No abstract

Pharmacological prophylaxis after KT is not necessary because of the low incidence of DVT in Korean patients, and instead, we suggest that long-term mechanical prophylaxis of at least 3 months can be a suitable option. Patients older than 50 years of age have a higher risk of developing DVT, and careful observation is needed in these patients.

Radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula (RCAVF) is the preferred vascular access, but the maturation failure rate is high. Poor vein distensibility is the main cause of maturation failure. There have been several studies regarding vein distensibility, but vein dilation protocol and the cut-off value predicting maturation failure were inconsistent. We were doubtful that the vein distensibility had been appropriately evaluated, and sought to determine a more clinically applicable parameter. The cephalic vein was dilated via intraluminal hydrostatic pressure during the surgery and the vein size was measured. Maturation failure occurred in 30 patients (22.4%) and was more common in females and in patients who had a previous history of arteriovenous access formation (p = 0.0095 and p = 0.014). The intraoperative postdilation diameter, and the difference between pre and postdilation diameters differed between the two groups (p = 0.0004 and p = 0.0004). The cut-off value of the postdilation diameter, which indicated a high probability of maturation success, was >4 mm, and the cut-off value which indicated a higher probability of maturation failure; that is, the difference between the pre and postdilation diameter, was ≤2.2 mm. The degree of distensibility of the cephalic vein may be an important determinant of RCAVF maturation.

Objective To investigate and compare the attitudes of operating room nurses and doctors regarding patient safety, performance of surgical time-out and recognition of count error. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited operating room nurses, surgeons and anaesthesiologists between 1 August 2015 and 5 February 2016. A Safety Attitude Questionnaire was used to analyse the three elements in both groups of operating room staff (nurses and doctors). Results The study analysed the questionnaires from 171 participants; 95 nurses (55.6%) and 76 doctors (44.4%). Differences exist between doctors and nurses regarding teamwork climate, working conditions, perception of management and the recognition of stress. On the performance of surgical time-out, nurses showed higher scores on way of counting, while doctors showed higher scores on the time-out procedure itself. Also, doctors believed they actively cooperated with the nurses, while nurses believed they did not receive cooperation. Scores for the recognition of count error were higher in nurses than in doctors. More experienced operating room staff showed higher scores than younger less experienced staff. Conclusions Perceptual differences among doctors and nurses need to be minimized for the safety of the patient in the operating room.