Background: The vagus nerve (VN), also called the pneumogastric nerve, connects the brainstem to organs contained in the chest and abdomen. Physiologically, VN stimulation can rapidly affect cardiac activity and heart rate (HR). VN neuropathy can increase the risk of arrhythmias and sudden death.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor a long time surgeons have been discussing the need to improve their skills in the use of ultrasound (US). However in the recent years it has become evident the importancxe for general aklnd trauma surgeons treating critically-ill patients to learn basic and advanced US. The two last editions (9th and 10th) of the ATLS manual have officially included FAST and e-FAST in the primary assessment of trauma patients, making this tool an essential skill for surgeons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnfortunately, the author Luca Ponchietti was omitted in the original publication. Please find the correct author list here.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Acute cholecystitis (AC), frequently responsible for presentation to the emergency department, requires expedient diagnosis and definitive treatment by a general surgeon. Ultrasonography, usually performed by radiology technicians and reported by radiologists, is the first-line imaging study for the assessment of AC. Targeted point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), particularly in the hands of the treating surgeon, may represent an evolution in surgical decision-making and may expedite care, reducing morbidity and cost.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Increasing pressure pushes towards the objective competence assessment of clinical operators. Hand motion analysis (HMA) was introduced to measure surgical and clinical procedures; its recent application to FAST examinations leaves unsolved issues. This study aimed at determining optimal HMA parameters to discriminate between operators' skill levels, and which FAST tasks are experience-dependent.
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