Document Detail


Variability in pediatric splenic injury care: results of a national survey of general surgeons.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21079092     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: Although nonoperative management is the standard of care for hemodynamically stable children with blunt splenic trauma, significant variation in practice exists. Little attention has been given to physician factors associated with management differences.
DESIGN: Nationally representative mail survey conducted in June 2008.
SETTING: United States.
PARTICIPANTS: Ten percent random sample of active, dues-paying fellows in the American College of Surgeons.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs toward pediatric splenic injury management, including the role of clinical practice guidelines.
RESULTS: Almost all of the 375 responding surgeons (97.4%) agreed that surgical intervention is not immediately necessary for hemodynamically stable children. However, surgeons reported significant disagreement regarding whether blood should be administered before operative intervention for hemodynamically unstable children and whether explorative surgery is needed for stable patients with evidence of contrast extravasation on computed tomography. Only 18.7% of surgeons reported being very familiar with the clinical practice guidelines for the management of pediatric blunt splenic trauma from either the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma or the American Pediatric Surgical Association. Surgeons who were very familiar with either guideline were significantly more likely to rate the guidelines as beneficial (90.0% vs 72.8%, P = .002).
CONCLUSIONS: General surgeons reported varying degrees of familiarity with and use of clinical practice guidelines for pediatric splenic injury management. Limited pediatric experience and lack of pediatric hospital resources may limit more widespread adoption of nonoperative management. Targeted educational interventions may help increase surgeon knowledge of guidelines and best practices.
Authors:
Stephen M Bowman; Eileen Bulger; Sam R Sharar; Sabrina A Maham; Samuel D Smith
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Archives of surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960)     Volume:  145     ISSN:  1538-3644     ISO Abbreviation:  Arch Surg     Publication Date:  2010 Nov 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-11-16     Completed Date:  2010-12-23     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9716528     Medline TA:  Arch Surg     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1048-53     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA. smbowman@jhsph.edu
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Blood Transfusion / statistics & numerical data
Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials
Guideline Adherence*
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
Hemodynamics
Humans
Logistic Models
Pediatrics / methods*
Physician's Practice Patterns / statistics & numerical data*
Practice Guidelines as Topic*
Questionnaires
Spleen / injuries*
Splenectomy / statistics & numerical data*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
United States / epidemiology
Wounds, Nonpenetrating / epidemiology,  radiography,  surgery*
Comments/Corrections
Comment In:
Arch Surg. 2010 Nov;145(11):1053-4   [PMID:  21121094 ]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Timing of intubation and ventilator-associated pneumonia following injury.
Next Document:  Risk factors for lymphedema in a prospective breast cancer survivorship study: the Pathways Study.