Ethical challenges causing moral distress: nursing home staff's experiences of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the experiences of healthcare staff in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Individual interviews. Latent qualitative content analysis. SETTING: Ten nursing homes in Sweden. SUBJECTS: Physicians, nurses and nurse assistants working in Swedish nursing homes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants' experiences of working in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Four manifest categories were found, namely: Balancing restrictions and allocation of scarce resources with care needs; Prioritizing and acting against moral values in advance care planning; Distrust in cooperation and Leadership and staff turnover - a factor for moral distress. The latent theme Experiences of handling ethical challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic gave a deeper meaning to the categories. CONCLUSION: During the pandemic, nursing home staff encountered ethical challenges that caused moral distress. Moral distress stemmed from not being given adequate conditions to perform their work properly, and thus not being able to give the residents adequate care. Another aspect of moral distress originated from feeling forced to act against their moral values when a course of action was considered to cause discomfort or harm to a resident. Alerting employers and policymakers to the harm and inequality experienced by staff and the difficulty in delivering appropriate care is essential. Making proposals for improvements and developing guidelines together with staff to recognize their role and to develop better guidance for good care is vital in order to support and sustain the nursing home workforce.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected both patients and staff in nursing homes, in Sweden and worldwide.Our study highlights that during the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing home staff encountered several ethical challenges which caused moral distress.Moral distress stemmed from not being given adequate conditions to perform their work, thus not giving the residents appropriate care.Moral distress could also originate from nursing home staff's feeling of being forced to act against their moral values.

Long-term Follow-up, Patient Satisfaction, and Quality of Life for Patients With Kock's Continent Ileostomy.

BACKGROUND: Continent ileostomy is a solution for patients after proctocolectomy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the long-term complications and failure rate alongside patient satisfaction, function, and quality of life for patients with a continent ileostomy. DESIGN: This was a retrospective, descriptive cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: All patients were operated in 1 center between 1980 and 2016. PATIENTS: A total of 85 patients received a de novo continent ileostomy in our institution. Sixty-nine patients (80%) had ulcerative colitis, 12 (14%) had Crohn's disease, 2 had indeterminate colitis, and 1 each had familial adenomatous polyposis and anal atresia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Medical charts were reviewed for reoperations and pouchitis. The 36-Item Short Form, Short Health Scale, and a local continent ileostomy questionnaire were used to assess quality of life, function, and satisfaction. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 24 years, 67 patients (79%) underwent a total of 237 reoperations, of which 15 were conversions to end ileostomies, that is, failures. Fifty patients (59%) underwent repeat laparotomies, excluding loop ileostomy closures. Nipple detachment was the most common cause for repeat laparotomy, and fistulation was the most common cause for pouch removal. IPAA before continent ileostomy was associated with an increased risk for failure. Crohn's disease was not associated with an increased risk for reoperation or failure. Forty-three patients (84%) reported that they were satisfied. Seventy patients were available for questionnaires, and 50 patients (71%) answered. There was no difference in the 36-Item Short Form between the continent ileostomy population and an age-matched control population. LIMITATIONS: The retrospective, single-center design of the study alongside <100% response rate are to be considered limitations. CONCLUSIONS: Despite large numbers of complications, patients are generally satisfied with their continent ileostomies, and their quality of life is comparable to the general population. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B444. SEGUIMIENTO A LARGO PLAZO, SATISFACCIN DEL PACIENTE Y CALIDAD DE VIDA PARA PACIENTES CON ILEOSTOMA CONTINENTE DE KOCK: ANTECEDENTES:La ileostomía continente es una solución para los pacientes después de una proctocolectomía.OBJETIVO:El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar las complicaciones a largo plazo y la tasa de fracaso junto con la satisfacción del paciente, la función y la calidad de vida de los pacientes con una ileostomía continente.AJUSTES:Todos los pacientes fueron operados en un centro entre 1980 y 2016.DISEÑO:Estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo y transversal.PACIENTES:Un total de 85 pacientes recibieron una ileostomía continente de novo en nuestra institución. Sesenta y nueve (80%) pacientes tenían colitis ulcerosa, doce (14%) enfermedad de Crohn, dos, colitis indeterminada y uno de poliposis adenomatosa familiar y atresia anal respectivamente.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:Se revisaron los registros médicos en busca de reintervenciones y pouchitis. Se utilizó SF-36, escala de salud corta y un cuestionario de ileostomía continente local para evaluar la calidad de vida, la función y la satisfacción.RESULTADOS:Después de una mediana de seguimiento de 24 años, 67 (79%) pacientes fueron sometidos a un total de 237 reoperaciones, de las cuales 15 fueron conversiones para terminar con ileostomías, es decir, fracasos. 50 (59%) pacientes se sometieron a laparotomías repetidas, excluyendo los cierres de ileostomía en asa. El desprendimiento del pezón fue la causa más común de repetición de laparotomía y la fistulación fue la causa más común de retiro de la bolsa. La anastomosis anal de la bolsa ileal antes de la ileostomía continente se asoció con un mayor riesgo de fracaso. La enfermedad de Crohn no se asoció con un mayor riesgo de reoperación o fracaso. 43 pacientes (84%) informaron que estaban satisfechos. 70 pacientes estuvieron disponibles para cuestionarios y 50 pacientes (71%) respondieron. No hubo diferencia en SF-36 entre la población de ileostomía continente y una población de control de la misma edad.LIMITACIONES:El diseño retrospectivo y unicéntrico del estudio junto con una tasa de respuesta inferior al 100% deben considerarse limitaciones.CONCLUSIÓN:A pesar del gran número de complicaciones, los pacientes generalmente están satisfechos con sus ileostomías continentes y su calidad de vida es comparable a la de la población general. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B444.

COVID-19 as the sole cause of death is uncommon in frail home healthcare individuals: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: During the first pandemic wave, Sweden experienced a high mortality rate. Home healthcare reflects a group of people especially vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to evaluate the pattern of comorbidity and frailty in a group of individuals having fatal outcomes in home healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic March to September 2020, and to assess the contribution of COVID-19 in the fatal outcomes. METHODS: A cohort of adults with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis that deceased in home healthcare between March and September 2020 were analysed in a retrospective study comprising home healthcare in 136 facilities in one Swedish county. Main outcome measures were comorbidity and frailty. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-five individuals (88 women, 67 men) aged 57-106 (median 88) years were included in the analysis. Nine had considerable frailty (ability to perform various activities of daily living but confined to bed or chair on occasion) and the remaining 146 had severe frailty (unable to perform activities of daily living and/or confined to bed or chair; dementia necessitating care). Three or more diagnoses besides COVID-19 were present in 142 individuals and another eight had two diagnoses in addition to COVID-19. In 20 (13%) individuals, COVID-19 was assessed as the principal cause of death, in 100 (64.5%) a contributing cause, and for the remaining 35 (22.5%) death was probably caused by another comorbidity. This seemed to change over the course of the COVID - 19 pandemic, with its contributing role decreasing from the middle of the summer. CONCLUSIONS: Death in home healthcare during the first wave of the pandemic mostly affected individuals with severe frailty and comorbidity at very advanced ages. One fifth of the individuals who died in home health care had another cause than Covid-19. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials.gov NCT04642196 date 24/11/2020.

Incidence and potential risk factors for hospital-acquired pneumonia in an emergency department of surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is associated with high mortality and is the second most common nosocomial infection. The aim of this study was to calculate the incidence and to identify potential risk factors for HAP in an emergency ward for surgical patients admitted because of acute abdomen or trauma. DESIGN: A structured review of medical records was conducted. Patients diagnosed with pneumonia >48 h after admittance, were compared with a randomly chosen age-matched reference group. Ten variables judged as potential risk factors for HAP were studied in 90 patients. SETTING: An emergency ward for surgical patients with acute abdomen or trauma at an Univerity hospital in Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 90 patients with HAP and 120 age-matched controls were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Risk factors for HAP in patients at a surgical clinic. RESULTS: Of a total of 10 335 admitted patients, during 4.5 years the hospital stay was longer than 48 h in 4961 patients. Of these 90 (1.8%) fulfilled the strict criteria for HAP. Potential risk factors were suspected or verified aspiration (odds ratio (OR): 23.9) that was 2-fold higher than immobilization (OR: 11.2). Further, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD)/asthma, abdominal surgery and gastric retention/vomiting were risk factors for HAP. CONCLUSION: Verified or suspected aspiration was the dominating risk factor for HAP but also immobilization was frequently associated with HAP. Various established preventive measures should be implemented in the nursing care to reduce the frequency of HAP.

Patient benefit of dog-assisted interventions in health care: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Dogs are the most common companion animal, and therefore not surprisingly a popular choice for animal-assisted interventions. Dog-assisted interventions are increasingly used in healthcare. The aim of the review was to conduct a systematic literature review of quantitative studies on dog-assisted interventions in healthcare, with the intention of assessing the effects and cost-effectiveness of the interventions for different categories of patients. METHODS: A systematic review of the scientific literature reporting results of studies in healthcare, nursing home or home care settings, was conducted. The inclusion criteria applied for this review were: quantitative studies, inclusion of at least 20 study subjects, existence of a control and performed in healthcare settings including nursing homes and home care. The electronic databases PubMed, AMED, CINAHL and Scopus were searched from their inception date through January 2017, for published articles from peer-reviewed journals with full text in English. RESULTS: Eighteen studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria, and were judged to be of at least moderate quality, were included in the analysis. Three of them showed no effect. Fifteen showed at least one significant positive effect but in most studied outcome measures there was no significant treatment effect. Dog-assisted therapy had the greatest potential in treatment of psychiatric disorders among both young and adult patients. Dog-assisted activities had some positive effects on health, wellbeing, depression and quality of life for patients with severe cognitive disorders. Dog-assisted support had positive effects on stress and mood. CONCLUSIONS: The overall assessment of the included studies indicates minor to moderate effects of dog-assisted therapy in psychiatric conditions, as well as for dog-assisted activities in cognitive disorders and for dog-assisted support in different types of medical interventions. However, the majority of studied outcome measures showed no significant effect.

Robot-assisted pelvic and renal surgery compared with laparoscopic or open surgery: Literature review of cost-effectiveness and clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical experiences and cost-effectiveness by comparing robot-assisted surgery with laparoscopic- or open surgery for pelvic and renal operations. METHODS: A narrative review was carried out. RESULTS: When using robotic-assisted surgery, oncological and functional results are similar to after laparoscopic or open surgery. One exception may be a shorter survival in cancer of the cervix uteri. In addition, postoperative complications after robotic-assisted surgery are similar, bleeding and transfusion needs are less, and the hospital stay is shorter but the preparation of the operating theater before and after surgery and the operation times are longer. Finally, robot-assisted surgery has, in several studies, been reported to be not cost-effective primarily due to high investment costs. However, more recent studies provide improved cost-effectiveness estimates due to more effective preparation of the operating theater before surgery, improved surgeon experience, and decreased investment costs. CONCLUSIONS: Complications and functional and oncological outcomes after robot-assisted surgery are similar to open surgery and laparoscopic surgery. The cost-effectiveness of robot-assisted surgery is likely to equal or surpass the alternatives.

Causes of death after surgery for colon cancer-impact of other diseases, urgent admittance, and gender.

OBJECTIVE. In patients with colon cancer, high age and comorbidity is common. In this population-based retrospective study we have investigated causes of death and the influence of urgent operation, and gender on survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Medical records of 413 patients with verified colon cancer were reviewed. The diagnosis was made during 2000-2006 and operation was performed in 385 patients (93%). RESULTS. The overall 5-year survival after surgery was 48.3%. At the end of the follow-up, 128 patients (54.9%) had verified colon cancer when they died but 105 patients (45.1%) had no signs of colon cancer. Their 5-year survival was 5.5% and 41.9%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Median survival time was significantly shorter after urgent compared with elective admittance, 20.7 months versus 77.9 months, and the 5-year survival 32.4% versus 57.9% (p = 0.0001). The tumor stage at operation was more favorable in patients dying with no signs of colon cancer than in those dying with cancer regarding stage I-II (66.7% versus 16.4%), and stage IV (1.0% versus 53.1%), but not regarding stage III (30.5% versus 29.7%). The overall survival in women who were operated was longer than in men (p = 0.045) as well as survival after elective admittance (p = 0.013). CONCLUSION. After a median follow-up of 56.1 months almost half of the patients who were dead had died from other causes than colon cancer. Ten percent of those patients had an incorrectly reported diagnosis of colon cancer as cause of death. Urgent admittance was associated with reduced survival time. The median survival time was longer in women than in men.

Association between vaccination and preventive routines on COVID-19-related mortality in nursing home facilities: a population-based systematic retrospective chart review.

BACKGROUND: Older and frail individuals are at high risk of dying from COVID-19, and residents in nursing homes (NHs) are overrepresented in death rates. We explored four different periods during the COVID-19 pandemic to analyze the effects of improved preventive routines and vaccinations, respectively, on mortality in NHs. METHODS: We undertook a population-based systematic retrospective chart review comprising 136 NH facilities in southeast Sweden. All residents, among these facilities, who died within 30 days after a laboratory-verified COVID-19 diagnosis during four separate 92-day periods representing early pandemic (second quarter 2020), middle of the pandemic (fourth quarter 2020), early post-vaccination phase (first quarter 2021), and the following post-vaccination phase (second quarter 2021). Mortality together with electronic chart data on demographic variables, comorbidity, frailty, and cause of death was collected. RESULTS: The number of deaths during the four periods was 104, 120, 34 and 4, respectively, with a significant reduction in the two post-vaccination periods (P < 0.001). COVID-19 was assessed as the dominant cause of death in 20 (19%), 19 (16%), 4 (12%) and 1 (3%) residents in each period (P < 0.01). The respective median age in the four studied periods varied between 87and 89 years, and three or more diagnoses besides COVID-19 were present in 70-90% of the respective periods' study population. Considerable or severe frailty was found in all residents. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination against COVID-19 seems associated with a reduced number of deaths in NHs. We could not demonstrate an effect on mortality merely from the protective routines that were undertaken.

[Robotic-assisted pelvic and renal surgery - an overview]. / Robotassisterad bäcken- och njurkirurgi ­ en utvärdering.

Current studies indicate that robotic-assisted surgery is not inferior to laparoscopic or open surgery regarding oncologic or functional outcomes. An exception may be uterine cervix cancer, where the survival after minimal invasive surgery might not be as good as after open surgery. There is less bleeding and need for blood transfusion after robotic-assisted surgery, and postoperative complications are similar to open or laparoscopic surgery. Robotic-assisted surgery offers ergonomic advantages compared to laparoscopic surgery. The effect of the surgical learning curve is not sufficiently studied. Presently robotic-assisted surgery is not cost-effective due to high costs of investments. The operation is more time consuming than laparoscopic or open surgery with risks of delaying and cancellation of other operations.

Does a defunctioning stoma affect anorectal function after low rectal resection? Results of a randomized multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND: Anorectal function is often impaired after low anterior resection of the rectum. Many factors affect the functional outcome and not all are known. OBJECTIVE: This trial aimed to assess whether a temporary defunctioning stoma affected anorectal function after the patients had been stoma-free for a year. DESIGN: Multicenter randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Twenty-one Swedish hospitals performing surgery for rectal cancer participated. PATIENTS: Patients who had undergone low anterior resection for adenocarcinoma of the rectum were eligible. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive a defunctioning stoma or no stoma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anorectal function was evaluated with a questionnaire after patients had been without a stoma for 12 months. Questions pertained to stool frequency, urgency, fragmentation of bowel movements, evacuation difficulties, incontinence, lifestyle alterations, and whether patients would prefer a permanent stoma. RESULTS: After exclusion of patients in whom stomas became permanent, a total of 181 (90%) of 201 patients answered the questionnaire (90 in the stoma group and 91 in the no-stoma group). The median number of stools was 3 during the day and 0 at night in both groups. Inability to defer defecation for 15 minutes was reported in 35% of patients in the stoma group and 25% in the no stoma group (P = .15). Median scores were the same in each group regarding need for medication, evacuation difficulties, fragmentation of bowel movements, incontinence, and effects on well-being. Two patients (2.2%) in the stoma group and 3 patients (3.3%) in the no-stoma group would have preferred a permanent stoma. LIMITATIONS: Because this study was an analysis of secondary end points of a randomized trial, no prestudy power calculation was performed. CONCLUSIONS: A defunctioning stoma after low anterior resection did not affect anorectal function evaluated after 1 year. Many patients experienced impaired anorectal function, but nearly all preferred having impaired anorectal function to a permanent stoma.

What is the risk for a permanent stoma after low anterior resection of the rectum for cancer? A six-year follow-up of a multicenter trial.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the risk for permanent stoma after low anterior resection of the rectum for cancer. METHODS: In a nationwide multicenter trial 234 patients undergoing low anterior resection of the rectum were randomly assigned to a group with defunctioning stomas (n = 116) or a group with no defunctioning stomas (n = 118). The median age was 68 years, 45% of the patients were women, 79% had preoperative radiotherapy, and 4% had International Union Against Cancer cancer stage IV. The patients were analyzed with regard to the presence of a permanent stoma, the type of stoma, the time point at which the stoma was constructed or considered as permanent, and the reasons for obtaining a permanent stoma. Median follow-up was 72 months (42-108). One patient with a defunctioning stoma who died within 30 days after the rectal resection was excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: During the study period 19% (45/233) of the patients obtained a permanent stoma: 25 received an end sigmoid stoma and 20 received a loop ileostomy. The end sigmoid stomas were constructed at a median of 22 months (1-71) after the low anterior resection of the rectum, and the loop ileostomies were considered as permanent at a median of 12.5 months (1-47) after the initial rectal resection. The reasons for loop ileostomy were metastatic disease (n = 6), unsatisfactory anorectal function (n = 6), deteriorated general medical condition (n = 3), new noncolorectal cancer (n = 2), patient refusal of further surgery (n = 2), and chronic constipation (n = 1). Reasons for end sigmoid stoma were unsatisfactory anorectal function (n = 22) and urgent surgery owing to anastomotic leakage (n = 3). The risk for permanent stomas in patients with symptomatic anastomotic leakage was 56% (25/45) compared with 11% (20/188) in those without symptomatic anastomotic leakage (P < .001). CONCLUSION: One patient of 5 ended up with a permanent stoma after low anterior resection of the rectum for cancer, and half of the patients with a permanent stoma had previous symptomatic anastomotic leakage.

Ultrasonographic findings in patients with peristomal bulging.

AIM: The aim of this study was to obtain a classification of peristomal bulging based on findings at ultrasonography in patients with a sigmoid colostomy. METHODS: The patient material comprised 30 men and 33 women. The median age was 69 years (28-90) and the median time between stoma creation and investigation was 68 months (3-426). Any bulging was measured, and the abdominal opening for the stoma bowel was evaluated at the clinical examination. At the ultrasonographic investigation, the patients were first investigated in the supine position to measure the transverse and vertical diameter of the abdominal opening and the thickness of the abdominal muscles. RESULTS: Three types of ultrasonographic findings were identified. In ultra-I, the stoma bowel was completely fixed or showed telescoping-like movement through the abdominal opening. In ultra-II, fatty tissue was prolapsed together with the stoma bowel forming a bend in the subcutaneous tissue. In ultra-III, another bowel segment or fatty tissue passed beside the stoma bowel through the abdominal opening into the abdominal wall. A normal finding without any bulging at the clinical examination was associated with a smaller area and a smaller diameter of the abdominal opening than the area and diameter in patients with a visible peristomal bulging. There was no difference in the thickness of the muscle layer of the abdominal wall between patients with and without bulging. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonography can make a dynamic diagnosis of parastomal hernia. In patients with visible peristomal bulging, the area of the abdominal opening is increased but there is no decrease in the thickness of the muscles of the abdominal wall.

Management of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles: recommendations for swedish national guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle is a common condition. There are no generally accepted criteria for diagnosis or treatment of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle, which causes uncertainty for the patient and healthcare providers alike. METHODS: The consensus document was created by a group of Swedish surgeons and based on a structured literature review and practical experience. RESULTS: The proposed criteria for diagnosis and treatment of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle are as follows: (1) Diastasis diagnosed at clinical examination using a caliper or ruler for measurement. Diagnostic imaging by ultrasound or other imaging modality, should be performed when concurrent umbilical or epigastric hernia or other cause of the patient's symptoms cannot be excluded. (2) Physiotherapy is the firsthand treatment for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle. Surgery should only be considered in diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle patients with functional impairment, and not until the patient has undergone a standardized 6-month abdominal core training program. (3) The largest width of the diastasis should be at least 5 cm before surgical treatment is considered. In case of pronounced abdominal bulging or concomitant ventral hernia, surgery may be considered in patients with a smaller diastasis. (4) When surgery is undertaken, at least 2 years should have elapsed since last childbirth and future pregnancy should not be planned. (5) Plication of the linea alba is the firsthand surgical technique. Other techniques may be used but have not been found superior. DISCUSSION: The level of evidence behind these statements varies, but they are intended to lay down a standard strategy for treatment of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle and to enable uniformity of management.

Learning From Incident Reporting? Analysis of Incidents Resulting in Patient Injuries in a Web-Based System in Swedish Health Care.

OBJECTIVES: Incident reporting (IR) systems have the potential to improve patient safety if they enable learning from the reported risks and incidents. The aim of this study was to investigate incidents registered in an IR system in a Swedish county council. METHODS: The study was conducted in the County Council of Östergötland, Sweden. Data were retrieved from the IR system, which included 4755 incidents occurring in somatic care that resulted in patient injuries from 2004 to 2012. One hundred correctly classified patient injuries were randomly sampled from 3 injury severity levels: injuries leading to deaths, permanent harm, and temporary harm. Three aspects were analyzed: handling of the incident, causes of the incident, and actions taken to prevent its recurrence. RESULTS: Of the 300 injuries, 79% were handled in the departments where they occurred. The department head decided what actions should be taken to prevent recurrence in response to 95% of the injuries. A total of 448 causes were identified for the injuries; problems associated with procedures, routines, and guidelines were most common. Decisions taken for 80% of the injuries could be classified using the IR system documentation and root cause analysis. The most commonly pursued type of action was change of work routine or guideline. CONCLUSIONS: The handling, causes, and actions taken to prevent recurrence were similar for injuries of different severity levels. Various forms of feedback (information, education, and dialogue) were an integral aspect of the IR system. However, this feedback was primarily intradepartmental and did not yield much organizational learning.

Thiopurine therapy is associated with postoperative intra-abdominal septic complications in abdominal surgery for Crohn's disease.

PURPOSE: Thiopurines are important as maintenance therapy in Crohn's disease, but there have been concerns whether thiopurines increase the risk for anastomotic complications. The present study was performed to assess whether thiopurines alone, or together with other possible risk factors, are associated with postoperative intra-abdominal septic complications after abdominal surgery for Crohn's disease. METHODS: Prospectively registered data regarding perioperative factors were collected at a single tertiary referral center from 1989 to 2002. Data from 343 consecutive abdominal operations on patients with Crohn's disease were entered into a multivariate analysis to evaluate risk factors for intra-abdominal septic complications. All operations involved either anastomoses, strictureplasties, or both; no operations, however, involved proximal diversion. RESULTS: Intra-abdominal septic complications occurred in 26 of 343 operations (8%). Thiopurine therapy was associated with an increased risk of intra-abdominal septic complications (16% with therapy; 6% without therapy; P = 0.044). Together with established risk factors such as preoperative intra-abdominal sepsis (18% with sepsis; 6% without sepsis; P = 0.024) and colo-colonic anastomosis (16% with such anastomosis; 6% with other types of anastomosis; P = 0.031), thiopurine therapy was associated with intra-abdominal septic complications in 24% if any 2 or all 3 risk factors were present compared with 13% if any 1 factor was present, and only 4% in patients if none of these factors were present (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Thiopurine therapy is associated with postoperative intra-abdominal septic complications. The risk for intra-abdominal septic complications was related to the number of identified risk factors. This increased risk should be taken into consideration when planning surgery for Crohn's disease.

The impact of hospital volume on surgical outcome in patients with rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate, in a population-based setting, the surgical outcome in patients with rectal cancer according to the hospital volume. METHODS: Since 1995 all patients with rectal cancer have been registered in the Swedish Rectal Cancer Registry. Hospitals were classified, according to number treated per year, as low-volume, intermediate-volume, or high-volume hospitals (<11, 11-25, or >25 procedures per year). Postoperative mortality, reoperation rate within 30 days, local recurrence rate, and overall five-year survival were studied. For postoperative morbidity and mortality the whole cohort from 1995 to 2003 (n = 10,425) was used. For cancer-related outcome only, those with five-year follow-ups, from 1995 to 1998, were used (n = 4,355). RESULTS: In this registry setting the postoperative mortality rate was 3.6% in low-volume hospitals, and 2.2% in intermediate-volume and high-volume hospitals (P = 0.002). The reoperation rate was 10%, with no differences according to volume. The overall local recurrence rates were 9.4%, 9.3%, and 7.5%, respectively (P = 0.06). Significant difference was found among the nonirradiated patients (P = 0.004), but not among the irradiated patients (P = 0.45). No differences were found according to volume in the absolute five-year survival. CONCLUSION: Postoperative mortality and local recurrence in nonirradiated patients were lower in high-volume hospitals. No difference was seen between volumes in reoperation rates, overall local recurrence, or absolute five-year survival.

[Mortality among hospitalized patients did not appear to increase during the summer]. / Mortalitet bland sjukhusvårdade tycktes inte öka under sommaren - Analys från Universitetssjukhuset i Linköping.

A retrospective review of medical records (2017-2018) at Linköping University Hospital compared hospital mortality for the 2-month period of summer vacations (group A) with two months of regular activity (group B). The mortality was 163 patients in group A and 216 in group B. Emergency admittance dominated (95%) in both groups. Comorbidity was found in 81%, and at admittance the risk for death during the hospital stay was estimated to more than 50% in three out of four patients. There was no difference between the groups regarding demography, hospital stay, or diagnosis. Due to a 30% reduction of hospital beds during the summer some patients were relocated to other specialties. No relocated patient died in group A but six in group B. Eight deaths were judged as probably preventable, but none definitely preventable. The similarity between the groups regarding mortality does not allow estimations of differences in adverse events in general. Low mortality among relocated patients is probably due to identification of high-risk patients not suitable for relocation.

[High prevalence of advanced cancer disease in patients with serious non-specific symtoms. Experience of a diagnostic pathway in a defined population area in Sweden]. / Standardiserade vårdförlopp kan ge svårt cancersjuka bättre stöd - En fjärdedel av dem som utreddes för allvarliga ospecifika symtom hade malign sjukdom ­ hälften i avancerat stadium.

The Swedish fast-track diagnostic pathway was applied during 2017 for 146 patients with serious non-specific symptoms including weight loss, fatigue and anemia. Within five days all patients had a physical examination and a decision was made of radiologic investigations. The waiting time was short for e.g. CT-scan of the abdomen and thorax. A diagnosis of a malignant condition was made in 38 patients (26%) with a median age of 75 (48-91) years. There were 24 men and 14 women. Most common diagnoses were lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Hematologic malignancy was diagnosed in 8 patients. Stage IV disease occurred in 17 of the patients with carcinoma (57%). About 60 benign main diagnoses were made in 108 patients without malignant disease. Two of them have developed cancer during 2018 (breast cancer, pancreatic cancer).

Quality of life is impaired in patients with peristomal bulging of a sigmoid colostomy.

OBJECTIVE: Peristomal bulging caused by hernia or prolapse is common in patients with a sigmoidostomy. It is not known whether and to what extent peristomal bulging influences various daily activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of bulging by using a general and disease-specific health scale (Short Health Scale, SHS) and a stoma-specific quality of life (Stoma-QoL) questionnaire in patients with and without peristomal bulging. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy patients with sigmoidostomies were examined to identify peristomal bulging. The mean (SD) age was 71.7 (13.7) years and the patients had had their sigmoidostomies for a mean of 8.1 (7.9) years. Bulging was noticed in 46 patients (66%) while 24 had no bulging. RESULTS: It was found that patients with bulging were at a disadvantage. In the SHS, patients with bulging reported significantly impaired QoL in 3 out of 4 scales regarding symptom load, worry and general sense of well-being. Also, in the Stoma-QoL questionnaire there was a significant difference between patients with and those without bulging. CONCLUSIONS: QoL evaluated with a general and disease-specific instrument (SHS) was significantly impaired in patients with bulging around a sigmoidostomy. The Stoma-QoL questionnaire showed a small but statistically significant difference between patients with and those without bulging but the clinical significance is uncertain. Further studies are required to evaluate the role of some of the individual items in the Stoma-QoL questionnaire.

Långvarigt Trendelenburgs läge kan orsaka ögonskador - Kortad operationstid i tippat läge och justering av tippningsvinkeln kan minska risken.

Risk of optic nerve injury after prolonged Trendelenburg's position Postoperative loss of vision due to acute ischaemic optic nerve injury is a rare complication following pelvic surgery. A steep Trendelenburg's position of the patient, high intraabdominal pressure and a long operative time in Trendelenburg's position are recognised risk factors associated with robot-assisted pelvic surgery. This manuscript presents the underlying pathophysiologic mechanism. Practical tips and tricks for prevention are discussed.