[Survey of pain after ambulatory surgery: An internet-based instrument]. / Erhebung von Schmerzen nach ambulanten Operationen : Ein internetbasiertes Instrument.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pain after surgery continues to be undermanaged. Studies and initiatives aiming to improve the management of postoperative pain are growing; however, most studies focus on inpatients and pain on the first day after surgery. The management of postoperative pain after ambulatory surgery and for several days thereafter is not yet a major focus. One reason is the low return rate of the questionnaires in the ambulatory sector. This article reports the development and feasibility of a web-based electronic data collection system to examine pain and pain-related outcome on predefined postoperative days after ambulatory surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this prospective pilot study 127 patients scheduled for ambulatory surgery were asked to participate in a survey to evaluate aspects related to pain after ambulatory surgery. The data survey was divided in (1) a preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative part and (2) a postoperative internet-based electronic questionnaire which was sent via e-mail link to the patient on days 1, 3 and 7 after surgery. A software was developed using a PHP-based platform to send e-mails and retrieve the data after web-based entries via a local browser. Feasibility, internet-based hitches and compliance were assessed by an additional telephone call after day 7. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients (50 female) between 18 and 71 years (mean 39.1 ± 12.7 years) were included in the pilot study. Return rates of the electronic questionnaires were 86% (days 3 and 7) and 91% (day 1 after surgery). All 3 electronic questionnaires were answered by 82% of patients. Aspects influencing the return rate of questionnaires were work status but not age, gender, education level and preoperative pain. Telephone interviews were performed with 81 patients and revealed high operability of the internet-based survey without any major problems. CONCLUSION: The user-friendly feasibility and operability of this internet-based electronic data survey system explain the high compliance and return rate of electronic questionnaires by patients at home after ambulatory surgery. This survey tool therefore provides unique opportunities to evaluate and improve postoperative pain management after ambulatory surgery.

Bacterial aerosol emission rates from municipal wastewater aeration tanks.

In this report we describe the results of a study conducted to determine the rates of bacterial aerosol emission from the surfaces of the aeration tanks of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago John E. Egan Water Reclamation Plant. This study was accomplished by conducting test runs in which Andersen six-stage viable samplers were used to collect bacterial aerosol samples inside a walled tower positioned above an aeration tank liquid surface at the John E. Egan Water Reclamation Plant. The samples were analyzed for standard plate counts (SPC), total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci. Two methods of calculation were used to estimate the bacterial emission rate. The first method was a conventional stack emission rate calculation method in which the measured air concentration of bacteria was multiplied by the air flow rate emanating from the aeration tanks. The second method was a more empirical method in which an attempt was made to measure all of the bacteria emanating from an isolated area (0.37 m2) of the aeration tank surface over time. The data from six test runs were used to determine bacterial emission rates by both calculation methods. As determined by the conventional calculation method, the average SPC emission rate was 1.61 SPC/m2/s (range, 0.66 to 2.65 SPC/m2/s). As determined by the empirical calculation method, the average SPC emission rate was 2.18 SPC/m2/s (range, 1.25 to 2.66 SPC/m2/s). For TC, the average emission rate was 0.20 TC/m2/s (range, 0.02 to 0.40 TC/m2/s) when the conventional calculation method was used and 0.27 TC/m2/s (range, 0.04 to 0.53 TC/m2/s) when the empirical calculation method was used.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)