Geospatial mapping of 2-hour access to timely essential surgery in the Philippines.

Objectives: Timely access to safe and affordable surgery is essential for universal health coverage. To date, there are no studies evaluating 2-hour access to Bellwether procedures (caesarean section, laparotomy, open fracture management) in the Philippines. The objectives of this study were to measure the proportion of the population able to reach a Bellwether hospital within 2 hours in the Philippines and to identify areas in the country with the most surgically underserved populations.

Pre-operative erector spinae plane block should be considered a viable option for laparoscopic colectomies.

Background: The Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block is a recent development in the field of regional anaesthesia and has been increasingly explored for abdominal surgeries to reduce opioid use and improve pain control. Colorectal cancer is the commonest cancer in multi-ethnic Singapore and requires surgery for curative treatment. ESP is a promising alternative in colorectal surgeries, but few studies have evaluated its efficacy in such surgeries.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive rates in invasive lobular breast carcinoma: The Singapore experience.

Background: Invasive lobular carcinomas (ILC) form 5%-10% of breast cancer and rarely show overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 ().

Aim: To describe the prevalence and prognostic factors of positive () ILC in an Asian population.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients with ILC seen between January 1985 and March 2018 at various SingHealth medical institutions was conducted.

Prediction of Survival in Asian Patients Hospitalized With Heart Failure: Validation of the OPTIMIZE-HF Risk Score.

Background: Risk scores predicting in-patient mortality in heart failure patients have not been designed specifically for Asian patients. We aimed to validate and recalibrate the OPTIMIZE-HF risk model for in-hospital mortality in a multiethnic Asian population hospitalized for heart failure.

Methods And Results: Data from the Singapore Cardiac Databank Heart Failure on patients admitted for heart failure from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2013, were included.