Operating Room Waste Generated Across Otolaryngology Cases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew T Ryan ◽  
Jonathan Malmrose ◽  
Charles A Riley ◽  
Anthony M Tolisano
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Ecological Footprint ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Head And Neck Oncology ◽  
Large Component ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Facial Plastics ◽  
Proper Disposal

ABSTRACT Background Hospital waste adds to the ecological footprint of the healthcare system, whereas inattention to recyclables may increase costs. The primary objective of this study was to assess the amount of recyclable and nonrecyclable intraoperative waste produced across representative otolaryngology surgical procedures. Methods Representative surgical cases across four otolaryngology subspecialties at a tertiary care military medical institution were prospectively identified. Waste was collected, divided, and weighed across two categories: recyclable and nonrecyclable. This study was performed in conjunction with a hospital-approved quality improvement project. Results The study included 22 otolaryngology surgeries performed across four otolaryngology subspecialties: facial plastics, pediatrics, otology, and head and neck oncology. Overall, 197.4 kg of waste was collected of which 40.2 kg (20%) was recyclable and 157.2 kg (80%) was nonrecyclable. An average of 1.8 kg of recyclable materials and 7.1 kg of nonrecyclable materials were collected per case. Conclusion This study supports that otolaryngology surgical procedures generate a significant amount of waste, a large component of which is recyclable. It highlights the need for proper disposal of this waste and the implementation of a recycling program at our institution with the potential for both ecologic and economic benefits.

scholarly journals Safety of hot and cold site admissions within a high volume urology department in the United Kingdom at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Stroman ◽  
Beth Russell ◽  
Pinky Kotecha ◽  
Anastasia Kantarzi ◽  
Luis Ribeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Operative Mortality ◽  
Elective Surgery ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Surgical Department ◽  
The United Kingdom

Importance: Contracting COVID-19 peri-operatively has been associated with a mortality rate as high as 23%. Using hot and cold sites has led to a low rate of post-operative diagnosis of COVID-19 infection and allowed safe continuation of important emergency and cancer operations in our centre. Objective: The primary objective was to determine the safety of the continuation of surgical admissions and procedures during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic using hot and cold surgical sites. The secondary objective is to determine risk factors of contracting COVID-19 to help guide further prevention. Setting: A single surgical department at a tertiary care referral centre in London, United Kingdom. Participants: All consecutive patients admitted under the care of the urology team over a 3-month period from 1st March to 31st May 2020 over both hot acute admission sites and cold elective sites were included. Exposures: COVID-19 was prevalent in the community over the three months of the study at the height of the pandemic. The majority of elective surgery was carried out in a cold site requiring patients to have a negative COVID-19 swab 72 hours prior to admission and to self-isolate for 14 days pre-operatively, whilst all acute admissions were admitted to the hot site. Main outcomes and measures: COVID-19 was detected in 1.6% of post-operative patients. There was 1 (0.2%) post-operative mortality due to COVID-19. Results: A total of 611 patients, 451 (73.8%) male and 160 (26.2%) female, with a median age of 57 (interquartile range 44-70) were admitted under the surgical team. Of these, 101 (16.5%) were admitted on the cold site and 510 (83.5%) on the hot site. Surgical procedures were performed in 495 patients of which 8 (1.6%) contracted COVID-19 post-operatively with 1 (0.2%) post-operative mortality due to COVID-19. Overall, COVID-19 was detected in 20 (3.3%) patients with 2 (0.3%) deaths. On multivariate analysis, length of stay was associated with contracting COVID-19 in our cohort (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.13-1.39). Conclusions and Relevance: Continuation of surgical procedures using hot and cold sites throughout the COVID-19 pandemic was safe practice, although the risk of COVID-19 remained and is underlined by a post-operative mortality. Reducing length of stay may be able to reduce contraction of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Paradigm Shift in Clinical Practice of Sexual Health in Men During COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 263183182110323
Author(s):  
Aditya Prakash Sharma ◽  
Japleen Kaur ◽  
Ravimohan S. Mavuduru ◽  
Shrawan K. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Health Care Seeking ◽  
Care Seeking ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Impact

Sexual health-care seeking behavior and practices have been affected during COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 on this subspecialty is far reaching. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on health-care seeking practice pertaining to sexual health in men in our tertiary care center and review the relevant literature regarding impact of COVID-19 on sexual health seeking practice and challenges faced. Outpatient data was analyzed from January 2019 to April 2021. Patients awaiting surgical procedures due to COVID were documented. A narrative synthesis of literature based on systematic search using the keywords sexual health, sexual health seeking, sexual health practice, andrology, and COVID with operators “AND” and “OR” was carried out in three search engines PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. The study outcomes were obtained by comparing data of outpatient attendance and compiling the reviewed literature. The mean attendance fell significantly from 95.11±11.17 to 17.25±13.70 persons (P <.0001) per outpatient clinic, March 2020 being the reference point. Teleconsultation has taken over physical consultation. In 98/949 cases, teleconsult could not be provided despite registration. Over 25 patients were waiting for surgical procedures pertaining to andrology due to shut down of elective services. Similar trends have been reported from other countries. Number of patients seeking consultation for sexual health problems has dramatically decreased during COVID-19 era. Establishment of data safe teleconsultation facility and its widespread advertisement is needed to encourage patients to seek consult.

Frontal Sinus Drainage in Acute Pediatric Sinusitis With Intracranial Complications

2021 ◽  
pp. 194589242199131
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Chorney ◽  
Adva Buzi ◽  
Mark D. Rizzi
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Frontal Sinus ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Acute Sinusitis ◽  
Intracranial Abscess ◽  
Repeat Surgery ◽  
Initial Surgery ◽  
Intracranial Complications ◽  
Sinus Drainage

Background The indication for frontal sinus drainage is uncertain when managing pediatric acute sinusitis with intracranial complications. Objective The primary objective was to determine if addressing the frontal sinus reduced need for subsequent surgical procedures in children presenting with acute sinusitis complicated by intracranial abscess. Methods A case series with chart review was performed at a tertiary children’s hospital between 2007 and 2019. Children under 18 years of age requiring surgery for complicated acute sinusitis that included the frontal sinus with noncontiguous intracranial abscess were included. Outcomes were compared among children for whom the frontal sinus was drained endoscopically, opened intracranially, or left undrained. Results Thirty-five children with a mean age of 11.1 years (95% CI: 9.9-12.3) met inclusion. Most presented with epidural abscess (37%). Hospitalizations lasted 12.9 days (95% CI: 10.2-15.5), 46% required a second surgery, 11% required three or more surgeries, and 31% were readmitted within 60 days. Initial surgery for 29% included endoscopic frontal sinusotomy, 34% had a frontal sinus cranialization and 37% did not have any initial drainage of the frontal sinus. Groups were similar with respect to demographics, severity of infection, need for repeat surgery, length of stay, and readmissions (p > .05). Further, persistence of cranial neuropathies, seizures, or major neurological sequelae after discharge were no different among groups (p > .05). Conclusion Drainage of the frontal sinus, when technically feasible, was not associated with reduced surgical procedures or increased complications and there is unclear benefit on measured clinical outcomes.

Abstract P301: Evaluating the Impact of a Pharmacist-Managed Hypertension Collaborative Care Model in Vascular Neurology Patients in an Inpatient Acute Care Setting

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Smith ◽  
Kathleen Bledsoe ◽  
Thomas Madden ◽  
Jamie Artale ◽  
Ted Sindlinger
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Acute Care Setting ◽  
Percentage Reduction ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: The utility of pharmacist-managed collaborative practice agreements (CPA) in the management of hypertension is well established in the outpatient setting. There has been little evaluation of the use of CPAs in the inpatient acute care setting, and none described specifically in the vascular neurology population. Treatment of hypertension is a critical intervention for the secondary prevention of acute ischemic stroke. This quality improvement project evaluated the implementation of a CPA for the inpatient acute care management of hypertension in vascular neurology patients at University of Virginia Health. Methods: A CPA was developed between the neurosciences clinical pharmacist group and the inpatient vascular neurology service, legally vetted, and implemented in June 2019. All vascular neurology patient charts in which an electronic CPA referral was placed from June 2019 through June 2020 were reviewed. Patients were excluded if they were discharged within 24 hours of the referral being placed. The primary objective was to describe and evaluate the implementation of a pharmacist-driven hypertension management practice in the inpatient acute care setting. All patient demographic and clinical data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Secondary safety outcomes included documented hypotensive events (SBP <90) and acute kidney injury (AKI, increase in SCr by 0.3 mg/dl within 48 hours). Results: During the study period, 26 referrals were placed, and 19 patients were included for review. On average, patients were on 2 anti-hypertensive medications prior to admission. From the time of referral to discharge (mean 6 days), systolic blood pressure (SBP) was reduced on average by 36 mmHg (mean percentage reduction 20%) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 12 mmHg (mean percentage reduction 7%). Ten patients (53%) met the goal of SBP < 140 at discharge. There were 5 hypotensive events and 4 instances of AKI, all of which were mild and recovered prior to discharge. Conclusion: A pharmacist-managed hypertension CPA was successfully implemented in vascular neurology patients in the inpatient acute care setting. The practice demonstrated improved blood pressure control and minimal adverse outcomes.

90 Lung ultrasound in pediatric asthma patients: A pilot study characterizing findings at baseline stat

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. e65-e66
Author(s):  
Noah Marzook ◽  
Alexander Dubrovsky
Keyword(s):  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Lung Ultrasound ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Challenge Test ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
The Past ◽  
Asthma Patients ◽  
B Lines

Abstract Primary Subject area Emergency Medicine - Paediatric Background Unlike the lung ultrasound (LU) findings of pneumonia, bronchiolitis, pleural effusions and pneumothorax, which have all been well described, the sonographic pattern of asthma remains unclear. Previous pediatric studies have shown that pediatric patients with acute asthma exacerbations had positive LU findings. It is also unclear whether these findings were the result of acute infections associated with the exacerbation or if the findings would be present at baseline, outside an exacerbation in an asthmatic patient. Objectives The primary objective of this study is to characterize lung ultrasound (LU) findings in stable asthma pediatric patients presenting in a tertiary care asthma or respiratory clinic. Design/Methods Eligible patients &gt;6 years of age, underwent a LU by the study sonographer between December 19, 2017 to June 25, 2019, during their regular follow up visit at the pulmonology clinic or scheduled pulmonary function test. Patients were defined as asthmatic if they had a positive methacholine challenge test (MCT) or spirometry at the day of the visit or in the past. Patients were excluded if they had an upper respiratory tract infection in the past 4 weeks, or had any other known pulmonary diseases. Baseline demographic and asthma severity (ISAAC score, ACQ-7) questionnaires were filled out by the patients, following which they underwent a LU by a novice sonographer using a 6-zone protocol. A blinded expert sonographer interpreted the images offline. A positive LU was defined as presence of more than 3 B-lines, consolidation (&lt;1cm or &gt;1cm), absent lung slide, and/or presence of pleural fluid. Results Fifty-two patients were enrolled in the study and 19.2% (CI 8.31-30.15) of the asthma patients had positive LU findings. The positive LU findings were diverse including B-lines (80%), small consolidation (80%), pleural line anomalies (10%). Positive LU findings were not correlated to any demographic value. Conclusion In our study, 19.2% of asthma patients at baseline have a positive LU. Lung consolidations larger than 1 cm were rarely seen. There were no significant differences between demographic data in asthmatic patients with positive compared to those with negative LUS. This positive LU scan rate is in keeping with a prior study on LU in pediatrics.

Perioperative outcomes in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients – the PRO HIV study

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 968-973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Divyashree Shanthamurthy ◽  
Abi Manesh ◽  
Naveena GP Zacchaeus ◽  
Lisa R Roy ◽  
Priscilla Rupali
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Median Duration ◽  
Surgical Outcomes ◽  
Surgical Outcome ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Perioperative Outcomes ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Cd4 Cell Counts ◽  
Cd4 Cell

It is estimated that a quarter of patients with HIV/AIDS undergo at least one surgical procedure in their life time. Surgical outcomes in these patients from developing countries are poorly characterized and surgeons are often concerned about poor surgical outcomes, especially when their CD4 cell counts are less than 200 cells/µl. This study evaluated the surgical outcomes of HIV-infected patients undergoing various surgical procedures over a six-year period in a large tertiary care hospital from South India. Two hundred and ninety-three patients underwent 374 surgical procedures during the study period. The median duration of HIV prior to surgery was 1.9 years (range 0–18.8 years). Two-thirds (58%) were on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) at the time of surgery with the median duration of this treatment being 38 months (n = 194). About one-third (35%) of surgical procedures were performed as an emergency. Abdomino-pelvic surgeries were the most common (225, 60%). Adverse surgical outcome defined as death or post-operative infection was seen in 25 (6.6%). The post-operative infection rate was 5% (20/374). The most common of these was surgical site infection observed in nine (60%) followed by pneumonia in five patients (33%) and urinary tract infection in one patient. Day 30 mortality was 2% (n = 8) and a quarter of these were reported to be related to post-operative infectious complications. On multivariate analysis, only preoperative haemoglobin of less than 10 g/dl was significantly associated with a poor surgical outcome. HIV-related parameters such as CD4 cell counts, duration of HIV infection and HAART regimen did not seem to contribute towards an adverse surgical outcome.

Changes in the Antenatal Utilization of High-Risk Obstetric Services and Stillbirth Rate during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan C. Oakes ◽  
Fan Zhang ◽  
Lori Stevenson ◽  
Bree Porcelli ◽  
Ebony B. Carter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Perinatal Outcomes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Stillbirth Rate ◽  
Obstetric Services

Objective The primary objective of this study was to evaluate coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic–related changes in the antenatal utilization of high-risk obstetric services. Our secondary objective was to characterize change in stillbirth rate during the pandemic. Study Design This is a retrospective, observational study performed at a single, tertiary care center. Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) visits, ultrasounds, and antenatal tests of fetal well-being during the pandemic epoch (2020), which spans the first 12 weeks of the year to include pandemic onset and implementation of mitigation efforts, were compared with the same epoch of the three preceding years visually and using general linear models to account for week and year effect. An analysis of stillbirth rate comparing the pandemic time period to prepandemic was also performed. Results While there were decreased MFM visits and antenatal tests of fetal well-being during the pandemic epoch compared with prepandemic epochs, only the decrease in MFM visits by year was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The stillbirth rate during the pandemic epoch was not significantly different when compared with the prepandemic period and accounting for both week (p = 0.286) and year (p = 0.643) effect. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant decrease in MFM visits, whereas obstetric ultrasounds and antenatal tests of fetal well-being remained unchanged. While we observed no change in the stillbirth rate compared with the prepandemic epoch, our study design and sample size preclude us from making assumptions of association. Our findings may support future work investigating how changes in prenatal care for high-risk obstetric patients influence perinatal outcomes. Key Points

Pattern of acquisition of hospital-associated pathogens in the ICU of an academic tertiary care hospital

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shazia Damji ◽  
Jerrold Perrott ◽  
Salomeh Shajari ◽  
Jennifer Grant ◽  
Titus Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Admission ◽  
Median Time ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Health Authority ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Solid Organ ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Broad Spectrum Antibiotics

BACKGROUND: Among hospitalized patients, a 48-hour window from time of hospitalization defines nosocomial infections and guides empiric antibiotic selection. This time frame may lead to overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Our primary objective was to determine the earliest and median time since hospital admission to acquire antibiotic-resistant pathogens among patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of an academic, tertiary care hospital. METHODS: Retrospective chart review was conducted for adult patients admitted to the ICU from home or another hospital within the same health authority in 2018, to identify the time to acquisition of hospital-associated pathogens: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)–producing Enterobacterales, non-ESBL ceftriaxone-resistant Enterobacterales, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Patients transferred from hospitals outside the health authority, admitted to ICU after 14 days of hospitalization, who were solid organ or bone marrow transplant recipients, or who were otherwise immunocompromised were excluded. RESULTS: In 2018, 1,343 patients were admitted to this ICU; 820 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 121 (14.76%) acquired a hospital-associated pathogen in the ICU. The probability of isolating a hospital-associated pathogen by 48 hours of hospital admission was 3%. The earliest time to isolate any of these pathogens was 29 hours, and the median was 9 days (interquartile range [IQR] 3.8–15.6 days). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients (85.3%) in this ICU never acquired a hospital-associated pathogen. The median time to acquire a hospital-associated pathogen among the remaining patients suggests that initiating empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics on the basis of a 48-hour threshold may be premature.

scholarly journals Efficacy of Dexmedetomidine as an Adjuvant to Local Anesthetic Agent in Scalp Block and Scalp Infiltration to Control Postcraniotomy Pain: A Double-Blind Randomized Trial

2018 ◽  
Vol 09 (01) ◽  
pp. 073-079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shankar Vallapu ◽  
Nidhi Bidyut Panda ◽  
Navneh Samagh ◽  
Neerja Bharti
Keyword(s):  
Nerve Block ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Analgesic Requirement ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Respiratory Parameters ◽  
Scalp Block ◽  
American Society ◽  
American Society Of Anesthesiologists

ABSTRACT Context: Scalp infiltration and scalp block are being used to manage postcraniotomy pain. Dexmedetomidine has been successfully used as an adjuvant in regional anesthesia. The study was intended to compare whether addition of dexmedetomidine prolonged the duration of analgesia as well as to compare the two techniques. Aims: The primary objective was to assess whether addition of dexmedetomidine to bupivacaine prolonged the duration of analgesia. The secondary objective was to compare between scalp nerve block and scalp infiltration as techniques for pain relief. Settings and Design: The randomized control study was conducted in a tertiary care center from November 2013 to October 2014. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status I–II patients, aged 18–70 years undergoing elective craniotomy were included. Patients were randomized into three groups of 50 patients, i.e., Group BI (bupivacaine infiltration), Group BDI (bupivacaine and dexmedetomidine infiltration), and Group BDNB (bupivacaine and dexmedetomidine scalp nerve block). Patient's pain score, pain-free interval, rescue analgesic requirement, and hemodynamic and respiratory parameters were noted for 48 h. Patients were followed up at 1 and 3 months to assess postcraniotomy pain. Results: Pain-free period was significantly longer in Group BDNB than Groups BDI and BI (P < 0.0001) and pain control was better in dexmedetomidine containing groups than in bupivacaine group (BI) (P < 0.0001). The rescue analgesic requirement was significantly lower in Group BDNB and Group BDI compared to Group BI. Conclusion: The addition of dexmedetomidine (1 µg/kg) to bupivacaine prolonged the pain-free period. Scalp nerve block is a superior technique than scalp infiltration.

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