Measurements of Impoverishing and Catastrophic Surgical Health Expenditures in Low- and Middle-Income Countries and Reduction Interventions in the Last 30 Years: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 33 million people suffer catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) from surgery and/or anesthesia costs. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate catastrophic and impoverishing expenditure associated with surgery and anesthesia in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: We performed a systematic review of all studies from 1990 to 2021 that reported CHE in LMICs for treatment of a condition requiring surgical intervention, including cesarean section, trauma care, and other surgery. RESULTS: 77 studies met inclusion criteria. Tertiary facilities (23.4%) were the most frequently studied facility type. Only 11.7% of studies were conducted in exclusively rural health-care settings. Almost 60% of studies were retrospective in nature. The cost of procedures ranged widely, from $26 USD for a cesarean section in Mauritania in 2020 to $74,420 for a pancreaticoduodenectomy in India in 2018. GDP per capita had a narrower range from $315 USD in Malawi in 2019 to $9955 USD in Malaysia in 2015 (Median = $1605.50, interquartile range = $1208.74). 35 studies discussed interventions to reduce cost and catastrophic expenditure. Four of those studies stated that their intervention was not successful, 18 had an unknown or equivocal effect on cost and CHE, and 13 concluded that their intervention did help reduce cost and CHE. CONCLUSIONS: CHE from surgery is a worldwide problem that most acutely affects vulnerable patients in LMICs. Existing efforts are insufficient to meet the true need for affordable surgical care unless assistance for ancillary costs is given to patients and families most at risk from CHE.

Prehospital Patient Care Protocols for Suicidality in Washington State.

BACKGROUND: Patients with suicidal thoughts and behavior represent a growing proportion of patients who present for Emergency Department care. Many of these patients arrive via ambulance. Several brief suicide- or self-harm-specific interventions have been developed for implementation in the Emergency Department setting. However, there is a dearth of training resources, patient care guidelines, and policy guidance to assist prehospital care providers in the treatment of EMS patients who are suicidal. We evaluated prehospital patient care protocols in Washington State to assess for the presence-absence of any suicide and/or self-harm specific protocols, as well as the inclusion of procedures above and beyond conventional approaches to scene safety and transport to the Emergency Department. METHODS: Prehospital patient care protocols were obtained for all counties in Washington State. Researchers rated protocols across seven domains, including the mention of any suicide- or self-harm-specific procedures. RESULTS: Approximately one-third of counties had any suicide- or self-harm-specific content in prehospital patient care protocols. There was no association between county-level rurality-urbanicity and the presence-absence of suicide- or self-harm-specific care. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated that little guidance exists for EMS providers in Washington State with regard to the screening or treatment of suicidal patients, above and beyond scene safety and transportation to hospital-based care. Development of guidelines for prehospital suicide care, as well as enhanced screening, assessment, and collaboration with on-call crisis resources has the potential to expand the scope of prehospital treatment for suicidal patients, and reduce burdens on patients, EMS providers, and Emergency Departments.

Combined paraganglioma and IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis.

A paraganglioma is a neuroendocrine tumor that may secrete catecholamines and present with symptoms of sympathetic overload such as hypertension and diaphoresis. It is important that paragangliomas are identified, as they must often be treated by surgical excision. IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis (IgG4-RPF) is a systemic inflammatory disease that results in the infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells in the retroperitoneum. Such fibrosis may adversely affect nearby organs and tissues. Here, we describe a case of combined paraganglioma and IgG4-RPF in a 47-year-old female patient. This case demonstrates the deleterious effect of these two conditions when they occur simultaneously.

Long-term quality of life outcomes in patients undergoing microsurgical resection of vestibular schwannoma.

Background: While previous studies have assessed patient reported quality of life (QOL) of various vestibular schwannoma (VS) treatment modalities, few studies have assessed QOL as related to the amount of residual tumor and need for retreatment in a large series of patients. Objective: To assess patient reported QOL outcomes following VS resection with a focus on extent of resection and retreatment. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed using single-center institutional data of adult patients who underwent VS resection by the senior authors between 1989-2018 at Loyola University Medical Center. The Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life (PANQOL) survey was sent to all patients via postal mail. Results: Fifty-five percent of 367 total patients were female with a mean age of 61.6 years (SD 12.63). The mean period between surgery and PANQOL response was 11.4 years (IQR: 4.74-7.37). The median tumor size was 2 cm (IQR: 1.5-2.8). The mean total PANQOL score was 70 (SD 19). Patients who required retreatment reported lower overall scores (µdiff = -10.11, 95% CI: -19.48 to -0.74; p = 0.03) and face domain scores (µdiff = -20.34, 95% CI: -29.78 to -10.91; p < .001). There was no association between extent of resection and PANQOL scores in any domain. Conclusion: In an analysis of 367 patients who underwent microsurgical resection of VS, extent of resection did not affect PANQOL scores in contrast to previous reports in the literature, while the need for retreatment and facial function had a significant impact on patient-reported outcomes.

Intraprosthetic dislocation of dual-mobility total hip arthroplasty implant.

Dual-mobility total hip arthroplasties were developed to decrease the risk of dislocation and instability seen with traditional fixed-bearing total hip arthroplasties. However, dual-mobility constructs, notably the first-generation design, come with a risk of intraprosthetic dislocation (IPD). These dislocations occur when the polyethylene femoral head component is dislodged, causing direct articulation between the inner ceramic femoral head and the metal acetabular shell. This is different than a polyethylene liner dislocation in a standard total hip arthroplasty. Causes of IPD include polyethylene wear and iatrogenic dislocation from closed reduction attempts. Timely identification is essential to reduce the risk of soft tissue metallosis, raised cobalt and chromium levels, and the need for major revisions. This complication can be seen on imaging, but radiologists must be aware of the various components and mechanisms of failure to recognize this unique complication. We present a case of a dual-mobility construct with IPD between the femoral head components, illustrated on radiographs and CT and subsequently confirmed at the time of surgery.