Kjetil Skaansar | PubMed Health

PubMed2004

[Complications in ear-nose-throat day surgery].

BACKGROUND: More and larger operations are performed on an outpatient basis with patient leaving the hospital the same day and complications may remain unknown to the hospital unless the patients are asked explicitly. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Complications from 383 ear-nose-throat operations were registered continuously by the surgeon and supplemented with data from postoperative consultations and reports from other hospitals or doctors, and then compared with data from 328 (86%) postoperative patient interviews. RESULTS: According to the patient interviews, the rate of complications (16.7%) was much higher than the hospital was aware of (4.7%). Most unknown complications (40 out of 64) were mild but five were serious enough to require reoperation under general anesthesia. INTERPRETATION: Registration of surgical complications should include postoperative interviews with patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

[Flexible bronchoscopy].

BACKGROUND: Bronchoscopic examination is an established method, most often performed by lung doctors, yet still mandatory in the training of specialists in otolaryngology. Little has so far been published on the safety and diagnostic and therapeutic value of this procedure in our country. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Specialists or residents in otolaryngology performed 140 flexible bronchoscopies in 132 consecutive patients during 1993-2000. Local anaesthesia was used in 132 and general anaesthesia in 8. There were 59 outpatient and 81 inpatient procedures. The medical records were examined retrospectively. RESULTS: The indication for bronchoscopy was suspected cancer in 98 cases. At the time of the examination 78 patients had intrathoracic malignant disease. Diagnostic sensitivity in bronchogenic cancer (n = 65) was 71%. Diagnostic sensitivity when tumour was endoscopically visible (n = 41) and non-visible (n = 37) was 85 % and 49% respectively. No cancer was found in patients with haemoptysis as the only symptom (n = 11). No serious complications occurred. INTERPRETATION: Bronchoscopy, including examination for malignant disease was performed safely and with good results. The number of bronchoscopic examinations on non-cancer or classical otolaryngologic patients would probably be too low to maintain the skills and secure good education in our department.

Adolescent↗