Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34766194›Full record

SynthesisWorld journal of surgery2022

Emergency Neurosurgery Performed by General Surgeons: A Systematic Review.

Joseph N Hewitt, Christopher D Ovenden, John M Glynatsis, Ahad Sabab, Aashray K Gupta, Joshua G Kovoor, Adam J Wells, Guy J Maddern

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in World journal of surgery, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pediatric vs. adult extradural hematoma outcomes in LMICs: mortality, surgical timing, and age-specific hematoma volume cutoffs.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2026
    Article
  2. Observational
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Joseph N HewittThe University of Adelaide, Discipline of Surgery, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Christopher D OvendenDepartment of Neurosurgery, Women and Childrens' Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
John M GlynatsisAdelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Ahad SababAdelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Aashray K GuptaThe University of Adelaide, Discipline of Surgery, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Joshua G KovoorThe University of Adelaide, Discipline of Surgery, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3880-3840
Adam J WellsDepartment of Neurosurgery, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Guy J MaddernThe University of Adelaide, Discipline of Surgery, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. guy.maddern@adelaide.edu.au.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital · AUThe University of Adelaide · AURoyal Adelaide Hospital · AUWomen's and Children's Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn under-resourced settings, general surgeons may be called upon to perform emergency operations within other specialties. Accordingly, we aimed to characterise patient outcomes after emergency neurosurgery performed by a general surgeon or general surgery trainee.

methodsPubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched to 30 May 2021 for observational studies reporting outcomes after emergency neurosurgery performed by a general surgeon. Study screening, data extraction, and risk of bias using the Downs and Black checklist were performed in duplicate. Data on setting, operation undertaken, mortality rates and complications were extracted. Meta-analysis was planned but not possible due to heterogeneity. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021258097.

resultsFrom 632 records, 14 retrospective observational studies were included, covering a total sample of 1,988 operations. Four studies were from Australia, and the remaining 10 were, respectively, from 10 other countries. Most common operations performed were decompressive surgery with burr holes or craniectomy for head trauma and insertion of intracranial pressure monitors. Rural hospitals were the most common settings. Mortality rates for procedures performed by general surgeons at latest follow-up were heterogenous, ranging from 5% for evacuation of chronic subdural haematoma in Kenya to 81% in head injured patients in a Hong Kong study.

conclusionsThis is the first systematic review that synthesises the literature to characterise patient outcomes after neurosurgical operations performed by a general surgeon. Findings from this study may benefit global surgery performed in rural, remote, military or humanitarian settings.

Indexed as

Hematoma, Subdural, ChronicNeurosurgerySurgeonsHumansNeurosurgical ProceduresRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID34766194
OpenAlexW3213577166

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.