Tip appendicitis: clinical implications and management

Background

Tip appendicitis describes a rare condition involving inflammatory changes of the distal appendix. We discuss the significance and management of this entity when it is identified on computed tomography (CT) imaging.

Methods

CT scans performed at our institution between 2003 and 2007 were reviewed to identify cases of tip appendicitis. Patients were divided into 2 groups, determined by the confirmation of appendicitis on histopathology. Radiological findings and the clinical courses of both groups were documented and compared using univariate analysis.

Results

Of 18 patients with the CT finding of tip appendicitis, appendicitis was ultimately confirmed in 39%. Patients in this group had a higher rate of right lower quadrant (RLQ) tenderness (100% vs 55%, P = .04), leukocytosis (14.2 vs 10.5, P = .03), and clinical suspicion for acute appendicitis (43% vs 0%, P = .02). There were no complications or re-admissions.

Conclusions

The CT finding of tip appendicitis can be managed conservatively in a subset of patients with low clinical suspicion for acute appendicitis.     

Laparoscopy in the contemporary management of acute appendicitis

BACKGROUND: We sought to compare laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) with open appendectomy (OA) focusing on the negative appendectomy rate (NAR), emergency department (ED) to operating room (OR) time, procedure length, and histopathological correlation. METHODS: All appendectomies for appendicitis over a 6-year period at a single hospital were reviewed. Open and laparoscopic procedures were compared. RESULTS: There were 1,312 appendectomies (54.6% OA and 45.4% LA) Mean ED to OR time was as follows: LA 10.8 hours (standard deviation [SD] +/- 9.0) versus 9.8 hours (SD +/- 8.5) OA (P = .0333). Mean OR time was 61.2 minutes (SD +/- 29.1) LA versus 57.7 minutes (SD +/- 28) OA (P = .0293). NAR was 18.3%, LA 23.3% versus 14.0% OA (P < .0001). Postoperative correlation with histopathology was 86% for LA versus 92% OA (P = .0003). In the LA group, 9.9% with a "normal" appendix had appendicitis by histopathology. CONCLUSIONS: LA is associated with increased presentation to procedure time, operative time, and negative appendectomy rate. Removing a "normal" appendix during LA in the absence of alternate pathology is recommended.     

Hospital readmission after pancreaticoduodenectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Appropriate postoperative readmission rates and modifiable risk factors for readmission have yet to be defined for many operations. This systematic review and meta-analysis attempt to define these parameters for pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Suspected acute appendicitis: trends in management over 30 years

BACKGROUND: Tradition taught that patients with signs suspicious of acute appendicitis should be explored surgically, but studies in the 1960s found that if this group was closely observed about one-third recovered without treatment. To differentiate these patients a strict regimen of active observation was introduced and this has now been studied over 30 years. Ultrasonography, laparoscopy and computed tomography (CT) have also been used to clarify the diagnosis in these patients. METHODS: Papers on the management of patients with suspected appendicitis published since 1970 were traced through Index Medicus, English-language journals and Medline. All those that mention the use of observation are reviewed, with selective reports on the other methods used. The advantages and disadvantages of various methods of management are compared. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Active observation has yielded a consistently low negative appendicectomy rate without a rise in the perforation rate; there was one death in over 1600 patients. It has proved to be a practical method of discriminating between patients who do and do not need an operation. In this situation, both ultrasonography and CT yield some false-negative reports, so results must be checked at the bedside. Furthermore, CT involves exposure to significant doses of radiation.     

经尿道前列腺切除术后患者再次入院的诊治分析

目的探讨经尿道前列腺切除术（TURP）后患者再入院的原因和治疗方法。方法采用回顾性的临床研究方法,分析2004年5月至2011年3月良性前列腺增生（BPH）患者行TURP后再次入院的比率、原因和治疗方法。结果 1604例前列腺电切术后再入院93例,约占接受手术治疗者的5.8%,平均再入院时间17个月。其中膀胱颈疤痕狭窄18例,行膀胱镜下疤痕切除术;腺体复发42例,行再次TURP术;反复肉眼血尿并急性尿潴留17例,均在膀胱镜下行血块清除术;尿道狭窄16例,11例行尿道镜下冷刀内切开,5例行尿道外口切开术,术后联合定期尿道扩张治愈。结论 BPH患者行TURP后再次入院的比率为5.8%,腺体复发是TURP术后再入院的主要原因。术前准确诊断、合理选择手术方式及术中、术后正确处理是预防TURP术后再次入院的关键。     

Hospital readmission after pulmonary resection: prevalence, patterns, and predisposing characteristics

Background. Our objective was to define the prevalence, patterns, and predisposing characteristics for hospital readmission after pulmonary resection.

Methods. Five years of pulmonary resections, excluding lung biopsies, were analyzed from a prospective, computerized database. Readmission was defined as inpatient or emergency department admission within 90 days of operation. Search of 1,173,912 admissions to the Providence Health System in Oregon identified readmissions. Readmission analysis excluded operative deaths.

Results. A total of 374 patients underwent pulmonary resections, of whom 8 died (2.1%). Of 366 patients discharged, 69 (18.9%) were readmitted a total of 113 times: 42 had only one readmission, 16 had two readmissions, 7 had three readmissions, 2 had four readmissions, and 2 had five readmissions. Slightly more than half (51%) were readmitted as inpatients. Causes of the 113 readmissions included pulmonary (27%), postoperative infection (14%), cardiac (7%), and other (16%). Mean time to readmission was 32.5 ± 24.6 days. Inpatient readmission mean length of stay was 4.9 ± 3.4 days. Readmission to hospitals other than the hospital of the operation was as follows: first readmission, 15.9%; second readmission, 14.8%; third readmission, 36.3%; fourth readmission, 25%; fifth readmission, 0%. Analysis revealed only pneumonectomy as a risk for readmission. Twelve of 33 (36%) pneumonectomies were readmitted (p = 0.005). Of the 297 patients discharged after pulmonary resection and not requiring readmission, 12 (4%) died over the study interval, whereas 8 of 69 patients (11.6%) requiring readmission died.

Conclusions. Readmission after pulmonary resection is frequent and multiple readmissions are common. Causes are predominately pulmonary diagnoses and infections related to the operation. Pneumonectomy is a risk for readmission. An important portion of readmissions occurs outside the hospital of operation. The population requiring readmission after successfully undergoing pulmonary resection is at increased risk of subsequent mortality.     

Development of a pediatric Level 1 trauma center at a freestanding children's hospital: staff attitudes and perceptions before and after trauma designation

Background

Despite research correlating survival or better outcomes with pediatric trauma care at pediatric hospitals, almost 90% of injured children are treated at predominantly adult facilities. Although the reasons are likely multifactorial, attitudes of pediatric hospital staff may play a role in the development of a pediatric trauma center.

Methods

A survey of hospital staff was conducted to measure the attitude of staff on the effects of becoming a pediatric trauma center. The instrument was administered before and 6 months after trauma center designation. Major topic areas were staffing, organizational impact, education, safety, and financial issues. Attitudes were measured by Likert scale and compared between phases.

Results

A total of 404 staff participated before and 447 staff participated 6 months after designation. Nonphysician respondents dominated the survey respondent pool. Areas of concern included staffing, education, patient volume and acuity, and order and flow. Positive attitudes were seen in areas including quality of care, skill development, and recruitment. Overall improvement in attitudes was observed in several areas.

Conclusions

Hospital staff consistently agreed on the positive impact on quality of care and overall employee benefit. Concerns were mostly diminished at follow-up. A persistent concern of adequate staffing mismatched actual needs. The findings of this study indicate that the staff perceive many measurable benefits to pediatric trauma center development, which have never previously been described.     

Improved contemporary surgical management of insulinomas: a 25-year experience at the Massachusetts General Hospital

OBJECTIVE: To determine changes in the management strategy of patients with insulinomas and identify critical factors in patient outcome. BACKGROUND: Pancreatic insulinomas are rare neoplasms that are present in various ways. The optimal approach to localization, operative management, and follow-up of insulinomas is undetermined. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with a diagnosis of insulinoma requiring surgery at a tertiary care center between 1983 and 2007 were reviewed. Demographic details, mode of presentation, preoperative localization, operative procedures, and pathology data were assessed. The effect of different factors on survival was determined. RESULTS: Seven of 61 (11%) patients had a diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia-type 1 (MEN-1). Multiple insulinomas were noted in 8% of cases and were more common in MEN-1 patients. The overall rate of malignancy was 8%. Confusion (67%), visual disturbances (42%), and diaphoresis (30%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Weight gain was noted in 44% of patients. The median duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 18 (1-240) months. The sensitivity of preoperative imaging of tumors before 1994 was 75%, compared with 98% after this period, which included use of endoscopic ultrasound scanning (P = 0.012). A combination of palpation and intraoperative ultrasound detected 92% of tumors. Distal pancreatectomy (40%), enucleation (34%), and pancreaticoduodenectomy (16%) were the most common procedures and pancreatic fistula occurred in 18% of patients. Three patients underwent noncurative distal pancreatectomy in the early period. The 10-year disease-specific and disease-free survival was 100% and 90% respectively. There were 5 patients with disease recurrence. Lymph node metastases (P < 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (P < 0.001), and the presence of MEN-1 (P = 0.035) were prognostically significant adverse factors in disease-free survival. Lymphovascular invasion was the only significant factor on multivariate analysis (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Pancreatic insulinomas can be readily localized preoperatively with modern imaging to avoid unsuccessful blind pancreatic resection. Surgical resection is associated with low morbidity and mortality and achieves long-term disease-free survival in the absence of lymphovascular invasion.     

Characteristics of hospitals with lowest costs in management of pediatric appendicitis

Background

A primary determinant of value in treating appendicitis is inpatient cost. The purpose of this study was to identify hospital-level factors that drive costs associated with the treatment of appendicitis.

Methods

Cost-to-charge ratios from the 2009 Kids' Inpatient Database gave average all-payer costs by hospital for uncomplicated appendicitis (without peritonitis, ICD-9-CM 540.9) and complicated appendicitis (generalized peritonitis, 540.0; peritoneal abscess, 540.1). The 10% of hospitals with the lowest costs were defined as low cost; the remaining 90% were defined non-low cost. Bivariate and multivariate analyses compared hospital characteristics between the two groups.

Results

Threshold cost dividing low cost from non-low cost for uncomplicated appendicitis was $4626; for complicated appendicitis, it was $6,026. For both conditions teaching status, lower percentage of pediatric discharges, and fewer registered nurses (RN) per 1000 adjusted patient-days predicted a hospital to be low cost. A cost benefit for medium and large hospitals and higher inpatient volume was found only for uncomplicated appendicitis. Regional effects were noted.

Conclusions

The findings show the high-cost structure of hospitals that care for high volumes of children, emphasizing the need to constrain cost. There is some benefit of economies of scale, and careful attention to the numbers of nursing personnel.     

Disconnect between incidence of nonperforated and perforated appendicitis: implications for pathophysiology and management

OBJECTIVE: Appendicitis has been declining in frequency for several decades. During the past 10 years, its preoperative diagnosis has been made more reliable by improved computed tomography (CT) imaging. Thresholds for surgical exploration have been lowered by the increased availability of laparoscopic exploration. These innovations should influence the number of appendectomies performed in the United States. We analyzed nationwide hospital discharge data to study the secular trends in appendicitis and appendectomy rates. METHODS: All appendicitis and appendiceal operations reported to the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) 1970-2004 were classified as perforated, nonperforated, negative, and incidental appendectomies and analyzed over time and by various demographic measures. Secular trends in the population-based incidence rates of nonperforated and perforated appendicitis and negative and incidental appendectomy were examined. RESULTS: Nonperforated appendicitis rates decreased between 1970 and 1995 but increased thereafter. The 25-year decreasing trend was accounted for almost entirely by a decreasing incidence in the 10-19 year age group. The rise after 1995 occurred in all age groups above 5 years and paralleled increasing rates of CT imaging and laparoscopic surgery on the appendix. Since 1995 the negative appendectomy rate has been falling, especially in women, and incidental appendectomies, frequent in prior decades, have been rarely performed. Despite these large changes, the rate of perforated appendicitis has increased steadily over the same period. Although perforated and nonperforated appendicitis rates were correlated in men, they were not significantly correlated in women nor were there significant negative correlations between perforated and negative appendectomy rates. CONCLUSION: The 25-year decline in nonperforated appendicitis and the recent increase in appendectomies coincident with more frequent use of CT imaging and laparoscopic appendectomies did not result in expected decreases in perforation rates. Similarly, time series analysis did not find a significant negative relationship between negative appendectomy and perforation rates. This disconnection of trends suggests that perforated and nonperforated appendicitis may have different pathophysiologies and that nonoperative management with antibiotic therapy may be appropriate for some initially nonperforated cases. Further efforts should be directed at identifying preoperative characteristics associated with nonperforating appendicitis that may eventually allow surgeons to defer operation for those cases of nonperforating appendicitis that have a low perforation risk.     

Great hospitals of Asia: neurosurgery at Prince of Wales Hospital

Prince of Wales Hospital, a 1400-bed regional referral center, was established in 1984 as the primary teaching hospital of the second medical school in Hong Kong at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Academic Division of Neurosurgery was given an autonomous status, the support of 40 acute beds, and a well-equipped and well-staffed intensive care unit (ICU), in developing neurosurgery as a distinct surgical specialty. Over this short 26-year history, we have gone through the difficult time of one-man-band neurosurgery, excelled in emergency neurosurgery, and evolved to an era of organized neurosurgical practice, where clinical services, teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students, and clinical and translational research have been brought up to international standards.     

A comparison of ambulatory perioperative times in hospitals and freestanding centers

BackgroundThe volume of surgical procedures performed in ambulatory surgical centers has increased rapidly.MethodsAmbulatory surgical visits of Medicare beneficiaries were compared for hospital-based and freestanding ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). The main outcomes were time in surgery, time in operating room, time in postoperative care, and total perioperative time.ResultsThe mean total perioperative time for all procedures examined was 39% shorter in freestanding ASCs then in hospital-based ASCs (83 vs 135 min; P < .01); surgery time was 37% shorter (19 vs 30 min; P < .01), operating room time was 37% shorter (34 vs 54 min; P < .01), and postoperative time was 35% shorter (48 vs 74 min; P < .01).ConclusionsPerioperative times were significantly shorter in freestanding ASCs than in hospital-based ASCs. It is unclear how much of the difference was the result of efficiency versus patient selection.