Publications by authors named "K Speck"

Introduction: Regional anesthetic approach and surgical volume have been shown to outcomes in patients undergoing Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum. However, their independent relationship is not described. We investigated how regional anesthesia and surgical volume are associated with length of stay (LOS), postoperative opioid use, operating room utilization, and complications.

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Background: Hirschsprung associated enterocolitis (HAEC) is a challenging problem in a subset of children with Hirschsprung disease (HD). In refractory cases, fecal diversion may be required. The aim of this study was to characterize patients who require fecal diversion for HAEC management and examine their long-term outcomes.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pneumoperitoneum caused by necrotizing enterocolitis or intestinal perforation is an urgent surgical condition, but there's no clear method to identify which preterm infants should receive initial peritoneal drainage (PD).
  • A study reviewed data from very low birth weight neonates under 1500 g who received PD, classifying them into "responders" (who benefited from PD) and "nonresponders" (who needed further surgery or did not survive).
  • Results showed that responders had better outcomes, including shorter hospital stays and lower mortality rates, while factors like birth weight and gestational age were similar across both groups.
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Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) have a serious adverse impact on the physical and mental well-being of people with HIV. Previously, using a 39-site dual-randomized type 2 hybrid trial design, findings from the Substance Abuse Treatment to HIV Care Project supported the Implementation and Sustainment Facilitation (ISF) strategy to improve implementation and effectiveness of a motivational interviewing brief intervention (MIBI) for SUD within HIV service settings across the United States (US). Building on this trial, this parallel cluster-randomized type 3 hybrid trial aimed to test the incremental effectiveness of a pay-for-performance (P4P), a form of the "alter incentive/allowance structures" strategy.

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Care transitions among high-intensity units caring for patients with complex needs are a critical yet undeveloped area of patient safety research. In addition, effective communication and coordination across disciplines remain elusive. This study introduces and tests the Multi-Team Shared Expectations Tool (MT-SET), an exercise that aims to engage health care teams in eliciting needs and establishing agreed-upon expectations teams and individuals within a multi-team system have of one another.

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