Leisha Elmore

Operative Management of Rib Fractures in the Setting of Flail Chest:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing operative to nonoperative therapy in adult FC patients. Outcomes were duration of mechanical ventilation (DMV), intensive care unit length of stay (ICULOS), hospital length of stay (HLOS), mortality, incidence of pneumonia, and tracheostomy. Background: Flail chest (FC) results in paradoxical chest wall movement, altered respiratory mechanics, and frequent respiratory failure. Despite advances in ventilatory management, FC remains associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Operative fixation of the flail segment has been advocated as an adjunct to supportive care, but no definitive clinical trial exists to delineate the role of surgery. Methods: A comprehensive search of 5 electronic databases was performed to identify randomized controlled trials and observational studies (cohort or case-control). Pooled effect size (ES) or relative risk (RR) was calculated using a fixed or random effects model, as appropriate. Results: Nine studies with a total of 538 patients met inclusion criteria. Compared with control treatment, operative management of FC was associated with shorter DMV [pooled ES: −4.52 days; 95% confidence interval (CI): −5.54 to −3.50], ICULOS (−3.40 days; 95% CI: −6.01 to −0.79), HLOS (−3.82 days; 95% CI: −7.12 to −0.54), and decreased mortality (pooled RR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.28–0.69), pneumonia (0.45; 95% CI: 0.30–0.69), and tracheostomy (0.25; 95% CI: 0.13–0.47). Conclusions: As compared with nonoperative therapy, operative fixation of FC is associated with reductions in DMV, LOS, mortality, and complications associated with prolonged MV. These findings support the need for an adequately powered clinical study to further define the role of this intervention.

National Survey of Burnout among US General Surgery Residents

BACKGROUND Burnout is a complex syndrome of emotional distress that can disproportionately affect individuals who work in health care professions. STUDY DESIGN For a national survey of burnout in US general surgery residents, we asked all ACGME-accredited general surgery program directors to email their general surgery residents an invitation to complete an anonymous, online survey. Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory; total scores for Emotional Exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization (DP), and Personal Accomplishment (PA) subscales were calculated. Burnout was defined as having a score in the highest tertile for EE or DP or lowest tertile for PA. Chi-square tests and one-way ANOVA were used to test associations between burnout tertiles for each subscale and various resident and training-program characteristics as appropriate. RESULTS From April to December 2014, six hundred and sixty-five residents actively engaged in clinical training had data for analysis; 69% met the criterion for burnout on at least one subscale. Higher burnout on each subscale was reported by residents planning private practice careers compared with academic careers. A greater proportion of women than men reported burnout on EE and PA. Higher burnout on EE and DP was associated with greater work hours per week. Having a structured mentoring program was associated with lower burnout on each subscale. CONCLUSIONS The high rates of burnout among general surgery residents are concerning, given the potential impact of burnout on the quality of patient care. Efforts to identify at-risk populations and to design targeted interventions to mitigate burnout in surgical trainees are warranted.

Breast MRI Surveillance in Women with Prior Curative-Intent Therapy for Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND We sought to determine factors that predict the use of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) surveillance in women previously treated for breast cancer and the incidence of in-breast recurrences and/or new cancers identified by MRI. METHODS We reviewed 141 patients who were treated between 2005 and 2008 who also underwent surveillance breast MRI following their treatment. Patient, tumor, treatment characteristics, and MRI findings were collected. Gail scores were calculated based on the patients personal and family history prior to the breast cancer diagnosis. Data were compared using chi(2) and Fishers exact test. RESULTS The average age of the study population was 51 (range 24-73). One hundred forty-one women underwent 202 surveillance breast MRIs during the study period. Sixteen of 141 (11%) required second look imaging, and six of 141 (4%) required biopsy of suspicious lesions. Two of the six were invasive breast cancers, while four were benign. Overall, the rate of new cancer detection on surveillance MRI during the study period was 0.9% (two of 202 imaging studies). Of the 71 women with evaluable Gail scores, the average lifetime risk score was 16.7%. Eight patients had BRCA mutations and three previously underwent irradiation for Hodgkins lymphoma. Patient age, Gail score, tumor stage, grade, histology, receptor status, and surgical treatment were not predictive of MRI surveillance use. CONCLUSION Prospective studies are needed to determine which patients may potentially benefit from breast MRI surveillance following curative-intent treatment. The lack of standardized guidelines may result in excessive or inappropriate use, unnecessary follow-up procedures, and a concomitant low yield.

Breast cancer patients' experiences within and outside the safety net.

BACKGROUND Following reforms to the breast-cancer referral process for our citys health Safety Net (SN), we compared the experiences from first abnormality to definitive diagnosis of breast-cancer patients referred to Siteman Cancer Center from SN and non-SN (NSN) providers. MATERIALS AND METHODS SN-referred patients with any stage (0-IV) and NSN-referred patients with late-stage (IIB-IV) breast cancer were prospectively identified after diagnosis during cancer center consultations conducted between September 2008 and June 2010. Interviews were taped and transcribed verbatim; transcripts were independently coded by two raters using inductive methods to identify themes. RESULTS Of 82 eligible patients, 57 completed interviews (33/47 SN [70%] and 24/35 NSN [69%]). Eighteen SN-referred patients (52%) had late-stage disease at diagnosis, as did all NSN patients (by design). A higher proportion of late-stage SN patients (67%) than either early-stage SN (47%) or NSN (33%) patients reported feelings of fear and avoidance that deterred them from pursuing care for concerning breast findings. A higher proportion of SN late-stage patients than NSN patient reported behaviors concerning for poor health knowledge or behavior (33% versus 8%), but reported receipt of timely, consistent communication from health care providers once they received care (50% versus 17%). Half of late-stage SN patients reported improper clinical or administrative conduct by health care workers that delayed referral and/or diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Although SN patients reported receipt of compassionate care once connected with health services, they presented with higher-than-expected rates of late-stage disease. Psychological barriers, life stressors, and provider or clinic delays affected access to and navigation of the health care system and represent opportunities for intervention.

Comparative effectiveness of upfront esophagectomy versus induction chemoradiation in clinical stage T2N0 esophageal cancer: A decision analysis

Objectives: We compared the effectiveness of upfront esophagectomy versus induction chemoradiation followed by esophagectomy for overall survival in patients with clinical T2N0 (cT2N0) esophageal cancer. We also assessed the influence of the diagnostic uncertainty of endoscopic ultrasound on the expected benefit of chemoradiation. Methods: We created a decision analysis model representing 2 treatment strategies for cT2N0 esophageal cancer: upfront esophagectomy that may be followed by adjuvant therapy for upstaged patients and induction chemoradiation for all patients with cT2N0 esophageal cancer followed by esophagectomy. Parameter values within the model were obtained from published data, and median survival for pathologic subgroups was derived from the National Cancer Database. In sensitivity analyses, staging uncertainty of endoscopic ultrasound was introduced by varying the probability of pathologic upstaging. Results: The baseline model showed comparable median survival for both strategies: 48.3 months for upfront esophagectomy versus 45.9 months for induction chemoradiation and surgery. The sensitivity analysis demonstrated induction chemoradiation was beneficial, with probability of upstaging > 48.1%, which is within the published range of 32% to 65% probability of pathologic upstaging after cT2N0 diagnosis. The presence of any of 3 key variables (size larger than 3 cm, high grade, or lymphovascular invasion) was associated with > 48.1% risk of upstaging, thus conferring a survival advantage to induction chemoradiation. Conclusions: The optimal treatment strategy for cT2N0 esophageal cancer depends on the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound staging. High‐risk features that confer increased probability of upstaging can inform clinical decision making to recommend induction chemoradiation for select cT2N0 patients.

Effect of Burnout: In Reply to Lefor

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