Considerations in wound care of patients living with dementia.

The prevalence of wounds and comorbidities such as dementia increases with age. Given projected rises in population ageing and growth, the likelihood of encountering an overlap in these conditions in clinical practice has increased. Clinicians provide wound care for patients in a variety of settings, drawing on different evidence-based clinical guidelines. Most research into wound care has excluded patients with dementia. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide safe strategies and methods of implementation in those patients living with dementia.

Development of a rating scale for objective assessment of performance in laparoscopic appendicectomy surgery.

BACKGROUNDS: Laparoscopic appendicectomy (LA) is the most common index procedure for junior surgical trainees. Despite the shift towards competency-based training, there is no method of quantitatively assessing performance during LA. This study aimed to obtain expert consensus regarding the items required to create a LA Rating Scale (LARS). METHODS: A list of steps required for LA surgery, as well as descriptors of "poor", "average" and "excellent" performance for each of these steps were created for potential inclusion into an objective assessment tool for LA surgery. Using a Delphi method, 20 experts from multiple institutions rated on a Likert scale from 1 to 5 the suitability of these steps and descriptors of performance. Responses were obtained until consensus (Cronbach's α > 0.8) was achieved. RESULTS: Fifteen experts participated in the study. Consensus was achieved for all items during the first iteration of the Delphi with a Cronbach's α of 0.96. The Cronbach's α for the steps was 0.87 and 0.92 for the descriptors of performance. Steps and descriptors of performance that >80% of experts rated as ≥4 were used to create the final LARS tool. CONCLUSION: Multi-institutional expert consensus was obtained regarding the steps and, for the first time, descriptors of performance for LA, demonstrating their face and content validity, as well as generalisability. Subsequently, the LARS tool was created that can be used to quantitatively assess intra-operative performance. This instrument can be used to identify weaknesses in performance and facilitate deliberate practice, thus shifting training in LA to a competency-based approach.

High Output Chylous Fistula Post First Rib Resection.

We present a patient who developed high output chyle leak post left first-rib resection for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. The persistent high output chylorrhea was refractory to 3 surgical reexplorations attempting to ligate leaking branches, bed rest, nonfat diet, parenteral nutrition, octreotide administration, and vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy. In addition, she developed hypovolemia, hyponatremia, and hypoalbuminemia. Control of the chylous fistula was achieved by reattaching the sternocleidomastoid muscle laterally to protect the phrenic nerve and brachial plexus in order to redirect chyle to the medial portion of the neck incision site. This was supported by the application of fibrin sealants in combination with VAC therapy. The patient was discharged after a 27-day hospital stay with complete resolution of her chylous fistula prior to discharge.

Single-session catheter-directed lysis using adjunctive power-pulse spray with AngioJet for the treatment of acute massive and submassive pulmonary embolism.

OBJECTIVE: An alternative single-session catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) method using adjunctive power-pulse spray (PPS) technique (with the AngioJet system; Boston Scientific, Fremont, Calif) was investigated to evaluate its safety and effectiveness in the treatment of acute massive and submassive high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS: Between May 2016 and July 2018, patients diagnosed with extensive massive or submassive PE who triggered intensive care unit involvement and were considered for escalation of treatment were offered CDT with adjunctive PPS technique, provided they met the clinical inclusion criteria. Clinical success was defined as stabilization of hemodynamic parameters, resolution of hypoxia, and survival to discharge. In addition, reversal of right ventricular (RV) failure and pulmonary artery hypertension was evaluated after 24 to 48 hours using echocardiography. After 4 weeks, echocardiography was repeated to check for reversal of RV failure and pulmonary artery hypertension. In addition, computed tomography pulmonary angiography was performed to check for residual thrombus. Functional capacity was also re-evaluated at the follow-up consultation. RESULTS: During the study period, 575 inpatients were diagnosed with PE at The Wollongong Hospital. Of these patients, 32 (5.6%) were referred for escalation of treatment, met the inclusion criteria, and received treatment with the CDT and PPS technique. These patients were classified as having massive (23 [71.9%]) or submassive (9 [28.1%]) PE. Technical success was achieved in all 32 patients, and 31 patients survived to discharge (96.9%). There were no major or minor adverse events and no procedure-related complications. Improvement of RV strain and pulmonary hypertension was achieved in all survivors within 48 hours of the intervention. Furthermore, all echocardiograms completed at 4 weeks after discharge were reported normal. Results from computed tomography pulmonary angiography 4 weeks after discharge demonstrated complete resolution of thrombus in 79.3% of patients, and the remaining 20.7% had only minor residual thrombus reported. In addition, 82.8% of patients reported a return to premorbid exercise tolerance by the time of postoperative consultation with the treating physician (mean follow-up, 6.7 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: This initial series indicates that single-session CDT with adjunctive PPS technique using the AngioJet system is safe and effective in treating massive and submassive acute PE. It appears to offer several potential advantages compared with current options, allowing safer and faster thrombus resolution. Multicenter prospective trials are required to validate these findings.