Redo hepatic resection for metastatic colorectal carcinoma

Redo hepatic resection for recurrent colorectal metastasis was performed in eight patients. There was no operative mortality; major morbidity occurred in 25% and minor morbidity in 13% of patients. Four patients are alive and disease-free at 9, 23, 39, and 49 months, respectively, after their repeat hepatic resection. Four patients have died of recurrent disease, with a median time to recurrence of 6 months and median survival of 15 months. Patterns of failure include hepatic failure alone in two patients and pulmonary and hepatic failure in two. Repeat liver resection can be performed safely and may be beneficial in some patients with recurrent metastases confined to the liver after previous hepatic metastasectomy.

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Resumen El tratamiento quirúrgico de las metástasis hepáticas recurrentes luego de una resección inicial no ha sido considerado como opción terapeútica. Sin embargo, varios informes recientes han documentado el hecho de que la resección repetida es técnicamente factible y que puede resultar en prolongados intervalos libres de enfermedad en 38% a 50% de los pacientes. Con anterioridad al présente reporte, solo 62 pacientes sometidos a resección hepática repetida por cancer colorrectal metastásico han sido descritos en la literatura. Se requieren estudios adicionales, y nuestro grupo présenta su experiencia para complementar esta base de datos.Se describe la resección redo-hepática por metástasis colorrectales recurrentes en ocho pacientes. No hubo mortalidad operatoria, se registró morbilidad mayor en 25% y menor en 13%. Cuatro pacientes se encuentran vivos y libres de enfermedad a los 9, 23, 39 y 49 meses después de la nueva resección hepática. Cuatro pacientes han muerto por enfermedad récurrente con un tiempo medio de recurrencia de 6 meses, y un tiempo medio de sobrevida de 15 meses. Los lugares de falla incluyen sólo dos en el hígado y dos en el pulmón. La resección repetida del hígado puede ser realizada con seguridad y puede ser beneficiosa en algunos pacientes con metástasis récurrentes confinadas al hígado después de una metastasectomía previa.

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Résumé La résection itérative de métastases hépatiques d'un cancer colorectal a été pratiquée chez 8 patients. Il n'y a eu aucune mortalité opératoire. La morbidité majeure a été de 25% (2 patients), alors qu'elle a été mineure chez un patient (13%). Quatre patients sont en vie et apparement sans maladie à 9, 23, 39, et 49 mois après leur deuxième résection. Quatre patients sont morts de récidive avec une médiane d'intervalle libre avant la récidive de 6 mois, et une survie médiane de 15 mois. La récidive a été dans deux cas au niveau du foie seul et dans deux autres cas, simultanément au niveau du poumon et du foie. La résection itérative de métastases hépatiques est faisable avec sûreté et peut apporter un plus chez certains patients déjà opérés de leur métastase.

     

Customer satisfaction planning and industrial engineering move hospital towards in-house stockless program

By integrating customer satisfaction planning and industrial engineering techniques when examining internal costs and efficiencies, materiel managers are able to better realize what concepts will best meet their customers' needs. Defining your customer(s), applying industrial engineering techniques, completing work sampling studies, itemizing recommendations and benefits to each alternative, performing feasibility and cost-analysis matrixes and utilizing resources through productivity monitoring will get you on the right path toward selecting concepts to use. This article reviews the above procedures as they applied to one hospital's decision-making process to determine whether to incorporate a stockless inventory program. Through an analysis of customer demand, the hospital realized that stockless was the way to go, but not by outsourcing the function--the hospital incorporated an in-house stockless inventory program.     

A model of nonparticipation in alcohol treatment programs

Why do the vast majority of those who suffer harm from drinking fail to obtain treatment? Based on a review of research literature and educational and treatment program materials, a model of nonparticipation in treatment is proposed whereby particular population groups are separated out according to whether or not they exhibit specified characteristics related to both harm from drinking and attitudes towards treatment. Eleven groups have been identified in the model, each of which has different reasons for failing to seek and/or obtain treatment. It is suggested that differing educational program messages should be sent to each group. While the model does not purport to be wholly inclusive of all nonparticipation, it offers a basis for addressing the variety of disparate groups that suffer harm from drinking but do not obtain treatment.     

Is ergonomic intervention alone sufficient to limit musculoskeletal problems in nurses?

This study retrospectively surveyed 1,216 nurses at hospitalsin Belgium and The Netherlands. Data concerning workloads, musculoskeletalsymptoms, work loss and psychosocial factors were collectedby questionnaire. Lifetime prevalence rates for musculoskeletalproblems and low back trouble were significantly lower in theDutch hospitals than the Belgian hospitals, but a significantlyhigher proportion of Dutch nurses had ‘heavy’ workloads.Overall, symptoms and work loss in the previous 12 months werenot related to workload, nor was the perception that work wascausative; a change of duties because of symptoms was rare (<3%). The Dutch nurses differed strikingly from Belgian nurseson the psychosocial variables; they were less depressed andsignificantly more positive about pain, work and activity. Itis proposed that ergonomic interventions alone may be sub-optimalin controlling musculoskeletal problems among nurses The additionalprovision of psychosocoial information to challenge misconceptionsand encourage self-management is proposed.     

Partnering. A cooperative approach to dietary procurement

The Toledo Hospital has initiated many innovative quality programs. One initiated with the dietary department involved turning its wholesaler into a partner to provide better-quality products, lower costs and better service. Specific requirements were established in each of these areas including guaranteed mark-ups, price caps and performance reports. The hospital and the wholesaler also do joint negotiating with product manufacturers. Through these and other strategies, the hospital has reduced purchase prices for food items by over 4%, drastically reduced administrative costs of procurement and lead time, increased inventory turns to over 80 and given the dietary department a single resource for "one stop shopping."     

Serum dioxin and cancer in veterans of Operation Ranch Hand

We studied cancer prevalence and exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin) in veterans of Operation Ranch Hand, the Air Force unit responsible for the aerial spraying of herbicides in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971. A comparison group of Air Force veterans who served in Southeast Asia during the same period and who were not involved with spraying herbicides was included. Comparison veterans were matched to Ranch Hand veterans on age, race, and military occupation. We measured dioxin in 1987 or 1992, extrapolated the result to the time of service in Southeast Asia, and assigned each Ranch Hand veteran to Background, Low, or High exposure categories. This study had low power to detect an effect for specific or rare cancers. The risk of cancer at sites other than the skin within 20 years of service was increased in the Low (odds ratio (OR) = 3.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5-8.0) and High (OR = 2.7, 95% CI 0.9-8.0) categories, but the pattern was inconsistent with another study, suggesting that the excess risk may not have been caused by dioxin exposure. Overall, we found no consistent evidence of a dose-response gradient and no significant increase in cancer risk in the High dioxin exposure category, the subgroup of greatest a priori interest.