The patient behind the wound assessment and plan

OBJECTIVE

Hard-to-heal wounds are a common problem, worsened by ageing, and the increased prevalence of diabetes and morbid obesity. The provider-patient relationship has undergone a transformation, from a paternalistic to a mutual participation model, in which 'the physician tries to enter the patient's world to see the illness through the patient's eyes'. The indepth assessment of the impact of psychosocial, physical issues and provider-patient dynamics is crucial to wound healing and patient wellbeing. It can customise future treatment including physical therapy, psychological and social interventions to improve outcomes.

METHOD

A new health-related quality of life instrument (HRQOL) proposal based on a survey consisting of 20 questions was completed by patients as a pilot project. The psychosocial, physical and provider-patient dynamics were evaluated. A total wound impact score (WIs) was tabulated, ranging from 20-80 points. A wound assessment and plan (PBW-AP) was created.

RESULTS

In our sample of 25 patients, 75% experienced a moderate WIs (50-69) and 5% experienced a severe WIs (31-49). Feeling angry about having a wound was reported by 40% of patients. A majority of patients (60%) thought about their wounds >1 hour per day. Importantly, 24% answered that their primary care physicians never mentioned their wounds.

CONCLUSION

It is important for all physicians taking care of patients with hard-to-heal wounds to see 'the patient behind the wound'. The PBW-AP algorithm is an individualised, multidisciplinary assessment and intervention based on a WIs. It is designed not only to identify but also to tackle psychosocial, physical, and provider-patient issues, to improve overall quality of life, patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. Based on the results, the PBW-AP algorithm was designed to be used at initial and subsequent visits as a roadmap for problem identification and intervention.

A Sling Technique for Laparoscopic Resection of Segment Seven of the Liver

Introduction:

As the incidence of liver cancer continues to increase in the setting of cirrhosis, parenchyma-sparing liver resection is increasingly necessary. A technique is described that involves using a sling made from 1-inch-wide packing gauze to retract and rotate the liver to divide the right triangular and coronary ligaments and mobilize segment 7. The right lobe is rotated anteriorly and counterclockwise, allowing access and parenchymal transection of segment 7 under ultrasonographic guidance.

Case Presentation:

Seven patients with tumors in segment 7 underwent resection with the technique described above: 4 had Child's A cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 1 had metastatic colon cancer, 1 had an adenoma, and 1 had a symptomatic hemangioma. Tumor size ranged between 2.5 and 7.7 cm. Blood loss during resection was between 150 and 500 mL. No patients required transfusion as a result of surgery. With the exception of 1 patient with Clostridium difficile colitis, the average hospital stay was 3.8 days.

Management and Outcome:

Parenchyma-sparing laparoscopic resection of segment 7 is feasible and can be safely performed using a sling for intracorporal hepatic retraction, manipulation, and positioning. Given the risk of HCC recurrence, laparoscopic liver resection may also be better suited for subsequent salvage liver transplant because of less perihepatic adhesions.

[Immunological aspects of delayed regeneration of mandibular fractures]

The level of complications in patients with the mandibular fractures does not have a tendency to the decline. A research purposes is a study of the basic laws of immunological reactions and possibility of optimizing processes osteogenesis by drugs-cytokines at patients with the mandibular fractures with delayed consolidation of bone tissue. 46 patients with the mandibular fractures were observed. The maintenance of cytokines IL - 1β, TNF - α, IL - 4, SICAM-1 in the blood serum, IgA, IgM, IgG in a mouth liquid was probed. It is set that in pathogenesis of delayed consolidation a basic role is played by changes reactivity of organism, which realized in three directions: immunodeficit of humoral immunity, immunodepression of cellular factors of defence, disbalance in functioning of the cytokines system. It is necessary to count the levels of products SICAM-1 and cytokine IL-1β in the blood serum by the diagnostic criteria of bone repair features at patients with the mandibular fractures: development of delayed consolidation of mandibular fragments is accompanied the increase of their parameters at the control group more than in 2 and in 15 times (668,2±10,3 pg/ml and 363,4 ±6,6 pg/ml relatively). Includding in the complex treatment of the mandibular fractures of immunomodulator Ronkoleukin showed clinico-immunological efficiency for the patients with impaired bone repair.