Biomedical subjects

Carol Hutchison

Publications and source records attributed to Carol Hutchison.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Teaching cognitive skills improves learning in surgical skills courses: a blinded, prospective, randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the teaching of cognitive skills within a technical skills course, we carried out a blinded, randomized prospective study. METHODS: Twenty-one junior residents (postgraduate years 1-3) from a single program at a surgical-skills training centre were randomized to 2 surgical skills courses teaching total knee arthroplasty. One course taught only technical skill and had more repetitions of the task (5 or 6). The other focused more on developing cognitive skills and had fewer task repetitions (3 or 4). All were tested with the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill (OSATS) both before and after the course, as well as a pre- and postcourse error-detection exam and a postcourse exam with multiple-choice questions (MCQs) to test their cognitive skills. RESULTS: Both groups' technical skills as assessed by OSATS were equivalent, both pre- and postcourse. Taking their courses improved the technical skills of both groups (OSATS, p < 0.01) over their pre-course scores. Both groups demonstrated equivalent levels of knowledge on the MCQ exam, but the cognitive group scored better on the error-detection test (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive skills training enhances the ability to correctly execute a surgical skill. Furthermore, specific training and practice are required to develop procedural knowledge into appropriate cognitive skills. Surgeons need to be trained to judge the correctness of their actions.

Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee↗

PubMed2002

Learning to use minimal access surgical instruments and 2-dimensional remote visual feedback: how difficult is the task for novices?

Performing minimal access surgery requires the use of 2-dimensional information to produce 3-dimensional movements, as well as precise motor control for manipulating laparoscopic tools. The added visuomotor demands of this task make it more demanding and complex than traditional open surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the relative task difficulty of performing laparoscopic tool movements with normal vision or 'laparoscopic vision' provided by a remote 2-D monitor. A second purpose of this study was to evaluate whether movement performance changes are induced by practice with normal vision (NV) and laparoscopic vision (LV). The study was also designed to determine whether order of visual condition (NV or LV) practice impacts the rate of performance acquisition when transferred to the opposing visual condition. Eleven individuals participated in this study. All subjects performed a bean grasping and a suturing task in two visual conditions: normal vision and laparoscopic vision. Results revealed that laparoscopic tools themselves do not appear to be problematic in performing minimal access surgery. Furthermore, performance ability in normal vision does not positively transfer to performance when switched to a laparoscopic vision condition. The 2-dimensional video does appear to be problematic for skill acquisition, as performance levels decreased as complexity of the task increased.

Canada↗

PubMed2002

Septic arthritis of the hip after percutaneous femoral artery catheterization.

Infection of the hip joint can cause severe articular damage. Standard treatment of septic arthritis includes surgical débridement and intravenous antibiotics. Options for definitive management in the presence of joint destruction include excision arthroplasty, arthrodesis, and total hip arthroplasty. Two cases of septic arthritis of the hip as a complication of femoral artery cannulation are presented. These cases highlight a potential complication that may not be readily appreciated by clinicians who routinely perform femoral vascular cannulation. After all evidence of ongoing infection had disappeared, both cases ultimately were treated with total hip arthroplasty. Both patients have improved function and pain at 2.5 and 5 years of follow-up. Given the frequency with which femoral intravascular catheters are used in numerous procedures, methods of avoiding infection of the hip joint must be implemented. These 2 cases emphasize the potential risks of these procedures and show management with total hip arthroplasty.

Aged↗