The surgical high dependency unit: an educational resource for surgical trainees

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education and Training
• Critical Care Medicine
• Surgical High Dependency Units

Background:

• Recognizing and managing critically ill patients is crucial for surgical training.
• Senior House Officers (SHOs) undertake a 4-month attachment to a surgically-led High Dependency Unit (HDU).
• This attachment is an integral part of their basic surgical training program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a surgical High Dependency Unit (HDU) as an educational resource.
• To assess the learning opportunities provided during a 4-month SHO attachment to an HDU.

Main Methods:

• A dedicated database was queried for a 5-year period (April 1997 to March 2002).
• Data analyzed included patient numbers, presentation modes, specialties, POSSUM scores (physiological and operative), and interventions.
• The study focused on the experience gained by SHOs during their 4-month HDU attachment.

Main Results:

• The 4-month attachment provided a consistent volume of clinical cases for SHOs.
• Analysis included diverse patient presentations and specialties encountered during the attachment.
• Physiological and operative severity scores (POSSUM) and interventions were systematically recorded.

Conclusions:

• A 4-month attachment to a surgical HDU serves as a consistent and valuable clinical resource.
• This HDU attachment significantly contributes to teaching and learning in surgical education.
• The program effectively enhances the training of surgeons in managing complex surgical patients.