Surgical Infection Education Event Held in India Draws Large Audience
Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) attended recent meeting that looked at results from the FALCON and CHEETAH trials
The meeting that took place on the 12th April at the Christian Medical College in Ludhiana managed to draw a large audience of RMPs who are usually the first point of contact for the patients in India, especially in rural areas. The main aims of the meeting were:
- To appraise the RMPs about the surgical wound care of the patients post-discharge from the hospital
- To inform the RMPs of the early signs of Surgical Site Infection (SSI) and its management
- To understand the challenges faced by the RMPs in managing surgical wound care and surgical site infection in their practices
Following the presentations that took place, the event team were keen to find out what challenges were faced by RMPs in relation to the provision of surgical wound care, particularly regarding the management of SSIs. Following on from initial discussions that took place in the meeting, the team will be following-up with attendees over the coming weeks to gather further information.
In relation to the CEI programme in India, Atul Suroy (India Hub Manager) was quoted as saying 'With CEI, we aim to empower the existing workforce with evidence-based practices generated through GLOBALSurg collaborative studies to build capacity in the states of India."
You can find out more on the CHEETAH trial by clicking here. Further information on FALCON can be accessed by clicking here.
You can also visit the India national page by clicking here and Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) in India info slides by clicking here.
Overview of the Rwanda Hub National Steering Committee
Rwanda Spoke groups attend national CEI meeting in Kigali
The aim of the meeting that took place on the 20th April was to involve the community in clinical trial development, in addition to strengthening Community Engagement & Involvement (CEI) structure in Rwanda. The meeting gave members the opportunity to collectively meet face to face for the first time since the inception of the hub. In Rwanda each spoke group consists of roughly 6 - 8 members with 2 co-chairs (inclusive) consisting of a member of the hub team and member of the community.
During the meeting the committee were able to provide valuable input into the SWANN, PROTECTSurg and DRAGON national trials. Members were also given the opportunity to comment on the provision of post-operative care provided by community healthcare workers through the PIGEON project.
The meeting also enabled members to elect the National CEI Group that will form part of an international committee of representatives from each partner country within the GSU unit.
You can view the official CEI brochure for Rwanda (in Kinyarwanda) by clicking here.
You can also visit the Rwanda Hub page by clicking here or CEI page by clicking here.
Project of the Month Overview: HIPPO Study
Our new monthly 'project of the month' supplement looks at the recently launched HIPPO study
The HIPPO study is the short name for Hernias, Pathway and Planetary Outcomes for Inguinal Hernia Surgery. This is a global, prospective cohort study that includes all consecutive patients undergoing an inguinal hernia repair. Any hospital from any country was eligible to take part.
This study has three main aims:
- To evaluate the waiting times to inguinal hernia repair.
- To characterise technique, training, and operating surgeon variation.
- To explore the uptake of environment sustainable practices in operating theatres.
The study started on 30th January we are reaching the last period of data collection, which starts on 24th April and will end in 21st May 2023.
Until now we count with more 6,500 patients, from 350 centres from 65 countries, making this the largest cohort study with inguinal hernia patients.
One of the key aims of the study will be the dissemination of relevant information to policy makers and governments on a global scale as well as inform future research.
You can view the HIPPO page for more information by clicking here.
Next European Society of Coloproctology Global Webinar this Monday 24th April
The next ESCP webinar will look at fecal incontinence on a global scale
Fecal Incontinence (FI) is a prevalent and debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite the significant impact of FI, its management has been challenging, and there is a lack of standardized guidelines and protocols for its diagnosis and treatment. This is particularly true for low- and mid- income countries, where FI is often underdiagnosed and undertreated due to limited resources and access to care.
Key highlights from the webinar:
· Leading researchers and speakers on FI
· Updated Consensus guidelines on management of FI
· Current evidence and future directions
· Opportunity for worldwide collaboration
Where: Online event with registration currently open
When: Monday 24th April @ 11AM UK BST/ 12PM CET/ 6PM Beijing & Hong Kong
You can find out more and register for the event by clicking here.
Latest CHEETAH Publication in BioMed Central Looks at Strategies to Minimise a Major Methodological Challenge in Cluster Randomised Controlled Trials (cRCTs)
The latest paper from the GSU's recently completed CHEETAH trial discusses strategies to minimise and monitor biases and imbalances by arm in cRCTs
The recently conducted analysis includes 10,686 patients from 70 clusters with the study evaluating whether changing sterile gloves and instruments prior to abdominal wound closure reduces surgical site infection at 30 days postoperative. Eight strategies in total to minimise and monitor bias were pre-specified.
The paper identifies potential sources of bias when utilising cRCTs and looks at how the strategic system applied not only monitored and minimised the risks of bias and imbalances by arm but also highlights the lessons that can be learned for future cRCTs within hospitals.
You can access the publication by clicking here.
You can also visit the CHEETAH page by clicking here.
HIPPO Study - Webinar Today (27.03.23)
Webinar for the Recently Launched HIPPO Study to Discuss Relevance of Key Aims
The HIPPO team discuss the 3 main aims of the study that looks into pathway and planetary outcomes for inguinal hernia surgery:
- Characterise the global backlog for elective surgery
- Technique, training and operating surgeon variation
- Explore environmentally sustainable practices in operating theatres
Study coordinators Dr. Maria Picciochi and Dr. Viriginia Ledda will also review the registration process during the broadcast.
The webinar will feature an international panel of collaborators from Australia, Colombia and Nigeria taking part in a Q&A session following the conclusion of the main discussion during the online event.
The webinar will start at 8:00PM UK Time (BST)
You can access the webinar by clicking on this link that will take you to the webinar portal.
A Blog from our Team @ West African College of Surgeons Conference 2023
A Breakdown of the First Couple of Days of Dr. Virginia Ledda and Dr. Maria Picciochi from the University of Birmingham
This week two of our PhD fellows, Maria and Virginia, have travelled to Togo for the 63rd West African College of Surgeons Congress (WACS), to help the other members of the Unit present the projects that are being developed currently.
They landed in Lomé, Togo late on Sunday night, after being greeted by Vivien and Covalic, colleagues from the Benin Hub.
The opening ceremony to the Conference was held on Monday afternoon, with a procession of the members of WACS and addresses from the President of WACS, Professor Peter Donkor and Professor Tchengai, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee. Addresses were also given by representative of sister organisations, such as the West African College of Physicians. The addresses highlighted the importance of collaboration to promote the quality of care provided- which is one of the key principles of our Unit.
After the opening ceremony, Maria and Virginia had the chance to catch up with their Unit colleagues from the Hubs of Benin, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana. The NIHR Global Surgery Unit lead a symposium on Global Surgery on Thursday morning, so the meeting was an excellent opportunity to define the themes to be discussed and plan the session.
After the meeting the group had an opportunity to unwind and relax at dinner- everyone is so excited about the next few days!
Maria and Virginia are looking forward to the next few days in Lomé, Togo and will keep sharing their experiences.
You can view additional information from the Conference as it comes in via our official Twitter channel.
More information on the West African College of Surgeons can be found on their website.
Professors Dion Morton and Dhruva Ghosh attend launch of FOxTROT 2 trial in India
New international trial to run across GSU India network
During his recent visit to India, NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery Co-Director Professor Dion Morton was able to Join India Lead, Professor Dhruva Ghosh at G B Pant Hospital in Delhi for the launch of the FOxTROT 2 international trial.
FOxTROT 2 will be conducted across 12 hospitals in India that include sites within the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery network. The trial will look into the use of a short course of pre-operative chemotherapy for patients due to undergo surgery for colon cancer, with the aim being to significantly decrease the likelihood of the cancer returning.
Whilst in India, Professor Morton was able to meet with the Indian Health Ministry regarding a new healthcare partnership that will look to deliver improved healthcare for children across the Punjab region with congenital defects.
You can read more on FOxTROT 2 by reading the official University of Birmingham press release here.
You can also see Professor Morton speak during his time in India in a short video on our Twitter channel.
GSU Study on Impact of Malnutrition on Early Outcomes of Surgery Discussed in Podcast
Professor Pamela Jeyaraj and Mr Stephen Knight discussed recent study on Lancet Global Health podcast, hosted by Nina Putnis
During the recent on-line webisode both Stephen and Pamela were able to talk about the link between malnutrition and outcomes after surgery for bowel cancer, involving over 5700 patients from 381 hospitals across 75 countries.
During the programme both Pamela and Stephen were able to explain how the study will help surgical care professionals determine what treatments and interventions could be provided for patients undergoing surgery for cancer in LMICs.
You can access the webinar, published on the 17th February here.
You can view the recently published article in The Lancet Global Health here.
CHEETAH Trial Discussed During OrthoEvidence Podcast
The latest discussion on CHEETAH comes from India Hub Lead - Dhruva Ghosh during recent podcast on OrthoEvidence
Professor Dhruva Ghosh spoke with Editor-in-Chief of OrthoEvidence, Mo Bhandari in relation to the recently completed CHEETAH trial that recruited over 13000 patients from 81 hospitals, across 7 countries.
During the discussion, Professor Dhruva Ghosh discussed the rationale behind the international trial including why the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery decided on utilising a cluster-randomised trial format for the trial design. During the on-line discussion, Professor Ghosh was also able to discuss the implication of the ground-breaking trial results and how they will translate affect surgical policy on a global scale, particularly in LMICs.
The podcast can be accessed via the OrthoEvidence wesbite.
You can also find out further information on the CHEETAH trial by clicking here.