Do occupational health assessments match guidelines for low back pain?

BACKGROUND: Audit is an important facet of clinical governance and good occupational health practice. There are well-established clinical guidelines for the management of low back pain. Occupational Health Guidelines for the Management of Low Back Pain at Work were launched by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine in March 2000, based on an extensive, systematic review of the scientific literature predominantly from occupational settings or concerning occupational outcomes. AIM: To determine whether documented National Health Service occupational health assessment of low back pain in the North West region of England conforms to the published guidelines. METHODS: A retrospective audit of case notes was conducted. Six performance indicators were derived from the Occupational Health Guidelines for the Management of Low Back Pain at Work in order to evaluate the performance by occupational physicians. Two hundred and seventy-seven case notes were identified from eight different occupational health departments. RESULTS: Low rates of compliance with national standards were observed for recording of some performance indicators, notably for the assessment and documentation of 'red' and 'yellow flags'. Our findings suggest that the quality of documentation of key information in the notes leaves significant room for improvement. CONCLUSIONS: For future audits, we recommend having two external auditors and seek to demonstrate a high degree of agreement between observers by conducting a reproducibility exercise. Future Faculty guidelines should emphasize documentation of the assessment and perhaps consider assessment tools to improve documentation.

Laparoscopic resection of an epidermoid cyst within an intrapancreatic accessory spleen: a case report and review article.

CASE REPORT: We report a case of an epidermoid cyst within an intrapancreatic accessory spleen that was treated by laparoscopic excision. A 39-year-old man with no abdominal symptoms was incidentally found to have a cystic pancreatic lesion on computed tomography scan undertaken for suspected deep vein thrombosis. Further computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed similar findings and the laparoscopic resection of the distal pancreas and spleen was undertaken as malignancy could not be excluded. Microscopic analysis revealed a well-circumscribed epidermoid cyst within a thin splenic rim in the tail of the pancreas. DISCUSSION: Such histologic diagnoses are extremely rare, and this is the 26th case report to our knowledge in English language journals. These lesions should be treated surgically to exclude malignancy. This is the first case reported in the United Kingdom and the first to be excised by pure laparoscopic means, which we believe provides effective and successful surgical management.

Results of laparoscopic repair of primary and recurrent incisional hernias at a single UK institution.

In this study incisional hernia repairs at a single UK institution between 1994 and 2008 were analyzed with respect to short-term and long-term results. Prospectively collected data were analyzed retrospectively to ascertain outcomes, complications, and recurrences. Two hundred and twenty-seven operations were performed with 35% of the operations being for recurrent hernias. A self-centering suture technique was used. Median operating time was 55 minutes. There were 8 conversions and median hospital stay was 1 night. There were 52 complications (23%) including 3 postoperative bleeds, 3 mesh infections, and 4 small bowel obstructions. Median postoperative follow-up was 53 months. There were 25 recurrences (11%) being detected, a median of 17 months after initial operation. In this large series, laparoscopic incisional hernia repair is safe and is associated with a short hospital stay. Recurrences after repair remain a concern prompting the development of strategies to try and minimize the likelihood of this occurring.

A case of intramural oesophageal dissection secondary to nasogastric tube insertion.

Intramural oesophageal dissection is a rare disorder, caused by the interposition of a divisive force between the mucosal and muscular layers of the oesophagus, leading to their separation. We present a case of intramural oesophageal dissection, secondary to the accidental iatrogenic intramural insertion of a nasogastric tube. We discuss the aetiologies, presentation, investigation and treatment of intramural oesophageal dissection, and make recommendations on the management of suspected oesophageal perforation with prophylactic nasogastric tube insertion. We also discuss other complications associated with nasogastric tube insertion, and how these may be avoided.

Adhesions after abdominal surgery in children.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to quantify the overall burden (operative and nonoperative) of small bowel obstruction caused by adhesions after laparotomy in children. METHODS: Data from the Scottish National Health Service Medical Record Linkage database were used to assess risk of an adhesion-related readmission in the 5 years after open abdominal surgery in children and adolescents younger than 16 years from April 1996 to March 1997. RESULTS: A total of 1581 children underwent abdominal surgery (ie, from duodenum downward). Patients undergoing surgery on the ileum had the highest risk of readmission because of adhesions in the subsequent 5 years after surgery (9.2%)--formation/closure of ileostomy had the greatest risk (25%); 6.5% of children were readmitted after general laparotomy, 4.7% after duodenal surgery, and 2.1% after colonic surgery. The incidence of readmissions was 0.3% after appendicectomy. The overall readmission rate was 5.3% (if appendicectomy was excluded) and 1.1% (if appendicectomy was included). CONCLUSION: This population-based study has demonstrated that children have a high incidence of readmissions owing to adhesions after lower abdominal surgery. The risks are related to the site and the type of the original surgery. The risk of further readmissions was highest in the first year but continued with time. The data enable surgeons to target antiadhesion strategies at procedures that lead to a high risk of adhesions.

Population-based analysis of the risk of adhesion-related readmissions after abdominal surgery in children.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to quantify the risk of adhesion-related readmissions after abdominal surgery in children. METHODS: This was a population-based study. One thousand five hundred eighty-one children younger than 16 years underwent laparotomy in 1996. Patients were identified from the Scottish Morbidity Records database and followed up for 4 years. RESULTS: In children younger than 5 years, 4.2% had a readmission "directly" owing to adhesions. In children younger than 16 years, 1.1% had a readmission directly owing to adhesions. The highest risk of readmission followed surgery on the small intestine (9.3%), followed by abdominal wall surgery (5.8%), duodenal surgery (2.6%), colonic surgery (2.1%), and appendicectomy (0.3%). 55% of all readmissions occurred in the first year. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in readmission rates between younger and older children when comparing the organ on which surgery was initially performed. The highest readmission rate followed small intestinal surgery and the lowest followed appendicectomy. The risk of readmission was highest in the first year.