[Applying Multiple Strategies to Enhance the Completion Rate of Critical Care in COVID-19 Patients].

BACKGROUND & PROBLEMS: Taiwan entered the community transmission stage of COVID-19 in May 2021, with numbers of locally confirmed cases and critical cases increasing sharply. Medical institutions deployed special units to treat patients. In our hospital, a special COVID-19 intensive care units staffed with nursing personnel across various specialties was established. The rate of COVID-19 critical care completion among nurses in this unit was 79.1%. The reasons for non-completion were found to include limited intensive care standards for COVID-19; inadequate training, teaching aids, and practice manuals; and the overwhelming amount of new COVID-19-related information and updates. PURPOSE: The aim of this project was to increase the team's COVID-19 critical care completion rate from 79.1% to 93.5%. RESOLUTIONS: Multiple strategies were implemented, including: (1) providing online education and training, (2) establishing a platform for sharing COVID-19-related updates, (3) creating a QR-code accessible COVID-19 reference database, (4) creating a COVID-19 practice manual, and (5) providing simulation training sessions on wearing personal protective equipment during critical care. RESULTS: The critical-care completion rate for patients with COVID-19 infection increased significantly in this unit from 79.1% to 98.2%, which exceeded the project goal. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a multi-strategy intervention that includes both online and simulation training may be effective in improving the critical care completion rate for patients with COVID-19 infection.

A novel technique for liver retraction in laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

During bariatric surgery in morbidly obese patients, the surgeon's operative view is often obscured by the hypertrophic fatty left lobe of the liver. The use of a conventional liver retractor mandates an additional subxiphoid wound, resulting in pain and scar formation, in addition to the risk of iatrogenic liver injury during retractor insertion. To overcome these limitations, we developed a simple, rapid, and safe technique for liver retraction--V-shaped liver suspension technique (V-LIST)--by using a Penrose drain and laparoscopic stapler. A silicone Penrose drain was inserted into the peritoneal cavity and stapled to the pars condensa of the lesser omentum and parietal peritoneum using a laparoscopic stapler. The left lobe of the liver was retracted by the V-shaped suspension. At the end of the surgery, the drain could be easily removed. In October 2009-February 2010, 14 patients underwent liver retraction with the use of this technique. We performed 12 Roux-en-Y gastric bypasses and 2 sleeve gastrectomies. This series also included three cases of single incision transumbilical laparoscopic surgery. The mean time required to complete the liver retraction was 8 min 21 s (range, 2-18 min 40 s). Retraction was appropriate in all patients, without the need for additional retractors or conversion. There were no V-LIST-related perioperative complications. Our V-LIST technique using a Penrose drain is safe and simple. It has potential applications in single incision laparoscopic bariatric procedures.