Aims

The primary aim is to estimate the current and potential number of patients on NHS England orthopaedic elective waiting lists by November 2020. The secondary aims are to model recovery strategies; review the deficit of hip and knee arthroplasty from National Joint Registry (NJR) data; and assess the cost of returning to pre-COVID-19 waiting list numbers.

Escalating health care expenditure worldwide is driving the need for effective resource decision-making, with medical practitioners increasingly making complex resource decisions within the context of patient care. Despite raising serious legal and ethical issues in practice, this has attracted little attention in Australia, or internationally. In particular, it is unknown how orthopaedic surgeons perceive their obligations to the individual patient, and the wider community, when rationing care, and how they reconcile competing obligations. This research explores legal and ethical considerations, and resource allocation by Australian orthopaedic surgeons, as a means of achieving public health cost containment driven by macro-level policy and funding decisions. This research found that Australian orthopaedic surgeon's perceptions, and resource allocation decision making, can be explained by understanding how principles of distributive justice challenge, and shift, the traditional medical paradigm. It found that distributive justice, and challenges of macro level health policy and funding decisions, have given rise to two new medical paradigms. Each which try to balance the best interests of individual patients with demands in respect of the sustainability of the health system, in a situation where resources may be constrained. This research shows that while bedside rationing has positioned the medical profession as the gate keepers of resources, it may have left them straddling an increasingly irreconcilable void between the interests of the individual patient and the wider community, with the sustainability of the health system hanging in the balance

Aim. In private healthcare facilities, the access to a specialized infectious disease (ID) advice is difficult. More, the lack of traceability is problematic and harmful for treatment and follow-up. We have tested an information technology (IT) application to improve medical transmission and evaluate an interdisciplinary ID activity. Methods. In November 2015, three ID physicians (IDP) created an interdisciplinary activity, visiting patients and giving phone advices among ten private healthcare facilities. They are members of the complex bone and joint infection unit of the community hospital where they are attached. Since September 2016, each advice was prospectively recorded on a protected online information system. These data are available for consultation and modification by the three IDP. It is the first descriptive analysis of this database. Results. From September 2016 to February 2017, 887 advices from 573 inpatients were collected. Median age was 69 years old and 56% of patients were male (n=320). Comorbidity was notified in 329 patients (57%): presence of a medical device (n=154), active neoplasia (n=76), mellitus diabetes (n=38) and renal failure (n=38) were the most common. Patients were hospitalized in a surgery unit in 49% of cases and of which 69% was the orthopaedic unit. By frequency, type of infection was prosthetic joint (n=111) and osteosynthesis device infection (n=67), urinary tract infection (n=57), skin infection (n=44), and catheter device infection (n=43). The presence of multidrug resistant bacteria was notified in 63 patients. Antibiotics were already administered before the first advice in 62% of patients. Advices were given after a medical consultation in the clinic in 353 cases (40%) and after a phone call with the physician in charge of the patient in 523 cases (60%). Antibiotics were disrupted or not introduced for 126 advices (14%), introduced for 133 advices (15%), modified in 337 advices (38%) and maintained unchanged in 291 advices (33%). New evaluation was effective for 171 patients (30%). Multidisciplinary meeting was requested for 54 patients. Conclusion. Use of an information system for interdisciplinary and multisite ID activity has permitted with a better traceability to improve management of these septic patients, facilitate storage and transmission of medical information. It is a first overview of ID activity in private healthcare facilities and these tools appear essential in the development of such activity and for public health policy

In 2011 health policy dictated a reduction in iatrogenic infections, such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff), this resulted in local change to antimicrobial policy in orthopaedic surgery. Previous antimicrobial policy was Cefuroxime, this was changed to Flucloxacillin and Gentimicin. Following this change an increased number of patients appeared to suffer from acute kidney injury (AKI). We initially evaluated the incidence of AKI pre and post antibiotic change and found a correlation between the Flucloxacillin and AKI. We then made changes to antibiotic policy to mitigate the increased rates of AKI and proceeded to evaluate the outcomes. In this prospective study all patients admitted with fracture neck of femurs were identified from the National Hip Fracture database and data obtained. The degree of AKI was classified according to the validated RIFILE criteria. Evaluation showed a 4 fold decrease, from 13% to only 3%, in AKI after introduction of the modified antibiotic policy. C.difficile continues to be non-existent since this change. Flucloxacillin obviously had a significant impact on this patient group. However, we have shown that with appropriate changes to antibiotic policy AKI associated morbidity can be significantly reduced. Dose dependent antibiotics will now be given based on weight and eGFR

Aims

Elective operating was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase the capacity to provide care to an unprecedented volume of critically unwell patients. During the pandemic, the orthopaedic department at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board restructured the trauma service, relocating semi-urgent ambulatory trauma operating to the isolated clean elective centre (St. Woolos’ Hospital) from the main hospital receiving COVID-19 patients (Royal Gwent Hospital). This study presents our experience of providing semi-urgent trauma care in a COVID-19-free surgical unit as a safe way to treat trauma patients during the pandemic and a potential model for restarting an elective orthopaedic service.

The aim of this study was to review the role of clinical trial networks in orthopaedic surgery. A total of two electronic databases (MEDLINE and EMBASE) were searched from inception to September 2013 with no language restrictions. Articles related to randomised controlled trials (RCTs), research networks and orthopaedic research, were identified and reviewed. The usefulness of trainee-led research collaborations is reported and our knowledge of current clinical trial infrastructure further supplements the review. Searching yielded 818 titles and abstracts, of which 12 were suitable for this review. Results are summarised and presented narratively under the following headings: 1) identifying clinically relevant research questions; 2) education and training; 3) conduct of multicentre RCTs and 4) dissemination and adoption of trial results. This review confirms growing international awareness of the important role research networks play in supporting trials in orthopaedic surgery. Multidisciplinary collaboration and adequate investment in trial infrastructure are crucial for successful delivery of RCTs.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:169–74.