{"title":"Lessons learned from a decade of re-exploratory laparotomies in obstetrics and gynecology at a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai, India, 2014-2024.","authors":"Rashida Ali, Nimish Tutwala, Mena Abdalla","doi":"10.1186/s13037-025-00462-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13037-025-00462-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Re-exploratory laparotomy in obstetrics and gynecology is a serious and challenging surgical event associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Understanding its incidence, indications, and outcomes is crucial for improving patient care and surgical safety. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of re-exploratory laparotomies over a 10-year period in a major tertiary care center.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective cohort study was conducted on all patients who underwent re-exploratory laparotomy following obstetric or gynecological surgery between 2014 and 2024. Data on patient demographics, primary surgery, indications for re-exploration, time to re-intervention, procedures performed, and postoperative outcomes were collected and analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and t-tests to identify significant associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 117 cases of re-exploratory laparotomy were identified. The mean age of patients was 31.8 ± 7.0 years. The most common primary surgeries were Cesarean Sect. (46.2%) and total abdominal hysterectomy (23.1%). The leading indications for re-exploration were postpartum hemorrhage (26.5%), muscle hematoma (20.5%), and burst abdomen (17.1%). The mean time to re-exploration was 4.7 ± 2.7 days. The overall mortality rate was 8.5%, and the postoperative complication rate was 46.2%. No significant association was found between the level of emergency and patient outcome (p = 0.637).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Re-exploratory laparotomy remains a critical event in obstetric and gynecological practice, with hemorrhage and postoperative wound complications being the primary drivers. This study highlights the need for meticulous surgical technique, early recognition of complications, and prompt intervention to improve patient outcomes. Further research is needed to identify high-risk patient groups and optimize management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":46782,"journal":{"name":"Patient Safety in Surgery","volume":"19 1","pages":"44"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12751624/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145858217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pedro Miguel Inácio Medroa, Marcel Saltan, Sandro-Michael Heining, Kerstin Denecke
{"title":"Development and evaluation of a novel voice-enabled prototype to support consistent application of surgical safety checklists: a proof-of-concept study.","authors":"Pedro Miguel Inácio Medroa, Marcel Saltan, Sandro-Michael Heining, Kerstin Denecke","doi":"10.1186/s13037-025-00460-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13037-025-00460-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Surgical safety checklists are essential for reducing errors and improving outcomes, but consistent, full-phase adherence remains suboptimal. Traditional paper-based systems can disrupt workflow and limit team engagement. Voice-enabled solutions offer potential to improve compliance while preserving sterile conditions and communication flow in the operating room (OR).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study aimed to develop and evaluate a prototype voice-controlled digital assistant for surgical checklists - referred to as 'VoiceCheck' - with a focus on usability, technical performance, and feasibility in real-world clinical settings. VoiceCheck guides clinical teams through the \"Sign In\", \"Time-out\", and \"Sign Out\" phases of the surgical checklist using voice commands and speech transcription. The system operates offline, incorporating Rhasspy for intent recognition and Whisper for speech-to-text transcription. Twelve surgical team members participated in a field evaluation, completing structured tasks alongside routine workflows. Usability was assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and a custom questionnaire. Technical evaluations tested Whisper V2 and V3 under quiet and noisy conditions, and Rhasspy's intent and wake word recognition across 1'125 commands in two environments (noisy, quiet).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants rated usability positively (SUS median score 76.04). Whisper V3 achieved 90.7-97.3% transcription accuracy, outperforming V2 in noisy settings. Rhasspy recognized intents with 92.8-94.8% accuracy and maintained a low false-positive rate. VoiceCheck functioned reliably offline and was preferred with a conference microphone for multi-user interaction.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>VoiceCheck demonstrates feasibility for voice-assisted checklist execution in surgical settings. It was well accepted by users and performed reliably under realistic conditions. Further research should explore clinical integration, workflow impact, and multilingual capabilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":46782,"journal":{"name":"Patient Safety in Surgery","volume":"19 1","pages":"38"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12729816/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145828737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Reza Kalantari, Mehdi Hasanshahi, Somayeh Gheysari, Anahid Geramshahi
{"title":"Surgical interruptions and preventable delays in the operating rooms of academic teaching hospitals.","authors":"Reza Kalantari, Mehdi Hasanshahi, Somayeh Gheysari, Anahid Geramshahi","doi":"10.1186/s13037-025-00470-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13037-025-00470-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46782,"journal":{"name":"Patient Safety in Surgery","volume":" ","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12752449/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145811768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of opioid use disorder as a safety risk in elective total hip arthroplasty: an imperative for routine preoperative screening.","authors":"David Maman, Yaniv Steinfeld, Yaron Berkovich","doi":"10.1186/s13037-025-00469-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13037-025-00469-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46782,"journal":{"name":"Patient Safety in Surgery","volume":" ","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12752056/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145800787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Henry Abumohor, Yara Taha, Seham Madaka, Majdi Hmamdeh, Ahmad Irzeiqat, Mohammed Maraqa
{"title":"Awake sigmoidectomy under continuous spinal anesthesia in a high-risk ASA class V patient: a case report.","authors":"Henry Abumohor, Yara Taha, Seham Madaka, Majdi Hmamdeh, Ahmad Irzeiqat, Mohammed Maraqa","doi":"10.1186/s13037-025-00468-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13037-025-00468-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Awake colorectal surgery is an alternative to general anesthesia, especially in high-risk patients with significant cardiopulmonary comorbidities. Continuous segmental spinal anesthesia offers stable intraoperative conditions while avoiding the complications of cardio depressant effects, airway manipulation and sedation. Despite its advantages, this approach remains underreported in major colorectal procedures.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>We present the case of a 73-year-old male with a history of ischemic cardiomyopathy, chronic heart failure (ejection fraction 25-30%), chronic kidney disease, and pulmonary complications, classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Risk Class V. The patient was admitted to a tertiary hospital in Palestine with a recurrent sigmoid volvulus, and due to the high risk associated with general anesthesia, the surgical, cardiology and anesthesia teams decided for an awake open sigmoidectomy under continuous segmental spinal anesthesia. The patient remained fully conscious and hemodynamically stable throughout the procedure. Postoperative recovery was uncomplicated apart from a superficial wound infection, which was managed conservatively. At six-month follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic, tolerated a normal diet, had no recurrent bowel obstruction, and showed complete wound healing without late infectious or anastomotic complications.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This case illustrates the feasibility, safety, and potential benefits of awake sigmoidectomy in fragile, multimorbid patients. To our knowledge, it represents the first reported case in Palestine. The successful outcome emphasizes the importance of advanced regional techniques and multidisciplinary collaboration in managing high-risk surgical patients, especially in settings with limited resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":46782,"journal":{"name":"Patient Safety in Surgery","volume":" ","pages":"42"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12751581/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145800797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Retained fragmented Raytec gauze eluding an alleged correct postoperative count following cardiothoracic surgery: case report of a rare \"never event\".","authors":"Marco Lizwan, Philip Y K Pang","doi":"10.1186/s13037-025-00472-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13037-025-00472-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Retained surgical items are rare yet serious complications that may occur despite correct instrument and sponge counts. Surgical sponges remain the most frequently retained items, with gauze marker strand retention being an uncommon mechanism.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>A 69-year-old male with severe mitral regurgitation and triple-vessel coronary artery disease underwent mitral valve replacement with coronary artery bypass grafting. All surgical counts were verified as correct at the conclusion of surgery. Postoperative chest radiography, however, revealed two linear radio-opaque foreign bodies near the left lower sternum. Mediastinal re-exploration identified two radio-opaque strands, measuring 3.0 cm and 2.0 cm, attached to the left lower chest wall near the internal mammary artery stump. These were confirmed to be detached marker strands from Raytec gauzes. The patient's recovery was uneventful and he was discharged well.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This case illustrates that retained gauze fragments can occur despite correct counts due to fragmentation of radiopaque markers. Surgeons and operating room nurses should inspect gauzes for integrity, maintain vigilance when manipulating sponges in confined operative fields, and consider adjunct technologies such as radiofrequency or barcode tracking. In high-risk surgeries, postoperative imaging may be warranted even with accurate counts to ensure patient safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":46782,"journal":{"name":"Patient Safety in Surgery","volume":" ","pages":"43"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12750874/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145800750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Flawed design and selection bias in critical care randomized controlled trials (RCTs): the patient safety risk of the \"RCT mimic\".","authors":"Lawrence A Lynn","doi":"10.1186/s13037-025-00456-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13037-025-00456-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over three decades, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for critical care syndromes such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, and community acquired pneumonia (CAP) have repeatedly produced non-reproducible results, at times leading to high-impact reversals of global protocols when later studies revealed harm. These trials enroll patients using expert-derived threshold sets intended to define the syndrome. This analytic review presents the first historical and formal methodological review and mathematical analysis of such RCT using causal symbolic modeling (cSM), directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), and do-calculus. The review includes landmark publications, task-force threshold sets, and case examples, including the 2025 REMAP-CAP corticosteroid domain, to model the causal structure of standard RCTs applied to threshold-defined syndromes. PubMed searches and ChatGPT were used to assist in this process. The historical inquiry uncovered that the critical care syndromes of ARDS and sepsis are guessed synthetic constructs, devised in the twentieth century by Thomas Petty and Roger Bone as heuristic groupings of diverse but similar appearing diseases. However a much more striking discovery was that Petty and Bone introduced a streamlined variant of the Bradford Hill RCT method, here termed the \"Petty-Bone RCT', which conditions enrollment on a triage threshold set that functions as a cohort-level collider. This design yields results valid only for the unstable mixture of diseases enrolled. The \"Petty-Bone RCT\" preserves the outward form of a randomized trial but lacks the causal structure needed for transportability, making it an RCT mimic. The cSM analysis in this review shows that while potentially internally valid, such trials cannot produce reliable treatment protocols and often cause harm. These findings compel the abandonment of the Petty-Bone RCT framework, the integration of cSM into the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT), and prioritizing mechanistically grounded, investigator-led designs in critical care research. These provocative discoveries indicate that not one more patient, not one more investigator, not one more grant should be sacrificed to the next iteration of a Petty and Bone's synthetic syndrome RCT.</p>","PeriodicalId":46782,"journal":{"name":"Patient Safety in Surgery","volume":"19 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12709683/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145769511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jacques Fadhili Bake, Justin Kambale Tsandiraki, Céline Kavira Malengera, Fabrice Gulimwentuga Cikomola, Claude Kasereka Masumbuko, Zacharie Tsongo Kibendelwa, Dan Poenaru
{"title":"Unintentionally retained surgical gauze presenting as chronic infected fistula to the surgical wound: a report of two cases.","authors":"Jacques Fadhili Bake, Justin Kambale Tsandiraki, Céline Kavira Malengera, Fabrice Gulimwentuga Cikomola, Claude Kasereka Masumbuko, Zacharie Tsongo Kibendelwa, Dan Poenaru","doi":"10.1186/s13037-025-00464-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13037-025-00464-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46782,"journal":{"name":"Patient Safety in Surgery","volume":" ","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12699898/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145640246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rare \"double tragedy\" and successful salvage strategy after failed bilateral humeral fracture fixation in a resource-constrained setting: a case report.","authors":"Stephen Adesope Adesina, Isaac Olusayo Amole, Adepeju Olatayo Adegoke, Oluwafemi Oyewole Oyewusi, Chidiebube Enyeremchi Ukejianya, Ibukun Adewumi Okunade, Imri Goodness Adefokun, Adewumi Ojeniyi Durodola, Simeon Ayorinde Ojo, Innocent Chiedu Ikem, Samuel Uwale Eyesan","doi":"10.1186/s13037-025-00459-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13037-025-00459-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Bilateral humeral shaft fractures are rare injuries that present significant management challenges, particularly in resource-constrained settings. This case report highlights the complexities of treating bilateral humeral shaft fractures in a 40-year-old male patient from southwestern Nigeria, whose treatment was initially complicated by failed plate osteosyntheses. The objectives of this report are (1) to illustrate the unusual injury patterns that result from inadequate transportation infrastructure in developing countries, (2) to highlight the challenges patients and surgeons face in managing fractures in resource-constrained environments, and (3) to emphasize the critical role humanitarian organizations play in enhancing orthopedic care and achieving positive patient outcomes in these settings.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>A 40-year-old male patient, the primary earner for his family, presented to our facility three months after a road traffic crash with bilateral upper limb dysfunction. While driving with his seatbelt fastened, a trailer truck struck his car on the driver's side, resulting in bilateral closed humeral shaft fractures, a mild traumatic brain injury, and minor skin abrasions. Initial plate osteosynthesis at a private peripheral hospital failed, resulting in bilateral nonunions. Upon presentation at our facility, the patient had normal vital signs and preserved neurovascular function, but limited upper-limb mobility. He underwent staged treatment, which involved removal of the plates, Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) nail (Richland, WA, USA) fixation, and cancellous autografting. Despite financial constraints and infection complications, both fractures achieved union and functional recovery after two years.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This case underscores the challenges of managing complex orthopaedic trauma in low-resource settings, where inadequate healthcare infrastructure, limited access to suitable implants, and insufficient health insurance coverage exacerbate treatment difficulties. The successful outcome in this case was achieved through staged treatment, collaboration with the patient, and the use of donated SIGN nails. The report emphasizes the necessity for innovative solutions, collaborative efforts, and policy reforms to enhance fracture management outcomes and prevent long-term disabilities in resource-constrained settings. The role of humanitarian organizations in bridging the gap in orthopaedic care is also highlighted, demonstrating the potential for positive outcomes despite significant challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":46782,"journal":{"name":"Patient Safety in Surgery","volume":"19 1","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12661702/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145641332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}