Groin wound infections pose a major problem in vascular surgery. Closed-incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) was especially designed for the management of incisions at risk of surgical site infections. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ciNPT is able to reduce the incidence of wound infections after vascular surgery. Data on 132 consecutive patients, scheduled for vascular surgery with a longitudinal femoral cutdown, were collected prospectively. All patients were randomised either to the ciNPT group (n = 64) or the control group (n = 68) with conventional dressing. In the ciNPT group, the foam dressing was applied intraoperatively and removed after 5 days. The control group received an absorbent dressing. All wounds were evaluated after 5 and 42 days. Infections were graded according the Szilagyi classification (I-III°). There were no significant differences between both groups considering patient characteristics. Indications for surgery were peripheral arterial disease in 95% (125/132) and aneurysm in 5% (7/132). The overall infection rates were 14% (9/64) in the ciNPT group and 28% (19/68) in the control group (P = 0·055). Early infections were observed in 6% (4/64) of the ciNPT group and 15% (10/68) of the control group (P = 0·125). ciNPT did not reduce infection rates associated with different risk factors for infection. While the experiences with the ciNPT device were encouraging, the study fails to provide evidence of the efficacy of the device to reduce groin wound infections after vascular surgery. It illustrates far more that larger multicentre studies are required and appear promising to provide further evidence for the use of ciNPT.

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Planning held before emergency management of a critical situation might be an invaluable asset for optimising team preparation. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a brief planning discussion improved team performance in a simulated critical care situation. Forty-four pairs of trainees in anaesthesia and intensive care were randomly allocated to either an intervention or control group before participating in a standardised simulated scenario. Twelve different scenarios were utilised. Groups were stratified by postgraduate year and simulated scenario, and a facilitator was embedded in the scenario. In the intervention group, the pairs had an oral briefing followed by a 4-min planning discussion before starting the simulation. The primary end-point was clinical performance, as rated by two independent blinded assessors on a score of 0-100 using video records and pre-established scenario-specific checklists. Crisis resource management and stress response (cognitive appraisal ratio) were also assessed. Two pairs were excluded for technical reasons. Clinical performance scores were higher in the intervention group; mean (SD) 51 (9) points vs. 46 (9) in the control group, p = 0.039. The planning discussion was also associated with higher crisis resource management scores and lower cognitive appraisal ratios, reflecting a positive response. A 4-min planning discussion before a simulated critical care situation improved clinical team performance and cognitive appraisal ratios. Team planning should be integrated into medical education and clinical practice.

After lobectomy, TEA enables a significant increase in pulmonary function concomitant with better pain relief than systemic morphine, although a modest intercostal motor block may occur.