Preliminary assessment of the value and effect of expert consultation in telemedicine.
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Decision Making↗
Biomedical subjects
N Demartines
Publications and source records attributed to N Demartines.
Assessment of telemedicine in surgical education and patient care.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the value of teleconferencing for patient care and surgical education by assessing the activity of an international academic network. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The uses of telemedicine include teleeducation, training, and consulting, and surgical teams are now involved, sharing diagnostic information and opinions without the need for travel. However, the value of telematics in surgery remains to be assessed. METHODS: During a 2-year period, weekly surgical teleconferences were held among six university hospitals in four European countries. To assess the accuracy of telediagnosis for surgical cases, 60 randomly selected cases were analyzed by a panel of surgeons. Participants' opinions were analyzed by questionnaire. RESULTS: Seventy teleconferences (50 lectures and 271 case presentations) were held. Ninety-five of the 114 participants (83.3%) completed the final questionnaire. Eighty-six percent rated the surgical activity as good or excellent, 75.7% rated the scientific level as good or excellent, 55.8% rated the daily clinical activity as good or excellent, and 28.4% rated the manual surgical technique as good or excellent. The target organ was identified in all the cases; the organ structure and pathology were considered well defined in 93.3%, and the fine structure was considered well defined in 58.3%. Diagnosis was accurate in 17 cases (28.3%), probable in 25 (41.7%), possible but uncertain in 16 (26.7%), and not possible in 2 cases (3.3%). Discussion among the remote sites increased the rate of valuable therapeutic advice from 55% of cases before the discussion to 95% after the discussion. Eighty-six percent of the surgeons expressed satisfaction with telematics for medical education and patient care. CONCLUSIONS: Participant satisfaction was high, transmission of clinical documents was accurate, and the opportunity to discuss case documentation and management significantly improved diagnostic potential, resulting in an accuracy rate of up to 95%. Teleeducation and teleconsultation in surgery appear to be beneficial.
Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
Knowledge and acceptance of telemedicine in surgery: a survey.
A questionnaire was sent to the chief surgeons at 141 Swiss hospitals to evaluate their knowledge and acceptance of telemedicine in surgery. The response rate was 69%. Ninety-three per cent of all surgical departments used computer technology, 85% regularly used the Web and 88% had an internal hospital network. ISDN lines were used in 58% of the participants' hospitals. While 35% of respondents had participated at least once in networking, only 8% regularly used telemedicine. The opinion was that access to therapeutic advice (87%) was a better use of telemedicine than was obtaining a primary diagnosis (24%), although the majority accepted the principle of making (91%) and receiving (94%) a remote diagnosis. The survey suggested that surgeons are interested in telemedicine and open to its development, although their experience and knowledge are limited. Therefore, telemedicine in surgery may be advanced by creating surgical networks for teleconsultation and tele-education.
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice↗
Kidney transplantation in Switzerland.
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Cadaver↗
[Giant diverticula of the colon. Apropos of 2 cases].
Giant diverticulum of the colon is a rare complication of the colonic diverticulosis. It generally involves the sigmoid colon. In the chronic form, without symptoms or with only a few non-specific symptoms, an abdominal mass is frequently palpable. A plain abdominal radiogram, showing a gas-filled cyst, can suggest the diagnosis. If needed, an abdominal CT scan is appropriate and seems to be more accurate than a barium enema. The treatment of choice is a segmental resection of the colon involving the giant diverticulum, followed by a direct anastomosis. Despite the old age of these patients, both postoperative morbidity and mortality are low and justify such a radical approach. The acute clinical presentation (about 20%) is generally due to a peritonitis by perforation of the giant diverticulum and requires an emergency colectomy.
Aged↗
[Telematic and surgery: methods, terminology and instructions].
BACKGROUND: Telematic is the application of computer technology in modern telecommunication. Telemedicine will be of growing importance in the international collaboration in surgery. OBJECTIVE: Review of the different telematic applications for surgery and presentation of technology and tools. Practical user's guide. METHOD: Analysis of our international network of telesurgical staff meetings between 6 University Hospitals. Review of the situation of telemedicine in Switzerland and around the world. RESULTS: After performing some comparative tests we chose to work with 6 ISDN channels at the world wide standard H.320 (rate of 384 Kb/s) which is widely available in Switzerland and around the world. Technical options, market opportunities and relationship between needs and goals of telemedicine are presented on a user point of view. DISCUSSION: More than 70 telesurgical staff meetings allowed us to get an overview of this technology, in order to benefit of telemedicine applications for teaching and clinical use. Important factors are the analysis of needs and goals prior to the teleconference. CONCLUSION: Consultation, second opinion, teaching and training should be new clinical applications of telemedicine, leading to an increase of surgical quality control in Europe and in the world.
Computer Communication Networks↗
[A new anal retractor for hand-sutured colo-anal anastomoses].
The hand-sutured coloanal anastomosis requires adequate and atraumatic exposure of the anal canal in order to avoid sphincter damage. We evaluated a new modified anal retractor to improve exposure of the anal canal and thread handling during construction of hand-sutured coloanal anastomosis. This new device was used during all coloanal and transperineal procedures performed in 1997 in our hospital. This new device is safe and extremely comfortable for the surgeon. It speeds up the procedure and keeps sutures out of the way when completing a coloanal anastomosis.
Anal Canal↗
'Residual' appendicitis following incomplete laparoscopic appendectomy.
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Appendectomy↗
Use of laparoscopic trocar for percutaneous introduction of drains into intra-abdominal abscess.
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Abdominal Abscess↗
[Amebic appendicitis with subsequent perforated pancolitis].
Amoebic appendicitis is very rare, occurring in about 0.5 to 1% of acute appendicitis in tropical countries. The most severe complication is transmural amoebic colitis with perforation, described in 1.6 to 3.2% of cases. The mortality of such cases can be very high (up to 80%). We present a Swiss patient with amoebic appendicitis followed by severe perforated colitis; a total colectomy was necessary and the patient survived. Because of the good results of amoebicidal therapy and because of the severity of the complication after colitis we suggest that patients with signs of acute appendicitis after travel in tropical areas should be screened.
Aged↗
[Polytrauma: comparison of the hospital course after air- (with emergency physician) versus ground transport (without emergency physician)].
We analyzed the influence of initial intensive care at the accident site performed by an emergency physician and followed by helicopter transport on the course during hospital stay in patients with multiple trauma. We therefore compared the dates of 107 patients transported by the swiss air rescue (REGA) and an emergency physician with 131 patients transported by an ambulance and paramedic staff. By similar case material the REGA-patients showed a higher injury severity grade. Mortality of the REGA-patients was significantly higher (21%) than of the ambulance-patients (10%), but length of stay was significantly shorter and morbidity identical. We suspect, that the higher mortality of the REGA-patients is explained by the large number of surgically nontreatable severe traumas. None of the REGA-patients arrived at hospital with circulatory insufficiency whereas 4 of the ambulance-patients were in state of shock. We assume that first of all primary treatment of the scene of injury by an emergency physician and eventually also transport by helicopter have a positive effect on the course of patients with multiple trauma during hospital stay.
Adult↗
[Development of the helicopter-rescue concept in the Basel region].
1927 medical helicopter transports were performed in Basle between 1986 and 1989. Of the total flights, 173 transports without patients and 186 incubator transports were excluded from the study. Treatment and transportation were provided for 1085 victims of trauma (70.2%) and 461 medical-surgical patients (29.8%), mostly with life-threatening conditions. 589 trauma patients were treated at the scene of accident and later transported by helicopter to a nearby medical center (54.3%). The 4.3% rate of negative emergency flights is low. Since introduction of the helicopter rescue system at Basle in 1975, scene flights have increased from 29% in 1984 to 46% in 1989. 47.4% of all patients were categorized as seriously ill or severely injured. 36.4% of all patients required intubation and assisted ventilation. Of the trauma patients, 54.3% involved scene-flights requiring in-field intensive therapy. Helicopter transport provides not only a rapid source of transportation, but also vital medical assistance at the scene of emergency. Transport generally occurs only after stabilization of vital functions. These factors contribute to the low mortality before return flights (3%) as well as during transport (0.3%). We conclude that early aggressive in-field intensive therapy can help to decrease both morbidity and mortality in emergency-care patients.
Aircraft↗
[Meckel's diverticulum: surgical complications].
A 20-year (1971-1990) retrospective follow-up of all patients with a Meckel diverticulum (MD) out of the Kantonsspital and St. Claraspital Basel is reported. There were 57 men and 34 women with a mean age of 46.7 years (14-89). 60.4% of the cases were occasional findings, 39.6% were symptomatic MD. During the same period of time 5000 appendectomies were performed (ratio diverticulectomy to appendectomy was 1:50). 38.5% of the resections of MD were done when an acute appendicitis was supposed. In one third of the cases the MD was responsible for the symptomatology. Histological findings were 13% unspecific inflammation, 10% perforation, 9.8% ectopic tissue, 6.5% bleeding and 4.3% tumors. 8 out of 36 patients with pathological findings showed postoperative complications (21.6%), the mortality rate was 8.1%. In 55% resected MD without any additional histological findings only one complication (postoperative ileus) (1.9%) was found; mortality was zero per cent. The analysis of these data shows that complications of MD does not only appear in young patients. Complications occur more often in patients with MD with additional ectopy. We recommend the resection of an incidentally discovered Meckel diverticulum.
Abdomen, Acute↗
[Emergency surgery of a case of perforated gastroduodenal ulcer].
Surgical treatment of acute perforated gastric and duodenal ulcer is connected to high postoperative lethality. By emergency procedure it has to be decided between performing a simple closure or performing initially a definitive operation to control the peptic disease. The therapeutic options at our institution are based on a severity score which includes patient's age, associated pathology, grade of the peritonitis, delay between the onset of symptom and surgery, history of ulcer disease. Charts of 90 patients consecutively operated during 6 years for acute perforated ulcer were analysed. The average age was 65.5 years, the operation was performed within 6 h in 47.3% of the patients. To perform or not a definitive operation is an important therapeutic option as by simple closure 45% recurrence is observed with a lethality of 36%. Based on our scoring system, 87.9% of all the patients underwent definitive operation. The lethality rate of this series of nonselected patients (52% were older than 70 years) was low: 6.3%. The use of the severity score help to choose patients to be treated by simple closure and patients which may be submitted to definitive emergency operation with low operative risk.
Adult↗
[Results of the surgical treatment of gastroduodenal hemorrhage].
383 operations for peptic ulcer were performed between 1984 and 1989. There were 114 operations for hemorrhage. The average age of patients was 65 years (21 to 90). 93% of our patients underwent preoperative endoscopy. 52.6% underwent emergency surgery whereas 47.4% had early elective operation. 91.1% of all patients underwent surgery with curative intention for peptic disease in the form of a highly selective vagotomy or partial gastrectomy. The overall mortality rate of 13.2% was influenced by age (less than 70 years: 6.5% / greater than 70 years: 20.4%), by localization of ulcer (stomach: 7%/duodenum: 16%), by time of operation (emergency: 22%/early elective: 6.3%) and by number of blood transfusions (less than 5 units: 7.7% / greater than 5 units: 21%). We conclude that bleeding gastroduodenal ulcers remain a significant complication of peptic ulcer disease. Only a multidisciplinary approach to gastroduodenal hemorrhage, including stabilization of vital functions, endoscopic hemostasis and early elective operation, will contribute to a reduction of mortality.
Adult↗
[Surgical indications, choice of procedure and results in upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage].
Even today acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding carries a high mortality rate. To improve results it is important to define and operate on those patients in whom recurrent bleeding is expected. Whenever possible early elective surgery is recommended. To improve long-term results we propose definitive ulcer surgery even in patients presenting as emergencies. Implementation of this policy does not increase operative mortality.
Duodenal Ulcer↗
[Helicopter and emergency physician at the accident site. Medical comparison between altitude and flat land emergency care].
In-field intensive care reduces lethality and morbidity in severe trauma. We analyze and compare 400 medical helicopter rescue flights in the region of Basel and 325 medical air-rescues in the mountains of Interlaken. The presence of a physician in the helicopter is based on an interventional concept, with clinical diagnosis, monitoring and early intensive in-field care. Compared to the mountains, we find a predominance of road accidents (44%) in the region of Basel, with more head injuries (47.3%) and more polytrauma (19.4%) and thoraxtrauma (20.5%). In the mountains, with a majority of sport accidents (65.5%), pelvis and extremity injuries (73.4%) prevailed. As a consequence of inaccessible accident sites in the mountains, 23% of the rescues had to be performed by winch. An endotracheal intubation was performed in 35.5% of the patients in the Basel region, and in 11.6% in the mountains. Fixation of fractures and hemostasis was performed in both regions in 22% and 12% of the cases. In spite of high rates of severe conditions in both regions (57% in Basel, 17% in the mountains), the low mortality prior to and during air transport (2.5% in the Basel and 2.7% in the Interlaken region) confirms the necessity of the concept of early in-field intensive therapy. This concept allows good analgesia, is save and comfortable for the patients. The presence of a physician in the air rescue team has to be recommended not only for rescues in the plain, but also in the mountains.
Aircraft↗
[Thoracic drainage at the accident site].
The helicopter medical team of the Basel University Hospital treated and evacuated 710 patients in 1987/88. 484 were trauma patients (68.2%) and the intensive medical care began on the accident scene in 56% of the cases. We treated 90 thoracic injuries. 58.9% of these patients needed a chest tube which was directly inserted at the emergency place in 41.4% of the cases. An endotracheal intubation was necessary for 83.8% of the patients with in-field insertion of a chest tube and for 33.9% of other injured persons. No iatrogenic complications were observed. The clinical follow-up showed less complications for infield treated patients. We conclude that in-field insertion of chest tubes, if correctly performed, is a safe procedure contributing to diminish the lethality and the morbidity of trauma patients.
Accidents, Traffic↗