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Biomedical subjects

A Ghandour

Publications and source records attributed to A Ghandour.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Does it matter whom you see? - a fracture clinic audit.

INTRODUCTION: A consultant-led service for trauma in the UK has become the accepted norm. Practice in fracture clinics may vary widely between consultants and has an impact on the number of patients seen and, therefore, the time devoted to each patient. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 945 patients attending our unit's fracture clinics were analysed over a 6-week period, representing one complete cycle of our trauma system. RESULTS: The overall discharge rate was 38% but this differed significantly between consultants. Patients re-presenting for the same complaint were evenly distributed between those discharging aggressively and those re-reviewing regularly. CONCLUSIONS: Re-reviewing patients has a significant impact on the number of patients seen in future clinics and, therefore, the time that can be devoted to each patient, individual consultant workload and teaching of junior staff. Since the re-presentation rate between those discharging aggressively and those re-reviewing more frequently was the same, discharge protocols are recommended for common trauma conditions to standardise the process. Specialist clinics are recommended for more complex trauma cases.

Ambulatory Care↗

A controlled clinical trial of postoperative hand elevation at home following day-case surgery.

Although elevation of the upper limb is considered valuable for the prevention and of the reduction of swelling following major surgery or severe injuries to the hand, it is not clear how much elevation, if any, is required following minor surgery such as carpal tunnel decompression. We investigated this by randomizing patients undergoing carpal tunnel decompression into two groups - one having high elevation at home and one being treated with a simple sling. Volumetric analysis of the swelling of the hand 5 days postoperatively showed no significant difference between the two groups. In the trial group, the mean increase in volume of the operated hand was 11 ml (95% CI +4 to +17) or 2.7%. In the control group, the mean swelling was 13 ml (95% CI +4 to +21) or 3.6%. The findings of this study do not support the use of routine high arm elevation following day-case surgery of the hand.

Adult↗

A review of wound healing following Maquet osteotomy.

Maquet osteotomy can be associated with an unacceptably high incidence of wound complications that may be as high as 37%. A consecutive series of 42 Maquet osteotomies has been performed between 1990 and 2002 by a single surgeon without a single wound problem or infection and this series is the subject of this report. The use of an anterolateral incision reduces the damage to the major lymphatics minimising the risk of wound oedema. Identification and preservation of the feeding musculocutaneous vessels on the lateral and medial sides facilitates extensive but safe mobilisation of the skin flaps permitting an easy closure over a substantially elevated tibial tubercle. The use of an anterolateral incision with knowledge of the blood supply of the leg has eliminated the wound complications associated with the standard anteromedial incision reported previously in the literature. This approach, preserving the blood supply and lymphatic drainage, avoids skin necrosis and wound dehiscence, obviates any requirement for plastic surgical procedures such as releasing incisions or skin grafts and minimises the risk of infection and osteomyelitis.

Adult↗