Impacto de COVID-19 en la formación de los alumnos de la Carrera de Posgrado de Cirugía General en un Hospital COVID / Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on trainees' education in the Postgraduate Program in General Surgery in a COVID-19-dedicated hospital

RESUMEN Antecedentes: El Hospital Eva Perón de la ciudad de Granadero Baigorria se destinó a la atención casi exclusiva de pacientes afectados por COVID-19, lo que implicó modificar las actividades que allí se desarrollan. Allí se realizan actividades correspondientes al Posgrado de Cirugía General de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Nacional de Rosario. El objetivo es describir los cambios y el funcionamiento del posgrado de Cirugía General en el HEEP durante la pandemia por COVID-19, y el impacto que esta tuvo sobre la formación de los alumnos. Material y métodos: se realizó un trabajo descriptivo, comparativo. Período 20 de marzo de 2020 al 30 de septiembre de 2020 y el mismo período del año 2019. Variables analizadas: número de cirugías, horas en el hospital, número de guardias, actividad en consultorio y pacientes evaluados, seminarios teóricos, cursado de la carrera de posgrado. Resultados: las cirugías totales se redujeron un 74,88%. Las cirugías programadas se redujeron un 85,59%. Las cirugías de guardia se redujeron un 63,19%. Las guardias de R1, R2 y R3 se vieron disminuidas, al contrario de R4. Las horas en el hospital se redujeron en todos los alumnos. Los pacientes ingresados disminuyeron el 74,06%. La atención en todos los consultorios se vio reducida. Las actividades académicas se incrementaron, de forma no presencial. Conclusión: la pandemia por COVID-19 afectó significativamente la formación de los alumnos del posgrado de Cirugía General del HEEP. Se recurrió a métodos no tradicionales de enseñanza para realizar actualizaciones y discutir trabajos científicos.

ABSTRACT Background: Hospital Eva Perón in the city of Granadero Baigorria was almost exclusively dedicated to the care of COVID-19 patients; thereby, it was necessary to modify its activities, as those of the postgraduate program in General Surgery of Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, which take place in this hospital. The aim of this study is to describe the changes made and the performance of the postgraduate program in general surgery at HEEP during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on trainees' education. Material and methods: We conducted a descriptive study comparing the period between March 20, 2020, and September 30, 2020, with the same period in 2019. The variables analyzed included number of surgeries, hours spent in hospital, number of in-house call shifts, activities in the outpatient clinic and evaluation of patients, theoretical seminars, attendance to classes of the postgraduate programs and research work. Results: The total number of surgeries decreased by 74.88%, scheduled surgeries by 85.59% and emergency surgeries by 63.19%. The numbers of in-house call shifts of PGY-1, PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents decreased but not those of PGY-4 residents. The hours spent in hospital decreased in all the trainees. The number of patients hospitalized decreased by 74.06% and there was a reduction in all the activities of the outpatient clinics. The academic activities, performed non-face-to-face, increased. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected trainees' education in the postgraduate program in General Surgery at HEEP. Non-traditional teaching methods were used for updating and discussing scientific papers.

Jejum pós-operatório prolongado: um problema negligenciado / Ayuno postoperatorio prolongado: un problema negligenciado / Prolonged postoperative fasting: a neglected problem

RESUMO Objetivo: analisar o tempo de jejum e tipo de dieta prescrita para reintrodução alimentar no pós-operatório de diferentes especialidades cirúrgicas. Método: estudo quantitativo, retrospectivo, documental e descritivo dos prontuários de pacientes cirúrgicos, com amostra randomizada e estratificada de 464 pacientes, realizado em hospital universitário público de grande porte no Paraná. Realizou-se análise estatística descritiva, apresentando medidas de tendência central e seus intervalos de confiança. Resultados: a média de jejum pós-operatório foi de 9:54h (DP: 6:89), variando de 8 a 30 horas. As clínicas que apresentaram maior tempo de jejum foram cirurgia cardíaca, cirurgia torácica e neurocirurgia, com médias de 18:25h, 14:45h e 12:22h, respectivamente. Quanto à prescrição de dieta no pós-operatório imediato, 51,3% dos pacientes receberam dieta geral, 15,3% dieta leve e 11,9% mantiveram jejum nas primeiras 24 horas após o procedimento cirúrgico. Conclusão: o tempo de jejum encontrado nessa instituição excede as atuais recomendações de protocolos nacionais e internacionais, o que implica aumento de desconfortos para o paciente cirúrgico, como sede, fome e estresse, além da insatisfação com o serviço prestado pela equipe de saúde.

RESUMEN Objetivo: analizar el tiempo de ayuno y tipo de dieta prescrita para la reintroducción alimentaria postoperatoria de diferentes especialidades quirúrgicas. Método: estudio cuantitativo, retrospectivo, documental y descriptivo de historias clínicas de pacientes quirúrgicos, con una muestra aleatorizada y estratificada de 464 pacientes, realizada en un gran hospital universitario público de Paraná. Se realizó análisis estadístico descriptivo, presentando medidas de tendencia central y sus intervalos de confianza. Resultados: el ayuno postoperatorio medio fue de 9: 54h (DP: 6:89), con un rango de 8 a 30 horas. Las clínicas que mostraron mayor tiempo de ayuno fueron cirugía cardíaca, cirugía torácica y neurocirugía, con medias de 18: 25h, 14: 45h y 12: 22h, respectivamente. En cuanto a la prescripción de dieta en el postoperatorio inmediato, el 51,3% de los pacientes recibió dieta general, el 15,3% dieta ligera y el 11,9% ayuno durante las primeras 24 horas posteriores al procedimiento quirúrgico. Conclusión: el tiempo de ayuno encontrado en esta institución supera las recomendaciones vigentes de los protocolos nacionales e internacionales, lo que implica un aumento de las molestias para el paciente quirúrgico, como sed, hambre y estrés, además de insatisfacción con el servicio brindado por el equipo de salud.

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the fasting time and type of the diet prescribed for the food reintroduction during the postoperative period of different surgical specialties. Method: this is a quantitative, retrospective, documentary, and descriptive study with medical records of surgical patients. The study had a randomized and stratified sample with 464 patients carried out in a large public university hospital in Paraná. We performed a descriptive statistical analysis, presenting measures of central tendency and their confidence intervals. Results: the mean post-operative fasting was 9:54 hours (SD: 6:89), ranging from 8 to 30 hours. The cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, and neurosurgery were the clinics that presented the longest fasting time with averages of 18:25, 14:45, and 12:22 hours, respectively. Regarding the diet prescription in the immediate postoperative period, 51.3% of the patients received a general diet, 15.3% a light diet, and 11.9% fasted for the first 24 hours after the surgical procedure. Conclusion: the fasting time found in this institution exceeds the current recommendations of national and international protocols, showing an increase in discomfort for the surgical patient such as thirst, hunger, and stress, in addition to dissatisfaction with the service provided by the health team.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency general surgery: a retrospective study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected healthcare systems worldwide. The effect of the pandemic on emergency general surgery patients remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To reveal the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality and morbidity among emergency general surgery cases. DESIGN AND SETTING: Data on patients who were admitted to the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Samsun, Turkey, and had consultations at the general surgery clinic were analyzed retrospectively. METHODS: Our study included comparative analysis on two groups of patients who received emergency general surgery consultations in our hospital: during the COVID-19 pandemic period (Group 2); and on the same dates one year previously (Group 1). RESULTS: There were 195 patients in Group 1 and 132 in Group 2 (P < 0.001). While 113 (58%) of the patients in Group 1 were women, only 58 (44%) were women in Group 2 (P = 0.013). Considering all types of diagnosis, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.261). The rates of abscess and delayed abdominal emergency diseases were higher in Group 2: one case (0.5%) versus ten cases (8%); P < 0.001. The morbidity rate was higher in Group 2 than in Group 1: three cases (1.5%) versus nine cases (7%); P = 0.016. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has decreased the number of unnecessary nonemergency admissions to the emergency department, but has not delayed patients' urgent consultations. The pandemic has led surgeons to deal with more complicated cases and greater numbers of complications.

Perfil epidemiológico de cirurgias em serviço de urgência e emergência / Epidemiological profile of surgery in emergency service

RESUMO: Introdução: A encefalite viral é uma condição com altas taxas de morbimortalidade, e um melhor entendimento de sua epidemiologia pode colaborar para a construção de estratégias de prevenção e controle. Diante disso, este estudo se propôs a traçar um perfil epidemiológico para a encefalite viral no Brasil no ano de 2018 a partir de dados de internações hospitalares no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Métodos: Estudo ecológico de análise espacial. Os dados estudados foram relativos às internações hospitalares por encefalite viral no SUS em 2018, estratificadas por unidade da federação (UF), sexo e faixa etária. A distribuição geográfica foi abordada exploratoriamente, já as variáveis sexo e faixa etária foram abordadas analiticamente. Resultados: Foram registradas 2075 internações, com taxa de 0,99/105 habitantes. As taxas para cada UF foram representadas a partir de um mapa colorimétrico, enquanto as taxas para cada sexo e faixa etária foram representadas em uma tabela comparativa univariada. Discussão: Observou-se ampla variação numérica das taxas de internação dentre as UF, sendo Pernambuco o estado com maior incidência (4,13/105 habitantes) e Paraíba o estado com menor (0,29/105 habitantes). Foi constatada associação significativa com o risco de internação hospitalar por encefalite viral para o sexo masculino e para as faixas etárias de 1 a 4 anos (RR: 3,28) e menores de 1 ano (RR: 6,02). Conclusão: UF, gênero e faixa etária foram determinantes importantes da taxa de internação hospitalar por encefalite viral. Todavia, carecem de estudos atuais no Brasil e no mundo para a melhor caracterização da epidemiologia da encefalite viral. (AU)

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Viral encephalitis is a condition with high morbidity and mortality rates, and a better understanding of its epidemiology may contribute to the construction of prevention and control strategies. For this reason, this study aimed to draw an epidemiological profile for viral encephalitis in Brazil in 2018 from data on hospitalizations in the Unified Health System (SUS). Methods: Ecological study of spatial analysis. The data studied were hospitalizations for viral encephalitis in SUS in 2018, stratified by federation unit (FU), gender, and age group. The geographical distribution was approached in an exploratory way, whereas gender and age variables were analytically addressed. Results: There were 2075 hospitalizations, with a rate of 0.99/105 inhabitants. The rates for each FU were represented in a colorimetric map, whereas the rates for each sex and age group were exemplified in a univariate comparative table. Discussion: There was a wide numerical variation in hospitalization rates among the FUs, with Pernambuco being the state with the highest incidence (4.13/105 inhabitants) and Paraíba with the lowest (0.29/105 inhabitants). A significant association was found with the risk of hospitalization for viral encephalitis for males and the ages from 1 to 4 years (RR: 3.28) and under one year (RR: 6.02). Conclusion: FU, gender, and age group were important determinants of the hospitalization rate due to viral encephalitis. However, current studies are needed in Brazil and worldwide to better characterize the epidemiology of viral encephalitis. (AU)

Conflictos del cirujano: ¿La vocación quirúrgica está en crisis? / Conflicts of surgeons: is surgical vocation in crisis?

RESUMEN Introducción: En los últimos años vemos un aumento de bibliografía que se refiere a problemas perso nales y psicológicos del cirujano, a la deserción en residencias de cirugía y a la falta de especialización de individuos jóvenes. Este aumento se observa sobre todo en revistas de jerarquía como Lancet o JAMA. ¿Pero cuál es la situación en la Argentina? ¿Consideramos que nos están pagando adecua damente por nuestra práctica? ¿Pensamos en abandonar nuestra especialidad? ¿Cuántos conflictos tenemos con pacientes por mes? Estimamos necesaria la realización de un trabajo regional que lo plasme. Objetivo: conocer la situación socioeconómica actual de los cirujanos. Material y métodos: estudio de corte transversal. Resultados: de 73 cirujanos encuestados de la provincia de Santa Fe, se recibió respuesta en un 57,5 %. El 87,8 % fueron hombres y 56,1% estaba dentro del grupo de edad adulto intermedio/mayor al momento del estudio. El 97,6 % de los cirujanos concordó en que sus ingresos no se corresponden con el tiempo invertido en la práctica. Consideraron abandonar su práctica diaria en el último año en un 26,2 %; la causa económica es el principal problema para el 72,7%. Discusión: la incomodidad del cirujano frente a su salario (97,6 %), la discrepancia de porcentajes en tre cirujanos y cirujanas (87,8% vs. 12,2%), la falta de cirujanos jóvenes (43,9%) y la alarmante cifra de cirujanos graduados por año (35 por año) son cuatro puntos clave que consideramos deberían abordar de manera urgente los entes políticos y, sobre todo, las Asociaciones de Cirugía.

ABSTRACT Background: In recent years we have witnessed more publications about personal and psychological issues affecting surgeons, residents quitting surgery residencies, and lack of specialization of young in dividuals. This growth can be observed especially in high-impact journals such as The Lancet or JAMA. But what is the situation in Argentina? Do we think that we are receiving adequate payment for our practice? Do we consider quitting our specialty? How many conflicts do we have with patients each month? We think that a regional work is necessary to reflect this situation. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the current socioeconomic situation of surgeons. Material and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study. Results: A total of 73 surgeons from the province of Santa Fe were contacted and 42 answers were received (response rate 57.5%): 87.8% were men and 56.1% corresponded to middle/older adulthood. Almost all surgeons (97.6%) agreed that their income did not reflect the time spent in practice. Up to 26.2% of survey respondents considered quitting their daily practice in the last year due to eco nomic reasons, which is the main problem for 72.7% of them. Discussion: Surgeons' discomfort with their salaries (97.6%), the discrepancy in percentages between male and female surgeons (87.8% vs. 12.2%), the lack of young surgeons (43.9%) and the alarming number of surgeons graduated per year (35 per year) are 4 key issues which we believe should be urgently addressed by political bodies and, especially, by surgery associations.

Segurança e qualidade em cirurgia: a percepção de cirurgiões no Brasil / Safety and quality in surgery: surgeons' perception in Brazil

RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar a percepção dos cirurgiões, membros do Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgiões (CBC), sobre temas de segurança e qualidade em cirurgia, com base em Projetos do Ministério da Saúde (MS), do CBC, da Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) e do Colégio Americano de Cirurgiões (ACS). Métodos: questionário com base nas iniciativas da OMS, do CBC e do ACS foi enviado pelo Survey Monkey a todos os sócios, ativos e não ativos, do CBC em março de 2018. Resultados: responderam ao questionário 171 profissionais dentre os 7.100 sócios. Desses, a maioria (63,2%) declarou praticar Cirurgia Geral, 88,9% indicaram conhecer o Projeto Cirurgia Segura do MS, 73,1%, o Manual do CBC e 14,6%, o Strong for Surgery do ACS. Entre os que conhecem o Projeto do MS, 73,1% disseram usá-lo como rotina e, entre os que conhecem o Manual do CBC, 46,2% usam-no. A maior parte dos cirurgiões (81,3%) indicou que já vivenciou falha cirúrgica grave, sendo aquelas relacionadas com material cirúrgico (49,7%) e presença de corpos estranhos (8,2%), isoladamente, as mais comuns. Houve opiniões distintas sobre a responsabilidade de conferência do checklist. Conclusão: a importância da segurança e qualidade em cirurgia é conhecida pelos cirurgiões, mas a prática é variada. Eventos adversos graves foram vivenciados por muitos cirurgiões, principalmente relacionados com material cirúrgico e corpos estranhos. O conceito de interdisciplinaridade parece não ser prática comum. Os dados indicam a necessidade de desenvolver projetos de educação e a obrigatoriedade de auditorias.

ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the perception of surgeons, members of the Brazilian College of Surgeons (CBC), on safety and quality issues in surgery, based on projects of Brazilian Ministry of Health (MS), CBC, World Health Organization (WHO), and American College of Surgeons (ACS). Methods: a questionnaire based on WHO, CBC, and ACS initiatives was sent to all active and non-active CBC members, using Survey Monkey, in March 2018. Results: out of 7,100 members, 171 professionals answered the questionnaire. Out of these, the majority (63.2%) declared to perform general surgery, 88.9% indicated knowing the project called Safe Surgery developed by MS, 73.1%, the CBC manual, and 14.6%, the ACS Strong for Surgery. Among those who indicated knowing the MS project, 73.1% said that they were accustomed to use it as a routine, and, among those who indicated knowing the CBC manual, 46.2% said that they were accustomed to use it. Most of the surgeons (81.3%) indicated that they had experienced severe surgical failures, being failures related to surgical material (49.7%) and presence of foreign bodies (8.2%) the most common ones. There were distinct opinions on who was responsible for checking over the checklist. Conclusion: the importance of safety and quality in surgery is well known by surgeons, but the practice is varied. Serious adverse events had been experienced by many surgeons, mainly related to surgical material and foreign bodies. The concept of interdisciplinarity did not seem to be common practice. Data indicated the need to develop education projects and the obligation of audits.

Especialidades derivadas de la cirugía general: revisión de brechas e intención de residentes de la especialidad en Chile / Gaps between country needs and intentions to obtain a subspecialty among general surgery trainees in Chile

The fragmentation of a general specialty in subspecialties or derived specialties is a widely spread reality. Chilean health care system is becoming more complex, requiring more specialists. On the other hand, doctors in specialty training increasingly choose a subspecialty to continue their training and professional development. This contrasts with the growing need for well-trained general surgeons. We aimed to compare the evidence about the needs for general surgeons and the perspectives of Chilean physicians about their specialty training. A literature review about the intention of specialization in Chilean general surgery residents and the gaps in the Chilean health system, was performed. As of December 2016, there were 2,103 general surgeons in Chile, of whom 598 (28%) also have a subspecialty. Among the latter, 49% are plastic or vascular surgeons, which are also the specialties with the greatest demand in the public system. According to estimates of the Chilean Ministry of Health, on that year there was a deficit of 285 general surgeons and 142 subspecialists. These figures correspond to 18.5% and 23.8% of the existing resources. A survey published in 2009 reported that 78% of trainees in general surgery would prefer to continue studying a subspecialty, following the trend observed in the USA and Europe. Therefore, there is a disproportion between the intentions of general surgery trainees and the needs for these professionals in Chile.

Publication rate of abstracts presented in a Brazilian experimental surgery congress

ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To verify the publication rate of the abstracts presented at the XII Brazilian Congress of Experimental Surgery. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study that evaluated if the abstracts accepted for presentation at the XII Brazilian Congress of Experimental Surgery were published in periodics. The information was acquired using the Scielo, Medline / Pubmed, LILACS and Google Scholar databases. RESULTS: From all the abstracts presented, only 77 (40.52%) were published in scientific journals. Of this total, 14 (18.18%) were published prior to the conference 35 (45.45%) in the same year that occurred congress, 56 (72.72%) in the period 2011-2013 and 63 (81, 81%) between the Congress and the year 2015. Regarding the geographical distribution of summaries, 42 (22%) were from the northern region, 19 (10%) from the Northeast, 8 (4%) Midwest, 116 (61%) from the Southeast and 5 (3%) from the south. CONCLUSION: The publication rate of the abstracts presented at the XII Brazilian Congress of Experimental Surgery was 40,52%, most from the state of Sao Paulo.

Decreased calorie and protein intake is a risk factor for infection and prolonged length of stay in surgical patients: A prospective cohort study / Diminuição da ingestão de calorias e proteínas é fator de risco para infecção e internação prolongada: estudo de coorte prospectivo

ABSTRACT Objective The aim was to assess whether postoperative calorie and protein intakes increase the risk of infection and prolonged length of stay in a tertiary care university hospital in Southern Brazil. Methods This is a prospective cohort study approved by the hospital's Research Ethics Committee. The sample consisted of adult patients undergoing elective surgery. The exclusion criteria included patients who could not undergo nutritional assessment and those with a planned hospital stay of fewer than 72 hours. Nutritional status was assessed on admission and every seven days thereafter until hospital discharge or death. Demographic and clinical data, as well as information regarding independent and outcome variables, were collected from the patient's records. Food intake assessment was conducted by researchers six times a week. Calorie and protein intakes were considered adequate if equal to or greater than 75% of the prescribed amount, and length of stay was considered prolonged when above the average for specialty and type of surgery. Data was analyzed using Poisson regression. Results Of the 519 study patients, 16.2% had adequate nutritional therapy. Most of these patients were men with ischemic heart disease and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. After adjusting for confounders, inadequate nutritional therapy increased risk of infection by 121.0% (RR=2.21; 95%CI=1.01-4.86) and risk of prolonged length of stay by 89.0% (RR=1.89; 95%CI=1.01-3.53). Conclusion Most patients did not have adequate nutritional therapy. Those with inadequate nutritional therapy had a higher risk of infection and longer length of stay.

RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar se a quantidade de calorias e proteínas ingeridas no pós-operatório aumenta o risco de infecção e de permanência hospitalar prolongada, em um hospital universitário no Sul do Brasil. Métodos Estudo de coorte prospectivo, aprovado por Comitê de Ética e Pesquisa. A amostra consistiu de adultos hospitalizados submetidos à cirurgia eletiva. Os critérios de exclusão foram pacientes que não tinham condições para avaliação do estado nutricional e aqueles com menos de 72 horas de hospitalização. O estado nutricional foi avaliado na admissão e a cada sete dias até a alta hospitalar ou óbito. Dados clínicos, demográficos, informações sobre as variáveis independentes e os desfechos, foram coletados dos prontuários. Avaliação da ingestão alimentar foi conduzida pelos pesquisadores seis vezes por semana. A quantidade de calorias e proteínas ingeridas foi considerada adequada se igual ou maior que 75% da quantidade prescrita, e permanência hospitalar foi considerada prolongada quando acima da média de acordo com a especialidade e tipo de cirurgia. Os dados foram analisados por meio de regressão de Poisson. Resultados De 519 pacientes avaliados, 16,2% tiveram adequada terapia nutricional. A maioria destes pacientes eram masculinos com doença cardíaca isquêmica e síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida. Após ajuste para variáveis de confusão, inadequada terapia nutricional aumentou o risco de infecção em 121,0% (RR=2,21; IC95%=1,01-4,86) e o de permanência hospitalar prolongada em 89,0% (RR=1,89; IC95%=1,01-3,53). Conclusão A maioria dos pacientes não recebeu terapia nutricional adequada, aqueles sob inadequada terapia nutricional tiveram aumento do risco de infecção e permanência hospitalar prolongada.

Libro de registros de intervenciones quirúrgicas / The surgical procedure log book

El libro de Registro de Intervenciones Quirúrgicas del Hospital de Pediatría Juan P. Garrahan es un libro Legal donde se documentan datos de paciente1. El uso del Libro quirúrgico preimpreso se fundamenta en la necesidad de agilizar el registro de información en forma prolija y legible, minimizando errores y con la debida Auditoría Legal, cumpliendo con los requisitos del libro foliado, cosido y rubricado 2,3. Se volcaron entre otros datos de paciente, historia clínica, tipo de cirugía, equipos intervinientes, tipo de anestesia, complejidad. Para simplificar y agilizar la tarea conjunta, como así también acelerar los tiempos quirúrgicos, se diseñó un formato para el registro y archivo de documentación. Los libros pre-impresos se iniciaron en 2007, continuando hasta la actualidad. Esta tarea se llevó a cabo en varias etapas e implicó el compromiso del personal involucrado, algunos con resistencia al cambio, pero a pesar de ello, en la actualidad se ha logrado el objetivo fijado.

The Surgical Procedure Log Book of the Pediatric Hospital Juan P. Garrahan is a legal book in which patient data are recorded. The use of the preprinted Surgical Procedure Log Book is based on the need to streamline data recording in an organized and legible manner minimizing errors under a formal auditing system and properly numbered, bound, and sealed. Among others, patient data, clinical chart, type of surgery, intervening teams, type of anesthesia, and complexity are recorded. To simplify and streamline the joint task as well documentation was designed. The preprinted log books have been used since 2007. The project was carried out in different stages and required the commitment of the personnel involved, met resistance from some of them, but in spite of that, the aim has currently been achieved.

Surgical research in the north and northeast of Brazil

PURPOSE: To evaluate the scientific production from the surgical areas from the State University of Para (UEPA), Federal Universities of Para (UFPA) and of Paraiba (UFPB), Brazil. METHODS: The scientific productions of professors in the last five years were classified according to the Qualis system of CAPES-Medicine III (http://qualis.capes.gov.br/webqualis/publico/pesquisaPublicaClassificacao.seam?conversationPropagation=begin) and it was computed the number of guidance of students scientific projects. RESULTS: Seventy-four professors were included, 31 with Master and 43 with PhD degrees. UFPA presented more publications (49% out of the total), which 32% of them in Journals B1 or higher. Otorhinolaryngology presented the greatest number of publications (29% out of the total); however, 98% of them in B3 or lower. Gastroenterological Surgery, which is responsible for 23% out of the total, had 57% of its publications in B1 or higher. The most frequent type of guidance was the one about scientific work of completion of undergraduate course (63%). Gynecology and Obstetrics presented the greatest number of student's guidance (35% out of the total) and Gastroenterological Surgery the largest number of Master's degree and PhD degree supervisions. CONCLUSIONS: The specialties Gynecology and Obstetrics and Gastroenterological Surgery from the State University of Para (UEPA), Federal Universities of Para (UFPA) and of Paraiba (UFPB) presented the greatest number of professors with academic degrees. Gastroenterological Surgery presented the largest scientific productions at higher strata of WebQualis CAPES classification and also the largest number of Master and PhD directed.

Saúde: para onde vai a nova classe média / Health: Where is the new middle class

CONASS Debate – Saúde: para onde vai a nova classe média é fruto do seminário. Dividido em capítulos ordenados pela participação dos expositores e dos debatedores durante o evento, o livro traz os textos assinados pelos palestrantes, responsáveis pelo sucesso e riqueza de conteúdo do seminário. No último capítulo, apresentamos a síntese dos debates, feita pela equipe de relatoria do evento

Mulheres e cirurgiãs / Women and surgeons

As autoras apresentam o panorama da inserção das mulheres nas Especialidades Cirúrgicas desde o final do século XIX até os dias atuais e analisam as dificuldades enfrentadas bem como o aumento desta inserção nos dias atuais.

The authors present the current view of the women in Surgery since the end of the XIX century until now. They discuss the difficulties they face when they choose Surgery as a career and the progress now achieved.

Profile of breast cancer patients at a tertiary care hospital in north India.

Background and Aims: We carried out this study in order to know the epidemiology and management strategies for breast cancer patients in our patient population. Settings and Design: The epidemiological data pertaining to demography and risk factors for carcinoma breast were analyzed retrospectively in patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital of North India. Materials and Methods: Hospital records of 304 patients admitted for over a period of five years (January 1998 to December 2002) were used for data analysis. Statistical Analysis Used: Paired T-test . Results: Mean age of our female breast cancer patients was found to be lower compared to the western world, with an average difference of one decade. A majority of the patients were from a rural background and had a longer duration of symptoms compared to urban patients. Lump in the breast was a dominant symptom. Familial breast cancer was uncommon. Left sided breast cancer was slightly preponderant. Screening by mammography and staging procedures such as bone scan, Computed Tomography (CT) scan, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) were sparsely used. The most common histology was infiltrating duct carcinoma. Conclusion: Modified radical mastectomy was found to be a safe operative procedure. Breast conservative surgery, although considered the gold standard in early breast cancer, was found unsuitable for our patients, due to the social background and lack of intensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy backup. Infiltrating duct carcinoma was more commonly associated with positive lymph nodes compared to other histopathologies. Cases operated by surgical oncologists had better axillary clearance. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was used mainly by surgical oncologists suggesting a more rational approach toward the management of breast carcinoma.

Cited Brazilian papers in general surgery between 1970 and 2009

OBJECTIVES: To identify the most cited articles in general surgery published by Brazilian authors. INTRODUCTION: There are several ways for the international community to recognize the quality of a scientific article. Although controversial, the most widely used and reliable methodology to identify the importance of an article is citation analysis. METHODS: A search using the Institute for Scientific Information citation database (Science Citation Index Expanded) was performed to identify highly cited Brazilian papers published in twenty-six highly cited general surgery journals, selected based on their elevated impact factors, from 1970 to 2009. Further analysis was done on the 65 most-cited papers. RESULTS: We identified 1,713 Brazilian articles, from which nine papers emerged as classics (more than 100 citations received). For the Brazilian contributions, a total increase of about 21-fold was evident between 1970 and 2009. Although several topics were covered, articles covering trauma, oncology and organ transplantation were the most cited. The majority of classic studies were done with international cooperation. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the most influential Brazilian articles published in internationally renowned general surgery journals.

Formação e demanda do cirurgião pediátrico no Brasil / Needs and specialization for pediatric surgeons in Brazil

OBJETIVO: Definir o perfil epidemiológico dos especialistas em cirurgia pediátrica no Brasil. Definir as relações mercado-oferta de trabalho em cirurgia pediátrica no Brasil. Comparar o perfil profissional do cirurgião pediátrico brasileiro ao perfil deste especialista em outros países. MÉTODOS: Utilizando informações estatísticas fornecidas pelo IBGE, Conselho Federal de Medicina e Associação Brasileira de Cirurgia Pediátrica, definir o perfil de trabalho dos médicos especializados em cirurgia pediátrica no Brasil. RESULTADOS: A demanda de cirurgiões pediátricos trabalhando no Brasil em horário integral é de 850 cirurgiões, caso se considere apenas o atendimento de lactentes e neonatos. Há uma centralização excessiva de cirurgiões pediátricos no sul e sudeste e falta de mão de obra nas regiões norte e nordeste. Os dados quanto ao número de cirurgiões pediátricos atuando no Brasil são conflitantes (dados de pesquisa epidemiológica da FIOCRUZ diferem de dados do CFM e da CIPE). A rotina de trabalho do cirurgião pediátrico no Brasil não é comparável com aquela dos profissionais norte-americanos e europeus, fontes da maior parte dos dados de referência em literatura. CONCLUSÃO: A demanda de cirurgiões pediátricos trabalhando no Brasil em horário integral apenas para atendimento de lactentes e neonatos é de 850 cirurgiões. Existe um desequilíbrio entre oferta e ocupação de postos de trabalho nas diversas regiões do país. O sudeste é um centro de formação de especialistas que exporta profissionais para as demais regiões do país. Os dados quanto ao número de cirurgiões pediátricos atuando no Brasil são conflitantes.

OBJECTIVE: To define the distribution of Pediatric Surgeons in Brazil and the distribution of job offered for specialists in the country. To compare the professional profile of Brazilian Pediatric Surgeons with other countries. MEHTODS: Statistical data derived from Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Brazilian Medical Council (CFM) and Brazilian Society of Pediatric Surgery (CIPE) were used to define the professional profile of pediatric surgeons in Brazil. RESULTS: Eight-hundred-and-five pediatric surgeons are needed in Brazil only to treat neonates and toddlers. Professionals are excessively concentrated in South and Southeast and insufficient numbers are found in North and Northeast. Data about the number of pediatric surgeons working in Brazil are conflicting: data obtained from FIOCRUZ differ from those from CFM and CIPE. The working routine of Brazilian pediatric surgeons is different from that of North-American and European specialists, from where the major part of our references is extracted. CONLCUSION: Brazil needs a minimum of 805 pediatric surgeons working full time only to treat nenonates and toddlers. Specialists are not well distributed throughout the country. The southeast is a training center and exports specialists to the rest of the country. Epidemiological data concerning the distribution of professionals in Brazil are conflicting.

Sequelas pós-intubação e traqueostomia cirúrgica aberta: devemos sempre fazer a istmectomia? / Postintubation injuries and open surgical tracheostomy: should we always perform isthmectomy?

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a influência da equipe cirúrgica (cirurgia geral ou cirurgia torácica) e da técnica operatória utilizada (com ou sem istmectomia) sobre a incidência de injúrias pós-intubação nas vias aéreas em pacientes traqueostomizados. MÉTODOS: Foram prospectivamente incluídos neste estudo 164 pacientes admitidos na unidade de terapia intensiva para adultos do Hospital Estadual Sumaré e que ficaram sob intubação traqueal por mais de 24 h, no período entre 1º de janeiro e 31 de agosto de 2007. Quando foi necessária a realização de traqueostomia, os pacientes foram aleatorizados para as equipes de cirurgia geral e torácica. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos à traqueoscopia flexível para a decanulação e/ou a avaliação tardia da via aérea. RESULTADOS: Dos 164 pacientes no estudo, 90 (54,88 por cento) faleceram (sem relação com o procedimento), 67 (40,85 por cento) completaram o seguimento e 7 (4,27 por cento) tiveram seguimento parcial. Dos 67 pacientes com seguimento completo, 32 foram traqueostomizados (21 pela equipe de cirurgia geral e 11 pela equipe de cirurgia torácica). A istmectomia foi realizada em 22 pacientes (11 pela equipe de cirurgia geral e 11 pela equipe de cirurgia torácica). Não houve diferença entre o índice de complicações estomais quando se comparou as equipes, mas sim quando se comparou as técnicas (com e sem istmectomia). CONCLUSÕES: A não realização da istmectomia paralelamente à traqueostomia faz com que o cirurgião realize o óstio traqueal mais distalmente do que supõe. Nestes casos, houve um maior índice de complicações do estoma traqueal.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of the surgical team (general surgery or thoracic surgery) and the surgical technique (with or without isthmectomy) on the incidence of postintubation injuries in the airways of tracheostomized patients. METHODS: Between January 1st and August 31st, 2007, 164 patients admitted to the adult intensive care unit and tracheally intubated for more than 24 h were studied prospectively at the Sumaré State Hospital, located at the city of Sumare, Brazil. When tracheostomy was necessary, these patients were randomly assigned to thoracic or general surgery teams. All of the patients were submitted to fiberoptic tracheoscopy for decannulation or late evaluation of the airway. RESULTS: Of the 164 patients in the study, 90 (54.88 percent) died (due to causes unrelated to the procedure), 67 (40.85 percent) completed follow-up, and 7 (4.27 percent) were lost to follow-up. Of the 67 patients who completed follow-up, 32 had undergone tracheostomy (21 by the general surgery team and 11 by the thoracic surgery team), and 22 had been submitted to isthmectomy (11 by the general surgery team and 11 by the thoracic surgery team). There was no difference between the surgical teams in terms of the incidence of stomal complications. However, there was a significant difference when the surgical techniques (with or without isthmectomy) were compared. CONCLUSIONS: Not performing isthmectomy in parallel with tracheostomy leads the surgeon to open the tracheal stoma more distally than expected. In such cases, there were more stomal complications.

Uso de corticosteróides em cirurgia / Use of corticosteroids in surgery

Introdução: o efeito antinflamatório dosglicocorticóides tem implicações clínicas que interferem de forma decisiva na evolução de pacientes submetidosa procedimentos cirúrgicos. Objetivos: realizar uma revisão sobre o uso adequado de corticosteróides emcirurgia. Métodos: Foram coletados e analisados artigos referentes ao emprego de corticoterapia em pacientescríticos, bem como pacientes submetidos a procedimentos eletivos. Todos os artigos foram extraídos do banco de dados Medline.Discussão: Apesar de seusinúmeros efeitos colaterais, é clara na literatura a participação dos corticosteróides na modulação doprocesso inflamatório sistêmico durante uma situação de estresse. A administração de tais drogas durante oprocedimento cirúrgico deriva do seu emprego prévio em pacientes em sepse e cujo prognóstico sofreuconsiderado impacto após sua indicação em maior escala. Conclusões: Concluímos que o uso de corticosteróides nas doses e intervalos definidos promove benefícios a homeostasia dos pacientes submetidos aprocedimento cirúrgicos, bem como, evolução pósoperatória com menor morbidade .

Background: the anti-inflamatory effect of the glicocorticoids have clinical implication in the evolution of patients that go under surgical procedures. Objective: Review the appropriate use of glucocorticoids in surgery.Methods: articles focused in corticotherapy in critically illpatients as well as corticotherapy in patients that go under elective procedures were selected and analyzed. All the articles were selected from Medline data base. Discussion:Despite of its large number of collateral effect, it’s well defined in the literature the use of corticosteroids in themodulation of the systemic inflammatory process along a situation of stress. The administration of this drugs alongthe surgical procedure comes from its usage in patients with sepsis which prognosis suffered important impact after its indication in large scale. Conclusions: we concluded that the use of corticosteroids in doses and defined period of time has benefits in the homeo stasis of patients submitted to surgical procedures as well as a less morbidityin the postoperative time .