To support the global restart of elective surgery, data from an international prospective cohort study of 8492 patients (69 countries) was analysed using artificial intelligence (machine learning techniques) to develop a predictive score for mortality in surgical patients with SARS-CoV-2. We found that patient rather than operation factors were the best predictors and used these to create the COVIDsurg Mortality Score (https://covidsurgrisk.app). Our data demonstrates that it is safe to restart a wide range of surgical services for selected patients.
Pseudomeningoceles are extremely rare in the absence of trauma or iatrogenic injury. Surgeons should be alert to their presence as they can mimic a unilateral mucocele or nasal polyp. Endoscopic management lends itself to a single-stage repair.
Forehead swelling may pose diagnostic and management dilemmas for the ENT surgeon; however, effective management is facilitated by a multidisciplinary approach.
Objective: We report a case of rhabdomyosarcoma of the trachea in a 14-month-old child, and we present the first reported use of proton beam therapy for this tumour.Case report: A 14-month-old girl presented acutely with a seven-day history of biphasic stridor. Emergency endoscopic debulking of a posterior tracheal mass was undertaken. Histological examination revealed an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma with anaplasia. Multimodality therapy with surgery and chemotherapy was administered in the UK, and proton beam therapy in the USA.Conclusion: Only three cases of rhabdomyosarcoma of the trachea have previously been reported in the world literature. This is the first reported case of treatment of this tumour with proton beam therapy. Compared with conventional radiotherapy, proton beam therapy may confer improved long-term outcome in children, with benefits including reduced irradiation of the spinal cord.
Background: COVIDTrach is a UK multi-centre prospective cohort study project evaluating the outcomes of tracheostomy in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation. It also examines the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers involved in the procedure.
Method: An invitation to participate was sent to all UK NHS departments involved in tracheostomy in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19. Data was entered prospectively and clinical outcomes updated over time via an online database (REDCap). Clinical variables were compared with clinical outcomes using multivariable regression analysis, with logistic regression used to develop a prediction model for mortality. Participants recorded whether any of the operators tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 within two weeks of the procedure.
Findings: The cohort comprised 1605 tracheostomy cases from 126 UK hospitals. The median time from intubation to tracheostomy was 15 days (IQR 11, 21). 285 (18%) patients died following the procedure. 1229 (93%) of the survivors had been successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation at censoring and 1049 (81%) had been discharged from hospital. Age, inspired oxygen concentration requirement on the day of tracheostomy, PEEP setting, pyrexia, number of days of ventilation before tracheostomy, C-reactive protein and the use of anticoagulation and inotropic support independently predicticted mortality. Six reports were received of operators testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 within two weeks following the procedure.
Interpretation: Tracheostomy appears to be safe in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 and to operators performing the procedure and we identified clinical indicators that are predictive of mortality. Optimal timing of the procedure remains to be determined.
Funding: The COVIDTrach project is supported by the Wellcome Trust UCL COVID-19 Rapid Response Award and the National Institute for Health Research.
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