Mechanical bowel preparations not supported in elective colo-rectal surgeries with anastomosis: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the risk and benefit of bowel preparations in elective colo-rectal surgery. BACKGROUND: Mechanical bowel preparations (MBPs) have been popularized in colo-rectal surgery since studies in the 1970s, but recent data has called their use into question and examined complication rates between patients with and without bowel preparations. METHODS: A retrospective case-review was performed consisting of 1237 elective colo-rectal surgeries performed by two surgeons between 2008 and 2021. Patients received either a MBP, a mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics (OAMBP), oral antibiotics alone (OA), or no bowel preparation; some patients across all categories received an enema. RESULTS: Bowel preparations combined (MBP and OAMBP) totaled 436 patients and showed no statistically significant difference (P > .05) in primary outcomes of wound infection and anastomotic leak when compared to the 636 patients without a bowel preparation and 165 patients with OA. The analysis controlled for comorbidities and presence of enema. Of secondary outcomes, urinary tract infections (UTIs) were significantly more common in patients who received a bowel preparation (P = .047). All other outcomes showed no significant difference between groups, including complications on day of surgery; complications, readmission with and without surgery, and ileus formation within 30 days of surgery; sepsis; pneumonia; and length of stay (LOS). The presence of enemas did not have a statistically significant effect on outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This study's data does not support the routine use of MBPs in elective colo-rectal surgery and draws into further question whether MBPs should remain standard of care.

Clinicians' adherence to guidelines for the preoperative management of direct oral anticoagulants in a tertiary hospital: a retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Despite clear, relatively easy-to-use guidance, many clinicians find the preoperative management of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) challenging. Inappropriate management can delay procedures and lead to haemorrhagic or thromboembolic complications. We aimed to describe preoperative management practices regarding DOACs in a tertiary hospital and clinicians' adherence to in-house recommendations. METHOD: We included all patients being treated with DOACs who underwent elective surgery in 2019 and 2020 (n = 337). In-house recommendations for perioperative management were largely comparable to the 2022 American College of Chest Physicians guidelines. RESULTS: Typical patients were older adults with multiple comorbidities and high thrombotic risk stratification scores, and 65.6% (n = 221) had not undergone recommended preoperative anticoagulation management protocols. Patients operated on using local anaesthesia (adjusted OR = 0.30, 95%CI 0.14-0.66; p < 0.01) were less likely to have been treated following institutional recommendations, but no association between their procedure's bleeding risk and adherence was found. Clinicians' failures to adhere to recommendations mostly involved late or non-indicated interruptions of anticoagulation treatment (n = 89, 26.4%) or inappropriate heparin bridging (n = 54, 16.0%). Forty-five (13.3%) procedures had to be postponed. Incorrect preoperative anticoagulation management was directly responsible for 12/45 postponements (26.7% of postponements). CONCLUSION: This study highlights clinicians' low adherence rates to institutional recommendations for patients treated with DOACs scheduled for elective surgery in a tertiary hospital centre. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical study addressing the issue of clinicians' adherence to guidelines for the preoperative management of DOACs. Going beyond the issue of whether clinicians are knowledgeable about guidelines or have them available, this study questions how generalisable guidelines are in a tertiary hospital managing many highly polymorbid patients. Further studies should identify the causes of poor adherence.

What are the impacts of recent changes in UK core surgical training application on current and prospective applicants?

Core Surgical Training (CST) is a 2-year UK training programme, designed to provide junior doctors interested in surgery with formal training and to introduce them to various surgical specialties. The selection process is divided into two stages. In the portfolio stage, applicants submit a score based on a published self-assessment guidance. Only candidates whose scores remain higher than the cut-off after verification will proceed to the interview stage. Finally, jobs are allocated according to the overall performance of both stages. Despite the rising number of applicants, the number of job vacancies remains largely similar. Hence, the intensity of competition has increased over the past few years. The competitive ratio increased from 2.8:1 in 2019 to 4.6:1 in 2021. Hence, several changes have been implemented in the CST application process, with the aim to combat this trend. The recurring changes in the CST application process have sparked considerable discussions among applicants. The effect of the changes on the current and prospective applicants is yet to be explored. This letter aims to highlight the changes and discuss the potential impacts. The CST application from 2020 to 2022 has been compared to identify the changes implemented throughout the years. Specific changes have been highlighted. The impact of changes in the CST application process on applicants has been divided into 'pros' and 'cons' sections. Recently, many specialties have shifted from portfolio-based assessment to Multiple Specialty Recruitment Assessments. In contrast, CST application preserves its emphasis on holistic assessment and academic excellence. However, the application process could be further refined for more impartial recruitment. This would ultimately help alleviate the challenging situation of staff shortage, increase the number of specialist doctors, reduce waiting time for elective surgeries and most importantly, provide better care for our patients in the NHS.

Association of Routine Preoperative Frailty Assessment With 1-Year Postoperative Mortality.

Importance: Patient frailty is a known risk factor for adverse outcomes following surgery, but data are limited regarding whether systemwide interventions related to frailty are associated with improved patient outcomes. Objective: To evaluate whether a frailty screening initiative (FSI) is associated with reduced late-term mortality after elective surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: This quality improvement study with an interrupted time series analysis used data from a longitudinal cohort of patients in a multihospital, integrated health care system in the US. Beginning in July 2016, surgeons were incentivized to measure frailty with the Risk Analysis Index (RAI) for all patients considering elective surgery. Implementation of the BPA occurred in February 2018. The cutoff for data collection was May 31, 2019. Analyses were conducted between January and September 2022. Exposures: The exposure of interest was an Epic Best Practice Alert (BPA) used to identify patients with frailty (RAI ≥42) and prompt surgeons to document a frailty-informed shared decision-making process and consider additional evaluation by a multidisciplinary presurgical care clinic or the primary care physician. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was 365-day mortality after the elective surgical procedure. Secondary outcomes included 30-day and 180-day mortality as well as the proportion of patients referred for additional evaluation based on documented frailty. Results: A total of 50 463 patients with at least 1 year of postsurgical follow-up (22 722 before intervention implementation and 27 741 after) were included (mean [SD] age, 56.7 [16.0] y; 57.6% women). Demographic characteristics, RAI score, and operative case mix, as defined by Operative Stress Score, were similar between time periods. After BPA implementation, the proportion of frail patients referred to a primary care physician and presurgical care clinic increased significantly (9.8% vs 24.6% and 1.3% vs 11.4%, respectively; both P < .001). Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated an 18% reduction in the odds of 1-year mortality (0.82; 95% CI, 0.72-0.92; P < .001). Interrupted time series models demonstrated a significant slope change in the rate of 365-day mortality from 0.12% in the preintervention period to -0.04% in the postintervention period. Among patients triggering the BPA, estimated 1-year mortality changed by -4.2% (95% CI, -6.0% to -2.4%). Conclusions and Relevance: This quality improvement study found that implementation of an RAI-based FSI was associated with increased referrals of frail patients for enhanced presurgical evaluation. These referrals translated to a survival advantage among frail patients of similar magnitude to those observed in a Veterans Affairs health care setting, providing further evidence for both the effectiveness and generalizability of FSIs incorporating the RAI.

Effect of acupuncture at Shuitong and Shuijin points on sufentanil-induced cough in general anesthesia induction: a randomized controlled trial. / é’ˆåˆºæ°´é€šã€æ°´é‡‘ç©´å¯¹å ¨èº«éº»é†‰è¯±å¯¼æœŸèˆ’èŠ¬å¤ªå°¼è¯±å‘å‘›å’³çš„å½±å“ï¼šéšæœºå¯¹ç §è¯•éªŒ.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Shuitong and Shuijin points on preventing sufentanil-induced cough and its influence on hemodynamics in general anesthesia induction. METHODS: A total of 80 patients scheduled for elective surgery undergoing general anesthesia were randomly divided into an observation group (40 cases) and a control group (39 cases,1 case eliminated). In the control group, the routine anesthesia was performed,with intravenous injection of 1% sufentanil citrate 0.5 µg/kg, 1% propofol (total amount was calculated according to 2 mg/kg) and cisatracurium besilate 0.2 mg/kg. In the observation group, before routine anesthesia induction, acupuncture was applied to Shuitong and Shuijin points on the right and the needles were retained for 30 min. During anesthesia induction, the complications i.e. cough and chest wall stiffness were observed, and the systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR) and pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) were monitored 5 min after the patients entered the operation room (T0),at the moment of intravenous injection of sufentanil (T1) and 2 min after sufentanil injection (T2) , 1 min before and after endotracheal intubation (T3,T4) of the two groups, respectively. RESULTS: During anesthesia induction,the condition of mild, moderate and severe cough in the observation group was superior to that of the control group (P<0.05), the total cases of cough and its total incidence were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). Two cases of chest wall stiffness were present in each group, but without statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). In comparison of SBP, HR and SpO2 at T0, T1, T2, T3 and T4, the differences were not significant statistically between the two groups (P>0.05). SBP and HR increased at T2 when compared with those at T1 in the control group (P<0.05), but there was no statistical difference in SpO2 (P>0.05); while, the differences in SBP, HR and SpO2 were not significant at T2 when compared with those at T1 in the observation group (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture at Shuitong and Shuijin points can effectively prevent from sufentanil-induced cough, reduce the severity of cough and stabilize the hemodynamic indicators.

Elective surgery system strengthening: development, measurement, and validation of the surgical preparedness index across 1632 hospitals in 119 countries.

BACKGROUND: The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index to support local elective surgical system strengthening and address growing backlogs. METHODS: First, we performed an international consultation through a four-stage consensus process to develop a multidomain index for hospital-level assessment (surgical preparedness index; SPI). Second, we measured surgical preparedness across a global network of hospitals in high-income countries (HICs), middle-income countries (MICs), and low-income countries (LICs) to explore the distribution of the SPI at national, subnational, and hospital levels. Finally, using COVID-19 as an example of an external system shock, we compared hospitals' SPI to their planned surgical volume ratio (SVR; ie, operations for which the decision for surgery was made before hospital admission), calculated as the ratio of the observed surgical volume over a 1-month assessment period between June 6 and Aug 5, 2021, against the expected surgical volume based on hospital administrative data from the same period in 2019 (ie, a pre-pandemic baseline). A linear mixed-effects regression model was used to determine the effect of increasing SPI score. FINDINGS: In the first phase, from a longlist of 103 candidate indicators, 23 were prioritised as core indicators of elective surgical system preparedness by 69 clinicians (23 [33%] women; 46 [67%] men; 41 from HICs, 22 from MICs, and six from LICs) from 32 countries. The multidomain SPI included 11 indicators on facilities and consumables, two on staffing, two on prioritisation, and eight on systems. Hospitals were scored from 23 (least prepared) to 115 points (most prepared). In the second phase, surgical preparedness was measured in 1632 hospitals by 4714 clinicians from 119 countries. 745 (45·6%) of 1632 hospitals were in MICs or LICs. The mean SPI score was 84·5 (95% CI 84·1-84·9), which varied between HIC (88·5 [89·0-88·0]), MIC (81·8 [82·5-81·1]), and LIC (66·8 [64·9-68·7]) settings. In the third phase, 1217 (74·6%) hospitals did not maintain their expected SVR during the COVID-19 pandemic, of which 625 (51·4%) were from HIC, 538 (44·2%) from MIC, and 54 (4·4%) from LIC settings. In the mixed-effects model, a 10-point increase in SPI corresponded to a 3·6% (95% CI 3·0-4·1; p<0·0001) increase in SVR. This was consistent in HIC (4·8% [4·1-5·5]; p<0·0001), MIC (2·8 [2·0-3·7]; p<0·0001), and LIC (3·8 [1·3-6·7%]; p<0·0001) settings. INTERPRETATION: The SPI contains 23 indicators that are globally applicable, relevant across different system stressors, vary at a subnational level, and are collectable by front-line teams. In the case study of COVID-19, a higher SPI was associated with an increased planned surgical volume ratio independent of country income status, COVID-19 burden, and hospital type. Hospitals should perform annual self-assessment of their surgical preparedness to identify areas that can be improved, create resilience in local surgical systems, and upscale capacity to address elective surgery backlogs. FUNDING: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery, NIHR Academy, Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel Research UK, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, and Medtronic.

Adverse events of iron and/or erythropoiesis-stimulating agent therapy in preoperatively anemic elective surgery patients: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Iron supplementation and erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) administration represent the hallmark therapies in preoperative anemia treatment, as reflected in a set of evidence-based treatment recommendations made during the 2018 International Consensus Conference on Patient Blood Management. However, little is known about the safety of these therapies. This systematic review investigated the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) during or after treatment with iron and/or ESAs. METHODS: Five databases (The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, Transfusion Evidence Library, Web of Science) and two trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO ICTRP) were searched until 23 May 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort, and case-control studies investigating any AE during or after iron and/or ESA administration in adult elective surgery patients with preoperative anemia were eligible for inclusion and judged using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tools. The GRADE approach was used to assess the overall certainty of evidence. RESULTS: Data from 26 RCTs and 16 cohort studies involving a total of 6062 patients were extracted, on 6 treatment comparisons: (1) intravenous (IV) versus oral iron, (2) IV iron versus usual care/no iron, (3) IV ferric carboxymaltose versus IV iron sucrose, (4) ESA+iron versus control (placebo and/or iron, no treatment), (5) ESA+IV iron versus ESA+oral iron, and (6) ESA+IV iron versus ESA+IV iron (different ESA dosing regimens). Most AE data concerned mortality/survival (n=24 studies), thromboembolic (n=22), infectious (n=20), cardiovascular (n=19) and gastrointestinal (n=14) AEs. Very low certainty evidence was assigned to all but one outcome category. This uncertainty results from both the low quantity and quality of AE data due to the high risk of bias caused by limitations in the study design, data collection, and reporting. CONCLUSIONS: It remains unclear if ESA and/or iron therapy is associated with AEs in preoperatively anemic elective surgery patients. Future trial investigators should pay more attention to the systematic collection, measurement, documentation, and reporting of AE data.

[Bowel preparation before elective surgery for colorectal cancer].

For elective surgery of colorectal cancer, current evidence supports preoperative mechanical bowel preparation combined with oral antibiotics. Meanwhile, for patients with varied degrees of intestinal stenosis, individualized protocol is required to avoid adverse events. We hereby summarize recent high-quality evidences and updates of guidelines and consensus, and recommend stratified bowel preparation based on the clinical practice of our institute as follows. (1) For patients with unimpaired oral intake, whose tumor can be passed by colonoscopy, mechanical bowel preparation and oral antibiotics are given. (2) For patients without symptoms of bowel obstruction but with impaired oral intake or incomplete colonoscopy due to tumor-related stenosis, small-dosage laxative is given for several days before surgery, and oral antibiotics the day before surgery. (3) For patients with bowel obstruction, mechanical bowel preparation or enema is not indicated. We proposed this evidence-based, individualized protocol for preoperative bowel preparation for the reference of our colleagues, in the hope of improving perioperative outcomes and reducing adverse events.

Management of haematoma after thyroid surgery: systematic review and multidisciplinary consensus guidelines from the Difficult Airway Society, the British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons and the British Association of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.

Haematoma after thyroid surgery can lead to airway obstruction and death. We therefore developed guidelines to improve the safety of peri-operative care of patients undergoing thyroid surgery. We conducted a systematic review to inform recommendations, with expert consensus used in the absence of high-quality evidence, and a Delphi study was used to ratify recommendations. We highlight the importance of multidisciplinary team management and make recommendations in key areas including: monitoring; recognition; post-thyroid surgery emergency box; management of suspected haematoma following thyroid surgery; cognitive aids; post-haematoma evacuation care; day-case thyroid surgery; training; consent and pre-operative communication; postoperative communication; and institutional policies. The guidelines support a multidisciplinary approach to the management of suspected haematoma following thyroid surgery through oxygenation and evaluation; haematoma evacuation; and tracheal intubation. They have been produced with materials to support implementation. While these guidelines are specific to thyroid surgery, the principles may apply to other forms of neck surgery. These guidelines and recommendations provided are the first in this area and it is hoped they will support multidisciplinary team working, improving care and outcomes for patients having thyroid surgery.

Impacts of COVID-19 and elective surgery cancellations on platelet supply and utilization in the Canadian Province of British Columbia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic raised concerns about the vulnerability of platelet supply and the uncertain impact of the resumption of elective surgery on utilization. We report the impact of COVID-19 on platelet supply and utilization across a large, integrated healthcare system in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Historical platelet use in BC by indication was compiled for fiscal year 2010/2011-2019/2020. Platelet collections, initial daily inventory and disposition data were assessed pre-COVID-19 (1 April 2018-15 March 2020) and for two COVID-19 time periods in BC: a shutdown phase with elective surgeries halted (16 March-17 May, 2020) and a renewal phase when elective surgeries resumed (18 May-27 September 2020); comparisons were made provincially and for individual health authorities. RESULTS: Historically, elective surgeries accounted for 10% of platelets transfused in BC. Initial daily supplier inventory increased from baseline during both COVID-19 periods (93/90 units vs. 75 units pre-COVID-19). During the shutdown phase, platelet utilization decreased 10.4% (41 units/week; p < 0.0001), and remained significantly decreased during the ensuing renewal period. Decreased platelet utilization was attributed to fewer transfusions during the shutdown phase followed by a decreased discard/expiry rate during the renewal phase compared to pre-COVID-19 (15.2% vs. 18.9% pre-COVID-19; p < 0.0001). Differences in COVID-19 platelet utilization patterns were noted between health authorities. CONCLUSION: Decreased platelet utilization was observed in BC compared to pre-COVID-19, likely due to a transient reduction in elective surgery as well as practice and policy changes triggered by pandemic concerns.

Incidence of urinary ketosis and the effect of carbohydrate drink supplementation during fasting for elective caesarean section: Audit.

Elective lower segment caesarean section patients are routinely instructed to fast from food for 6h before surgery, with clear fluids up until 2h before surgery. We conducted an audit examining the true fasting times of mothers undergoing an elective caesarean section and the incidence of urinary ketones before and after introducing a preop carbohydrate drink (Nutricia preOp 400ml) to be administered to all patients at 6am on the day of surgery. We audited 50 patients prior to introducing the preop carbohydrate drink and 54 patients after the introduction of a carbohydrate drink. We found the mean fasting time from last caloric intake was reduced from 13h 35min to 5h 5min after the introduction of a preoperative carbohydrate drink. We found that the incidence of urinary ketones was 40.4% prior to the introduction of a preoperative carbohydrate drink and 38.3% after the introduction of a preop drink (p = 1). If fasting times were limited to under 4h, the incidence of urinary ketones is 10%. Our audit demonstrates that reducing preoperative fasting times is possible and preventing metabolic derangements may be possible, requiring an approach targeted at keeping fasting times to a minimum.

Patient selection in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model.

OBJECTIVE: To understand whether the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) program induces participating hospitals to (1) preferentially select lower risk patients, (2) reduce 90-day episode-of-care costs, (3) improve quality of care, and (4) achieve greater cost reduction during its second year, when downside financial risk was applied. DATA SOURCES: We identified beneficiaries of age 65 years or older undergoing hip or knee joint replacement in the 100% sample of Medicare fee-for-service inpatient (Part A) claims from January 1, 2013 to August 31, 2017. Cases were linked to subsequent outpatient, Part B, home health agency, and skilled nursing facility claims, as well as publicly available participation status for CJR. STUDY DESIGN: We estimated the effect of CJR for hospitals in the 67 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) selected to participate in CJR (785 hospitals), compared to those in 104 non-CJR MSAs (962 hospitals; maintaining fee-for-service). A difference-in-differences approach was used to detect patient selection, as well as to compare 90-day episode-of-care costs and quality of care between CJR and non-CJR hospitals over the first two performance years. DATA COLLECTION: We excluded 172 hospitals from our analysis due to their preexisting BPCI participation. We focused on elective admissions in the main analysis. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: While reductions in 90-day episode-of-care costs were greater among CJR hospitals (-$902, 95% CI: -$1305, -$499), largely driven by a 16.8% (p < 0.01) decline in 90-day spending in skilled nursing facilities, CJR hospitals significantly reduced the 90-day readmission rate (-3.9%; p < 0.05) and preferentially avoided patients aged 85 years or older (-5.9%; p < 0.01) and Black (-7.0%; p < 0.01). Cost reduction was greater in 2017 than in 2016, corresponding to the start of downside risk. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in CJR was associated with a modest cost reduction and a reduction in 90-day readmission rates; however, we also observed evidence of preferential avoidance of older patients perceived as being higher risk among CJR hospitals.

Prehabilitation in adult patients undergoing surgery: an umbrella review of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: The certainty that prehabilitation improves postoperative outcomes is not clear. The objective of this umbrella review (i.e. systematic review of systematic reviews) was to synthesise and evaluate evidence for prehabilitation in improving health, experience, or cost outcomes. METHODS: We performed an umbrella review of prehabilitation systematic reviews. MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, Joanna Briggs Institute's database, and Web of Science were searched (inception to October 20, 2020). We included all systematic reviews of elective, adult patients undergoing surgery and exposed to a prehabilitation intervention, where health, experience, or cost outcomes were reported. Evidence certainty was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Primary syntheses of any prehabilitation were stratified by surgery type. RESULTS: From 1412 titles, 55 systematic reviews were included. For patients with cancer undergoing surgery who participate in any prehabilitation, moderate certainty evidence supports improvements in functional recovery. Low to very low certainty evidence supports reductions in complications (mixed, cardiovascular, and cancer surgery), non-home discharge (orthopaedic surgery), and length of stay (mixed, cardiovascular, and cancer surgery). There was low to very low certainty evidence that exercise prehabilitation reduces the risk of complications, non-home discharge, and length of stay. There was low to very low certainty evidence that nutritional prehabilitation reduces risk of complications, mortality, and length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Low certainty evidence suggests that prehabilitation may improve postoperative outcomes. Future low risk of bias, randomised trials, synthesised using recommended standards, are required to inform practice. Optimal patient selection, intervention design, and intervention duration must also be determined.

Use of Homeopathic Arnica montana 30cH for Postoperative Analgesia in Female Dogs Undergoing Elective Ovariohysterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Ovariohysterectomy (OH) is one of the most frequent elective surgical procedures in routine veterinary practice. Arnica montana is a well-known medicine in phytotherapy, with proven analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, healing, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activity. However, there is still a shortage of studies on the action and effects of the homeopathic formulation of the medicine on animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate analgesia with Arnica montana 30cH during the postoperative period after elective OH. METHODS: Thirty healthy female dogs, aged 1 to 3 years, weighing 7 to 14 kg, were selected at the Veterinary Hospital in Campo Mourão, Paraná, Brazil. The dogs underwent the surgical procedure with an anaesthetic protocol and analgesia that had the aim of maintaining the patient's wellbeing. After the procedure, they were randomly divided into three groups of 10. One group received Arnica montana 30cH; another received 5% hydroalcoholic solution; and the third group, 0.9% NaCl saline solution. All animals received four drops of the respective solution sublingually and under blinded conditions, every 10 minutes for 1 hour, after the inhalational anaesthetic had been withdrawn. The Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale was used to analyse the effect of therapy. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Tukey test was used to evaluate the test data. Statistical differences were deemed significant when p ≤0.05. RESULTS: The Arnica montana 30cH group maintained analgesia on average for 17.8 ± 3.6 hours, whilst the hydroalcoholic solution group did so for 5.1 ± 1.2 hours and the saline solution group for 4.1 ± 0.9 hours (p ≤0.05). CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that Arnica montana 30cH presented a more significant analgesic effect than the control groups, thus indicating its potential for postoperative analgesia in dogs undergoing OH.

Strategies for Antibiotic Administration for Bowel Preparation Among Patients Undergoing Elective Colorectal Surgery: A Network Meta-analysis.

Importance: There are discrepancies in guidelines on preparation for colorectal surgery. While intravenous (IV) antibiotics are usually administered, the use of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP), enemas, and/or oral antibiotics (OA) is controversial. Objective: To summarize all data from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that met selection criteria using network meta-analysis (NMA) to determine the ranking of different bowel preparation treatment strategies for their associations with postoperative outcomes. Data Sources: Data sources included MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, and Scopus databases with no language constraints, including abstracts and articles published prior to 2021. Study Selection: Randomized studies of adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery with appropriate aerobic and anaerobic antibiotic cover that reported on incisional surgical site infection (SSI) or anastomotic leak were selected for inclusion in the analysis. These were selected by multiple reviewers and adjudicated by a separate lead investigator. A total of 167 of 6833 screened studies met initial selection criteria. Data Extraction and Synthesis: NMA was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. Data were extracted by multiple independent observers and pooled in a random-effects model. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes were incisional SSI and anastomotic leak. Secondary outcomes included other infections, mortality, ileus, and adverse effects of preparation. Results: A total of 35 RCTs that included 8377 patients were identified. Treatments compared IV antibiotics (2762 patients [33%]), IV antibiotics with enema (222 patients [3%]), IV antibiotics with OA with or without enema (628 patients [7%]), MBP with IV antibiotics (2712 patients [32%]), MBP with IV antibiotics with OA (with good IV antibiotic cover in 925 patients [11%] and with good overall antibiotic cover in 375 patients [4%]), MBP with OA (267 patients [3%]), and OA (486 patients [6%]). The likelihood of incisional SSI was significantly lower for those receiving IV antibiotics with OA with or without enema (rank 1) and MBP with adequate IV antibiotics with OA (rank 2) compared with all other treatment options. The addition of OA to IV antibiotics, both with and without MBP, was associated with a reduction in incisional SSI by greater than 50%. There were minimal differences between treatments in anastomotic leak and in any of the secondary outcomes. Conclusions and Relevance: This NMA demonstrated that the addition of OA to IV antibiotics were associated with a reduction in incisional SSI by greater than 50%. The results support the addition of OA to IV antibiotics to reduce incisional SSI among patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery.

Bowel preparation before elective surgery for colorectal cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

For elective surgery of colorectal cancer, current evidence supports preoperative mechanical bowel preparation combined with oral antibiotics. Meanwhile, for patients with varied degrees of intestinal stenosis, individualized protocol is required to avoid adverse events. We hereby summarize recent high-quality evidences and updates of guidelines and consensus, and recommend stratified bowel preparation based on the clinical practice of our institute as follows. (1) For patients with unimpaired oral intake, whose tumor can be passed by colonoscopy, mechanical bowel preparation and oral antibiotics are given. (2) For patients without symptoms of bowel obstruction but with impaired oral intake or incomplete colonoscopy due to tumor-related stenosis, small-dosage laxative is given for several days before surgery, and oral antibiotics the day before surgery. (3) For patients with bowel obstruction, mechanical bowel preparation or enema is not indicated. We proposed this evidence-based, individualized protocol for preoperative bowel preparation for the reference of our colleagues, in the hope of improving perioperative outcomes and reducing adverse events.

Massage for gastrointestinal function among participants after abdominal surgery: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (PGD) is one of the most common complications among participants undergoing abdominal surgery, with an incidence of 10%-30%. In China, massage is generally the most widely used technique to treat various diseases by the theory of Yin and Yang. In this study, our aim is to assess the effect and safety of massage on gastrointestinal function among participants undergoing abdominal surgery. METHODS: We will search seven databases including Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI, VIP, CBM and WANGFANG. Meanwhile, we will include all randomized controlled trials if they recruited participants undergoing abdominal surgery. Primary outcomes will be the time to first defecation. Two authors will independently scan all the potential articles, extract the data and assess the risk of bias by Cochrane tool of risk of bias. Al analysis will be performed by RevMan 5.3 software. Dichotomous variables will be expressed as RR with 95% CIs and continuous variables will be reported as MD with 95% CIs. If possible, a fixed or random effects models will be conducted and the confidence of cumulative evidence will be assess using GRADE. RESULTS: This study will be to assess the effect and safety of massage on gastrointestinal function among participants undergoing abdominal surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This study will assess the effect and safety of massage among participants undergoing abdominal and move forward to help inform clinical decisions.

Relationship between the coronavirus epidemic and the use of complementary and alternative medicine prior to elective surgical procedures / A koronavírus-járvány hatása a komplementer terápiás gyógymódok igénybevételére elektív sebészeti mutétek elott.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: A 2019 végén Vuhanból kiinduló, SARS-CoV-2 okozta koronavírus-járvány jelentos hatást gyakorolt életünkre. Specifikus terápia hiányában az emberek egy része alternatív gyógymódokhoz fordult. Célkituzés: Vizsgálatunk célja annak feltárása volt, milyen hatást gyakorolt a koronavírus-járvány a betegek komplementer gyógymódokhoz való viszonyulására elektív sebészeti mutétek elott. Módszer: Egy magyarországi klinika és egy városi kórház elektív sebészeti mutétre váró betegei körében végeztünk anonim kérdoíves felmérést 2020. augusztus 3. és december 18. között. 279 kérdoívet dolgoztunk fel, a válaszadási arány 69,7% volt. Eredmények: A koronavírus-járvány hatására a válaszadók 91,4%-ának nem változott meg a véleménye a nem konvencionális kezelésekrol, 8,2%-a bizakodóbban tekintett ezekre. A komplementer terápia betegségmegelozo hatása iránt a kitöltok 16,8%-a volt bizakodó, 25,4%-a elutasító, 57,7%-a nem formált véleményt. A válaszadók 24,7%-a vett igénybe élete során alternatív módszereket, a koronavírus-fertozés megelozésére csak a nyilatkozók 10%-a alkalmazna ilyen gyógymódokat. Kizárólag a pandémia hatására senki nem kezdett el komplementer gyógymódokat használni. A kérdoívet kitöltok 55,6%-a használt gyógynövénykészítményt élete során. A járvány ideje alatt a válaszadók 27,5%-a vett igénybe gyógynövénykészítményeket; a gyógymód alkalmazása és a vizsgált szociodemográfiai tényezok között nem találtunk összefüggést. A gyógynövények alkalmazása alacsonyabb mértéku volt a daganatos és a thromboemboliás betegek között. Következtetés: Vizsgálatunk alapján a komplementer gyógymódok használata feltehetoen a járvány miatt elrendelt korlátozásokból adódóan csökkent, a gyógynövények alkalmazása azonban nem változott lényegesen. A válaszadók tizede használt komplementer gyógymódot a koronavírus-fertozés megelozésére. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(42): 1678-1686. INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus epidemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 from Wuhan at the end of 2019 had considerable impact on our lives. In the absence of specific therapy, some people have resorted to alternative therapies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to explore the effect of the coronavirus epidemic on the patients' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine. METHOD: We have performed anonymous questionnaire survey among patients of a Hungarian university hospital and a city hospital waiting for elective surgery between August 3, 2020 and December 18, 2020. We received 279 questionnaires, the response rate was 69.7%. RESULTS: As a result of the coronavirus epidemic, 91.4% of the respondents did not change their opinion about complementary and alternative treatments, 8.2% were more optimistic about them. 16.8% of respondents were optimistic, 25.4% rejected, and 57.7% did not form an opinion about the disease-preventing effect of complementary therapy. A quarter of respondents (24.7%) had used complementary therapies in their lifetime, with only 10% of respondents using such therapies to prevent coronavirus infection. As a result of the pandemic, no one started using complementary therapies. 55.6% of the respondents used a herbal preparation during their lifetime. In the course of the epidemic, a high proportion of respondents (27.5%) used herbal preparations; no correlation was found between the use of the treatment and the socio-demographic factors examined. The use of herbs was lower among cancer and thromboembolic patients. CONCLUSION: Based on our study, the use of complementary therapies presumably decreased due to the restrictions imposed in the epidemic, however, the use of herbs did not change significantly. One-tenth of the respondents used naturopathic cure to prevent coronavirus infection. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(42): 1678-1686.

Clinical coding of ICD-10 and OPCS in elective local anaesthetic and IV sedation cases.

Treatments facilitated by healthcare trusts are transformed into codes through which payments are organised. Accurate coding is essential for correct payment, inaccurate clinical coding results in significant loss of income. Our OMFS unit performs regular day-case procedures with data recorded in a standardised proforma. An audit was performed to determine the accuracy of ICD and OPCS codes generated by the OMFS department to identify factors contributing to inaccuracies leading to loss of income. All local anaesthetic and IV sedation cases were reviewed at two separate 3 monthly time frames within the OMFS department with 100 cases per cycle. A gold standard of 100% coding information recorded and accuracy were set. The first data cycle demonstrated a number of factors to improve the clinical coding process including implementing a new clinical coding form. This was utilised in the second audit cycle. Regarding ICD-10 the first audit cycle yielded a 65% accuracy of primary diagnoses. Following recommendations this improved to 72%. Coding accuracy in the first cycle was recorded as 62% with improvement to 78% in the second cycle. OPCS data accuracy was 80% in the first cycle improving to 90% in the second cycle. Secondary or bilateral procedures also showed improvement from 83% to 89% accuracy in the second cycle. Across the audit cycle £20,000 of revenue was generated. Inaccuracies in clinical coding reduces income, improved understanding of error sources can ensure income is commensurate with clinical activity.