Hidden wounds of violence: Abnormal motor oscillatory brain activity is related to posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Victims of urban violence are at risk of developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), one of the most debilitating consequences of violence. Considering that PTSD may be associated with inefficient selection of defensive responses, it is important to understand the relation between motor processing and PTSD. The present study aims to investigate the extent to which the severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) is related to motor preparation against visual threat cues in victims of urban violence. Participants performed a choice reaction time task while ignoring a picture that could be threating or neutral. The EEG indices extracted were the motor-related amplitude asymmetry (MRAA) in the alpha frequency range, and the lateralized readiness potential (LRP). We observed a linear relation between longer LRP latency and a slower reaction time, selectively during threat processing (compared to neutral) in low PTSS, but not in high PTSS participants. Alpha MRAA suppression and the PTSS were also linearly related: the smaller the alpha MRAA suppression in the threat condition relative to neutral, the greater the PTSS. These results provide evidence that threatening cues affect motor processing that is modulated by the severity of PTSS in victims of urban violence.

The invisible scars of emotional abuse: a common and highly harmful form of childhood maltreatment.

BACKGROUND: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is unfortunately widespread globally and has been linked with an increased risk of a variety of psychiatric disorders in adults, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These associations are well established in the literature for some maltreatment forms, such as sexual and physical abuse. However, the effects of emotional maltreatment are much less explored, even though this type figures among the most common forms of childhood maltreatment. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the impact of each type of childhood maltreatment, both individually and conjointly, on revictimization and PTSD symptom severity using a nonclinical college student sample. METHODS: Five hundred and two graduate and undergraduate students participated in the study by completing questionnaires assessing lifetime traumatic experiences in general, maltreatment during childhood and PTSD symptoms. Bivariate and multivariate negative binomial regressions were applied to examine the associations among childhood maltreatment, revictimization, and PTSD symptom severity. RESULTS: Our results showed that using bivariate models, all types of CM were significantly associated with revictimization and PTSD symptom severity. Multivariate models showed that emotional abuse was the type of maltreatment associated with the highest incidence rates of revictimization and PTSD symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide additional evidence of the harmful effects of childhood maltreatment and its long-term consequences for individuals' mental health. Notably, the findings highlight the importance of studying the impacts of emotional abuse, which seems to be a highly prevalent, understudied, and chronic form of maltreatment that is as toxic as other maltreatment forms.

Impact of Surgical Checklist on Mortality, Reoperation, and Readmission Rates in Brazil, a Developing Country, and Canada, a Developed Country.

PURPOSE: To compare the mortality, reoperation, and readmission rates before and after the implementation of a surgical checklist in Brazil and Canada. DESIGN: An epidemiological, retrospective study was conducted. METHODS: Preimplementation and postimplementation data were collected via patient chart reviews to determine mortality, reoperation, and readmission rates. FINDINGS: In Brazil, a decrease in readmission rate from 2.9% to 1.7% (P = .518) was observed after the implementation of the checklist. In Canada, reoperation rate decreased from 5.6% to 4.8% (P = .649) and mortality from 1.7% to 0.9% (P = .407) after implementation. In the Brazilian institution, patients with incomplete checklists had increased rates of readmission, from 1.4% to 2.4% (P = .671), and reoperation, from 6.8% to 10.4% (P = .232). CONCLUSIONS: The use of surgical checklist did not translate into improvements in the outcomes studied after its implementation in any of the scenarios evaluated. This result is possibly justified by the socioeconomic structure of each of these settings.

Adherence and factors related to acceptance of alcohol for antiseptic hand rubbing among nursing professionals.

OBJECTIVE: Identify rates of adhesion and related factors to acceptance of an alcohol based preparation to hands antiseptic friction among nursing professionals in a unit of intensive therapy. METHOD: A cross-sectional study, which involved direct observation of hand hygiene opportunities and nursing professionals' completion of questionnaires, was conducted at a university hospital between January and July 2015. Descriptive and univariate analyses were performed, with a 5% significance level. RESULTS: It was observed 956 opportunities of hand hygiene among 46 nursing professionals. The rate of adhesion to alcohol-based handrub (ABH) was 34.8% and about 87.0% preferred handwashing. Nurses used ABH more frequently than nursing technicians (p <0.001), and the report of feeling of clean hands after using the alcohol product was directly related to higher rates of adherence to antiseptic friction through observation (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: The finding indicating low ABH usage highlights the need for greater institutional investment in strategies that help health professionals to recognize the advantages of this type of HH with respect to time spent, ease of access to dispensers, effectiveness in eliminating microorganisms, and maintaining skin moisturization.

[Evaluation of adherence to measures for the prevention of surgical site infections by the surgical team]. / Avaliação da adesão às medidas para a prevenção de infecções do sítio cirúrgico pela equipe cirúrgica.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate pre- and intraoperative practices adopted by medical and nursing teams for the prevention of surgical infections. METHOD: A prospective study carried out in the period of April to May 2013, in a surgical center of a university hospital in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. RESULTS: 18 surgeries were followed and 214 surgical gloves were analyzed, of which 23 (10.7%) had postoperative glove perforation detected, with 52.2% being perceived by users. Hair removal was performed on 27.7% of patients in the operating room, with the use of blades in 80% of the cases. Antibiotic prophylaxis was administered to 81.8% of patients up to 60 minutes prior to surgical incision. An average of nine professionals were present during surgery and the surgery room door remained open in 94.4% of the procedures. CONCLUSION: Partial adhesion to the recommended measures was identified, reaffirming a need for greater attention to these critical steps/actions in order to prevent surgical site infection.

Tonic immobility triggered by COVID-19-related trauma is associated with long-term PTSD symptoms.

During the COVID-19 pandemic healthcare workers were repeatedly exposed to traumatic experiences. Facing life-threatening events and repeated exposure to traumatic duty-related situations may cause posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While tonic immobility has been considered a key vulnerability factor for PTSD, little is known about this relationship in the long term. In this study, we aimed to determine whether peritraumatic tonic immobility triggered by COVID-19-related trauma predicts PTSD symptom severity six to twelve months later. We conducted an online longitudinal survey using the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Tonic Immobility Scale to assess PTSD symptoms and the tonic immobility response, respectively. Multivariate regression models revealed a significant association between tonic immobility and PTSD symptoms. Each one-unit increase in the tonic immobility score was associated with a 1.5 % increase in the average PTSD symptom score six to twelve months after the traumatic event that triggered the tonic immobility. Furthermore, participants who showed significant or extreme levels of tonic immobility were 3.5 times or 7.3 times more likely to have a probable PTSD diagnosis, respectively. Hence, peritraumatic tonic immobility seems to have a lasting deleterious effect on mental health. Psychological treatment for health care professionals is urgent, and psychoeducation about the involuntary, biological nature of tonic immobility is essential to reduce suffering.

[Knowledge and adherence to biosafety recommendations in a military fire brigade in Minas Gerais]. / Conhecimento e adesão às recomendações de biossegurança no Corpo de Bombeiros Militar de Minas Gerais.

This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes concerning adherence to biosafety recommendations of the military personnel of Belo Horizonte's Military Fire Brigade in Minas Gerais . A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2011. A structured questionnaire was used, consisting of questions regarding knowledge and attitudes related to biosafety and the factors hindering the use of personal protective equipment. The results showed that the personnel had adequate knowledge of hand hygiene (90.4%) and standard precautions (89%), such as the habit of always wearing gloves (95.7%), but lacked knowledge about the antiseptic activity of 70% alcohol (77.5%). The cloak was mentioned as the piece of personal protective equipment that was most difficult to use. However, most of the personnel were unaware of their serological status for hepatitis B (25%). Their knowledge and attitudes were consistent with the biosafety recommendations, but the importance of hepatitis B immunization must be emphasized.

The different impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of distinct health care worker categories.

The present study sought to explore the factors associated with the odds of having probable depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to traumatic COVID-19 experiences and their impact on health care workers in distinct categories. In this cross-sectional study, 1843 health care workers (nurses, nurse technicians, physicians, physical therapists, and other healthcare workers) were recruited via convenience sampling. A survey was administered to obtain information regarding sociodemographic, occupational, and mental health status. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were used for the analyses. Being a nurse technician was associated with an odds ratio of 1.76 for probable PTSD. No relation was observed between health care worker categories and the odds of probable depression. Additionally, being female and not receiving adequate PPE were related to greater odds of having probable PTSD and depression.

Impact of surgical checklist and its completion on complications and mortality in urgent colorectal procedures.

OBJECTIVE: to assess the impact of using a surgical checklist and its completion on complications such as surgical site infection (SSI), reoperation, readmission, and mortality in patients subjected to urgent colorectal procedures, as well as the reasons for non adherence to this instrument in this scenario, in a university hospital in Ottawa, Canada. METHODS: this is a retrospective, epidemiological study. We collected data from an electronic database containing information on patients undergoing urgent colorectal operations, and analyzed the occurrence of SSI, reoperation, readmission, and death in a 30 day period, as well as the completion of the checklist. We conducted a descriptive statistical analysis and logistic regression. RESULTS: we included 5,145 records, of which 5,083 (98.8%) had complete checklists. As for the outcomes evaluated, cases with complete checklists displayed higher SSI rate, 9.1% vs. 6.5% (p=0.466), lower reoperation rate, 5% vs.11.3% (p=0.023), lower readmission rates, 7.2% vs. 11.3% (p=0.209), and lower mortality, 3.0% vs. 6.5% (p=0.108) than cases with incomplete ones. CONCLUSION: there was a high level of checklist completion and a larger number of the outcomes in the reduced percentage of incomplete checklists found, demonstrating the impact of its utilization on the safety of patients undergoing urgent operations.

Tonic immobility is associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms in healthcare professionals exposed to COVID-19-related trauma.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed healthcare workers (HCW) to traumatic situations that might lead to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). An important vulnerability factor for PTSD is the peritraumatic tonic immobility (TI) reaction, an involuntary and reflexive defensive response evoked by an intense and inescapable threat. TI is largely understudied in humans and has not been investigated during trauma related to COVID-19. For HCW, the pandemic context might be experienced as an intense and potentially inescapable threat, i.e., an overwhelming situation. Here, we investigated if TI response occurred during traumatic events related to the pandemic and its association with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). An online survey of 1001 HCW investigated COVID-19-related traumatic experiences, TI and PTSS. TI was reported for all types of traumatic events, and multivariate regression models revealed that TI was significantly associated with PTSS severity. HCW who reported high TI scores exhibited an increase of 9.08 times the probability of having a probable diagnosis of PTSD. Thus, TI was evoked by pandemic-related traumatic situations and associated with PTSS severity and higher odds of a PTSD diagnosis. Tonic immobility occurrence should be screened, and psychoeducation about its reflexive biological nature should be introduced.

Impact of surgical checklist and its completion on complications and mortality in urgent colorectal procedures.

OBJECTIVE: to assess the impact of using a surgical checklist and its completion on complications such as surgical site infection (SSI), reoperation, readmission, and mortality in patients subjected to urgent colorectal procedures, as well as the reasons for non adherence to this instrument in this scenario, in a university hospital in Ottawa, Canada. METHODS: this is a retrospective, epidemiological study. We collected data from an electronic database containing information on patients undergoing urgent colorectal operations, and analyzed the occurrence of SSI, reoperation, readmission, and death in a 30 day period, as well as the completion of the checklist. We conducted a descriptive statistical analysis and logistic regression. RESULTS: we included 5,145 records, of which 5,083 (98.8%) had complete checklists. As for the outcomes evaluated, cases with complete checklists displayed higher SSI rate, 9.1% vs. 6.5% (p=0.466), lower reoperation rate, 5% vs.11.3% (p=0.023), lower readmission rates, 7.2% vs. 11.3% (p=0.209), and lower mortality, 3.0% vs. 6.5% (p=0.108) than cases with incomplete ones. CONCLUSION: there was a high level of checklist completion and a larger number of the outcomes in the reduced percentage of incomplete checklists found, demonstrating the impact of its utilization on the safety of patients undergoing urgent operations.

Vulnerability and Protective Factors for PTSD and Depression Symptoms Among Healthcare Workers During COVID-19: A Machine Learning Approach.

Background: Healthcare workers are at high risk for developing mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need to identify vulnerability and protective factors related to the severity of psychiatric symptoms among healthcare workers to implement targeted prevention and intervention programs to reduce the mental health burden worldwide during COVID-19. Objective: The present study aimed to apply a machine learning approach to predict depression and PTSD symptoms based on psychometric questions that assessed: (1) the level of stress due to being isolated from one's family; (2) professional recognition before and during the pandemic; and (3) altruistic acceptance of risk during the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers. Methods: A total of 437 healthcare workers who experienced some level of isolation at the time of the pandemic participated in the study. Data were collected using a web survey conducted between June 12, 2020, and September 19, 2020. We trained two regression models to predict PTSD and depression symptoms. Pattern regression analyses consisted of a linear epsilon-insensitive support vector machine (ε-SVM). Predicted and actual clinical scores were compared using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), the coefficient of determination (r2), and the normalized mean squared error (NMSE) to evaluate the model performance. A permutation test was applied to estimate significance levels. Results: Results were significant using two different cross-validation strategies to significantly decode both PTSD and depression symptoms. For all of the models, the stress due to social isolation and professional recognition were the variables with the greatest contributions to the predictive function. Interestingly, professional recognition had a negative predictive value, indicating an inverse relationship with PTSD and depression symptoms. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the protective role of professional recognition and the vulnerability role of the level of stress due to social isolation in the severity of posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms. The insights gleaned from the current study will advance efforts in terms of intervention programs and public health messaging.

Tonic Immobility is Associated with PTSD Symptoms in Traumatized Adolescents.

PURPOSE: Growing evidence suggests that peritraumatic tonic immobility, an involuntary defensive response that involves extreme physical immobility and the perceived inability to escape, is a significant predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. However, this issue has not been specifically addressed in adolescents. Here, we investigated whether tonic immobility response experienced during the worst childhood or adolescent trauma is associated with PTSD symptom severity in a non-clinical student sample. METHODS: The sample was composed of students in 9th grade who were attending public and private schools. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress and tonic immobility were assessed using questionnaires. We performed bivariate and multivariate negative binomial regressions to examine whether tonic immobility was associated with PTSD symptomatology after controlling for confounders (peritraumatic dissociation, peritraumatic panic reactions, gender, age and time since trauma). RESULTS: We found an association between tonic immobility and PTSD symptom severity, even after controlling for confounders. Therefore, tonic immobility is associated with PTSD symptoms in trauma-exposed adolescents. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight tonic immobility as a possible risk factor that could be used to provide direction for more targeted trauma interventions for individuals, particularly those at risk for developing PTSD. Therefore, it contributes to preventing and reducing the psychiatric burden in adolescence and later in life.

Effect of surgical safety checklist on colorectal surgical site infection rates in 2 countries: Brazil and Canada.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of the surgical safety checklist (SSC) in countries with different socioeconomic backgrounds is uncertain. To evaluate the effect of the SSC in 2 different socioeconomic settings, we compared surgical site infection (SSI) rates before and after its implementation in colorectal procedures. METHODS: An epidemiological retrospective study was conducted in the university hospitals in Ottawa, Canada, and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Data were collected through chart review from the period before and after the SSC implementation. RESULTS: The SSI rate decreased from 27.7%-25.9% (P = .625) and from 17.0%-14.4% in Canada and Brazil, respectively (P = .448) after the SSC implementation. In Canada, there was no SSI in incomplete SSC, and in Brazil, SSI was 20.0% (P = .026). DISCUSSION: Despite high and regular completion of the SSC in the Canadian and Brazilian hospitals, respectively, there was no significant reduction of SSI after the SSC implementation in any setting. However, in Brazil, the association between incomplete SSC and higher SSI rates demonstrated the potential impact of the SSC in developing countries. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of the SSC on SSI may be greater in developing countries due to minor investment and consolidation of policies in SSI prevention.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on mental health of healthcare workers / A pandemia de COVID-19 e seu impacto na saúde mental dos profissionais de saúde

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a health crisis around the world. Health professionals are frequently exposed to stressors that put them at high risk for the development or progression of disabling mental disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To understand how pandemic stressors have affected the mental health of healthcare workers, our group conducted a longitudinal and nationwide survey. We investigated the occurrence of traumatic events related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the association between exposure to these events and PTSD symptomatology. Importantly, we also investigated factors that might increase or decrease the risk for PTSD. Depression symptoms were also investigated. The results of the first wave of the project were published in a series of three articles, each focused on different risk or protective factors. The results showed that female sex, young age, a lack of adequate personal protective equipment, social isolation and a previous history of mental illness were consistent predictors of PTSD symptoms. Healthcare workers who reported high levels of peritraumatic tonic immobility, a defensive response that is involuntary, reflexive, and evoked by an intense and inescapable threat, also exhibited an increase in the probability of being diagnosed with PTSD. On the other hand, professional recognition had a negative relationship with PTSD and depression symptoms, emerging as a significant protective factor for psychological health. The identification of protective and risk factors in these situations is crucial to guide the adoption of long-term measures in work environments that will enhance the psychological health of these professionals.

RESUMO A pandemia de COVID-19 impôs uma crise de saúde no mundo. Profissionais de saúde foram frequentemente expostos a estressores que os colocam em alto risco para o desenvolvimento ou progressão de transtornos mentais incapacitantes, incluindo o transtorno de estresse pós-traumático (TEPT). Para entender como esses estressores afetaram a saúde mental desses profissionais, nosso grupo realizou um estudo longitudinal nacional. Investigamos a ocorrência de eventos traumáticos especificamente relacionados à pandemia e a associação entre a exposição a esses eventos traumáticos e a sintomatologia do TEPT. É importante ressaltar que também investigamos fatores que podem aumentar ou diminuir o risco de TEPT. Sintomas de depressão também foram investigados. Os resultados da primeira onda do projeto foram publicados em uma série de três artigos, cada um focado em diferentes fatores de risco ou proteção. Os resultados mostraram que sexo feminino, idade jovem, falta de equipamento de proteção individual adequado, isolamento social e história prévia de doença mental foram preditores consistentes de sintomas de TEPT. Os profissionais de saúde que relataram altos níveis de imobilidade tônica, uma resposta peritraumática involuntária e reflexa evocada em situações de ameaça intensa e inescapável, exibiram aumento na probabilidade de um provável diagnóstico de TEPT. Por outro lado, reconhecimento profissional teve relação negativa com sintomas de TEPT e depressão, emergindo como importante fator de proteção para a saúde mental. Identificar fatores protetores ou de risco nessas situações é fundamental para orientar a adoção de medidas de longo prazo nos ambientes de trabalho que melhorem a saúde mental desses profissionais.

Surgical site infection prevention: An analysis of compliance with good practice in a teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND: Surgical teams play a critical role in reducing surgery-related risks during preoperative and intraoperative phases. AIM: To analyse the preoperative and intraoperative practices adopted by surgical teams in surgical site infections prevention. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted during April-September 2013 in a large university hospital in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It was conducted through observation of the surgical practice during preoperative and intraoperative phases of procedures used by a gastroenterological, cardiovascular and paediatric surgical team. RESULTS: A total of 100 surgeries were monitored. Hair removal was performed for 20% of the patients inside the operating room by professionals using clippers in 65% of operations. The antimicrobial agent of choice was appropriate/satisfactory in 62% of the operations and administered up to 60 min before surgical incision in 90.3% of the cases. The operating room door was kept closed in 4% of these procedures. DISCUSSION: Some preoperative measures for surgical site infection prevention were not adhered to by the professionals who were monitored in this study. It is recommended that surgical teams undergo professional surveillance and training to highlight the necessity and importance of implementing measures to improve the quality of care provided to surgical patients.

Impact of surgical checklist and its completion on complications and mortality in urgent colorectal procedures / Impacto do uso do checklist cirúrgico e completude em complicações e mortalidade em cirurgias colorretais de urgência

ABSTRACT Objective: to assess the impact of using a surgical checklist and its completion on complications such as surgical site infection (SSI), reoperation, readmission, and mortality in patients subjected to urgent colorectal procedures, as well as the reasons for non adherence to this instrument in this scenario, in a university hospital in Ottawa, Canada. Methods: this is a retrospective, epidemiological study. We collected data from an electronic database containing information on patients undergoing urgent colorectal operations, and analyzed the occurrence of SSI, reoperation, readmission, and death in a 30 day period, as well as the completion of the checklist. We conducted a descriptive statistical analysis and logistic regression. Results: we included 5,145 records, of which 5,083 (98.8%) had complete checklists. As for the outcomes evaluated, cases with complete checklists displayed higher SSI rate, 9.1% vs. 6.5% (p=0.466), lower reoperation rate, 5% vs.11.3% (p=0.023), lower readmission rates, 7.2% vs. 11.3% (p=0.209), and lower mortality, 3.0% vs. 6.5% (p=0.108) than cases with incomplete ones. Conclusion: there was a high level of checklist completion and a larger number of the outcomes in the reduced percentage of incomplete checklists found, demonstrating the impact of its utilization on the safety of patients undergoing urgent operations.

RESUMO Objetivo: verificar o impacto do uso do checklist cirúrgico e a completude em complicações como infecção do sítio cirúrgico (ISC), reoperação, readmissão e mortalidade em pacientes submetidos a procedimentos colorretais de urgência, bem como os motivos para a não adesão a esse instrumento nesse cenário, em hospital universitário de Ottawa, Canadá. Métodos: trata-se de estudo epidemiológico retrospectivo. Os dados foram coletados em base de dados eletrônica contendo informações de pacientes submetidos a cirurgias colorretais de urgência, sendo analisada a ocorrência de ISC, reoperação, readmissão e óbito em período de 30 dias, bem como a completude do checklist. Realizou-se análise estatística descritiva e regressão logística. Resultados: incluíram-se 5.145 registros, dos quais 5.083 (98,8%) possuíam checklists completos. No que se refere aos desfechos avaliados, identificou-se nos checklists completos comparados aos incompletos, respectivamente, maior taxa das ISC de 9,1% contra 6,5% (p=0,466); menor taxa em reoperações de 5% contra 11,3% (p=0,023); em readmissões de 7,2% contra 11,3% (p=0,209); e também em mortalidade de 3,0% contra 6,5% (p=0,108). Conclusão: verificou-se alto nível de completude do checklist e maior número de desfechos no reduzido percentual de checklists incompletos encontrados, demonstrando o impacto da utilização para a segurança do paciente submetido a cirurgias de urgência.

Impact of surgical checklist and its completion on complications and mortality in urgent colorectal procedures / Impacto do uso do checklist cirúrgico e completude em complicações e mortalidade em cirurgias colorretais de urgência

ABSTRACT Objective: to assess the impact of using a surgical checklist and its completion on complications such as surgical site infection (SSI), reoperation, readmission, and mortality in patients subjected to urgent colorectal procedures, as well as the reasons for non adherence to this instrument in this scenario, in a university hospital in Ottawa, Canada. Methods: this is a retrospective, epidemiological study. We collected data from an electronic database containing information on patients undergoing urgent colorectal operations, and analyzed the occurrence of SSI, reoperation, readmission, and death in a 30 day period, as well as the completion of the checklist. We conducted a descriptive statistical analysis and logistic regression. Results: we included 5,145 records, of which 5,083 (98.8%) had complete checklists. As for the outcomes evaluated, cases with complete checklists displayed higher SSI rate, 9.1% vs. 6.5% (p=0.466), lower reoperation rate, 5% vs.11.3% (p=0.023), lower readmission rates, 7.2% vs. 11.3% (p=0.209), and lower mortality, 3.0% vs. 6.5% (p=0.108) than cases with incomplete ones. Conclusion: there was a high level of checklist completion and a larger number of the outcomes in the reduced percentage of incomplete checklists found, demonstrating the impact of its utilization on the safety of patients undergoing urgent operations.

RESUMO Objetivo: verificar o impacto do uso do checklist cirúrgico e a completude em complicações como infecção do sítio cirúrgico (ISC), reoperação, readmissão e mortalidade em pacientes submetidos a procedimentos colorretais de urgência, bem como os motivos para a não adesão a esse instrumento nesse cenário, em hospital universitário de Ottawa, Canadá. Métodos: trata-se de estudo epidemiológico retrospectivo. Os dados foram coletados em base de dados eletrônica contendo informações de pacientes submetidos a cirurgias colorretais de urgência, sendo analisada a ocorrência de ISC, reoperação, readmissão e óbito em período de 30 dias, bem como a completude do checklist. Realizou-se análise estatística descritiva e regressão logística. Resultados: incluíram-se 5.145 registros, dos quais 5.083 (98,8%) possuíam checklists completos. No que se refere aos desfechos avaliados, identificou-se nos checklists completos comparados aos incompletos, respectivamente, maior taxa das ISC de 9,1% contra 6,5% (p=0,466); menor taxa em reoperações de 5% contra 11,3% (p=0,023); em readmissões de 7,2% contra 11,3% (p=0,209); e também em mortalidade de 3,0% contra 6,5% (p=0,108). Conclusão: verificou-se alto nível de completude do checklist e maior número de desfechos no reduzido percentual de checklists incompletos encontrados, demonstrando o impacto da utilização para a segurança do paciente submetido a cirurgias de urgência.

Avaliação da adesáo ao checklist cirúrgico

RESUMO Objetivo: Verificar a adesão ao checklist cirúrgico obtida por meio de diferentes ferramentas: completude, auditoria de processo e a avaliação da taxa de complicações e mortalidade, em um hospital universitário. Material e Método: Tratou-se de um estudo transversal realizado em um centro cirúrgico de um hospital universitário de Belo Horizonte, Brasil. A coleta de dados se deu em dois momentos: primeiro, auditoria da aplicação verbal do checklist e comparação com o preenchimento do formulário; e o segundo, de forma paralela, por revisão de prontuários de pacientes de cirurgias colorretais para avaliação da completude, taxas de infecção do sítio cirúrgico, reoperação, reinternação e óbito. Foi realizada análise descritiva dos dados, estatística inferencial e teste qui-quadrado. Resultados: No primeiro momento, 100 procedimentos aleatórios foram acompanhados para auditoria da aplicação verbal e nenhum deles foi totalmente seguido pela equipe cirúrgica, porém os formulários de 65% foram completamente preenchidos. No segundo momento, dos 353 prontuários analisados, 63,7% dos checklists estavam completos, a taxa de infecção do sítio cirúrgico foi maior naqueles incompletos e não foram observados impactos da sua completude nos demais desfechos. Conclusão: A completude do checklist não retratou a adesão ao mesmo, devendo ser usada com cautela como indicador, associando-a ferramentas complementares como a auditoria periódica e o monitoramento dos desfechos clínicos.

ABSTRACT Objective: To verify surgical checklist compliance obtained through different tools: checklist completion, process auditing and evaluation of complication and mortality rates in a university hospital. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out in a surgical center of a university hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Data collection occurred in two stages: firstly, by auditing the oral application of the checklist and comparing it with the checklist completion level; and secondly, by reviewing medical records of colorectal surgery patients to evaluate compliance, surgical site infection, reoperation, readmission and mortality rates. Descriptive data analysis, inferential statistics and chi-square test were performed. Results: In the first stage, 100 random procedures were monitored for oral application auditing and none of them were totally applied by the surgical team, however, 65% of the checklists were fully completed. In the second stage, from 353 analyzed records, 63.7% of the checklists were complete, surgical site infection rate was higher in cases with incomplete checklists and no impact of their compliance level on the other outcomes was observed. Conclusion: Checklist completion does not portray its compliance level and should be used with caution as an indicator, associating it with complementary tools such as regular auditing and monitoring of clinical outcomes.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Verificar el cumplimiento de la lista de verificación quirúrgica obtenida por diferentes herramientas en un hospital universitario: completación, auditoría de procesos y evaluación de la tasa de complicaciones y mortalidad. Material y Método: Se realizó un estudio transversal en un centro quirúrgico en un hospital universitario en Belo Horizonte, Brasil. La recolección de datos se realizó en dos momentos: primero, la auditoría de la aplicación oral de la lista de verificación y la comparación con el formulario de la lista de verificación; y segundo, en paralelo, mediante la revisión de los registros médicos de pacientes sometidos a cirugías colorrectales para la evaluación del cumplimiento, tasas de infección del sitio quirúrgico, reoperación, readmisión y mortalidad. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo de los datos, estadística inferencial y prueba de chi-cuadrado. Resultados: En el primer momento se siguieron 100 procedimientos aleatorios para la auditoría de la aplicación oral de la lista y ninguno de ellos fue totalmente aplicado por el equipo quirúrgico, sin embargo, 65% de los formularios estaban completamente llenos. En el segundo momento, de los 353 registros analizados, 63,7% de las listas de verificación estaban completas, la tasa de infección del sitio quirúrgico fue mayor en las listas incompletas y no hubo impactos de su cumplimiento en los otros resultados. Conclusión: La completación de la lista de verificación no fue un retrato de su adhesión y debe usarse con precaución como un indicador, asociándolo con herramientas complementarias, como la auditoría periódica y el seguimiento de los resultados clínicos.

Evaluation of surgical glove integrity during surgery in a Brazilian teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a large university hospital in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil to evaluate surgical glove integrity after use during surgery. METHODS: This 6-month study was conducted by a gastroenterological, cardiovascular, and pediatric surgical team consisting of surgeons (main surgeon and first and second assistants), medical students, and scrub nurses. The gloves used during surgery were examined postsurgery for microperforations using the watertight test as described in European Norm EN 455-1. RESULTS: A total of 116 medical professionals conducted the 100 surgeries monitored. Of the 1090 gloves analyzed, 131 (12%) had a perforation detected postsurgery, 39 of which (37.5%) were recognized by users at the time of occurrence. The highest incidence of perforations occurred among surgeons (P = .033) in the index finger, followed by the thumb of the nondominant hand; in outer gloves (76.9%) when double-gloving was used (P = .014); in open surgery (P = .019); and in surgeries lasting ≥ 150 minutes (P < .05). CONCLUSION: These findings reaffirm the importance of double-gloving, using a perforation indicator system, and changing gloves in surgeries of ≥ 150 minutes duration, especially in procedures involving open incisions.