This study reveals significant racial disparities in prehospital interventions among injured patients, with Black patients receiving fewer critical interventions like airway management and intubation compared to their white counterparts, which may translate to higher mortality risks. Black patients received prehospital intubation in only 4.0% of cases versus 7.9% for other races and 7.9% for white […]
Category: Appendix, Gallbladder and Surgical Emergencies
Higher Bailout Rates with Robotic Cholecystectomy
Robotic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis shows higher bailout rates compared to laparoscopic approaches, impacting cost-effectiveness. Bailout rate was 1.7% for robotic vs. 1.4% for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with robotic surgery having higher odds of conversion to open (1.61) and subtotal cholecystectomy (2.02). However, fewer postoperative interventions were needed after robotic surgery (3.1% vs. 7.7% for endoscopic […]
Improved Outcomes in Non-Elective Cholecystectomy, 2015-2024
Non-elective cholecystectomy outcomes have significantly improved from 2015 to 2024, highlighting the benefits of increasing minimally invasive techniques despite a concerning rise in surgical-site infections. Adjusted 30-day mortality decreased from 0.59% to 0.38% (34.8% reduction). Major complications fell from 6.77% to 5.41% (20.1% reduction), while reoperations dropped from 1.54% to 1.14% (26.2% reduction). The length […]
Postoperative Antibiotics After Appendectomy Show No Benefit
Postoperative antibiotics after appendectomy for acute appendicitis, even in patients with intra-abdominal fluid, do not reduce infection rates. In a study of 1,539 patients, only 18.1% received postoperative antibiotics, with no significant difference in infection rates regardless of intra-abdominal fluid presence. Key risk factors for infection included an ASA score > 2 (HR=5.129), symptom duration […]
Endoscopic Ultrasound for High-Risk Acute Cholecystitis
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) shows a significantly lower rate of unplanned readmissions compared to percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) in high-risk acute cholecystitis patients. Unplanned readmission rates were 7.0% for EUS-GBD versus 37.1% for PTGBD. Both techniques had comparable clinical success and mortality rates, but EUS-GBD consistently showed lower readmissions in all studies examined. […]
Increased Medical Debt After Emergency General Surgery
Emergency general surgery is linked to significant post-operative financial strain, with 9.1% of patients facing increased medical debt within a year. Patients with an income under $40,000 were nearly six times more likely to incur debt compared to those over $100,000 (15.2% vs. 2.7%). Uninsured patients had a 4.06-fold higher risk of increased debt compared […]
Trauma Management of Colon and Rectal Injuries Prioritizes Selective Repair
A new consensus from the World Society of Emergency Surgery emphasizes a selective, physiology-driven approach for managing colon and rectal trauma, moving away from routine fecal diversion. Contrast-enhanced CT is crucial for diagnosis but cannot rule out injuries; specific signs indicate the need for surgery. For stable patients with low-grade injuries, primary repair is preferred […]
Rediscovering McElmoyle’s Principle for Safe Cholecystectomy
This paper underscores an enduring principle in cholecystectomy: prioritizing patient safety over procedural completion can prevent injury in difficult cases. McElmoyle advocated for preserving adherent tissue and removing the gallbladder only when safely separable, a strategy that echoes modern approaches to subtotal cholecystectomy. When visibility is compromised by inflammation, surgeons should recognize that avoiding injury […]
Prehospital Emergency Care in Hawassa Requires Governance Reform
A needs assessment reveals that ineffective governance hinders prehospital emergency care in Hawassa, Ethiopia, leading to fragmented services that often serve merely as interfacility transport. Key barriers identified include unclear ownership of prehospital care, inadequate training, and limited resources like medicines and equipment. Strengthening services will require clearer accountability and improved infrastructure, alongside sustained workforce […]
Robotic Surgery in Emergency Transfers: Low Adoption, Mixed Outcomes
Robotic surgery for emergency general surgery is used less frequently in transferred patients, showing significant hospital-level variation with comparable clinical outcomes to other techniques. Robotic surgery was utilized in only 8.5% of transfer-receiving hospitals, highlighting its limited adoption. Compared to laparoscopy, robotic surgery offered a shorter length of stay (LOS) but at a higher cost, […]
