Australian health care workers experience of PPE related side-effects. A cross-sectional survey.

Introduction: Protection of health care workers (HCWs) is a fundamental aspect of an effective pandemic response. During the COVID-19 pandemic, frequency, and duration of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use increased. The experience of PPE-related side-effects has potential to contribute to decreased compliance resulting in breaches in infection prevention and increasing risk of HCW exposure.

"Building the plane while flying it" Reflections on pandemic preparedness and response; an organisational case study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to learn about acute health organisations experiences implementing a pandemic response plan in real-time. This study was conducted to explore organisational leader's perspectives and experience activating a COVID-19 pandemic response plan in their health service and the impact of this on service provision, clinicians, and consumers.

Methods: This study was conducted at a large metropolitan health service in Australia that provides acute, subacute, and residential aged care services.

Reduction of Venous Thromboembolism in Surgical Patients Using a Mandatory Risk-Scoring System: 5-Year Follow-Up of an American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Background: Sheikh Khalifa Medical City's (SKMC) surgery institute was identified as a high outlier in the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE; deep vein thrombosis [DVT] and pulmonary embolism [PE]) based on the semiannual report of the American College of Surgeon's National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) in June 2010.

Aim: To report our rates of VTE at SKMC, the results, and 5-year follow-up after an ACS NSQIP quality improvement program.

Methods: A multidisciplinary VTE task force was established in June 2010.

Are results of bariatric surgery different in the Middle East? Early experience of an international bariatric surgery program and an ACS NSQIP outcomes comparison.

Background: Bariatric operations performed at the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute Abu Dhabi are submitted randomly from the entire surgery volume at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) NSQIP. Our aim is to report our early experience and compare our bariatric surgery outcomes with ACS NSQIP hospitals of similar size.

Study Design: We queried the ACS NSQIP database for bariatric surgery codes between August 2009 and August 2012 for hospitals with >500 beds.