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Background: This study aimed to characterize patient satisfaction with navigators and surgical care accessed through a novel navigation program for under-resourced communities., Methods: PSN-I and PSQ-18 questionnaires assessed satisfaction with navigators and care, respectively. Primary outcomes were PSN-I and PSQ-18 scores. Secondary analyses tested associations between satisfaction and patient factors and between PSN-I and PSQ-18 scores., Results: Of 294 patients contacted, 88 (29.9 ​%) responded. Most were Hispanic/Latinx (76.1 ​%), Spanish-speaking (71.5 ​%), and uninsured (85.2 ​%). Participants were highly satisfied with navigators (mean 38.5, SD 7.6; max. 45) and most care domains except Financial Aspects (mean 3.2, SD 1.0; max. 5) and Accessibility/Convenience (mean 3.5, SD 0.6; max. 5). Higher navigator satisfaction was associated with post-consultation need for surgery (coeff. 5.6, 95 ​% CI[0.9, 10.3]) and increased the odds of care satisfaction (OR 1.1, 95 ​% CI[1.0, 1.2])., Conclusions: Patients are satisfied with navigation services-a previously unstudied aspect of this unique surgical equity program., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although most surgery residents pursue fellowships, data regarding those decisions are limited. This study describes associations with interest in fellowship and specific subspecialties., Methods: Anonymous surveys were distributed to 607 surgery residents at 19 US programs. Subspecialties were stratified by levels of burnout and quality of life using data from recent studies., Results: 407 (67%) residents responded. 372 (91.4%) planned to pursue fellowship. Fellowship interest was lower among residents who attended independent or small programs, were married, or had children. Residents who received AOA honors or were married were less likely to choose high burnout subspecialties (trauma/vascular). Residents with children were less likely to choose low quality of life subspecialties (trauma/transplant/cardiothoracic)., Conclusions: Surgery residents' interest in fellowship and specific subspecialties are associated with program type and size, AOA status, marital status, and having children. Variability in burnout and quality of life between subspecialties may affect residents' decisions., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: At our hospital, medical students lost privileges to perform urinary catheterization because of concern regarding catheter-associated urinary tract infections. We hypothesized that trained medical students could perform urinary catheterization with the same proficiency as licensed practitioners., Methods: Medical students completed a credentialing program in urinary catheterization. Prospectively, the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections after urinary catheterization performed by medical students was compared with the health system-wide rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections after urinary catheterization performed by non-medical students using an incidence rate ratio (IRR)., Results: Over 9 months, a total of 432 and 55,401 catheter days accrued in patients who underwent urinary catheterization by medial students and non-medical students, resulting in 1 and 129 catheter-associated urinary tract infections, respectively. The incidence rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections per 1,000 catheter days was 2.31 in the medical student-placed catheters and 2.33 in the non-MS-placed catheters (IRR = .99, P = .55)., Conclusions: Preclinical credentialing in urinary catheterization resulted in the reinstatement of urinary catheterization privileges to qualified medical students. Student proficiency in urinary catheterization can match that of licensed practitioners., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although the scope and patterns of attrition of general surgery residents have been reported, no study has examined the residents who replaced them. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of replacement residents (RRs)., Methods: A questionnaire asked program directors (PDs) about the prevalence, characteristics, and disposition of RRs in general surgery residency programs from 2001 to 2002., Results: PDs from 169 programs (67%) responded, and 109 (64%) of these programs had RRs. Of 244 RRs (7%), 18 (7%) were postgraduate year (PGY)-1 residents; 64 (26%) were PGY-2 residents; 77 (32%) were PGY-3 residents; 52 (21%) were PGY-4 residents; and 33 (14%) were PGY-5 residents. RRs averaged 1.9 years in their programs. One hundred seventy-five (72%) came from outside the current institution, and 142 had (58%) graduated from U.S. medical schools. PDs judged RRs to be superior (20%), comparable (55%), or inferior (25%) to their peers. Neither internal recruitment nor United States medical school graduation predicted performance. Disposition included promotion and graduation (88%), leaving the program voluntarily (5%), repeating the year (4%), and dismissal (3%). Successful RR performance occurred in 71% of RRs., Conclusions: Typically, RRs were U.S. medical school graduates, were recruited from outside the institution, and have performed satisfactorily.

Pancreatic-derived proteases play a central role in the pathogenesis of ischemic intestinal injury. We postulated that exocrine blockade by pretreatment with a long-acting somatostatin analogue, octreotide acetate, would attenuate ischemic mucosal injury. Sprague-Dawley rats received subcutaneous octreotide (10 micrograms/kg/d) for 6 days by means of surgically implanted infusion ports. In a group of sham control rats, splanchnic blood flow (portal vein Doppler measurement) and duodenal trypsin activity (p-toluene sulfonyl-L-arginine methyl ester assay) were determined. In a separate experiment, pretreated animals were subjected to 60 minutes of superior mesenteric artery ischemia alone or followed by 30 minutes of reperfusion. Gross extent of hemorrhagic necrosis and microscopic injury (rank analysis) were assessed by a blinded observer. Pretreatment with octreotide reduced intraluminal duodenal trypsin activity by 46% without affecting portal blood flow. However, octreotide pretreatment significantly attenuated the microscopic depth of injury during ischemia and the extent of gross injury during reperfusion. It appears that somatostatin may have an adjuvant role in the prevention or progression of intestinal ischemic injury.

Fecal occult blood testing for the detection of colon cancer remains controversial. We performed a mass screening program from January 24, 1988, to February 19, 1988, with intensive media promotion, including 121 minutes of televised air time. A total of 5,000 primary practitioners were notified by mail. Hemoccult-II tests were distributed to 156,000 individuals; 55,051 (35%) were returned. Ninety-five percent of the respondents were informed of the program by television. A total of 3,375 persons (6%) tested positive for fecal occult blood; of these, 2,469 (73%) informed the center that they saw their physician to initiate a work-up. Information from physicians regarding work-ups was returned on only 1,356 (55%) patients. Diagnostic tests numbered 2,227 (1.6 tests per patient). However, 5% had no testing, 16% had a repeat Hemoccult only, and 35% had neither a barium enema nor colonoscopy performed. Thirty-six colorectal cancers and 212 polyps were identified. The predictive value (i.e., number of cancers per number of patients who tested positive) increased directly by decade. Thirty-three of 36 patients (92%) with cancer underwent either a barium enema or colonoscopy versus only 185 of 438 (42%) patients with a "negative" work-up. Cancers found were carcinoma in situ in 10 patients (29%), Dukes A in 12 (35%), Dukes B in 4 (12%), and Dukes C in 8 (24%); distant metastases were not found in any participant. Thirty-six percent of the tumors were located in either the right or transverse colon. We conclude that: (1) Screening identified early cancers. All were potentially curable and 64% were limited to the bowel wall. (2) Massive Hemoccult distribution was possible over a short interval, but patient and physician compliance was disturbingly low. (3) Total colonic evaluation is mandatory, since at least 36% of tumors were beyond the reach of the flexible sigmoidoscope. (4) Many work-ups were unnecessary (repeat Hemoccults) or inadequate, indicating a need for physician education.

With the increased use of prophylactic and broad-spectrum antibiotics, pseudomembranous colitis has emerged as a significant clinical problem. Management with specific anti-Clostridium difficile therapy (vancomycin or metronidazole) has reduced mortality to less than 2%. Nevertheless, the disease may progress to a fulminant toxic colitis or colonic perforation. Additionally, another subset of patients will present with a dramatic clinical picture, suggesting acute peritonitis, eventuating in unnecessary laparotomy. This report reviews both the medical and surgical literature during the past 15 years of patients treated for pseudomembranous colitis. Analysis of this clinical data has provided us with the opportunity to both define the role of surgery in this disorder and illustrate the necessity for a combined medical and surgical cooperative approach in the early management of this iatrogenic disease.

In a pericardial tamponade model of cardiogenic shock in pigs, we had previously shown that acute reductions in cardiac output produce severe mesenteric ischemia due to disproportionate splanchnic vasoconstriction. In this study, we extended the period of cardiogenic shock in order to investigate the pathogenesis of ischemic injury to the small intestinal wall. Four hours of tamponade produced sustained changes in splanchnic hemodynamics, similar to those observed in the prior short-term experiments. The resultant mesenteric ischemia caused necrotic lesions of the small intestine which were characteristic of those seen in nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia in human subjects. Prior alpha-adrenergic blockade failed to prevent either sustained mesenteric vasospasm or ischemic injury. In contrast, prior blockade of the renin-angiotensin axis, whether by nephrectomy or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition, blocked the splanchnic vasoconstriction, and thereby protected the small intestine from ischemic injury. The primary hemodynamic and pathologic features of this model of nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia appear to be mediated by the renin-angiotensin axis.