BackgroundNecrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are aggressive infections associated with significant morbidity, including amputation and organ failure, and high mortality. The rapid progression and significant risk of morbidity and mortality associated with NSTIs makes quick diagnosis and treatment critical. The objective of this study was to determine the presentation of patients diagnosed with NSTIs and their in-hospital outcomes.MethodsThis was a retrospective review of adult (>17 years) patients with a discharge diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis at London Health Sciences Centre (annual census 125,000) over a 5-year period (April 2008–March 2013).ResultsSixty patients with confirmed NSTI were included in this study. Common comorbidities at presentation included immunocompromise (58.3%), diabetes mellitus (41.7%), vascular disease (45.0%), and obesity (24.6%). Initial presentations included swelling (91.7%), erythema (86.7%), bullae (28.3%), petechiae (8.3%), and bruising (45.0%). Fifty (83.3%) underwent surgery, with a median (interquartile range) time from initial emergency department presentation to surgery of 15.5 hours (7.8, 74.9). In-hospital mortality among those who had surgical intervention was 14.0%, compared to 60.0% for patients who did not have surgery (Δ46.0%; 95% CI: 14.8% to 70.2%).ConclusionDiabetes mellitus, immune-compromise, vascular disease, and obesity are common comorbidities of NSTIs. Survival is higher among patients who receive surgical treatment. Patients presenting with this clinical picture warrant a high degree of suspicion.
We report the successful surgical intervention in a case of constrictive pericarditis after long-term use of atypical antipsychotics. Pericarditis developed in our patient with a longstanding history of schizophrenia treated with atypical antipsychotics. Pericardiectomy was undertaken, and the patient's presenting symptom of shortness of breath resolved subsequently with an uneventful postoperative course.
Background:Research has demonstrated equivalent patient safety outcomes for various cardiac procedures when the primary surgeon was a supervised trainee. However, cardiac surgery cases have become more complex, and the Canadian cardiac surgery education model has undergone some changes. We sought to compare patient safety and efficiency of aortic valve replacement (AVR) between Canadian patients treated by senior cardiac trainees and those treated by certified cardiac surgeons. Methods:We completed a single-centre, case-matched, prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed study of AVR. Patients were matched between trainees and consultants for age, sex, New York Heart Association and Canadian Cardiovascular Society status, urgency of operation and diabetes status. Results:We analyzed 1102 procedures: 624 isolated AVRs and 478 AVRs with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). For isolated AVR, there was no significant difference in 30-d mortality (p = 0.13) or in major adverse events (p = 0.38) between the groups. In the AVR+CABG group, there was no significant difference in 30-day mortality (p = 0.10) or in the rates of major adverse events (p = 0.37) between the groups. Secondary outcomes (hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay, valve size and type) did not differ significantly between the groups for isolated AVR or AVR+CABG. Conclusion:Despite a higher-risk patient population and changes in the cardiac surgery training model, it appears that outcomes are not negatively affected when a senior trainee acts as the primary surgeon in cases of AVR.Contexte : La recherche a fait état de résultats équivalents au plan de la sécurité des patients lors de diverses interventions cardiaques lorsque le chirurgien principal était un résident supervisé. Toutefois, la chirurgie cardiaque se complexifie et le modèle de formation canadien en chirurgie cardiaque a subi quelques transformations. Nous avons voulu comparer la sécurité de patients canadiens et l'efficience du remplacement de la valvule aortique (RVA) selon que les patients étaient traités par des rési-dents séniors en chirurgie cardiaque ou par des chirurgiens certifiés.Méthodes : Nous avons procédé à une collecte prospective de cas assortis, dans 1 seul centre, puis à une analyse rétrospective des cas de RVA. Les patients ont été répartis entre résidents et experts et assortis selon l'âge, le sexe, la classification de la NYHA (New York Heart Association) et de la Société canadienne de cardiologie, le caractère urgent de l'intervention et le statut à l'égard du diabète.Résultats : Nous avons analysé 1102 interventions : 624 RVA isolés et 478 RVA avec pontage aorto-coronarien (PAC). Dans les cas de RVA isolés, on n'a noté aucune différence significative pour ce qui est de la mortalité à 30 jours (p = 0,13) ou des effets indésirables majeurs (p = 0,38) entre les groupes. Pour ce qui est du groupe RVA+PAC, on n'a noté aucune différence significative quant à la mortalité à 30 jours (p = 0,10) ou quant aux taux d'effets indésirables majeurs (p = 0,37) en...
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