Declaration on infection prevention and management in global surgery.

Surgeons in their daily practice are at the forefront in preventing and managing infections. However, among surgeons, appropriate measures of infection prevention and management are often disregarded. The lack of awareness of infection and prevention measures has marginalized surgeons from this battle. Together, the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery (GAIS), the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), the Surgical Infection Society (SIS), the Surgical Infection Society-Europe (SIS-E), the World Surgical Infection Society (WSIS), the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), and the Panamerican Trauma Society (PTS) have jointly completed an international declaration, highlighting the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance globally and the need for preventing and managing infections appropriately across the surgical pathway. The authors representing these surgical societies call all surgeons around the world to participate in this global cause by pledging support for this declaration for maintaining the effectiveness of current and future antibiotics.

Six Long-Standing Questions about Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Surgery.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common adverse event occurring in surgical patients. Optimal prevention of SSIs requires the bundled integration of a variety of measures before, during, and after surgery. Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) is an effective measure for preventing SSIs. It aims to counteract the inevitable introduction of bacteria that colonize skin or mucosa into the surgical site during the intervention. This document aims to guide surgeons in appropriate administration of SAP by addressing six key questions. The expert panel identifies a list of principles in response to these questions that every surgeon around the world should always respect in administering SAP.

It is time to define an organizational model for the prevention and management of infections along the surgical pathway: a worldwide cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of the study were to investigate the organizational characteristics of acute care facilities worldwide in preventing and managing infections in surgery; assess participants' perception regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, antibiotic prescribing practices, and source control; describe awareness about the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and IPC measures; and determine the role of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic on said awareness. METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted contacting 1432 health care workers (HCWs) belonging to a mailing list provided by the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery. The self-administered questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team. The survey was open from May 22, 2021, and June 22, 2021. Three reminders were sent, after 7, 14, and 21 days. RESULTS: Three hundred four respondents from 72 countries returned a questionnaire, with an overall response rate of 21.2%. Respectively, 90.4% and 68.8% of participants stated their hospital had a multidisciplinary IPC team or a multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship team. Local protocols for antimicrobial therapy of surgical infections and protocols for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis were present in 76.6% and 90.8% of hospitals, respectively. In 23.4% and 24.0% of hospitals no surveillance systems for surgical site infections and no monitoring systems of used antimicrobials were implemented. Patient and family involvement in IPC management was considered to be slightly or not important in their hospital by the majority of respondents (65.1%). Awareness of the global burden of AMR among HCWs was considered very important or important by 54.6% of participants. The COVID-19 pandemic was considered by 80.3% of respondents as a very important or important factor in raising HCWs awareness of the IPC programs in their hospital. Based on the survey results, the authors developed 15 statements for several questions regarding the prevention and management of infections in surgery. The statements may be the starting point for designing future evidence-based recommendations. CONCLUSION: Adequacy of prevention and management of infections in acute care facilities depends on HCWs behaviours and on the organizational characteristics of acute health care facilities to support best practices and promote behavioural change. Patient involvement in the implementation of IPC is still little considered. A debate on how operationalising a fundamental change to IPC, from being solely the HCWs responsibility to one that involves a collaborative relationship between HCWs and patients, should be opened.

Transcranial lateral perforating gunshot injury through skull base presenting without residual damage: A fortunate survivor.

We reported a case of a 32 years old male presenting with a perforating gunshot injury in craniocerebral region 3 h after the assault. The bullet entered above the right zygomatic arch, travelling through the coronal plane, and exited from the left zygomatic arch. The patient was fully conscious at presentation and developed facial nerve palsy during his hospital stay. Non-contrast CT scan of the head revealed fractures of the right orbit, bilateral maxilla, bilateral pterygoid plates, ethmoid air cells, vomer and left zygoma, and without any cerebral damage. He was treated conservatively and the facial palsy was resolved. The patient survived without any complications. Such case has not been described in the available literature till date.

2020 update of the WSES guidelines for the management of acute colonic diverticulitis in the emergency setting.

Acute colonic diverticulitis is one of the most common clinical conditions encountered by surgeons in the acute setting. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts from the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) updated its guidelines for management of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis (ALCD) according to the most recent available literature. The update includes recent changes introduced in the management of ALCD. The new update has been further integrated with advances in acute right-sided colonic diverticulitis (ARCD) that is more common than ALCD in select regions of the world.

Hey surgeons! It is time to lead and be a champion in preventing and managing surgical infections!

Appropriate measures of infection prevention and management are integral to optimal clinical practice and standards of care. Among surgeons, these measures are often over-looked. However, surgeons are at the forefront in preventing and managing infections. Surgeons are responsible for many of the processes of healthcare that impact the risk for surgical site infections and play a key role in their prevention. Surgeons are also at the forefront in managing patients with infections, who often need prompt source control and appropriate antibiotic therapy, and are directly responsible for their outcome. In this context, the direct leadership of surgeons in infection prevention and management is of utmost importance. In order to disseminate worldwide this message, the editorial has been translated into 9 different languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, and Turkish).

Knowledge, awareness, and attitude towards infection prevention and management among surgeons: identifying the surgeon champion.

Despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of best practices of infection prevention and management, many surgeons worldwide fail to implement them. Evidence-based practices tend to be underused in routine practice. Surgeons with knowledge in surgical infections should provide feedback to prescribers and integrate best practices among surgeons and implement changes within their team. Identifying a local opinion leader to serve as a champion within the surgical department may be important. The "surgeon champion" can integrate best clinical practices of infection prevention and management, drive behavior change in their colleagues, and interact with both infection control teams in promoting antimicrobial stewardship.

Correlation of proliferative index with various clinicopathologic prognostic parameters in primary breast carcinoma: A study from North India.

AIM: Routine assessment of cell proliferation is recommended in the pathologic evaluation for all breast cancers. Considering the poor reproducibility and interobserver variability in mitotic counts, Ki-67 is an easily available and reliable substitute for mitotic counts and has been shown to have a significant relationship with the histologic grade of malignancy and the mitotic activity of tumors. Our study aimed at exploring Ki-67 expression and studying its correlation with other established prognostic parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five cases of primary breast cancer undergoing radical or modified radical mastectomy constituted the study group. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu, and Ki-67 was assessed in each case. Ki-67 labeling index (Ki-67-LI) was estimated as the number of positive nuclei divided by total number of nuclei scanned counting a minimum of 1000 cells in 10 selected high power fields that displayed the highest immunoreactivity and was expressed as percentage. Ki-67 expression was correlated with various clinicopathologic prognostic parameters including age, tumor size, tumor type, axillary lymph node status, and histologic tumor grade. RESULTS: A statistically significant direct association was observed between Ki-67-LI and tumor size, histologic grade and Nottingham prognostic index. A statistically significant inverse association was observed between Ki-67-LI and ER and PR expression. However, no association was observed between Ki-67-LI and menopausal status, lymph node involvement and HER2/neu expression. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, we concluded that modified Bloom-Richardson (MBR) grading has been recognized as a treatment related indicator. The accuracy and reliability in grading have always been a matter of concern, hence, the reproducibility of grading should be enhanced. Ki-67-a proliferation marker is easily identified and provides comparable accurate information. In contrast to poor reproducibility of mitotic counts, Ki-67 can achieve high agreement between pathologists; is more reproducible; adds complementary value to the MBR grading system and correlates well with other clinicopathologic parameters. It may act as a significant prognostic indicator for routine clinical use and be helpful for selection of adjuvant treatment. It can also add value in categorizing Grade II tumors into two prognostic subgroups with prognosis equivalent to Grades I and III, respectively.

Raising concerns about the Sepsis-3 definitions.

The Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery appreciates the great effort of the task force who derived and validated the Sepsis-3 definitions and considers the new definitions an important step forward in the evolution of our understanding of sepsis. Nevertheless, more than a year after their publication, we have a few concerns regarding the use of the Sepsis-3 definitions.

2017 update of the WSES guidelines for emergency repair of complicated abdominal wall hernias.

Emergency repair of complicated abdominal wall hernias may be associated with worsen outcome and a significant rate of postoperative complications. There is no consensus on management of complicated abdominal hernias. The main matter of debate is about the use of mesh in case of intestinal resection and the type of mesh to be used. Wound infection is the most common complication encountered and represents an immense burden especially in the presence of a mesh. The recurrence rate is an important topic that influences the final outcome. A World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) Consensus Conference was held in Bergamo in July 2013 with the aim to define recommendations for emergency repair of abdominal wall hernias in adults. This document represents the executive summary of the consensus conference approved by a WSES expert panel. In 2016, the guidelines have been revised and updated according to the most recent available literature.

The management of intra-abdominal infections from a global perspective: 2017 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections.

Intra-abdominal infections (IAIs) are common surgical emergencies and have been reported as major contributors to non-trauma deaths in the emergency departments worldwide. The cornerstones of effective treatment of IAIs are early recognition, adequate source control, and appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Prompt resuscitation of patients with ongoing sepsis is of utmost important. In hospitals worldwide, non-acceptance of, or lack of access to, accessible evidence-based practices and guidelines result in overall poorer outcome of patients suffering IAIs. The aim of this paper is to promote global standards of care in IAIs and update the 2013 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections.

Roux-en-Y duodenojejunostomy for surgical management of isolated duodenal obstruction due to chronic pancreatitis.

INTRODUCTION: Duodenal obstruction in case of chronic pancreatitis is a very rare occurrence and usually presents with gastric outlet obstruction. These cases sometimes require surgical intervention when conservative treatment fails. Gastrojejunostomy and vagotomy has conventionally been performed for management of these cases. PRESENTATION OF CASE: In this report, we present two cases of isolated duodenal obstruction due to chronic pancreatitis that were managed with Roux-en-Y duodenojejunostomy. All the patients had uneventful post-operative recovery and remained symptom free up to two years of follow up. DISCUSSION: The isolated duodenal obstruction in chronic pancreatitis is very rare occurring due to fibrotic scarring following pancreatic inflammation an irreversible phenomenon requiring drainage procedure. The advantage of performing Roux-en-Y duodenojejunostomy in these cases is that it avoids complications of gastrojejunostomy such as bile reflux and stomal ulcerations. CONCLUSION: Roux-en-Y duodenojejunostomy should be considered as an alternative procedure when duodenal obstruction occurs beyond second part of duodenum.

WSES Guidelines for the management of acute left sided colonic diverticulitis in the emergency setting.

Acute left sided colonic diverticulitis is one of the most common clinical conditions encountered by surgeons in acute setting. A World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) Consensus Conference on acute diverticulitis was held during the 3rd World Congress of the WSES in Jerusalem, Israel, on July 7th, 2015. During this consensus conference the guidelines for the management of acute left sided colonic diverticulitis in the emergency setting were presented and discussed. This document represents the executive summary of the final guidelines approved by the consensus conference.

Ileal stricture following Meckel's diverticulitis: a rare cause of intestinal obstruction.

We report a very rare case of Meckel's diverticulitis with ileal stricture at the base of the diverticulum in a young adult as a cause of recurrent small bowel obstruction lasting for 7 years. None of the pre-operative investigations were able to diagnose the cause of obstruction. The patient had undergone appendicectomy 3 years ago but without any relief. Thereafter he was given a therapeutic trial of anti-tubercular drugs, but his symptoms rather worsened with this treatment. Finally, the diagnosis of Meckel's diverticulitis with ileal stricture was made on exploratory laparotomy. The patient recovered well following segmental ileal resection including the stricture and inflamed Meckel's diverticulum. This unusual case highlights that such a rare clinical entity should be considered as a differential diagnosis while dealing with cases of recurrent distal ileal obstruction so as to avoid misdiagnosis and mismanagement as happened in the present case.

Erratum to: caustic ingestion management: world society of emergency surgery preliminary survey of expert opinion.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13017-015-0043-4.].

Caustic ingestion management: world society of emergency surgery preliminary survey of expert opinion.

Caustic material ingestion injuries (CMI) are uncommon. Only 5,000 cases are reported in the United States each year and most acute care healthcare facilities admit only a few cases annually. Accordingly, no single institution can claim extensive experience, and management protocols are most probably based on either expert opinion or literature reports. In this study, we will attempt to review opinions and practices of representatives of the board members of the World Society of Emergency Surgery and compare them to the current literature.

Surgical Audit of Patients with Ileal Perforations Requiring Ileostomy in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India.

Introduction. Ileal perforation peritonitis is a frequently encountered surgical emergency in the developing countries. The choice of a procedure for source control depends on the patient condition as well as the surgeon preference. Material and Methods. This was a prospective observational study including 41 patients presenting with perforation peritonitis due to ileal perforation and managed with ileostomy. Demographic profile and operative findings in terms of number of perforations, site, and size of perforation along with histopathological findings of all the cases were recorded. Results. The majority of patients were male. Pain abdomen and fever were the most common presenting complaints. Body mass index of the patients was in the range of 15.4-25.3 while comorbidities were present in 43% cases. Mean duration of preoperative resuscitation was 14.73 + 13.77 hours. Operative findings showed that 78% patients had a single perforation; most perforations were 0.6-1 cm in size and within 15 cm proximal to ileocecal junction. Mesenteric lymphadenopathy was seen in 29.2% patients. On histopathological examination, nonspecific perforations followed by typhoid and tubercular perforations respectively were the most common. Conclusion. Patients with ileal perforations are routinely seen in surgical emergencies and their demography, clinical profile, and intraoperative findings may guide the choice of procedure to be performed.

The role of the open abdomen procedure in managing severe abdominal sepsis: WSES position paper.

The open abdomen (OA) procedure is a significant surgical advance, as part of damage control techniques in severe abdominal trauma. Its application can be adapted to the advantage of patients with severe abdominal sepsis, however its precise role in these patients is still not clear. In severe abdominal sepsis the OA may allow early identification and draining of any residual infection, control any persistent source of infection, and remove more effectively infected or cytokine-loaded peritoneal fluid, preventing abdominal compartment syndrome and deferring definitive intervention and anastomosis until the patient is appropriately resuscitated and hemodynamically stable and thus better able to heal. However, the OA may require multiple returns to the operating room and may be associated with significant complications, including enteroatmospheric fistulas, loss of abdominal wall domain and large hernias. Surgeons should be aware of the pathophysiology of severe intra-abdominal sepsis and always keep in mind the option of using open abdomen to be able to use it in the right patient at the right time.

Rapunzel syndrome presenting as jejuno-jejunal intussusception.

The term Rapunzel syndrome is used to describe a trichobezoar of the stomach with a long tail of hair extending into the duodenum and small intestine. It is a rare clinical entity, and it is even rarer in these cases that jejuno-jejunal intussusception and resulting intestinal obstruction is a presenting feature. We report one such case, a young female who presented in the emergency department with abdominal pain and bilious vomiting of short duration. Contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen enabled a diagnosis of a trichobezoar in the stomach extending into the small gut, along with jejuno-jejunal intussusception. On exploration, gastrotomy was performed to remove the gastric trichobezoar, and jejuno-jejunal intussusception was found on three segments in the proximal jejunum, which was resolved upon complete removal of the tail of the bezoar. This case report is unusual, since intussusception is a rare occurrence in Rapunzel syndrome, and this is the first time that it has been diagnosed preoperatively.