Laparoscopic repair of perforated peptic ulcer: single-center results

Background

Perforated peptic ulcer (PPU), the most common indication for emergency gastric surgery, is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Outcomes might be improved by performing this procedure laparoscopically, but no consensus exists on whether the benefits of laparoscopic repair (LR) of PPU outweigh the disadvantages.

Methods

From January 2002 to December 2012, 111 patients underwent surgery for perforated ulcer. A “laparoscopy-first” policy was attempted and then applied for 56 patients. The exclusion criteria for LR ruled out patients who had shock at admission, severe cardiorespiratory comorbidities, or a history of supramesocolic surgery. The aim of this study was a retrospective analysis of the 56 patients treated laparoscopically.

Results

The patient distribution was 30 men and 26 women, who had a mean age of 59 years (range 19–95 years). The mean ulcer size was 10 mm, and the Mannheim peritonitis index (MPI) was 21. LR was performed for 39 (69.6 %) of the 56 patients and included peritoneal lavage, suturing of the perforation, and omental patching. Conversion to laparotomy was necessary in 17 cases (30.4 %). The “conversion group” showed significant differences in ulcer size (larger ulcers: 1.9 vs 0.7 mm; p < 0.01), ulcer-site topography (higher incidence of posterior ulcers: 5 vs 0; p < 0.01), and MPI score (higher score: 24 vs 20; p < 0.05). The LR group had a mean operating time of 86 min (range 50–125 min), an in-hospital morbidity rate of 7.6 %, a mortality rate of 2.5 %, and a mean hospital stay of 6.7 days (range 5–12 days). None of these patients required reintervention.

Conclusions

The results showed that LR for PPU is feasible with acceptable mortality and morbidity rates. Skill in laparoscopic abdominal emergencies is required. Perforations 1.5 cm or larger, posterior duodenal ulcers, and an MPI higher than 25 should be considered the main risk factors for conversion.     

Predictive Risk Factors for 30-day Readmissions Following Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty and Modification of Patient Management

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have begun to publically publish statistics on readmissions following primary total hip (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Our study retrospectively assesses 30-day readmissions rates following THA and TKA, performed by a single surgeon at a tertiary care medical center between 2007 and 2012. Results of a univariate analysis and logistic regression model indicated female gender, high ASA class, and increased operative time to be significantly associated with higher rates of readmission (OR 4.646, OR 1.257, and OR 5.323, respectively). Readmissions most often occurred within the first week of patient discharge. Surgical complications and gastrointestinal discomfort were the most common causes for readmission. Using readmission risk we can stratify patients into tiered critical care pathways to reduce readmissions.     

Facial landmark localization by curvature maps and profile analysis

Over the last years, electronic cigarettes (ECs) have become more popular, particularly in individuals who want to give up smoking tobacco. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of the different e-smoking liquids on the viability and proliferation of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts. For this study six test solutions with components from ECs were selected: lime-, hazelnut- and menthol-flavored liquids, nicotine, propylene glycol, and PBS as control group. The fibroblasts were incubated up to 96 h with the different liquids, and cell viability was measured by using the PrestoBlue® reagent, the ATP detection and the migration assay. Fluorescence staining was carried out to visualize cell growth and morphology. Data were statistically analyzed by two-tailed one-way ANOVA. The cell viability assay showed that the proliferation rates of the cells incubated with nicotine or the various flavored liquids of the e-cigarettes were reduced in comparison to the controls, though not all reductions were statistically significant. After an incubation of 96 h with the menthol-flavored liquid the fibroblasts were statistically significant reduced (p?相似文献   

Autoimmunity against the β2 adrenergic receptor and muscarinic-2 receptor in complex regional pain syndrome

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful condition affecting one or more extremities of the body, marked by a wide variety of symptoms and signs that are often difficult to manage because the pathophysiology is incompletely understood. Thus, diverse treatments might be ineffective. A recent report revealed the presence of autoantibodies against differentiated autonomic neurons in CRPS patients. However, it remained unclear how the antibodies act in the development of CRPS. We therefore aimed to characterize these antibodies and identify target antigens. Functional properties of affinity-purified immunoglobulin G of control subjects or CRPS patients were assessed using a cardiomyocyte bioassay. Putative corresponding receptors were identified using antagonistic drugs, and synthesized peptide sequences corresponding to segments of these receptors were used to identify the target epitopes. Chinese hamster ovary cells were transfected with putative receptors to ensure observed binding. Further, changes in the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration induced by agonistic immunoglobulin G were measured using the Ca²⁺-sensitive fluorescent dye fura-2 assay. Herein, we demonstrate the presence of autoantibodies in a subset of CRPS patients with agonistic-like properties on the β₂ adrenergic receptor and/or the muscarinic-2 receptor. We identified these autoantibodies as immunoglobulin G directed against peptide sequences from the second extracellular loop of these receptors. The identification of functionally active autoantibodies in serum samples from CRPS patients supports an autoimmune pathogenesis of CRPS. Thus, our findings contribute to the further understanding of this disease, could help in the diagnosis in future, and encourage new treatment strategies focusing on the immune system.     

Neutrophils and platelets accumulate in the heart, lungs, and kidneys after cardiopulmonary bypass in neonatal pigs

OBJECTIVE: Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass elicits a systemic inflammatory response. An exaggerated response is associated with organ dysfunction and increased morbidity and mortality. DESIGN: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the cardiopulmonary bypass procedure in itself results in accumulation of isotope-labeled platelets, polymorphonuclear neutrophils, and fibrinogen at organ levels in neonatal pigs and to monitor changes in organ function. SETTING: Pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass setup with 60 mins of aortic cross-clamp time and 120 mins of hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass time. SUBJECTS: Thirty piglets were allocated to sternotomy alone (sham group, n = 15) or to sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 15). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Isotope-labeled autologous polymorphonuclear neutrophils, platelets, and commercially available fibrinogen were infused, and the specific accumulation at organ level was measured in a gamma counter 4 hrs after termination of cardiopulmonary bypass. Concomitant changes in oxygenation index and cardiac output were registered. Animals exposed to cardiopulmonary bypass showed a significantly higher technetium-99m-polymorphonuclear neutrophil accumulation in the lungs and kidneys, whereas indium-111-platelets accumulated in the heart and kidneys compared with the sham group. There was a significantly larger increase in oxygenation index and significantly larger decrease in cardiac output between the pre- and postcardiopulmonary bypass period in the cardiopulmonary bypass group compared with the sham group. CONCLUSIONS: The cardiopulmonary bypass procedure without cardiac surgery elicits organ dysfunction in terms of impaired respiratory and hemodynamic function. Platelets and polymorphonuclear neutrophils were entrapped in the heart, lungs, and kidneys of cardiopulmonary bypass animals, indicating that cell accumulation may contribute to the developing organ dysfunction.     

Neonatal cholestatic hepatitis from carbamazepine exposure during pregnancy and breast feeding

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of transient cholestatic hepatitis occurring in an infant between the third and seventh weeks of life, most likely due to carbamazepine exposure during pregnancy and breast feeding. CASE SUMMARY: A boy, born to an epileptic mother who had been treated with carbamazepine monotherapy throughout pregnancy and breast feeding, experienced asphyxia at birth with transient hepatic dysfunction in the first week of life. After full recovery from asphyxia, he experienced a second period of liver dysfunction, presenting as cholestatic hepatitis that lasted approximately 5 weeks. Infectious and metabolic etiologies as well as extrahepatic biliary atresia were excluded. DISCUSSION: Carbamazepine is known to induce hepatic damage in children and adults. As the drug crosses the placenta and is excreted into breast milk, infants of mothers taking carbamazepine might also develop liver dysfunction. In addition to the present case, there are 2 well-documented case reports of cholestasis in association with transplacental and transmammary carbamazepine exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Carbamazepine-induced hepatitis may occur in association with prenatal exposure and breast feeding. This may expose infants to unnecessary diagnostic procedures, and should therefore be mentioned in the company's product information.     

Absolute CBF and CBV measurements by MRI bolus tracking before and after acetazolamide challenge: repeatabilily and comparison with PET in humans

Bolus tracking magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful technique for assessing cerebral perfusion, but its capability to measure absolute cerebral blood flow (CBF) and volume (CBV) values is still debated. To validate the MRI technique, absolute CBF and CBV values in healthy humans obtained by echo planar gradient echo MRI were compared to H(2)(15)O and (11)CO positron emission tomography (PET) before and after acetazolamide (ACZ) (n = 8) or saline (n = 4) administration. The repeatability of CBF and CBV measurements was moderate with both methods, and slightly lower with MRI than with PET. At rest, the mean CBF values were similar with both techniques except in the cortex where they were moderately higher with MRI. CBV was higher with MRI than with PET in all areas, which may reflect an underestimation of the arterial input function (AIF). After ACZ, a significant CBF increase was observed in gray matter with both MRI and PET, suggesting that MRI might be used to assess the cerebrovascular reserve. In individual subjects, the correlation between MRI and PET measurements was good for both CBF and CBV (R(2) between 0.70 and 0.84). However, when all results were considered as a group, R(2) was lower (0.40 to 0.65), and the limits of agreement between the two methods (SD of the difference) were large. Our data suggest that physiologic CBF values and systematically overestimated CBV values may be obtained with MRI in healthy humans, but that an individual scale factor should be applied to MRI measurements to improve the agreement with PET.