Orthopaedic surgical documentation: pre-templated operation notes significantly improve documentation of surgical procedures.

OBJECTIVES: The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) Good Surgical Practice guidance identifies essential criteria for surgical operation note documentation. The current quality improvement project aims to identify if using pre-templated operation notes for documenting fractured neck of femur surgery results in improved documentation when compared to freehand orthopaedic operation notes. METHODS: A total of fourteen categories were identified from the RCS guidance as required across all the operations identified in this study. All operations for the month of October 2021 were identified and the operation notes analysed. Pre-templated operation notes were compared to freehand operation notes. RESULTS: Ninety-seven cases were identified, of which 74 were freehand operation notes and 23 were pre-templated fractured neck of femur operation notes. All fourteen categories were completed in 13 (57%) of the templated operation notes versus 0 (0%) in the freehand operation notes (odds ratio 0.0052, 95% CI 0.0003 to 0.0945, p < 0.001). The median total number of completed categories was significantly higher in the templated op-note group compared to the freehand op-note group (templated median 14, range 12-14, vs. freehand median 11, range 9 to 13, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis of operation notes written by consultants or trainees identified trainees as more likely to document the antibiotic prophylaxis given (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Use of pre-templated operation notes results in significantly improved documentation. Adoption of generic pre-templated operation notes to improve surgical documentation should be considered across all operations.

[Hepatic portal venous gas: surgery or not surgery?]. / L'aéroportie: bloc ou pas bloc?

Finding hepatic portal venous gas with pneumatosis intestinalis on computed tomography (CT) represents diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The intestinal necrosis, particularly associated with acute mesenteric ischemia, is the very first hypothesis to assess, with the underlying question of an urgent surgery. However, knowing the non-surgical causes that have been identified in the last decade seems necessary to better assess the risk-benefit ratio of emergency surgery. Among these causes, we report the case of the acute colonic pseudo-obstruction, also known as Ogilvie's syndrome, whose first line treatment is medical.

[Successful use of recombinant factor VIIa in the control of a massive bleeding in two patients with biventricular assist device (Thoratec)]. / Utilisation bénéfique de facteur VIIa recombinant chez deux patients porteurs d'une assistance biventriculaire (Thoratec).

Massive bleeding is a dreaded complication of biventricular mechanical assistance implantation. Its origin is multifactorial. Blood products transfusion associated with correction of coagulopathy are sometimes insufficient. We report two cases of massive bleeding after a Thoratec biventricular assistance implantation. After surgical haemostasis failure and despite the correction of coagulation disorders, a major bleeding persisted, so these patients received a single injection of 90 microg/kg of rFVIIa. This allowed in both cases a significant reduction of the bleeding and the restoration of normal haemodynamic conditions. This treatment was not complicated by any thrombotic accident.

[Management of transdermal therapeutics in perioperative care]. / Gestion des thérapeutiques transdermiques en anesthésie.

OBJECTIVE: To provide guidance on perioperative management of most frequently encountered transdermal therapeutics in anaesthesiology: nicotine, fentanyl, nitroglycerin, scopolamine and estradiol. DATA SOURCES: A review of the last decade literature was carried out on the Pubmed database using the following keywords (transcutaneous or percutaneous or transdermal or transdermic or skin or dermal) and (drug delivery systems or therapeutic systems or drug administration) grouped under the Mesh terms cutaneous administration, perioperative care, surgery, pharmacokinetics, nicotine, fentanyl, nitroglycerin, scopolamine, estradiol. STUDY SELECTION: Original articles, general articles reviews, guidelines, letters to the editor and case reports have been selected. DATA EXTRACTION: Articles were analyzed for each transdermal treatment in terms of pharmacokinetics as well as anaesthetics and surgical interactions. DATA SYNTHESIS: Transdermal nicotine must be removed before anaesthesia of patients with coronary disease or with high risk of inhalation and in case of reconstructive surgery. Transdermal fentanyl must be maintained during the perioperative period and associated with preventive treatments of hyperalgesia. Transdermal administration of fentanyl by iontophoresis is a promising system for postoperative analgesia. Transdermal nitroglycerin must be maintained before scheduled surgery of a coronary patient. Transdermal scopolamine must be removed the day before surgery because of its side effects. It could have an interest in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting, but its therapeutic method remain to be defined. Transdermal estradiol can be maintained during the perioperative period. CONCLUSION: The management of transdermal therapeutics in peri operative care can be adapted for each treatment and for each patient by knowing pharmacokinetics as well as anaesthetics and surgical interactions. In emergency situations, the actions to be taken do not generally differ, but one must be aware that the effects of trandermal treatments do not disappear immediately when removed, due to their pharmacokinetics properties.

[Diabetic ketoacidosis with a fatal issue: is it a MODY3 (maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 3)?]. / Acidocétose diabétique d'évolution fatale: serait-ce un MODY3 (maturity-onset diabetes of the young de type 3)?

Ketoacidotic coma is one of the possible diabetes mellitus first symptoms. It results from complete or relative lack of insuline and is often associated with type 1 diabetes. The authors report a case of a 45-years old woman with inaugural diabetes of which atypical features have motivated the study of MODY gene (maturity-onset diabetes of the young). Gly574ser polymorphism in the HNF-1alpha gene was found, in homozygous state, and the question of the responsibility of this polymorphism in this diabete is asked.

[The myxoedema coma exists, we met it]. / Le coma myxoedémateux existe, nous l'avons rencontré

The myxoedema coma corresponds to the ultimate evolution of a hypothyroidism and is characterized by a major deficit in thyroid hormones responsible for a collapse of the metabolism. The preventive and curative treatment is based on the administration of thyroid hormones, whose benefits are opposed to the cardiovascular risks related to an iatrogenic hyperthyroidism for patients often old with cardiopathy. We report the case of a 92-year-old patient with unbalanced hypothyroidism and chronic cardiac deficiency, who presented a myxoedema coma in the postoperative period of an urgent digestive surgery. This observation illustrates the difficulties in treating patients with unbalanced hypothyroidism following emergency surgery, in the absence of consensus on the type and the amounts of thyroid hormones substitution.