Physician-modified endografts for urgent and emergent aortic pathology.

Symptomatic or ruptured thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA) carry a high morbidity and mortality. Modern fenestrated and/or branched endovascular devices (B/FEVAR) have improved the immediate peri-operative mortality of TAAA and have increased the number of people that can undergo repair - in those who might otherwise be prohibitively high risk for surgery. Most modern B/FEVAR are custom made devices that require 6-12 weeks to assemble and ship to the site of implantation. Thus, patients who require more urgent repair due to symptomatic or ruptured aneurysms may not have access to this potentially life saving technology. Physician-modified endografts (PMEGs), or traditional endografts that have been back-table modified to have fenestrations or branches, have partially fixed this problem as they can be constructed in less than an hour and can provide similar results to modern custom made devices. Here we review the existing data behind the use of PMEGs in urgent and emergent aortic pathology and summarize a case describing one methodology for PMEG construction that has been standardized at our institution.

Nanometric Considerations in Biofilm Formation.

Prosthetic contamination and biofilm formation continue to plague implanted materials. With increasing resistance to traditional antibiotic regimens, alternative approaches to preventing bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation have focused on the physiochemical properties of the prosthetics. Roughness, topography, hydrophobicity, porosity, charge, stiffness, and surface area all influence the processes of adhesion and colonization leading to biofilm formation. In this review, we discuss the physiochemical properties of solid and porous prosthetic materials that influence biofilm formation at the nanometric scale.

Polish version of the Patient-Rated Ulnar Nerve Evaluation in preoperative patients: Translation and psychometric testing.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional design. INTRODUCTION: This study examined the translated English to Polish version of the Patient-Rated Ulnar Nerve Evaluation (PRUNE) for its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity. METHODS: During the first assessment validity testing, a total of 39 consecutive patients with cubital tunnel syndrome completed the PRUNE, Michigan Hand Outcome Questionnaire, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire, and Patient Evaluation Measure in conjunction with the grip and key pinch tests and pain score (by Visual Analogue Scale). Cronbach's alpha (CA), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and the Bland-Altman plot were used to evaluate internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and agreement, respectively. Analysis of variance compared the PRUNE score with the McGowan clinical stages. RESULTS: After a 1-day interval, 19 patients completed the PRUNE for the second time. The total PRUNE score was 44.4 ± 20.4, CA = 0.93, and ICC = 0.921. The total PRUNE score limits of agreement varied from -9.87 to 7.55 points. PRUNE subscale CA ranged from 0.79 to 092; the ICC varied from 0.738 to 0.911. The construct validity revealed a strong association with Michigan Hand Outcome Questionnaire (R = -0.83; P < .000), and moderate with Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (R = 0.75; P < .000), Patient Evaluation Measure (R = 0.75; P < .000), and Visual Analogue Scale (R = 0.69; P < .000). The grip and pinch tests had low and no correlation with the total PRUNE score, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Polish version of PRUNE showed good psychometric properties for use in both clinical and research practice in patients with cubital tunnel syndrome of varying intensity.

The Polish version of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire: Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability, construct validity, and measurement error.

The aims of this study were to translate the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire into the Polish language and to test the measurement properties of its quality criteria. A total of 120 patients with hand complaints completed the Polish Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire on the first assessment, along with the grip test, pinch test, and pain sore assessed using a visual analogue scale during activity. After 7 days, 76 patients completed the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire the second time. The Cronbach alpha of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire subscales ranged from 0.79 to 0.96. The intraclass correlation coefficient varied from 0.82-0.97, and the Bland-Altman method indicated the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire total score limit of agreement was -13.2-12.3 and -9.18-9.62 for the right and left hand, respectively. The construct validity revealed a moderate to strong correlation between every subscale of the Polish Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand, but they only correlated with the grip test and the visual analogue scale, and neither correlated with the pinch test. The study demonstrated properties similar to the original version, validating the belief that the use of this questionnaire in medical practice in Poland is justified.

The efficacy of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, in a large city, based on Krakow's Emergency Medical Service.

INTRODUCTION: For many years, one of the biggest challenges of public healthcare system, in the European Union are cardiovascular diseases. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the variables influencing the specific aspects of the chain of survival in a large city. METHODS: Patients included in this study had to fulfill all of the following criteria: (1) patient had to experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), (2) emergency medical team had to initiate cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the site of the event. Data were collected from the 1st of January to the 31st of December 2004. RESULT: In a time period from the 1st of January to the 31st of December 2004 emergency medical teams initiated 381 resuscitations. The incidence of OHCA in which CRP was initiated was 50 events / 100 000 habitants. Spontaneous circulation was achieved in 163 patients (42.8%). Thirty-day after the resuscitation 62 patients (16.3%) were alive, and 52 patients (13.6%) were discharged alive from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of collected data shows that return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was achieved in 42.8% of patients, 16.3% survived at least 30 days following the event, and 13.6% of patients were discharged alive from the hospital. These results are similar to findings from different studies conducted in Poland.

ERAS protocol in laparoscopic surgery for colonic versus rectal carcinoma: are there differences in short-term outcomes?

Most of the studies concerning enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in colorectal surgery include heterogeneous groups of patients undergoing open or laparoscopic surgery, both due to colonic and rectal cancer, thus creating a potential bias. The data investigating the differences between patients operated for either colonic or rectal cancer are sparse. The aim of the study was to compare short-term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for colonic and rectal cancer with ERAS protocol. The analysis included consecutive prospectively registered patients operated for a colorectal cancer between January 2012 and September 2015. Patients were divided into two groups (colon vs. rectum). The measured outcomes were: length of stay (LOS), complication rate, readmission rate, compliance with ERAS protocol elements and recovery parameters (tolerance of early oral diet, mobilization and time to first flatus). Group 1 (colon) consisted of 150 patients and Group 2 (rectum) of 82 patients. Patients in Group 1 (150 patients) were discharged home earlier than in Group 2 (82 patients)-median LOS 4 versus 5 days, respectively. There was no statistical difference in complication rate (27.3 vs. 36.6 %) and readmissions (7.3 vs. 6.1 %). Compliance with the protocol was 86.9 and 82.6 %, respectively. However, in Group 1, the following procedures were used less frequently: bowel preparation (24 vs. 78.3 %) and postoperative drainage (23.3 vs. 71.0 %). There were no differences in recovery parameters between the groups. Univariate logistic regression showed that the type of surgery, drainage and stoma creation significantly prolonged LOS. In a multivariate logistic regression model, only a bowel preparation and drainage were shown to be significant. Although functional recovery and high compliance with ERAS protocol are possible irrespective of the type of surgery, laparoscopic rectal resections are associated with a longer LOS.