GI indications (14%). All-cause readmissions at 60days, 90days, 180days, and 1year were 5.8%, 7.3%, 10.4%, and 13.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Thirty-day readmission for a surgical complication occurs in 1 of 50 patients undergoing a pyloromyotomy for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis but for all causes is twice as likely, 1 in 25 patients. All-cause readmission is an inadequate measure for the quality of surgical care and the performance of pediatric surgeons. This is a Prognostic Study with Level II Evidence.

Incidence and Outcome of Clostridium difficile Infection in Hospitalized Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the UK.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Previous studies have reported that Clostridium difficile infection [CDI] is more common, and has a worse outcome, in patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] than in those without. We have now reassessed the incidence and outcome of CDI in in-patients with and without IBD, and the outcomes of admissions for IBD patients with and without CDI. METHODS: In-patients who had stool samples submitted for C. difficile testing [2007-2013] were collated. Two matched pools were generated: patients with IBD and CDI vs non-IBD patients with CDI [matched for age, sex and date] and patients with IBD and CDI vs IBD patients without CDI [matched for age and IBD type]. For each group, admission details, pre-admission and outcome data were compared. RESULTS: Four per cent [1079/21035] of samples were positive for CDI; 5% [49] of these were from IBD in-patients. The incidence of CDI in IBD patients decreased from 8.7% in 2007/08 to 0.4% in 2012/13 [p < 0.0001]. Length of stay was shorter in IBD patients with CDI than in non-IBD CDI patients (hazard ratio [HR] 0.335 [0.218-0.513]) and was no different between IBD patients with and without CDI (HR 0.661 [0.413-1.06]). IBD patients were diagnosed with CDI earlier in their admission than non-IBD patients (HR 0.182 [0.093-0.246]). No differences in mortality were found. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of CDI complicating IBD has fallen since 2007. CDI is no longer associated with worse short-term outcomes in patients with IBD than in those without. Patients with CDI and IBD have similar outcomes to those with IBD alone.