Professor David Leaper’s work in surgery spans 5 decades in the United Kingdom. He has the Fellowship in Surgery of the Royal Colleges of Edinburgh, England and Glasgow; and the Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons.
He was Senior Lecturer in Surgery/Consultant surgeon at the University of Bristol (1981-1995), Professor of Surgery at the University of Hong Kong (1988-1990) and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (1995-2004), and now Emeritus Professor.
in this Global Health Talk with Mike Lesner, Professor Leaper’s discusses surgical site infection, sepsis and critical care and the need for continuing surgical education and training.
Surgical site infections (SSI) is infection that occurs after surgery in a part of the body where the surgery took place. Surgical site infections are seen as the most common healthcare-associated infection, significantly impacting healthcare resources in the UK and across the World.
Professor Leaper speaks on needing ongoing good antibiotic stewardship to reduce the risk of antibiotic-resistant and emergent organisms. The pressures on administering antibiotics have led to tighter management and stewardship of antibiotics.
Accurate surveillance of surgical site infections is needed, to assess the precise size and cost of the known problem. This includes infections arising from implantable devices, which whilst rare can lead to significant complications.
in closing, Professor Leaper stresses the need for continuing surgeon education in pre-surgical optimization of patient health, especially where it is evidence-based.
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Lifelong research into Cannabis
Mechoulam was possibly the most significant academic to shed light on the active principles of the cannabis plant back in the 1960s, when his work at the Weizmann Institute led to the discovery of the human endo-cannabinoid system, giving him the title the “Godfather of cannabis research”. In a recent Global Health Talk with Michael Lesner, Professor Mechoulam reflects on his lifelong work in cannabis research.
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Over 100 years of Advancing Pharmacy Worldwide
Clinical research and trials in the Australia and New Zealand region offer foreign companies an opportunity to collaborate with local institutions, tap into diverse patient populations, access high-quality healthcare infrastructure, and gain regulatory approvals, enabling them to expand their market reach and accelerate the development of innovative medical interventions.
Clinical trials continued in Australia and New Zealand during lockdown, thanks to collaboration between industry and government, allowing the region to attract trials from other countries.
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Global effort to reduce postoperative infection risk
Infection rates following surgical procedure vary across countries, however the causes and the ranges of variation are not well understood.
The causes of the infections are not as high as would be assumed on the surgical procedure, but co-morbidity and lifestyle choices including alcohol consumption may exacerbate risk. As Dr Edmiston states, there are a myriad of causes, and funding is limited in many countries. However there are some solutions, where goals, performance tracking against the goals and better communication is needed.
