Author: Jason Curtis

Postpartum haemorrhage and risk of mental ill health: A population-based longitudinal study using linked primary and secondary care databases (2021)

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Type of publication:
Journal article

Author(s):
*Parry-Smith W.; Coomarasamy A.; Nirantharakumar K.; Okoth K.; Subramanian A.; Gokhale K.M.; Chandan J.S.; Sumilo D.; Humpston C.

Citation:
Journal of Psychiatric Research; May 2021; vol. 137 ; p. 419-425

Abstract:
There is a gap in the literature investigating the impact of obstetric complications on subsequent mental ill health outcomes. The aim of this study was to establish the association between post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) and mental ill health. We conducted a retrospective open cohort study utilizing linked primary care (The Health Improvement Network (THIN)) and English secondary care (Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)) databases, from January 1, 1990 to January 31, 2018. A total of 42,327 women were included: 14,109 of them were exposed to PPH during the study period and 28,218 unexposed controls were matched for age and date of delivery. Hazard ratios (HRs) for mental illness among women with and without exposure to PPH were estimated after controlling for covariates. Women who had had PPH were at an increased risk of developing postnatal depression (adjusted HR: 1.10, 95%CI: 1.01-1.21) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (adjusted HR: 1.17, 95%CI: 0.73-1.89) compared to women unexposed to PPH. When restricting the follow-up to the first year after childbirth, the adjusted HR for PTSD was 3.44 (95% CI 1.31-9.03). No increase in the overall risk was observed for other mental illnesses, including depression (adjusted HR: 0.94, 95%CI: 0.87-1.01), severe mental illness (adjusted HR: 0.65, 95%CI: 0.40-1.08, p = 0.239) and anxiety (adjusted HR: 0.99, 95%CI: 0.90-1.09). PPH is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing postnatal depression and PTSD in the first year after delivery. Active monitoring for mental illness should form an integral part of the follow-up in women who suffered a PPH.

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Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as a ceiling of care treatment for hypoxemic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 (2021)

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Type of publication:
Journal article

Author(s):
Patrick Bradley , *Jennifer Nixon , James Wilson , James Redfern , Tarek Saba , Emily Nuttall, Thomas Bongers

Citation:
Journal of the Intensive Care Society 2021, Vol. 0(0), 1–3 [epub ahead of print]

Abstract:
Among patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 in the UK, 10% develop severe hypoxemic respiratory failure managed with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Much interest has focused on non-invasive strategies to avert progression to IMV. UK guidelines recommend the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), including in patients for whom IMV is not appropriate. However, other nations have recommended against the use of CPAP, and within the UK, CPAP use has varied widely (personal communication). The greatest burden of COVID-19 disease is carried by older patients with comorbidities, many of whom are deemed unsuitable for IMV and critical care. However, it is unclear whether they might benefit from CPAP. The RECOVERY-RS trial is investigating the efficacy of CPAP and high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) in severely hypoxic patients with COVID-19, but will not complete until late 2021, and excludes patients unsuitable for IMV. Current evidence is limited to cohort studies of heterogeneous patient groups, with no published data focussing on patients for whom CPAP is the ceiling-of-care. Physicians caring for such patients, and those involved in planning the delivery of CPAP services, must balance any potential benefits of CPAP against its burden on patients, families, staff, and services. Therefore data in this patient population are urgently needed.

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Perioperative outcomes after laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the elderly patients: Asystematic review and meta-analysis (2020)

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Type of publication:
Conference abstract

Author(s):
Kew T.; Lin A.; Ekeozar C.; Bundred J.; Evans R.; Griffiths E.; Kamarajah S.; *Karri S.; Singh P.

Citation:
British Journal of Surgery; Jun 2020; vol. 107 ; p. 5-6

Abstract:
Aim: The need to perform elective and emergency cholecystectomy in an ever ageing population increases yet these risks are poorly quantified. The study aims to review the current evidence to quantify further the postoperative risk of cholecystectomy in the elderly population.
Method(s): A systematic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases were conducted and a meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the recommendations of the Cochrane Library and PRISMA guidelines.
Result(s): This review identified 99 studies incorporating 333,041 patients. Increasing age was significantly associated with increased rates of overall complications (OR 2.33, CI95%: 2.00-2.71, p<0.001), major complication (OR 2.32, CI95%: 1.52-3.54, p<0.001), risk of conversion to open cholecystectomy (OR 2.32, CI95%: 1.95-2.76, p<0.001), risk of bile leaks (OR 2.05, CI95%: 1.18-3.55, p<0.001), risk of postoperative mortality (OR 5.99, CI95%: 3.77-9.52, p<0.001) and was significantly associated with increased length of stay (MD 2.12 days, CI95%: 1.01-3.24, p<0.001).
Conclusion(s): Post-operative outcomes such as overall and major complications are significantly higher in all age cut-offs. There is six-fold increase in perioperative mortality which increases by nine-fold in patients >80 years old. This study confirms preconceived suspicions of risk in elderly patients undergoing cholecystectomy and will aid treatment planning and informed consent.

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Is pain properly managed in children presenting with fractures? A retrospective audit of children presenting to the emergency department (2020)

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Type of publication:
Conference abstract

Author(s):
*Rafie A

Citation:
British Journal of Surgery; Jun 2020; vol. 107 ; p. 68

Abstract:
Aim: Pain is a common problem in the surgical field, especially when treating children – but how well is it managed, and documented? In this audit we aim to answer a few key questions. Is analgesia administered prehospital? Are pain scores recorded, and re-evaluated? And is analgesia offered and/or administered in the Emergency Department(ED)? Method: A retrospective audit was carried out between two hospitals on 100 patients aged between 5-15 presenting to the ED. A search was carried out using SNOMEDand ICD10 codes, to find patients presenting with fractures – and the ED CAS cards reviewed.
Result(s): The data showed poor compliance between both hospitals – pain scores were seldom recorded, or reevaluated; and in 58% of cases analgesia was not offered and no reason was documented. 28% of patients were given pre-hospital analgesia and only 2% of patients had an analgesia review.
Conclusion(s): Adequate pain management is vital, especially in children – as they often don't self-report pain. The study found that the worst compliance was in documentation of pain scores, and their re-evaluation. However, more concerningly analgesia was only administered in 19% of cases – and in many cases there was no documentation as to why it wasn't offered.

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Radiation and body mass index, are your overweight patients more at risk? astudy looking at radiation doses during intervention for renal tract calculi (2020)

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Type of publication:
Conference abstract

Author(s):
Lefroy R.; Johnson A.; McCrea J.; *Dunk S.; *Elves A.

Citation:
British Journal of Surgery; Jun 2020; vol. 107 ; p. 226-227

Abstract:
Aim: Renal tract stones are more common in overweight individuals as part of metabolic syndrome. Modern fluoroscopic devices used during ureteroscopy adjust exposure, providing high imaging quality. Consequently, total radiation doses in this group is increased compared to patients with lower BMIs. Patients with obesity and stone disease will potentially be exposed to more radiation, increasing the risk of developing malignancy. We assessed the radiation doses that our stone population received during fluoroscopic ureteroscopic procedures and how this varied with BMI.
Method(s): 62 consecutive patients undergoing fluoroscopic ureteroscopic laser procedures were identified between March and August 2018, ten of these were uretorenoscopies and were therefore excluded from analysis. Radiation exposure was corrected for dose/unit time and BMI was defined by criteria set by NHS Choices.
Result(s): There was significant association between BMI and radiation exposure as measured does/unit time. The exposure for those with the highest BMI was up to four times that of the lowest BMI.
Conclusion(s): Fluoroscopy in patients with high BMI should seek to limit radiation exposure. This could be achieved by use of snap imaging and ureteroscopy under direct vision where appropriate. Consideration of radiation exposure should be given within the consent process especially when compared to alternative therapies.

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Impact of gastrografin in clinical practice in the management of small bowel obstruction of various etiologies (2020)

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Type of publication:
Conference abstract

Author(s):
*Karim M.O.; *Jamshed M.H.

Citation:
British Journal of Surgery; Jun 2020; vol. 107 ; p. 204

Abstract:
Aim: Gastrografin has shown to accelerate the resolution of small bowel obstruction of certain etiologies. This audit aims to review the outcome of oral gastrografin (OG) in patients with the small bowel obstruction of diverse causes diagnosed on radiological investigation.
Method(s): A retrospective study of 57 patients who had oral gastrograffin for small bowel obstruction
between 1st June 2018 to 30th June 2019 was included in this study.
Result(s): After excluding 9 patients, 48 included in the study who met the inclusion criterion. 31 patients had adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO), of these symptoms resolved in 52% after OG, all patients with postoperative ileus (9), Crohn's stricture (3) and constipation with small bowel dilatation (1) showed resolution of obstructive symptoms with oral gastrografin. 2 patients out of 3 with serosal/peritoneal metastasis showed response to oral gastrografin.
Conclusion(s): Gastrografin is beneficial and safe to use as a therapeutic agent in a carefully selected patient with certain GI conditions including adhesive small bowel obstruction, postoperative ileus, Crohn's stricture, constipation, serosal metastasis (peritoneal cancer). Appropriate use of gastrografin can reduce the need for surgical intervention and hospital stay.

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Boat propeller transection of hemithorax-successful multidisciplinary surgical reconstruction (2020)

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Type of publication:
Conference abstract

Author(s):
*Cheruvu S.; Oo K.T.M.; Erel E.; Satur C.

Citation:
British Journal of Surgery; Jun 2020; vol. 107 ; p. 37

Abstract:
A 69 year old man fell into canal and was drawn into the propeller of his canal boat that resulted in transection of the right thoracic cavity and the right upper arm. Emergency helicopter transfer was made to our major trauma centre for multidisciplinary surgical care. Injuries included a full thickness antero-posterior transection from the sternum to beyond the tip of the scapula, and an open right midshaft humeral fracture with wound extending obliquely into the axilla. The entire thoracic cavity was contaminated by canal water. There was severe haemodynamic and cardiorespiratory compromise requiring level 3 intensive care. Following emergency resuscitative management, multidisciplinary surgical care was provided by the cardiothoracic, plastic and orthopaedic surgery teams utilising innovative operative techniques. Multistage operative management of chest wall required initial damage control surgery with debridement and negative pressure therapy. After 4 days of intensive care physiological stabilisation, reconstruction of the thoracic defect was undertaken with specialist thoracic titanium implants and the chest wall was reconstructed. This was a major thoracic trauma case treated successfully using revolutionary surgical techniques at the Royal Stoke Hospital. The subsequent impact on practice for thoracic polytrauma has led to improved survival rates by 75%.

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Assessing the adequacy of radiographs for hip fractures (2020)

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Type of publication:
Conference abstract

Author(s):
*Mulrain J.; *Omar N.; *Burston B.

Citation:
British Journal of Surgery; Jun 2020; vol. 107 ; p. 138

Abstract:
Aim: Radiographs for the assessment of femoral neck fractures are frequently inadequate for the visualisation of the proximal femur. A low centred radiograph of both hips offers enough information but is rarely achieved.We sought to determine the proportion of hip fractures where initial radiographs adequately visualised the femur to encompass the proposed surgical management.We also sought to find the proportion of patients who required repeat radiographs and whether this was affected by time of presentation. Method(s): A retrospective review of the radiographs of hip fractures presenting to our institution, over a three-month period was undertaken. The timings, number and adequacy of radiographs was assessed. Result(s): Radiographs of 89 patients were reviewed. Most radiographs were taken between 8am and 5pm. Radiographs of 58 patients were centred on the pelvis rather than the hips. Patients presenting overnight were more likely to have adequate radiographs. Despite a duplicate x-ray rate of 48%, most patients (55%) had inadequate visualisation of the proximal femur. The average excess radiation exposure by duplicate radiographs was 2.31mSv per patient. Conclusion(s): The majority of patients had inadequate visualisation of the fractured proximal femur on their radiographs.Many had excessive radiographs performed. This was not improved by increased staffing levels during daylight hours.

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Acute appendicitis-can we shorten the length of hospital stay? (2020)

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Type of publication:
Conference abstract

Author(s):
British Journal of Surgery; Jun 2020; vol. 107 ; p. 197

Citation:
*Jones G.; *Bura K.; *Rink J.

Abstract:
Introduction: Appendicectomy is the most commonly performed emergency general surgical operation in the UK. Hospital episode data revealed that our unit had longer than average length of stay (LOS). We designed a study to examine our length of stay and management of acute appendicitis. Method(s): We performed a retrospective study of consecutive patients undergoing appendicectomy from January to March 2019. Cases were identified from theatre logbooks. Data collection included demographics, pre and post-operative LOS, CT imaging and histology. The data was then examined to see what factors were associated with length of stay and where improvements might be realised. Result(s): 71 patients were identified. Mean LOS was 81 hours, mean time to theatre from admission was 22 hours withmean post-operative LOS at 58 hours. There was a difference between females vs males LOS 95 vs 67 hours. CT scan was obtained in 26 patients and the mean time to theatre in these patients was longer at 27 hours compared to 20 hours in the non- CT group. Patients who took longer to get to theatre had increased LOS. Conclusion(s): Rapid access to CT could shorten time to theatre. Getting patients to theatre quicker might shorten post-operative length of stay.

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Regional experiences of endotracheal intubation during the COVID-19 pandemic in The United Kingdom (2020)

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Type of publication:
Conference abstract

Author(s):
Shuker B.; Smith E.; *Checketts P.; Khan Q.

Citation:
Intensive Care Medicine Experimental; 2020; vol. 8

Abstract:
Introduction: In the United Kingdom (UK), consensus guidelines for airway management were published early in the COVID-19 pandemic making recommendations to support clinicians during this potentially challenging intervention (1). Adaptions to existing guidance for airway management in critically ill adults from the Difficult Airway Society (2) included: use of personal protective equipment (PPE), preferential use of the best skilled airway manager to maximise chance of first-pass success, avoidance of aerosol-generating procedures (such as noninvasive ventilation, high flow nasal oxygenation), and use of reliable well practiced techniques (including videolaryngoscopy where appropriate). Objective(s): Areas of the West Midlands were some of the worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK (3). We aimed to gain insight into the experiences of clinicians involved with airway management during the COVID-19 pandemic in this region. Method(s): An online survey was distributed to multiple centres within the West Midlands region of the UK. Clinicians who had experience of endotracheal intubation in patients with confirmed, suspected, or unknown COVID-19 status were asked to reflect upon their experience of one patient intubation. Result(s): 127 clinicians from 16 hospitals including 3 large university hospitals responded to the online survey, most were consultant grade (56.7%). Clinicians self-reported an average approximate number of pandemic intubations of 7.35 (range 1-30). When asked to reflect on a single intubation, clinicians reflected on intubations in ICU (42.5%), emergency departments (20.5%), wards (8.7%), and theatre (28.3%). Appropriate PPE was available in 96.1%. The most senior clinician available intubated in 65.4%. Clinicians reported first pass success in 93.7% of responses. Most intubators reported use of videolaryngoscopy (74.8%), however 26% reported not using this equipment regularly and 5.5% did not feel confident with their equipment. Despite a high success rate, difficulties were reported in 15.1%. The most common was desaturation. Other common difficulties included equipment or environment unfamiliarity, lack of skilled support. When asked what advice they would give to colleagues, frequently occurring themes included: ensuring familiarity with equipment, use of a checklist, use of videolaryngoscopy, and availability of a second intubator. Desire for simulation and equipment familiarisation was highlighted in multiple responses, and in one example a clinician attributed their success to a simulation session performed in the week prior. Conclusion(s): Experiences from clinicians in this region highlight the specific challenges encountered involved in airway management of patients with COVID-19, in particular highlighting the importance of advance preparation for intubation when faced with unfamiliar circumstances. Simulation sessions, use of checklists and standard operating procedures for emergency intubation may contribute to maintaining preparedness for intubation in this challenging patient group.

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