Comparison of postoperative drain insertion versus no drain insertion in thyroidectomies retrospective case-control study from the sultan qaboos university hospital, muscat, Oman

Objectives: A thyroidectomy is a frequently performed surgical procedure which can result in lifethreatening complications. The insertion of a drain after a thyroidectomy has been suggested to prevent such complications. This study aimed to evaluate the use of surgical drains following thyroidectomies in relation to postoperative complications and mass sizes

Methods: This retrospective case-control study included all thyroidectomies conducted at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, from January 2011 to December 2013. Length of hospital stay, readmission, postoperative complications and mass size were evaluated

Results: During the study period, 250 surgeries were carried out on 241 patients. The majority of patients were female [87.2%]. Drains were inserted postoperatively after 202 surgeries [80.8%] compared to 48 surgeries [19.2%] without drains. A total of 32 surgeries [12.8%] were conducted on patients with thyroid masses <1 cm, 138 [55.2%] on those with masses between 1-4 cm and 80 [32.0%] on those with masses >4 cm. The association between drain use and mass size was not significant [P = 0.439]. Although postoperative complications were more prevalent in patients with drains, the relationship between these factors was not significant [P >0.050]. Length of hospital stay was significantly longer among patients with postoperative drains [P <0.010]

Conclusion: The routine insertion of drains after thyroid surgeries was found to result in longer hospital stays and did not reduce rates of postthyroidectomy complications. Thyroid mass size should not be used as an indicator for the insertion of a drain after thyroidectomy

Paediatric blunt torso trauma: injury mechanisms, patterns and outcomes among children requiring hospitalisation at the sultan Qaboos university hospital, Oman

Objectives: Trauma is the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality in paediatric/adolescent populations worldwide. This study aimed to describe trauma mechanisms, patterns and outcomes among children with blunt torso trauma admitted to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital [SQUH] in Muscat, Oman

Methods: This retrospective single-centre study involved all children

Results: A total of 70 children were admitted with blunt torso trauma during the study period, including 39 [55.7%] male patients. The mean age was 5.19 +/- 2.66 years. Of the cohort, 35 children [50.0%] received their injuries after having been hit by cars as pedestrians, while 19 [27.1%] were injured by falls, 12 [17.1%] during car accidents as passengers and four [5.7%] by falling heavy objects. According to computed tomography scans, thoracic injuries were most common [65.7%], followed by abdominal injuries [42.9%]. The most commonly involved solid organs were the liver [15.7%] and spleen [11.4%]. The majority of the patients were managed conservatively [92.9%] with a good outcome [74.3%]. The mortality rate was 7.1%. Most deaths were due to multisystem involvement

Conclusion: Among children with blunt torso trauma admitted to SQUH, the main mechanism of injury was motor vehicle accidents. As a result, parental education and enforcement of infant car seat/child seat belt laws are recommended. Conservative management was the most successful approach