Long-Term Enteral Feeding: A Retrospective Comparison of Delivery via Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy and Nasoenteric Tubes

The use of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes for enteral feeding is widespread, although their superiority to other feeding devices, such as nasoenteric tubes (NET), has not been substantiated. We retrospectively compared clinical outcomes in patients who received enteral feeding via PEG (n = 80) or NET (n = 29) from 1984 to 1988. Mean follow-up was 192 days in the PEG group and 141 days in the NET group. Changes in nutritional and performance status were similar in both groups. Aspiration pneumonia occurred within 14 days of tube placement in 6% and 24% (p = 0.01) of the PEG and NET patients, respectively. With the exception of tube replacement, cumulative rates of minor and major complications (including aspiration pneumonia) were similar in both groups during follow-up. None of the clinical variables that were assessed correlated with the development of aspiration pneumonia. Mortality was similar in both groups. These results suggest that, for long-term enteral feeding, PEG offers no substantial advantages over NET with respect to patient nutrition, performance, or survival. The reasons for the observed difference in short-term aspiration pneumonia rates are unknown, and must be investigated prospectively.     

Clinical Significance and Outcome of Gastric Mucosal Erosions: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study

Our purpose was to evaluate the long-term clinical significance of gastric erosions. A series of 117 patients with gastric erosions without peptic ulcer disease, and matched controls were studied in 1974–1979. All available subjects were reinvestigated 17 years later, including detailed clinical history and laboratory analysis. At follow-up, erosions were still more prevalent (39%; 20/50) in the erosion group than in the controls (11; 7/66). In Helicobacter pylori–positive participants, peptic ulcer or a scar was more common in the erosion group (17%; 9/52) than in controls (5%; 3/66). Overall malignancy rate was higher in controls (15%; 17/117) than in erosion group (5%; 6/117; P = .025), but no other differences were seen between the groups or related with current erosion. We conclude that a significant proportion of gastric erosions are chronic or recurrent but mostly without serious complications. However, H. pylori–positive patients with erosions have significant risk to develop a peptic ulcer.     

幽门螺杆菌长期感染对胃粘膜的远期影响——10年随防研究

目的研究Hp长期感染对胃粘膜病变的转归的影响.方法随防了62例10年前Hp感染患者,并分析对比10年前后Hp感染情况、胃镜和病理组织学变化.结果①63例患者16例(25.4%)Hp转阴,47例(74.6%)Hp持续阳性.②Hp持续阴性者10年前后消化性溃疡(PU)的发生率分别为29.78%和53.19%(P＜0.05),Hp转阴者10年前后消化性溃疡(PU)的发生率分别为68.8%和12.5%(P＜0.05)③Hp持续阳性者10年前后慢性炎症严重程度积分分别为1.77±0.43和2.13±0.34(P＜0.01),肠上皮化生(IM)严重程度积分分别为1.13±0.35和1.63±0.52(P＜0.05);Hp转阴者10年前后慢性炎症严重程度积分分别为1.81±0.40和1.31±0.48(P＜0.01),肠上皮化生(IM)严重程度积分分别为1.6±0.55和1.4±0.59(P＜0.05);Hp持续阳性者10年前后胃粘膜糜烂的发生分别为17.02%和38.29%(P＜0.05),IM的发生分别为17.02%和44.68%(P＜0.01);Hp转阴者10年前后IM的发生均为31.25%,胃粘膜糜烂10年后完全消失.结论根除Hp不仅能减轻胃粘膜的炎症程度,而且能阻止肠化的发生和发展.     

Cyanamide-Induced Liver Dysfunction After Abstinence in Alcoholics: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study on Four Cases

Background: Cyanamide, an aversive agent widely used in Japan, is known to induce various degrees of hepatic lesion with ground-glass inclusion bodies. When cyanamide-treated alcoholics relapse into drinking, more severe inflammation develops in the liver. However, it is controversial whether progressive hepatic lesions develop in complete abstainers as a result of long-term cyanamide treatment. Case Reports: Case 1: A 53-year-old male alcoholic received cyanamide treatment for 4.5 months and completely abstained without cyanamide treatment for 6 years. A liver biopsy shortly after abstinence showed extensive pericellular fibrosis, but a biopsy after 6 years showed very mild fibrosis. Case 2: A 43-year-old male alcoholic remained completely abstinent with cyanamide treatment for 5 years and complained of general fatigue. His serum transaminases were slightly elevated and hepatic hyperechogenicity was observed on ultrasonography. Only mild pericellular fibrosis was present in the liver biopsy specimen obtained shortly after abstinence, but after 5 years the second liver biopsy showed that thin septum-like fibrosis that formed portal-to-portal and portal-to-central linkage had developed and ground-glass hepatocytes had emerged extensively. Case 3: A 29-year-old female alcoholic complained of general fatigue and a slight fever after 1.5 years of abstinence with cyanamide treatment. Slight elevation of serum transaminases and hepatic hyperechogenicity were observed. The liver biopsy showed extensive ground-glass hepatocytes and thin septum-like fibrosis that formed portal-to-portal linkage. Case 4: A 61-year-old male alcoholic who remained completely abstinent while taking cyanamide for 3 years showed slight elevation of serum transaminases. Liver biopsy showed extensive ground-glass hepatocytes and extension of thin septum-like fibers from portal tract to the lobule. Ultrasonography revealed hepatic hyperechogenicity. Conclusion: In some abstainers who take cyanamide for several years, thin septum-like liver fibrosis progresses along with the emergence of ground-glass hepatocytes. Hepatic hyperechogenicity on ultrasonography and slight elevation of serum transaminases might erroneously lead to a diagnosis of hepatic steatosis without liver histology.     

Complications of Intestinal Tubes

Complications of intestinal tubes are infrequent and not well appreciated by physicians. The relative rarity of these complications, however, should not give the physician a false sense of security. We report three categories of major complications of intestinal tubes: 1. obstructive phenomena; 2. spillage of mercury and 3. gut perforation. Awareness of the major problems that might arise from intestinal tube use can facilitate appropriate prevention and/or treatment of these complications.     

The Mosaic Mitral Valve Bioprosthesis: A Long-Term Clinical and Hemodynamic Follow-Up

We reviewed the cases of 100 patients (mean age, 73 ± 10 yr; 64 men) who had mitral valve replacement with a Medtronic Mosaic porcine bioprosthesis from 1995 through 2011. The mean New York Heart Association (NYHA) class was 3 ± 0.7, and 52 patients were in atrial fibrillation. Prosthetic sizes were chiefly 27 mm (50 patients) and 29 mm (40 patients). Follow-up ended in December 2012 and is 97% complete, with a cumulative duration of 611 patient-years (mean duration, 6 ± 4.6 yr; maximum, 17.7 yr).The early mortality rate was 10% (6% in elective patients); late deaths occurred in 31 patients (5 valve-related). Actuarial survival rates at 5, 10, and 15 years were 74% ± 5%, 50% ± 6%, and 37% ± 8%. The mean NYHA class in survivors was 1.4 ± 0.6 (P <0.0001). Thromboembolic episodes occurred in 4 patients, with an actuarial freedom at 15 years of 91% ± 5%. No cases of endocarditis were observed. Four patients needed reoperation, 2 for structural failure, and 1 each for perivalvular leakage and valve thrombosis. Actuarial freedom from structural failure and from reoperation, respectively, was 93% ± 5% and 91% ± 5% at 15 years. Echocardiographic follow-up in 24 patients with 27-mm prostheses showed a mean gradient of 5 ± 1.7 mmHg and an effective orifice area of 1.57 ± 0.3 cm²; in 16 patients with 29-mm prostheses, the mean gradient was 4.5 ± 1.9 mmHg, and the effective orifice area, 1.63 ± 0.4 cm².During nearly 17 years of follow-up, the Mosaic bioprosthesis has shown good overall clinical and hemodynamic performance after mitral valve replacement.     

A 6-Year Follow-Up of Alcoholics After Long-Term Outpatient Treatment

The predictors of the long-term outcome in alcoholics ( n = 50) who had been treated in a 2-year outpatient treatment program were investigated. Previously, the sample had been followed up personally 2 years after the termination of treatment. This study is a repeated, independent follow-up of the same sample over a 4-year period, 3–6 years after termination of treatment. Outcome could be categorized in 38 subjects. Patients with a favorable outcome during at least 2 years of the 4-year follow-up period ( n = 21), who were categorized as a positive outcome group, were compared with the other patients ( n = 17). There was no significant correlation between initial patient characteristics and outcome 3–6 years after treatment. Drinking outcome during the 1st half-year of treatment had no correlation to positive drinking outcome in years 3–6, whereas there was a positive correlation for later phases of treatment and outcome reaching a significant level during the 2nd and 4th half-year of treatment. A favorable drinking outcome during years 1–2 after treatment had a positive significant correlation to outcome in years 3–6 after treatment [i.e., 80% of the patients with a favorable outcome during the 1st follow-up period also had a positive outcome during the 2nd follow-up period, and 72% of those who had an unfavorable outcome during the 1st follow-up period had an unfavorable outcome also during the 2nd follow-up period (x² test = 10.4, p < 0.001). Psycho-social adjustment at the 6-year follow-up did not differ significantly between subjects in the positive outcome group and subjects in the negative outcome group.     

Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study in 17α-Hydroxylase Deficiency Syndrome (17OHDS)

We studied the mineralocorticoid pattern in 4 patients with 17OHD during long-term glucocorticoid treatment. We observed reduction of BP, normalization of K levels, a gradual increase in PRA and in urinary Aldosterone (ALDO); a normal response of plasma ALDO to ACTH and to angiotensin II was present only in one case. We observed a prompt decrease of mineralocorticoid hormones, normalized by long-term therapy only in one case. Discontinuation of treatment induced an increase of ALDO that became suppressed in late off-treatment. Thus, glucocorticoid treatment decreases abnormal steroid levels and activates zona glomerulosa (ZG) function, even if it may take years for ALDO to normalize. Brief discontinuation of therapy induces a surge in ALDO levels, revealing no biosynthetic defect in ZG, while in late off-treatment mineralocorticoids seem to come exclusively from zona fasciculata.     

The Prognosis of Bronchial Asthma in Childhood in Hungary: A Long-Term Follow-Up

The aim of this study was to determine the prognosis of bronchial asthma in childhood in Hungary. One hundred and forty five adults (96 men and 49 women) with a clinical history of childhood bronchial asthma were examined at the age of 28 years or above (mean age 37.6, SD 5.9 years). The patients completed questionnaires concerning their asthmatic and accompanying allergic symptoms in childhood, at the age of 18 and at present. They were all prick-tested with 12 inhalant allergens. The results showed that 42.8% of the patients had become symptom-free, but 57.2% still had intermittent or persisting asthmatic symptoms in adulthood. More patients had intermittent day-time (59%) and night-time (67%) asthmatic symptoms than persistent symptoms (41% and 33%). Accompanying allergic diseases (rhinitis, conjunctivitis, dermal and gastrointestinal diseases, and drug and food allergies) in childhood did not definitely affect the prognosis of the bronchial asthma. The proportion of females with allergic diseases increased, and among patients with skin diseases it was significantly higher than the proportion of affected males. At the age of 18, allergic rhinitis was more frequent than in childhood. The frequencies of other allergic disorders did not change significantly. In the patients with asthmatic symptoms, molds and cat-hair allergies were more frequent than in the symptom-free group. The long-term prognosis of bronchial asthma in childhood in Hungary is relatively good, but fewer than half of the patients became symptom-free. The complaints of most of the patients were mild, but one in seven of all the adults suffered from moderate or serious bronchial asthma. Household allergens may contribute to the persistence of asthmatic symptoms.     

The Prognosis of Bronchial Asthma in Childhood in Hungary: A Long-Term Follow-Up

The aim of this study was to determine the prognosis of bronchial asthma in childhood in Hungary. One hundred and forty five adults (96 men and 49 women) with a clinical history of childhood bronchial asthma were examined at the age of 28 years or above (mean age 37.6, SD 5.9 years). The patients completed questionnaires concerning their asthmatic and accompanying allergic symptoms in childhood, at the age of 18 and at present. They were all prick-tested with 12 inhalant allergens. The results showed that 42.8% of the patients had become symptom-free, but 57.2% still had intermittent or persisting asthmatic symptoms in adulthood. More patients had intermittent day-time (59%) and night-time (67%) asthmatic symptoms than persistent symptoms (41% and 33%). Accompanying allergic diseases (rhinitis, conjunctivitis, dermal and gastrointestinal diseases, and drug and food allergies) in childhood did not definitely affect the prognosis of the bronchial asthma. The proportion of females with allergic diseases increased, and among patients with skin diseases it was significantly higher than the proportion of affected males. At the age of 18, allergic rhinitis was more frequent than in childhood. The frequencies of other allergic disorders did not change significantly. In the patients with asthmatic symptoms, molds and cat-hair allergies were more frequent than in the symptom-free group. The long-term prognosis of bronchial asthma in childhood in Hungary is relatively good, but fewer than half of the patients became symptom-free. The complaints of most of the patients were mild, but one in seven of all the adults suffered from moderate or serious bronchial asthma. Household allergens may contribute to the persistence of asthmatic symptoms.     

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy: A Preferred Method of Feeding Tube Gastrostomy

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy was attempted in 16 patients using local anesthesia and intravenous meperidine and diazepam sedation. The procedure was shown to be safe, easy to perform, and avoided the need for laparotomy. We suggest percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy be the preferred route of alimentation in those patients requiring feeding gastrostomy.     

Long-Term Follow-Up of Corridor Operation for Lone Atrial Fibrillation:

Late Results of Surgery for AF. Introduction: Currently, surgery- and catheter-mediated ablation is applied when drug refractoriness of atrial fibrillation is evident, although little is known about the long-term incidence of new atrial arrhythmia and the preservation of sinus node function.
Methods and Results: To address this issue, 30 patients with successful corridor surgery for lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and normal preoperative sinus node function were followed in a single outpatient department. Five years after surgery, the actuarial proportion of patients with recurrence of atrial fibrillation arising in the corridor was 8%± 5%, with new atrial arrhythmias consisting of atrial flutter and atrial tachycardia in the corridor 27%± 8%, and with incompetent sinus node requiring pacing therapy 13%± 6%. Right atrial transport was preserved in 69% of the patients without recurrence of atrial fibrillation and normal sinus node function. Stroke was documented in two patients.
Conclusions: Corridor surgery for atrial fibrillation is a transient or palliative treatment instead of a definitive therapy for drug refractory atrial fibrillation. This observation strongly affects patient selection for this intervention and constitutes a word of caution for other, non-pharmacologic interventions for drug refractory atrial fibrillation.