Biliary Disease in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Review of Clinical and Radiological Burden.

Introduction Gallbladder disease accounts for a significant percentage of surgical admissions per year. A review of these cases was done to assess their hospital impact with an evaluation of the efficacy of radiological modalities in terms of evaluation, ideal use, and clinical application. Therefore, this study aims to review the demographics of the disease, the diagnostic yield of radiological modalities, and the overall outcome in regards to the hospital policies and medical services provided in hopes of achieving suitable clinical pathways, increasing the efficiency of gallbladder disease assessment, and limiting unwarranted investigations. Methods This is a single-center, retrospective study that included all the surgical emergency admissions from January 1st to December 31st 2018, in the Salmaniya Medical Complex, Kingdom of Bahrain. A total sample of 163 emergency admissions (cases) was selected from those aged 14 and older with documented biliary stones or biliary-related disease. A review of radiological modalities for diagnosis included plain radiographs (AXR, CXR), US abdomen, CT scans, and MRCP/MRI, which were then correlated with histopathological findings confirming the presence of gallstone disease. In addition to evaluating readmissions and emergency visits in terms of hospital burden. Results One hundred and sixty-three (10.44%) of 1,562 surgical admission cases in 2018 were diagnosed with biliary tree disease (76 males, 87 females). A total of 419 different radiological investigations were requested in 161 of the cases evaluated: 53.7% of plain radiographs (AXR, CXR), 33.2% of US abdomen, 11.9% of CT scan, and 1.2% of MRCP/MRI. Ultrasound showed a sensitivity of 48.72% and a specificity of 100%, while CT scan sensitivity was 57.14% and a specificity of 100% when it came to detecting gallstones and gallbladder-related disease. Plain radiographs add no direct benefit to diagnosing biliary disease.  Conclusion Gallbladder disease is very prevalent with a wide array of disease entities, requiring radiological assistance in diagnosis. Ultrasound is the ideal modality for the diagnosis of biliary disease due to its ease of use and availability; it has high sensitivity and specificity, and it can be complemented by other modalities such as CT scans and MRCP/MRI when it comes to assessing for complications. On the other hand, plain radiographs have no significant value in the detection of gallbladder-related disease, and their utilization should be limited to emergency cases with high clinical suspicion.

A Review of Radiological Investigations in Cases of Acute Appendicitis in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis is the most common non-traumatic surgical emergency and early diagnosis and management are crucial to decrease morbidity and mortality. There is a variety of scoring systems and radiological investigations that have been used in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Hence, the aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic approach in patients with suspected appendicitis in a tertiary care hospital, focusing on the radiological burden. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study reviewing the electronic and manual medical records of all adult patients admitted with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis between January 2018 and December 2018 in Salmaniya Medical Complex, Manama, Bahrain. A review of the method of diagnosis (clinical, ultrasound, computed tomography, or others) was done, with a comparison to histopathological results in those that underwent surgical intervention to determine sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: In the study period, 488 patients were admitted with acute appendicitis; out of these, 461 underwent surgical intervention. A total of 66 CT scans and 148 ultrasounds were conducted for these patients, out of which 57% of ultrasounds and 86% of CT scans accurately diagnosed acute appendicitis based on histopathological diagnosis, resulting in a sensitivity of 65% and 92%, respectively, and a specificity of 56% and 25%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The most accurate method of diagnosis of acute appendicitis (highest sensitivity) is CT scanning. However, a prospective study with a detailed assessment of complications of appendicitis is recommended.

Comparison of a virtual reality compression-only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course to the traditional course with content validation of the VR course - A randomized control pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Technology has been a major contributor to recent changes in education, where simulation plays a huge role by providing a unique safe environment, especially with the recent incorporation of immersive virtual reality (VR) training. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is said to double, even triple survival from cardiac arrest, and hence it is crucial to ensure optimal acquisition and retention of these skills. In this study, we aim to compare a VR CPR teaching program to current teaching methods with content validation of the VR course. METHODS: A randomized single-blinded simulation-based pilot study where 26 participants underwent baseline assessment of their CPR skills using a validated checklist and Laerdal QCPR®. Participants were randomly allocated and underwent their respective courses. This was followed by a final assessment and a questionnaire for content validation, knowledge and confidence. The data was analysed using STATA 16.2 to determine the standardized mean difference using paired and unpaired t-test. RESULTS: Subjective assessment using the checklist showed statistically significant improvement in the overall scores of both groups (traditional group mean improved from 6.92 to 9.61 p-value 0.0005, VR group from 6.61 to 8.53 p-value 0.0016). However, no statistically significant difference was noted between the final scores in both the subjective and objective assessments. As for the questionnaire, knowledge and confidence seemed to improve equally. Finally, the content validation showed statistically significant improvement in ease of use (mean score 3 to 4.23 p-value of 0.0144), while for content, positivity of experience, usefulness and appropriateness participants showed similar satisfaction before and after use. CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that VR teaching could deliver CPR skills in an attractive manner, with no inferiority in acquisition of these skills compared to traditional methods. To corroborate these findings, we suggest a follow-up study with a larger sample size after adding ventilation and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) skills to the VR course with re-examination after 3-6 months to test retention of the skills.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Neonates: Has the Brain Taken a Hit 10 Years Later?

BACKGROUND: The neonate with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is at risk of developing poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. There is a dearth of long-term follow-up studies in this field, with a majority of studies reporting a follow-up duration of 2 years. The aim of this study was to assess neurodevelopment of babies diagnosed with NEC more than a decade ago. This study was carried out in a tertiary hospital with neonatal surgery and intensive care units. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of notes and telephone interviews with parents of babies diagnosed with NEC between January 2007 and December 2008 was conducted. Evidence of motor, cognitive, and sensory impairment was recorded. Fisher's exact, χ2, and unpaired t-tests were used. P-values <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Overall mortality in this cohort was 31%. Eighteen patients were followed up to an average age of 11.2 years. Of the 18 patients, 11 (61%) had a neurological impairment. Of the 15 surgically managed patients, 10 (67%) had an impairment and, of the 3 medically managed patients, 1 (33%) had an impairment. Cognitive impairment was the most common (10/18, 56%), followed by motor (6/18, 33%). Ten of 18 (56%) had special education needs, 9 of 18 (50%) had learning difficulties, 6 of 18 (33%) had speaking difficulties, and 4 of 18 (22%) had cerebral palsy. Patients also had behavioral conditions (3/18, 17%), visual impairment (2/18, 11%), and seizures (2/18, 11%). CONCLUSION: In the field of NEC, there is a hidden neurological burden that neonatal surgeons bequeath to the community. Sixty-one percent of patients are neurologically impaired, affecting the quality of life and function in the long-term. There should be appropriate parent counseling at the point of diagnosis and regular development checks for children with NEC.