Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 associated stroke: a UK multicentre case-control study.

Objective: We set out to determine which characteristics and outcomes of stroke are associated with COVID-19.

Methods: This case-control study included patients admitted with stroke to 13 hospitals in England and Scotland between 9 March and 5 July 2020. We collected data on 86 strokes (81 ischaemic strokes and 5 intracerebral haemorrhages) in patients with evidence of COVID-19 at the time of stroke onset (cases).

Medical equipment donation in low-resource settings: a review of the literature and guidelines for surgery and anaesthesia in low-income and middle-income countries.

Background: Medical equipment donation to low-resource settings is a frequently used strategy to address existing disparities, but there is a paucity of reported experience and evaluation. Challenges such as infrastructure gaps, lack of technological and maintenance capabilities, and non-prioritisation of essential supplies have previously been highlighted. This pragmatic review summarises existing guidelines and literature relevant to surgical and anaesthesia equipment, with recommendations for future initiatives and research.

A Longitudinal Population Analysis of Cumulative Risks of Circumcision.

Background: Circumcision is widely accepted for newborns in the United States. However, circumcision carries a risk of complications, the rates of which are not well described in the contemporary era.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal population analysis of the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database between 2005 and 2010.

The need to collect, aggregate, and analyze global anesthesia and surgery data.

In the Sustainable Development Goals era, there is a new awareness of the need for an integrated approach to healthcare interventions and a strong commitment to Universal Health Coverage. To achieve the goal of strengthening entire health systems, surgery, as a crosscutting treatment modality, is indispensable. For any health system strengthening exercise, baseline data and longitudinal monitoring of progress are necessary.

Perioperative mortality rates in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Commission on Global Surgery proposed the perioperative mortality rate (POMR) as one of the six key indicators of the strength of a country's surgical system. Despite its widespread use in high-income settings, few studies have described procedure-specific POMR across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to estimate POMR across a wide range of surgical procedures in LMICs.

How Much Data are Good Enough? Using Simulation to Determine the Reliability of Estimating POMR for Resource-Constrained Settings.

Introduction: Perioperative mortality rate (POMR) is a suggested indicator for surgical quality worldwide. Currently, POMR is often sampled by convenience; a data-driven approach for calculating sample size has not previously been attempted. We proposed a novel application of a bootstrapping sampling technique to estimate how much data are needed to be collected to reasonably estimate POMR in low-resource countries where 100% data capture is not possible.

Is all-cause readmission an appropriate performance measure for pediatric surgeons? A case study in pyloromyotomy.

Introduction: All cause readmissions are used as a surrogate metric for quality of care for both hospitals and physicians, and are considered in pay for performance initiatives. However, the integrity of using all cause readmissions as a benchmark for surgical outcomes has received little attention. Pyloromyotomy for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is considered a safe pediatric surgical procedure with few complications or readmissions.

Incidence and Outcome of Clostridium difficile Infection in Hospitalized Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the UK.

Background And Aims: Previous studies have reported that Clostridium difficile infection [CDI] is more common, and has a worse outcome, in patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] than in those without. We have now reassessed the incidence and outcome of CDI in in-patients with and without IBD, and the outcomes of admissions for IBD patients with and without CDI.

Methods: In-patients who had stool samples submitted for C.