Biliary Obstruction in Gall Bladder Cancer Is Not Sine Qua Non of Inoperability

Background The presence of biliary obstruction in patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC) is generally viewed as an indicator of advanced disease, inoperability and poor prognosis. Methods Data was collected from patients with GBC with obstructive jaundice who underwent resection during the period January 2001 to October 2003. Systematic analysis of prospective data was undertaken; patients were analyzed for resectability, post-operative morbidity, mortality and disease-free survival. Results During this period 14 patients with GBC with biliary obstruction underwent resection with curative intent. In these jaundiced patients, the resectability rate was 27.45% (14 of 51). In the jaundiced group the mortality was 7.14% the morbidity rate 50%, the mean disease free survival was 23.46 months (median 26 months and range of 2 to 62 months). Seven patients (50%) survived more than two years. Conclusion Biliary obstruction in gall bladder cancer is not sine qua non of inoperability and resection results in meaningful prolongation of survival.     

Economic evaluation of carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis

BACKGROUND: The clinical effectiveness of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is well established. But the economic impact of CEA and carotid artery stenting (CAS) is still uncertain. The objective of this study was to compare hospital costs and reimbursement for CAS and CEA. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective database analysis on pair-matched patients who underwent CEA (n = 31) and CAS (n = 31) at the Richard M Ross Heart Hospital in Columbus, OH. The hospital's clinical and financial databases were used to obtain patient-specific information and procedural charges. Cost data were generated by applying the hospital's ratio of cost to charges for all DRG charges. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to examine the differences between costs of these procedures. RESULTS: Data are reported as mean +/- SD. The mean age of patients in CAS group was 70.14 years (+/- 1.60 years) versus 68.64 years (+/- 1.75 years) for CEA patients (p < 0.05). The total direct cost associated with CEA ($3,765.12+/-$2,170.82) was significantly lower than the CAS cost ($8,219.71+/-$2,958.55, p < 0.001). The mean procedural cost for CAS ($7,543.61+/-$2,886.54) was significantly higher than that for CEA ($2,720.00+/-$926.38, p < 0.001). The hospital experienced cost savings of $9,690.87 for CEA versus $4,804.79 for CAS from private insurance. Similarly, savings obtained by Medicare-enrolled CEA patients were higher than those for CAS patients ($1,497.79). CONCLUSIONS: CAS is significantly more expensive than CEA, with a major portion of cost attributed to the total procedural cost. The hospital experienced significant savings from CEA procedures compared with CAS under all DRG classifications and insurers. Hospitals must develop new financial strategies and improve the efficiency of infrastructure to make CAS financially viable.     

Novel PEGylated Basal Insulin LY2605541 Has a Preferential Hepatic Effect on Glucose Metabolism

The impact of the novel basal insulin LY2605541 (LY) on hepatic and nonhepatic glucose uptake (non-HGU) was evaluated. Conscious dogs underwent euglycemic clamps with tracer and hepatic balance measurements. Clamp period infusions were peripheral venous regular insulin (0.1 nmol ⋅ kg⁻¹ ⋅ h⁻¹ [control], n = 6) or LY (bolus [nmol/kg], continuous [nmol ⋅ kg⁻¹ ⋅ h⁻¹]: 0.5, 0.5 [n = 6]; 0.375, 0.375 [n = 5]; 0.25, 0.25 [n = 4]), somatostatin, and glucose, as well as intraportal glucagon (basal). During the clamp, the dogs switched from net hepatic glucose output to uptake (rates reached 2.1 ± 1.2, 0.9 ± 2.1, 8.6 ± 2.3, and 6.0 ± 1.1 µmol ⋅ kg⁻¹ ⋅ min⁻¹ within 5 h in control, LY_0.25, LY_0.375, and LY_0.5, respectively). Non-HGU in LY increased less than in control; the ratio of change from basal in non-HGU to change in net hepatic glucose balance, calculated when glucose infusion rates (GIRs) were ~20 µmol ⋅ kg^-1 ⋅ min⁻¹ in all groups, was higher in control (1.17 ± 0.38) versus LY_0.25 (0.39 ± 0.33), LY_0.375 (−0.01 ± 0.13), and LY_0.5 (−0.09 ± 0.07). Likewise, the change from baseline in glucose R_d-to-R_a ratio was greatest in control (1.4 ± 0.3 vs. 0.6 ± 0.4, 0.5 ± 0.2, and 0.6 ± 0.2 in LY_0.25, LY_0.375, and LY_0.5, respectively). In contrast to exogenously administered human insulin, LY demonstrated preferential hepatic effects, similar to endogenously secreted insulin. Therefore, the analog might reduce complications associated with current insulin therapy.     

Total Hip Arthroplasty in Ankylosing Spondylitis With Extension Contracture of Hips

Background

Despite significant pain relief following total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a small subset of patients presenting with extra-articular extension contracture of hips remains unsatisfied.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Is it Different from Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy in Normal Kidney?

Objectives

Nephrolithiasis has been reported in 20-28% of patients, of whom 50% are symptomatic for stone disease and 20% require definite urologic intervention. The management of nephrolithiasis includes oral alkali dissolution therapy, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and surgical treatment. In such patients, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) as a method of stone treatment has been reported in few cases with limited experience. The aim of this study is to present our experience of PNL in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and assessing the outcome results.

Material and Methods

From 2002 to 2011, 22 patients (26 renal units) suffering from ADPKD with stone were managed by PNL. Demographic characteristics, operative parameters and postoperative complications were recorded and analysed.

Result

The overall success rate of PNL was 82.1% and PNL with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for clinically significant residual fragments was 92.85% respectively. The hematuria required blood transfusion (n = 9), postoperative fever due to cyst infection (n = 4) and paralytic ileus (n = 3) were recorded.

Conclusion

The PNL in ADPKD PNL is safe and effective but have more postoperative complications such as bleeding requiring transfusions, fever due to cyst infection and paralytic ileus.Key Words: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, Nephrolithiasis, Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease     

Abstracts

Abstract

The efficacies of four bowel care regimens (bisacodyl suppositories, glycerin suppositories, mineral oil enemas and docusate sodium mini-enemas) were compared in seven subjects with traumatic spinal cord injury. Efficacy was assessed in terms of colonic transit time, bowel evacuation time and subjective responses to a questionnaire. Both docusate sodium mini-enemas and mineral oil enemas decreased total and left-sided colonic transit time. However, docusate sodium mini-enemas were superior to mineral oil enemas in terms of the decrease in bowel evacuation time and symptom reduction. Results in this small group of subjects suggest that docusate sodium mini-enemas may have advantages in the management of bowel evacuation in individuals with spinal cord injury. (J Spinal Cord Med 1998;21 -24)     

Preemptive analgesia for postoperative pain relief in lumbosacral spine surgeries: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Administration of analgesic medication, before the actual onset of painful stimulus, is more effective than that after the onset of painful stimulus. This is the principle of preemptive analgesia. Although it is often considered superior to other forms of analgesia, its role in postoperative pain relief after lumbosacral spinal surgery has not been fully investigated. PURPOSE: To analyze the efficacy of preemptive analgesia with a single caudal epidural injection for patients undergoing surgeries on the lumbosacral spine by the posterior approach. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Randomized, double-blinded and controlled clinical trial. PATIENT SAMPLE: Eighty-two patients who underwent discectomy in the lumbosacral spine by the posterior approach, with or without instrumentation, were randomized to the control group (n=40) and to the study group (n=42). METHODS: Patients in control group received a single caudal epidural injection of 20 ml of normal saline. Patients in study group received a single caudal epidural injection of 20 ml containing bupivacaine and tramadol as the active agents. The time interval between this injection and the surgical incision was never less than 20 minutes in either of the groups. This facilitated enough time for the drug to get fixed to the nerve roots, leading to effective preemptive analgesia. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients were monitored for postoperative pain immediately after surgery when they had completely recovered and regained consciousness from general anesthesia, and subsequently 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours thereafter. Pain was quantified using the visual analog scale (VAS) and the verbal rating scale (VRS). The time at which supplemental analgesic medication was first demanded in the postoperative period by the patient was also noted. RESULTS: The two groups were comparable for age, sex, body weight and the type of surgery they underwent. Because the data did not have a normal Gaussian distribution, the one-tailed Mann-Whitney test, being a nonparametric test, was adopted for statistical analysis. Accordingly, VAS and VRS values at all time intervals were significantly lower (p<.0001) in the study group as compared with the control group. This indicated significantly better pain relief in the study group. There was also a significant delay (p=.0041) in the first demand for supplemental analgesic medication in the postoperative period in the study group. No complication specific to the procedure was noted except for the development of postoperative urinary retention, which was transient and appropriately managed with urinary catheterization. CONCLUSIONS: Preemptive analgesia with a single caudal epidural injection of bupivacaine and tramadol is a safe, simple and effective method for postoperative pain relief.     

Continuous measurement of oxygen consumption during cardiopulmonary bypass: description of the method and in vivo observations

BACKGROUND: Systemic oxygen consumption is not routinely measured during cardiopulmonary bypass, despite its potential benefits. We aimed to develop a noninvasive method to continuously measure oxygen consumption using respiratory mass spectrometry during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass in pigs. METHODS: Nine pigs weighing 18.5 (1.6) kg underwent hypothermic (32 degrees C) cardiopulmonary bypass for 180 minutes with 120 minutes of aortic cross clamping. An AMIS 2000 mass spectrometer (Innovision A/S, Odense, Denmark) was adapted for the on-line measurement of oxygen consumption by sampling the inlet and outlet gases of the membrane oxygenator together with measurement of the "expired" gas volume. RESULTS: Active cooling for 60 minutes reduced the venous blood temperature by 2.9 (0.8) degrees C and VO(2) by 0.70 (0.33) mL/kg/min. The 40-minute active rewarming restored the venous blood temperature by 4.4 (0.4) degrees C and oxygen consumption increased by 1.36 (0.33) mL/kg/min. There was wide interanimal variability, however, particularly at higher venous blood temperatures. Immediately after the release of aortic cross clamp, there was a noticeably acute increase in oxygen consumption in all the pigs (0.64 [0.21] mL/kg/min). CONCLUSIONS: A simple and safe adaptation of mass spectrometry allows continuous measurement of oxygen consumption during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. The wide interindividual variations observed in this pilot study underscore the need to more accurately describe changes in oxygen consumption and how they are affected by temperature, oxygen delivery, and other interventions during cardiopulmonary bypass. As such, the technique may have an important role in clinical research and management of oxygen transport in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.     

Enumeration of lactotropes and somatotropes among male and female pituitary cells in culture: evidence in favor of a mammosomatotrope subpopulation in the rat

The hemolytic plaque assay technique can be used to detect specific hormone release from single pituitary cells. Using antisera raised against murine GH or rat PRL, we have enumerated the active lactotropes and somatotropes from male and female rat pituitary glands. These studies reveal sex-related differences in the number of cells exporting GH and PRL among anterior pituitary cells in culture. In the presence of human GH-releasing factor (hGRF), the mean percentage of GH cells was 53% in males and 30% in females (P less than 0.005). The mean percentage of PRL cells was 15% in males and 39% in females (P less than 0.008). These values were not significantly altered when hGRF was omitted. The sum of GH and PRL cells identified in separate plaque assays significantly exceeds the number obtained when GH and PRL cells were determined concurrently with a simultaneous plaque assay for both hormones. This difference is dependent on the presence of hGRF, since there was no difference when hGRF was omitted. These data identify the mammosomatotrope in numbers lower than previous reports. By this approach, the mammosomatotrope subpopulation numbers about 5% of all cells in culture. In summary, we demonstrate a sex-related difference in the number of cells exporting GH or PRL among pituitary cells in culture. This difference corresponds with and may underly sex-related differences in the responsiveness of GH and PRL secretion from the pituitary gland. Furthermore, a minor subpopulation of normal pituitary cells appears capable of simultaneous secretion of both GH and PRL.