Surgical technician

Measuring nasal airflow and nasal breathing has been a major goal of rhinology. Many objective methods for measuring nasal airflow or nasal airway resistance or dimensions provide valuable data but are time-consuming and require expensive equipment and trained technicians, thus making these methods less practical for clinical practice. Peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) measurement is fast, unexpensive, non-invasive and able to provide an objective evaluation of nasal airflow in real-time. Unilateral PNIF measurements allow separated evaluation of each side of the nasal airway and may prove particularly useful when clinical assessment detects significant asymmetry between both nasal cavities...

PURPOSE: To report the seroprevalence of bloodborne viral infection (BBVI) in patients undergoing ophthalmic surgeries and assess the utility and feasibility of preoperative screening for BBVI in India's current eye care system. METHODS: This retrospective, hospital-based, descriptive study included data from patients undergoing preoperative screening for Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at a tertiary eye care institute from 2018 to 2022...

Follicular unit excision (FUE) is a very effective and valuable modality for obtaining donor hair follicles using manual, motorized, or robotic devices to harvest individual donor follicular units in situ without a linear donor scar or visible scarring making it ideal for patients who wish to wear their hair short and hide signs of surgery. Over the past two decades, FUE has become increasingly popular, and the rising demand for FUE has driven the worldwide market size of hair restoration surgery (HRS) to an unprecedented height...

INTRODUCTION: Debriefing is a team discussion in a constructive, supportive environment. Barriers exist to consistent, effective team debriefing in the clinical setting, especially in operating theaters. The purpose of this study was to gain insights from frontline workers on how to set up an effective debriefing policy for our operating room. METHODS: This was a qualitative study in which we interviewed operating room workers in a tertiary children's hospital. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded...

OBJECTIVES: The present cross-sectional study investigated, in a group of Italian healthcare workers (HCWs), the association between work motivation and occupational health and the impact of socio-demographic and job-related variables on this association. METHODS: A total of 656 subjects (nurses, technicians, midwives and physiotherapists) completed the survey. Linear regression models were used to correlate motivation types (by Scale of Motivation At Work) with health indicators (general health, depression, professional exhaustion, satisfaction and turnover intention) and burnout's subscales (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced professional achievement)...

INTRODUCTION: The superficial location of the extensor tendons makes them particularly vulnerable to lacerations. Patients most commonly present to the emergency department (ED) after these injuries. We aimed to measure the safety of immediate surgical repair of traumatic open extensor tendon injuries in an ED minor procedure room (MPR) under local anesthesia, and the associated post-operative infection and complication rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated all patients undergoing traumatic open extensor tendon repairs in the ED MPR over a 3...

INTRODUCTION: Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus species plays an important role in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of both community and healthcare-associated infections. Coinciding the emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a challenge for clinicians to prevent their spread. Mupirocin is a topical antimicrobial agent approved for eradicating nasal carriage of staphylococcal species in adult patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). The increasing prevalence of mupirocin resistance among Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci species could be an important threat to the future use of mupirocin against MRSA...

BACKGROUND: Despite its importance, there are no official guidelines for point of care ultrasound training during surgical critical care fellowship. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the comfort and competency of fellows after implementation of a point of care ultrasound program. METHODS: Surgical critical care fellows (n = 7) participated in an ultrasound rotation (2021-2022), including dedicated lectures and training with interventional and echocardiography technicians...

Background Forced air warming (FAW) devices are routinely utilized in operating rooms for patient temperature control. However, there have been some controversy and conflicting evidence on whether they are a possible source of surgical site infections (SSIs) and contamination. Methods A total of 144 petri dishes were randomized to either a control or experimental group (72 in each group). Each trial consisted of six petri dishes in three locations (floor, table, and operative limb). Two dishes at each location were closed sequentially at one hour, two hours, and three hours...

Health care requires the effort of a team, and nowhere is this more evident than in the care of the surgical patient. No single clinician can perform all aspects of the continuum of surgical care. The basic operating room (OR) team consists of nurses, technicians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists with unique and well-defined roles and expertise in perioperative care. The modern OR team continues to grow and evolve in size, diversity, and complexity to meet the needs of growing patient and procedural complexity...

Vivien Thomas was born into humble beginnings in Iberia, Louisiana in 1910. The circumstances of that era prevented him from achieving his goal of attending medical school. He became a surgical research technician at Vanderbilt Medical School. While at Vanderbilt, he began working under Alfred Blalock, one of the famous surgeons of that era. When Blalock left Vanderbilt, he asked Thomas to come with him. At Hopkins, the surgical procedure known as the Blalock-Taussig Shunt was developed to treat a serious congenital heart defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot...

INTRODUCTION: AUA Guidelines do not support the routine use of ultrasound (US) in evaluation of boys with an undescended testicle (UDT) prior to urology referral. Multiple studies have demonstrated that real time US is inferior to a physical examination by a pediatric urologist in detecting an UDT. However, improved US technology, which now permits detection of the non-palpable testis located just proximal to the internal ring, may aid in guiding the surgical approach to the non-palpable testis...

Artificial intelligence can be employed in many cardiological applications including image analysis, risk assessment, and patient monitoring. In the catheterization laboratory, it can act as a physician assistant, technician, or co-worker. First, by giving voice commands to the operator of the coronary angiography machine, it can ensure that the C-arm moves to the desired angle. It is able to make recommendations for stent size and type based on the analysis of angiography images which is also possible for peripheral and carotid interventions...

PURPOSE: This study aims to share our experiences and problems, and to suggest solutions as pediatric surgeons who took part in the teams that went voluntarily to the region hit by the Kahramanmaraş earthquake during the first 7 days after the disaster. METHODS: This study conveys our observations made at Kahramanmaraş Sütçüimam University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, where we worked as a volunteer team between February 7 and 14, 2023...

PURPOSE: To obtain consensus on the key areas of burden associated with existing devices and to understand the requirements for a comprehensive next-generation diagnostic device to be able to solve current challenges and provide more accurate prediction of intraocular lens (IOL) power and presbyopia correction IOL success. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirteen expert refractive cataract surgeons including three steering committee (SC) members constituted the voting panel...

INTRODUCTION: Live anaesthetized animals are used as simulation models to teach techniques in the emergency management of trauma. We aimed to explore how "live tissue training" (LTT) is designed, delivered and evaluated in order to better understand and characterize aspects of educational merit. METHODS: A systematic review was performed using PRISMA guidance. A combined approach, involving a 3-stage modified narrative synthesis process and reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify key concepts across the published literature...

Due to technological advancements during the past 20 years, transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs) have significantly improved the treatment of symptomatic and severe aortic stenosis, significantly improving patient outcomes. The continuous evolution of transcatheter valve models, refined imaging planning for enhanced accuracy, and the growing expertise of technicians have collectively contributed to increased safety and procedural success over time. These notable advancements have expanded the scope of TAVR to include patients with lower risk profiles as it has consistently demonstrated more favorable outcomes than surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR)...

Surgical resection for lung cancer adversely impacts exercise capacity. The 6-minute walk test (6MinWT) and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) are commonly used to assess exercise capacity. However, these tests are difficult to use clinically because they must be performed by a trained technician using specialized equipment according to a prescribed method. This study aims to analyze correlations between walking speed in a 10-meter walk test and exercise capacity measured by the 6MinWT or CPET in patients with lung resection for lung cancer...

Sterile processing department (SPD) technicians are responsible for providing properly reprocessed surgical instruments for procedures. They use utility (ie, tap) water for precleaning, cleaning, and disinfection; and critical (ie, treated to remove impurities) water for the final rinse and steam sterilization. Water maintenance personnel should work with SPD personnel to ensure that the facility's water supply meets the quality parameters for hardness, pH, conductivity, chlorides, bacteria, and endotoxins...

Surgical team members in perioperative environments experience high physical demands. Interventions such as exoskeletons, external wearable devices that support users, have the potential to reduce these work-related physical demands. However, barriers such as workplace environment and task compatibility may limit exoskeleton implementation. This study gathered the perspectives of 33 surgical team members: 12 surgeons, four surgical residents, seven operating room (OR) nurses, seven surgical technicians (STs), two central processing technicians (CPTs), and one infection control nurse to understand their workplace compatibility...