Background
Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres.
Methods
This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries.
Results
In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia.
Conclusion
This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries.
Cysts are uncommon congenital lesions of the fetal penis. Fetal penile cysts can develop when epithelial cells become entrapped during the fusion of the labial scrotal folds. The spectrum of diagnoses varies from simple epidermal inclusion cysts and megalourethra to hypospadias. In our case, we present a penile cyst that appeared between the 16 th and 24 th weeks. There was no other congenital anomaly, and since the mother did not accept an amniocentesis, we could not learn the karyotyping findings. As there were no other signs of congenital anomalies on ultrasound, we decided only to follow up, and at the 24 th week's control ultrasound, the cyst was completely resolved with no other imaging findings.
War is always a damaging situation for parts involved; no matter which one wins at the end, every side has something to lose, such as soldiers, money, and the nation's safety. I was in my home country (Azerbaijan), attending online classes and having my routine study day. The date was the 27th of September 2020, when we heard that war started between Armenia on the western side of my country. I applied to several authorities; in the end, I was able to go to Salyan Central Hospital in Salyan (150km distance from the war zone) as a volunteer to help the personnel for medical care to wounded soldiers. I saw different types of injured soldiers; they mostly came with extremity wounds, trunk wounds, and concussions due to explosions. I was impacted by the soldiers who had concussions. I tell the story of my experience as a volunteer serving in a war zone.
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