The Local Heroes Project: a youth-led pan-India hyperlocal crisis relief model during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: There was shortage of essential diagnostic and therapeutic supplies in public hospitals during the second wave of COVID-19 in India. Materials and methods: The Local Heroes Project, a hyperlocal project initiated by the World Youth Heart Federation (WYHF). Pilot project was conducted in six cities, and a nationwide project was scaled up to 58 city groups with 438 volunteers. Three-step model of needs assessment, fundraising, and establishment of the supply chain was undertaken. A national team was formed consisting of representatives from multiple international organizations and stakeholders. Local Volunteers were recruited and empowered in each city to conduct donation drives. The Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) model was used to assess the impact of the intervention. Results: 48.2% of the city groups completed needs assessment and 37.9% completed their donations. Factors such as team strength more than 4, local needs assessment, regular reporting during monthly meeting, receptive local administration, donation to more than 2 health centers and donation of supplies worth >= Rs 5,000 in each city (raw coverage 0.44, consistency 1) were more important contributors for success of the outcome. Supplies worth INR 2.45 million were donated. Conclusion: Hyperlocal projects can effectively address essential supply shortages. A three-step model of needs assessment, fundraising, and supply chain establishment can be an effective approach. Community involvement and donations are crucial for the success and sustainability of such projects.

Transhepatic inferior vena cava recanalization in a case of Budd Chiari syndrome: A novel approach.

Sharp recanalization for short-segment intravascular occlusion, using an endovascular route, has been described for inferior vena cava (IVC) occlusion. Often, the technical challenge to the endovascular management of Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is the recanalization of the occluded hepatic vein or suprahepatic IVC. Presented here, the challenge was the level of occlusion of the suprahepatic IVC, with the resultant separation of both the patent IVC segments in a horizontal plane, making it technically challenging for sharp recanalization. We describe the use of percutaneous transhepatic access into the suprahepatic IVC via the middle hepatic vein under ultrasound guidance with eventual sharp recanalization of the occluded segment of the IVC, in a woman with BCS. This novel approach has not been described in the literature and can serve as an important addition to guide complex suprahepatic IVC recanalization.

Concerns and coping mechanisms of breast cancer survivor women from Asia: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: The incidence of breast cancer has increased significantly in Asia due to epidemiological transition and changes in human development indices. Advancement in medical technology has improved prognosis with a resultant increase in survivorship issues. The effects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment are influenced by the patient's cultural beliefs and social systems. This scoping review aims to summarise concerns and coping mechanisms of women with breast cancer in Asia and understand gaps in the existing literature. METHODS: We performed a scoping review using the population-concept-context strategy. A systematic search of MEDLINE (PubMed, Web of Science), CINAHL, SCOPUS, and Embase was conducted for studies conducted in Asia on women diagnosed with breast cancer, identifying their concerns and coping mechanisms, published between January 2011 and January 2021. Data from included studies were reported using frequencies and percentages. RESULTS: We included 163 studies, of which most (81%) were conducted in hospital settings. Emotional and psychological concerns were reported in 80% of studies, followed by physical appearance and body-image concerns in 46%. Social support (59%), emotion-based coping (46%), spirituality, and problem-based coping (37%) were the major coping systems documented. CONCLUSION: The mapped literature documented that anxiety, depression, and fear of cancer recurrence dominated women's emotional concerns. Women coped with the help of social support, positive reappraisal, and faith in God and religion. Sensitization of caregivers, including healthcare professionals and family members, to context-specific concerns and inquiry into the patients' available support systems is essential in strengthening breast cancer women's recovery and coping.

Academic Output in Global Surgery after the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) published its seminal report in 2015, carving a niche for global surgery academia. Six years after the LCoGS, a scoping review was conducted to see how the term 'global surgery' is characterized by the literature and how it relates to LCoGS and its domains. METHODS: PubMed was searched for publications between January 2015 and February 2021 that used the term 'global surgery' in the title, abstract, or key words or cited the LCoGS. Variables extracted included LCoGS domains, authorship metrics, geographic scope, and clinical specialty. RESULTS: The search captured 938 articles that qualified for data extraction. Nearly 80% of first and last authors had high-income country affiliations. Africa was the most frequently investigated region, though many countries within the region were under-represented. The World Journal of Surgery was the most frequent journal, publishing 13.9% of all articles. General surgery, pediatric surgery, and neurosurgery were the most represented specialties. Of the LCoGS domains, healthcare delivery and management were the most studied, while economics and financing were the least studied. CONCLUSION: A lack of consensus on the definition of global surgery remains. Additional research is needed in economics and financing, while obstetrics and trauma are under-represented in literature using the term 'global surgery'. Efforts in academic global surgery must give a voice to those carrying the global surgery agenda forward on the frontlines. Focusing on research capacity-building and encouraging contribution by local partners will lead to a stronger, more cohesive global surgery community.

Assessing the Rates and Reasons of Elective Surgical Cancellations on the Day of Surgery: A Multicentre Study from Urban Indian Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Cancellations of elective surgeries on the day of surgery (DOS) can lead to added financial burden and wastage of resources for healthcare facilities; as well as social and emotional problems to patients. These cancellations act as barriers to delivering efficient surgical services. Optimal utilisation of the available resources is necessary for resource-constrained low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC). This study investigates the rate and causes of cancellations of elective surgeries on the DOS in various surgical departments across ten hospitals in India. METHODS: A research consortium 'IndSurg' led by World Health Organisation Collaboration Centre (WHOCC) for Research in Surgical Care Delivery in LMICs, India conducted this multicentre retrospective cross-sectional study to analyse the cancellations of elective/planned surgical operations on DOS across urban secondary and tertiary level hospitals. We audited surgical records of a pre-decided period of six weeks for cancellations, documented relevant demographic information and reasons for cancellations. RESULTS: We analysed records from the participating hospitals, with an overall cancellation rate of 9.7% (508/5231) on the DOS for elective surgical operations. Of these, 74% were avoidable cancellations. A majority (30%) of these 508 cancellations were attributed to insufficient resources, 28% due to patient's refusal or failure to show-up, and 22% due to change in patient's medical status. CONCLUSION: We saw a preponderance of avoidable reasons for elective surgery cancellations. A multidisciplinary approach with adequate preoperative patient counselling, timely communication between the patients and caregivers, adequate preoperative anaesthetic assessment, and planning by the surgical team may help reduce the cancellation rate.

Efficacy of tocilizumab in treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia: A case-control study from a tertiary care hospital.

Background and Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus, which has affected billions of people across the globe. The pathogenesis of respiratory inflammation involves elevated concentration of interleukin-6; hence, interventions targeting interleukin-6 receptor, such as tocilizumab (TCZ), have been investigated as potential treatment amidst the dilemma of COVID-19 management. The aim of the study is to analyse the efficacy and safety of TCZ and record the outcome in COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective case-control study of 80 patients in each group (N = 160) was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Vadodara, Gujarat. Non-pregnant COVID-19-positive patients above 12 years of age were included in the study and were divided into case (those given TCZ) and control (those given standard treatment) groups after collecting their history and related data. From each group, further data was collected in the form of general and systemic examination, investigations and calculation of inflammatory and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores. Results: Overall mortality was less in the case group compared to the control group. Patients with moderate to severe disease, age <55 years, patients having no comorbidity and patients with higher oxygen demand had lower deaths when given TCZ. Inflammatory score <3 and SOFA score <6 were associated with reduced mortality in the case group. Additionally, the study found significant results by simultaneously analysing two parameters in combination, which has not been done in any other study to the best of our knowledge. Conclusions: Adjuvant TCZ therapy had overall mortality benefit compared to standard treatment, with specific benefit observed in those with increasing disease severity, young to middle-age group, absence of comorbidity, higher oxygen requirements and lower inflammatory and SOFA scores.

Adult cardiac surgical cost variation around the world: Protocol for a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Globally, over one million cardiac operations occur each year, whereas cardiac surgery is expensive and largely inaccessible without insurance or philanthropic support. Substantial cost variation has been reported within cardiac surgery in the United States and among non-cardiac surgical procedures globally, but little is known on the global procedural cost variation for common adult cardiac surgical procedures. OBJECTIVES AND SIGNIFICANCE: This review seeks to assess variation in procedural costs of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), mitral valve repair, mitral valve replacement, aortic valve repair, aortic valve replacement, and combined CABG-mitral or CABG-aortic valve procedures between and within countries. Results may give insights in the scope and drivers of cost variation around the world, posing cost reduction lessons. Results may further inform the potential of economies of scale in reducing procedural costs, benefiting patients, hospitals, governments, and insurers. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic review will be performed using the EconLit, Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and WHO Global Index Medicus databases to identify articles published between January 1, 2000 and June 1, 2020. Studies describing procedural costs for CABG, mitral valve repair, mitral valve replacement, aortic valve repair, aortic valve replacement, and combined CABG-mitral or CABG-aortic valve procedures will be identified. Articles describing other types of cardiac surgery, concomitant aortic surgery, only describing costs related to non-surgical care, or with incomplete cost data will be excluded from the analysis. No exclusion will be based solely on article type or language. Identified costs will be converted to 2019 USD to account for local currency unit inflation and exchange fluctuations. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study protocol has been prospectively registered on the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols. This review requires no institutional review board approval. Results of this study will be summarized and disseminated in a peer-review journal.