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Showing results for tags 'Surgery - General'.
Found 485 results
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Content ArticleHealthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) performs surgical inspections to ensure the procedures are safe for patients. HIW have designed a patient centred approach by allowing lay reviewers to take the same journey a patient would when going through orthopaedic and trauma surgery pathways. HIW focuses on Trauma surgery (emergency surgery on the bones) Elective orthopaedic surgery (planned surgery on the bones) and The National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures or NatSSIPs (Safety checks and processes during surgery).
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Content Article
Jacqui Shaw, 54, underwent surgery for pelvic organ prolapse during which surgical mesh was inserted. She assumed the operation would improve her quality of life. Instead, her days are now blighted by agonising pain and despair. In this video, published on the Mail+, Jacqui bravely shares her story, and her uncertainty for the future. She describes how she found the support group Sling the Mesh, and subsequently many others who were also experiencing devastating consequences of surgical mesh. -
Content ArticleThis study looks at patients experiences of surgical site infections (SSIs) with the aim of improving clinical practice. The researchers conducted 17 narrative interviews with patients who had SSIs and then performed a thematic content analysis. Results found patients were not fully informed about SSIs and the nature surrounding them, with 7 patients saying they did not know they even had SSIs which may have been due to staff not informing the patients appropriately. Among the authors' conclusions, they suggest that if patients were more aware of SSIs, it may be able to help them adhere to preventative measures.
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Content ArticleMonitoring surgical wounds for infection: information for patients explains surgical wound infection, and the national programme for monitoring infections acquired in hospitals. This patient guide had been produced by Public Health England and is available in English and 8 other languages.
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Content ArticleThe aim of the study was to create a core outcome set (COS), an agreed set of outcomes that could be measured, and report in all studies an evaluation of the introduction and evaluation of novel surgical techniques. The authors used data from several different sources such as innovation-specific literature, policy/regulatory body documents, and surgeon interviews. The results included 7,972 verbatim outcomes that were identified which were categorized into 32 domains. The researchers conclude the COS could be used to help encourage safer surgical innovation.
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Content ArticleThis article focuses on common general surgical Never Events (NEs). The researchers analysed data from the National Health Service (NHS) in England and found a total of 797 general surgical NEs identified under three main categories: wrong-site surgery, retained items post-procedure and wrong implant/prosthesis. With this research, the authors aimed to raise awareness of these common themes with the hope it may help create better safety standards and safeguards and reduce the incidence of NEs.
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Content ArticleThis article discusses patient safety clinical incidents in relation to bariatric surgery with an aim to identify bariatric surgery-related learning points from the incidents. After analysing reports from the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) database in England and Wales, the authors found 541 bariatric surgery-related clinical incidents with 58 themes, including failure of thromboprophylaxis and medication errors. The authors hope that their research can raise awareness of these clinical incidents and propose a safety checklist and specific recommendations to help improve patient safety.
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Content Article
Prehabilitation (November 2019)
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Surgery
Durrand et al. look at ways patients may be able to better prepare for major surgery, including targeting behaviours and lifestyle choices such as smoking and excessive drinking. The authors review evidence that physical inactivity and poor fitness, among other behaviours, has an impact on a patient's outcome. They also explore evidence for possible interventions at the perioperative stage. -
Content ArticleAfter Rosie Bartel went for knee replacement surgery, she was told she had contracted the MRSA infection. In this video, Mrs. Bartel describes how she is now in a wheelchair after three years and 11 surgeries.
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The objective of this study, published in JAMA Surgery, was to determine whether exposure to 30-day postoperative infection is associated with increased incidence of infection and mortality during postoperative days 31 to 365. Authors conclude that patients with 30-day postoperative infection had a 3.2-fold higher risk of 1-year infection and a 1.9-fold higher risk of mortality compared with those who had no 30-day infection. -
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Post-operative sepsis is the term used to describe a rare complication of surgery; when sepsis has occurred shortly after an operation which affects one or more organs of the body. In severe cases it can cause life-threatening multi-organ failure, which requires admission to an Intensive Care Unit. This patient/relative guide, from the UK Sepsis Trust, looks at causes, symptoms and treatments for post-operative sepsis. -
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Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common complications following cesarean section, and has an incidence of 3%–15%. It places physical and emotional burdens on the mother herself and a significant financial burden on the health care system. SSI is associated with a maternal mortality rate of up to 3%. This paper, published in the International Journal of Women's Health, focuses on: Risk factors Prevention strategies Intraoperative practices Post operative assessment. -
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These guidelines include 13 recommendations for the period before surgery, and 16 for preventing infections during and after surgery. They range from simple precautions such as ensuring that patients bathe or shower before surgery and the best way for surgical teams to clean their hands, to guidance on when to use antibiotics to prevent infections, what disinfectants to use before incision, and which sutures to use. -
Content ArticleUK-based charity Versus Arthritis are campaigning to ensure that the needs of people with arthritis are prioritised by policymakers as plans for the COVID-19 recovery are developed. As part of this work, in this report they set out a six-part support package to help to meet the needs of people with arthritis who are on surgery waiting lists.
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Content ArticleThis study describes how a significant proportion of healthcare resources has been redirected to help patients ill from COIVD-19. Results from statistical analysis revealed more than 1.5 million operations were cancelled due to the pandemic and it is believed the number of cancelled operations may continue to increase by 2.4 million.
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Content ArticleThis Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) investigation looked at the risks involved in the correct identification of patients in outpatient departments. Correct identification is crucial to make sure they receive the right clinical procedure. In the last 10 years the number of patients treated in outpatient clinics has nearly doubled. Many minor surgical procedures can now be carried out in an outpatient clinic, whereas in the past they would have been carried out in an inpatient theatre setting. The high number of patients treated in an outpatient clinic requires efficient management. Clinical consultation and delivery of the required intervention often needs to be completed within a 15-20-minute appointment. In a single outpatient waiting area there may be patients arriving for different clinical interventions. Staff need to make sure that all patients are seen in the right place, at the right time and (if required) receive the right procedure. Outpatients are not provided with any physical means that staff can use to identify them. This is different to inpatients where a wristband is worn following an initial check of the patient’s identity. Checking the identity of a patient in an outpatient department typically relies on staff speaking to patients. There is a risk of patients being missed or misunderstood due to the environment, work demands, language or cultural barriers.
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Content ArticleDespite widespread recognition and known harms, serious surgical errors, known as surgical never events, endure. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has developed an oversight system to capture never events and a platform for process improvement that has not yet been critically appraised. This study examined surgical never events occurring in hospitals in California and summarize recommendations to prevent future events.
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Content ArticleSince 2015 Quomodus has developed the digital course 'Diathermy – a practical guide to electrosurgery' for surgeons and other professional users of electrosurgery. The 30-minute course covers the history of electrosurgery, indication and proper use, adverse effects and complications associated with the use of diathermy. The course has been tested and quality assured by health professionals in Scandinavia. The course is flexible, user friendly and applies to all models of diathermy equipment currently on the market.
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Content ArticleCORESS Programme Director Frank Smith's talk at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
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Content ArticleThis article, published in the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery e-book, explores the multimodal approach to improve overall patient recovery after surgery. The idea of implementing specific interventions throughout the perioperative period to improve patient recovery has been proven to be beneficial. Whereas many approaches to enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) implementation may seem straightforward, careful advanced planning, multiple stakeholder involvement, and addressing other contextual constraints are needed if there is to be improvement.
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Content ArticleThis article, published in the Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, discusses communication during end-of-shift handovers and how improved communication between staff may reduce errors and adverse outcomes for hospitalised patients.
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Content ArticleThis article explains some of the background to the new national standardised operating procedure to prevent wrong side block, developed by a working party of the Safe Anaesthesia Liaison Group (SALG). However, the document may seem a little unusual, since it is not presented as a barrier to wrong side block. Rather, its main aim is to standardise practice across hospitals so that any future events can be analysed against a common framework; hence the designation as a standardised operating procedure and not a guideline. As a result the incidence of wrong side blocks will diminish, but not be eliminated. ‘Prep, stop, block’ describes the process to be followed; enhancing the message of ‘stop before you block’ that the stop moment should occur just before needle insertion.
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Content ArticleThis article, published in Surgical Patient Care, looks at the importance of developing surgical standards to mitigate risks and the subsequent development of the Surgical Safety Checklist to improve quality of care.
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Content ArticleSurgical morbidity and mortality (M&M) meetings have a central function in supporting services to achieve and maintain high standards of care. Throughout the UK, practices provides advice on the following topics: around the structure and content of M&M meetings vary widely and so does their quality. According to Good Surgical Practice, all surgeons should regularly attend morbidity and mortality meetings as a key activity for reviewing the performance of the surgical team and ensuring quality.
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Content ArticleIn October 2014, the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh launched a UK-wide education campaign to get patients moving in the run-up to surgery. Addressing this costly and avoidable matter, the campaign asks patients to speak with their surgeon or GP to work out an exercise plan that suits their condition and the type of operation they will undergo.
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