Accidental blood contact during orthopedic surgical procedures.

A questionnaire study was carried out of all orthopedic surgical procedures in the operating rooms of a teaching hospital over an 8-week period to describe the frequency and circumstances of accidental blood contact. Blood exposure occurred in 11% of the procedures. Contamination of intact skin was the most common incident (79%); percutaneous injury occurred in 13%. The majority of the incidents were believed to be preventable.

Male and female sexual function and activity following ileal conduit urinary diversion.

A group of 66 patients (40 males, 26 females) underwent an ileal conduit urinary diversion because of bladder cancer (44 patients) or incontinence/bladder dysfunction (22). They were questioned about pre- and post-operative sexual function and activity and it was found that 90% of the males (26/29) who were sexually active before surgery lost the ability to achieve erection following radical cystectomy. Although they were unable to achieve penile erection, 41% were able to experience orgasm by means of masturbation. Five of the 29 males received penile implants. Five of the 6 females treated by cystectomy, who were sexually active before the operation, reported either a decrease or cessation of sexual activity (i.e. coitus) post-operatively. The main problems were a decrease in sexual desire, dyspareunia and vaginal dryness. One women reported the inability to experience orgasm after surgery. Compared with women with bladder cancer, those with incontinence/bladder dysfunction were more likely to have an active sexual life after urostomy surgery. Seven females in this group, of whom 4 were sexually inactive before surgery, increased their sexual activity after the operation. For these women the conduit operation removed the need to use incontinence pads or indwelling catheters.

Living with a urostomy. A follow up with special regard to the peristomal-skin complications, psychosocial and sexual life.

Sixty-six subjected to an ileal conduit urinary diversion on account of bladder cancer (44 patients) or incontinence or bladder dysfunction (22 patients) were investigated. Stoma and skin complications were frequently observed and the patients who practiced inadequate stoma-care routines were more likely to show peristomal-skin complications, compared with the rest of the patients. With the passage of time after surgery, a quarter of the patients obtained full disability pensions. Stoma-related problems were the main causative factor in half of these cases. The majority of the bladder-cancer males reported were more likely to report decreased rather than no sexual activity. Compared with females with bladder cancer, females with the diagnosis of incontinence or bladder dysfunction were more likely to increase their sexual activity after the operation. Bladder-cancer patients more frequently curtailed their social activities, compared with the patients with the diagnosis of incontinence or bladder dysfunction.

The impact on work ability of ileal conduit urinary diversion.

The purpose of the study was to investigate to what extent ileal conduit urinary diversion influenced patients' capacity to work. Sixty-sex urostomy patients were interviewed. Forty-seven of those were employed before surgery. Sixteen of 47 patients (34%) made permanent changes in their working conditions immediately after surgery, i.e. they did not resume work or they changed from full-time to part-time work. The working conditions changed in similar ways for another 15 patients who initially had been able to resume. Bladder cancer patients were more likely to work less than patients with incontinence/bladder dysfunction. Nineteen patients obtained disability pension either immediately after surgery or later. Eight of those considered stoma related problems, mainly leakage, as the main reason for inability to work. Diagnosis, gender, and type of work did not seem to affect the frequency of disability pension.

Local status of the urinary stoma--the relation to peristomal skin complications.

Sixty-six patients with uretero-ileostomy were investigated with special regards to local status of the urinary stoma, i.e. stomal site, length, size/shape, and peristomal skin. Each variable was defined. In reports from other centres there has been a lack of definitions making it difficult to compare results from different studies. One fifth of our patients had inadequately located stomas and 85% had stomas shorter than 1 cm. The peristomal skin status was assessed according to CPS, Classification of Peristomal Skin. Eight per cent of the patients exhibited severe erythematous/erosive lesions and one fifth pseudoverrucose lesions. The relation between skin lesions and local status of the urinary stoma was analyzed. Patients with inadequately located stomas were more likely to show severe erythematous/erosive lesions and there was a tendency towards patients with stomas shorter than 1 cm, more frequently exhibiting pseudoverrucose lesions.

Urostomy appliances and stoma care routines. The relation to peristomal skin complications.

The aim of the study was to describe types of appliances and stoma care routines and evaluate their relation to peristomal skin complications. Sixty-six patients with a cutaneous uretero-ileostomy were interviewed and the peristomal skin was assessed according to Classification of Peristomal Skin (CPS). The results show a conservatism regarding the types of appliance and the stoma care routines. More than half of the patients used the same product at follow-up as they were initially fitted with three to 14 years earlier. The routines adopted by the patients were often inadequate, resulting in skin complications. Continuous exposure of the skin to urine by creation of a too wide opening in the face-plate and infrequent changing of the appliance resulted in development of pseudoverrucose skin lesions.