Internal medicine consultation for high-risk surgical patients: reflection on hospital mortality and readmission rates in a low-income country.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of internal medicine consultation on mortality, 30-day readmission, and length of stay in surgical patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive study developed in a public Brazilian teaching hospital with 850 beds. RESULTS: A total of 70,245 patients were admitted from 2010 to 2018 to the surgery departments. The main outcomes measured were patients' mortality, 30-day readmission, and length of stay. Mortality of high-risk patients was lower when followed by internal medicine consultation: patients with ASA≥3 (RR 0.89 [95% confidence interval (95%CI) 0.80-0.99], p=0.02), patients with ASA≥3 plus≥65 years (RR 0.88 [95%CI 0.78-0.99], p=0.04), patients with ASA≥3 plus high-risk surgery (RR 0.86 [95%CI 0.77-0.97], p=0.01), and patients with ASA≥4 plus age ≥65 years (RR 0.83 [95%CI 0.72-0.96], p=0.01). The 30-day readmission of high-risk patients was lower when followed by internal medicine consultation: patients with ≥65 years (RR 0.57 [95%CI 0.37-0.89], p=0.01) and patients with high-risk surgery (RR 0.63 [95%CI 0.46-0.57], p=0.005). The Poisson multivariate regression with adjustment in variances showed that all the variables (namely, age, ASA, morbidity index, surgery risk, and internal medicine consultation) were associated with higher mortality of patients; however, internal medicine consultation was associated with a reduction of mortality in high-risk patients (RR 0.72 [95%CI 0.65-0.84], p=0.02) and an increase of mortality in low-risk patients (RR 1.55 [95%CI 1.31-1.67], p=0.01). CONCLUSION: High-risk surgical patients may benefit from perioperative internal medicine consultations, which probably decrease hospital mortality and 30-day hospital readmission.

Duplicação do polegar / Thumb duplication

A polidactilia é a segunda deformidade congênita mais frequente no membro superior, depois da sindactilia. A polidactilia do polegar (pré-axial/radial) geralmente é unilateral e à direita. A classificação mais utilizada é a desenvolvida por Wassel, e desta, o tipo mais frequente é o tipo IV, com duplicação da falange distal e média. A classifi cação de Zuidam é mais completa e inclui outras deformidades, como trifalangismo, hipoplasia e sinfalangismo. O procedimento cirúrgico mais utilizado é a remoção do polegar acessório e reconstrução do polegar, sendo que o grande problema deste procedimento ocorre quando existe instabilidade da articulação metacarpofalangiana e interfalangiana, necessitando de reconstrução dos ligamentos e dos tendões, podendo ser necessária uma osteotomia para corrigir os desvios.

Polydactyly is the second most frequent congenital deformity in the upper limb after syndactily. Polydactyly of the thumb (pre-axial/radial) is usually unilateral and on the right. The most widely used classifi cation is Wassel’s and the most frequent type is type IV, with duplication of the distal and middle phalanx. The classifi cation of Zuidam is more complete and includes such other deformities as triphalangism, hypoplasia and symphalangism. The most common surgical procedure is removal of the accessory thumb and reconstruction of the thumb. The major problem with this procedure arises when there is instability of the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joint, requiring reconstruction of ligaments and tendons, and osteotomy may be needed to correct the deviations.