Identification of the high risk emergency surgical patient: Which risk prediction model should be used?

Identification of the high risk emergency surgical patient: Which risk prediction model should be used?

INTRODUCTION National guidance states that all patients having emergency surgery should have a mortality risk assessment calculated on admission so that the 'high risk' patient can receive the appropriate seniority and level of care. We aimed to assess if peri-operative risk scoring tools could accurately calculate mortality and morbidity risk. METHODS Mortality risk scores for 86 consecutive...

IdeNTIFICaTION OF HIgH RIsk suRgICal PaTIeNT

Contrary to a number of international professional associations, majority of our anesthesia departments have no guidance to classify high risk. The relationship between risk and outcome of the patient is usually not known on the local level. Our professional aim is to achieve higher level of understanding and to make easier guidance to help management of patients in the perioperative period. Th...

Which treatment option should be used?

Which score should be used for risk stratification of ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

is the most important for managing AF. The ACCF/AHA guidelines in the USA,3 the CCS guidelines in Canada,4 and the JCS guidelines in Japan5 recommend using the conventional stroke risk stratification scheme, the CHADS2 (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age >75 years, diabetes mellitus, and stroke [double]) score, for antithrombotic therapy in patients with nonvalvular AF.6 On the other h...

Should the new pneumococcal vaccine be used in high-risk children?

A new conjugate 7-valent vaccine to prevent pneumococcal infection (Prevenar, Wyeth) has recently received a European licence for use in young healthy children. The vaccine is not currently included in the universal immunisation schedule in the UK or elsewhere in Europe, although it is being used widely in the USA. Its availability for purchase raises the question whether paediatricians should ...