Editor’s note: Media around the world, including social media, frequently report on American College of Surgeons (ACS) activities. Following are brief excerpts from news stories published from February through April 2018 that mention key ACS programs and initiatives, including research findings that appear in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. To access the news items in their entirety, visit the online ACS Newsroom.
Preparation helped Sunnybrook cope with its biggest-ever Code Orange
Toronto Star, April 24
“‘We have joined the club unfortunately, but we were ready,’ continued [Avery] Nathens [MD, FACS,] who also serves as medical director of trauma quality programs of the American College of Surgeons. He was referring to recent mass casualty events in the United States, including last year’s shooting in Las Vegas [NV] and the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla.”
A university hospital surgeon hopes to unite people for a gun violence discussion
San Antonio Express-News, April 20
“A group of trauma surgeons—including a prominent one in San Antonio [TX] who helped treat victims of the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs—released a set of strategies Thursday that aim to reduce firearm-related injuries and deaths in the U.S.
“The group hopes its new strategies, which will be published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in the coming months, will foster dialogue among the public and policymakers on both sides of the debate.”
Suffolk honored its top doctor and a hometown native
Virginian-Pilot, April 17
“The plaques, which will be permanently displayed at both entrances of the building, note that [L. D.] Britt [MD, MPH, DSc(Hon), FACS, FCCM, FRCSEng(Hon), FRCSEd(Hon), FWACS(Hon), FRCSI(Hon), FCS(SA)(Hon), FRCSGlasg(Hon),] is a Henry Ford Professor and Edward J. Brickhouse Chairman at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, former president of the American College of Surgeons and first African American in the U.S. to receive an endowed chair in surgery at a major American medical school.”
In rural areas, recruiting and retaining doctors are no easy tasks
American Association for Physician Leadership, April 12
“While some health care organizations entice newly minted physicians with loan payoffs, this recruitment strategy doesn’t necessarily result in retention beyond the obligation period.
“Other factors, such as adequate call coverage and autonomy over one’s practice, tend to have a greater influence on loyalty, says Tyler Hughes, MD, FACS, founding chair of the American College of Surgeons’ Advisory Council for Rural Surgery.”
No benefit from adjuvant therapy for ampullary tumors
Medscape, April 3
“In this study, Dhar and colleagues sought to better define the role of adjuvant therapy in the treatment of patients with resected ampullary tumors. Using the American College of Surgeons National Cancer Database, they identified 5,298 patients with ampullary tumors, stage I through III, that had been surgically removed between 1998 and 2006.”
Trump wants to reduce opioid prescriptions by one-third. We can start now
STAT, March 30
“Research we conducted and published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows how surgeons can determine an appropriate prescription. We found that many patients use less than one-third of the opioids prescribed to them, allowing unused medications to sit in a bathroom cabinet or be diverted or stolen for illicit use.”
Burn deaths down from 1989 to 2017 in the United States
Physician’s Weekly, March 15
“Burn injury survival has dramatically increased over the past 30 years, according to a study published online March 9 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
“Karel D. Capek, MD, from Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston, TX, and colleagues assessed factors, including age, percent of the total body surface area burned, presence of inhalation injury, length of stay, and survival status, for all new burn admissions between 1989 and 2017.”
Everyone can learn hemorrhage control on ‘National Stop the Bleed Day’
Chicago Tribune, March 8
“Surgeons developed a training course for people with no medical background, and the course was offered by volunteer instructors. The American College of Surgeons estimates that about 120,000 people have taken a Stop the Bleed[®] course, but one group of veterans thought more people should be exposed to the life-saving training.”
Americans should have access to bleed control training
The Hill, February 13
“In October 2015, the White House and the American College of Surgeons launched Stop the Bleed, a program that provides individuals with the education and training they need to stop blood loss and save lives. The program was developed by the Hartford Consensus to Enhance Survival in Intentional Mass Casualty Events in April 2013, just a few months after the active shooter tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Just like CPR classes teach bystanders to assist people in cardiac arrest, a brief 20–30 minute Stop the Bleed class can teach anyone how to stop excessive bleeding. After calling 911, a person losing blood is still in grave danger. Stop the Bleed classes help bystanders act decisively and safely to save lives.”
Older patients recover from surgery faster if they “train” for it
CNBC, February 11
“Patients who prepped were also less likely to land back in the hospital.
“‘Prep is as important if not more important than the surgery itself,’ said Dr. Ronnie Rosenthal [MD, MS, FACS], chair of the American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Task Force.”
