Application of Lidocaine Jelly on Chest Tubes to Reduce Pain Caused by Drainage Catheter after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of lidocaine jelly application to chest tubes on the intensity and duration of overall pain, chest tube site pain and the required analgesics for postoperative pain relief in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients. For patients in group L, we applied sterile 2% lidocaine jelly on the chest tubes just before insertion, and for patients in group C, we applied normal saline. Overall visual analogue scale (VAS), maximal pain area with their VAS were documented postoperatively, and the frequency that button of patient-controlled analgesia was pressed (FPB) and total fentanyl consumption were assessed. The number of patients who complained that tube site was the most painful site was significantly higher in group C than in group L (85% vs. 30% at extubation, P<0.001). The overall VAS score was significantly higher in group C than in group L (39.14±12.49 vs. 27.74±13.76 at extubation, P=0.006). After all of the tubes were removed, the VAS score decreased more in group C (5.74±4.77, P<0.001) than in group L (3.05±2.48, P<0.001). FPB and total fentanyl consumption were significantly higher in group C than in group L (73.00, 59.00-78.00 vs. 34.00, 31.00-39.25, P<0.001; 2,214.65±37.01 vs. 1,720.19±361.63, P<0.001, respectively). Lidocaine jelly application is a very simple way to reduce postoperative pain by reducing chest tube site pain after CABG. (Clinical Trials Registry No. ACTRN 12611001215910)     

Clinical outcomes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae: a retrospective cohort study

Purpose

The aim of this study was to (1) evaluate the clinical outcomes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae (EK) and (2) investigate the relationship between the adequacy of initial antibiotic treatments and patient outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of cirrhotic patients with SBP caused by EK. We evaluated the 30-day mortality rate and used Cox proportional hazard models to identify risk factors for mortality.

Results

Between January 2006 and December 2012, a total of 231 episodes of SBP due to EK were recorded. Among them, 52 were caused by ESBL-producing EK (ESBL-EK). The 30-day mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with SBP due to ESBL-EK than in those with non-ESBL-producing EK (non-ESBL-EK) (34.6 vs. 18.4 %, respectively; p = 0.013). Multivariate analysis revealed that ESBL production [adjusted HR (aHR) 1.82, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.00–3.31], nosocomial infection (aHR 2.24, 95 % CI 1.26–3.95), septic shock (aHR 4.84, 95 % CI 2.70–8.65), higher Child-Pugh score (aHR 1.57, 95 % CI 1.28–1.92), and higher Charlson comorbidity index (aHR 1.37, 95 % CI 1.15–1.64) were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality in the total cohort. When we analyzed patients with SBP due to ESBL-EK separately, septic shock (aHR 3.64, 95 % CI 1.40–9.77), accompanying bacteremia (aHR 3.71, 95 % CI 1.37–10.08), and hepatocellular carcinoma (aHR 3.21, 95 % CI 1.20–8.56) were independent risk factors.

Conclusions

Both 7- and 30-day mortalities for SBP due to ESBL-EK were significantly higher than for SBP due to non-ESBL-EK. Initial antibiotic choice was not associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with SBP due to ESBL-EK.     

Cardiovascular manifestations of Takayasu arteritis and their relationship to the disease activity: analysis of 204 Korean patients at a single center

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is primary vasculitis. Cardiac involvements in TA is due to the consequences of the vascular lesions as well as the primary pathology of the heart. The disease activity of TA is known to influence the prognosis of TA. We hypothesized that the cardiovascular involvement of TA is related to the disease activity. We evaluated the cardiovascular manifestations of TA, and we assessed their relation to the disease activity of TA. Two hundred four patients were diagnosed with TA from September, 1994 to March, 2009 according to the diagnostic criteria of the 1990 American College of Rheumatology. Their clinical features and the laboratory, angiographic and echocardiographic findings were retrospectively reviewed. The group with active disease activity was defined as satisfying one of the following criteria: i) an elevated ESR or CRP level, ii) thickened arterial wall with mural enhancement on CT or MR angiography, and iii) carotidynia at the time of the initial diagnosis. One hundred thirty nine patients (69.2%) were classified as the active group. The cardiovascular signs and symptoms were not generally different between the active and inactive groups. The active TA patients had more frequent involvement of the ascending aorta and the aortic arch and its main branches than did the inactive group. The active group showed a higher incidence of significant aortic valve regurgitation and pulmonary hypertension, and a higher level of NT-proBNP. These findings suggest that disease activity plays an important role for the cardiovascular manifestations of TA. The TA patients with higher activity have more cardiovascular morbidity compared to the TA patients with low disease activity.     

HBsAg level and clinical course in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with nucleoside analogue: five years of follow-up data

Background/Aims

Quantification of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is increasingly used to determine the treatment response in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, there are limited data about the clinical implications of Quantification of HBsAg long-term nucleoside analogue treatment for CHB. We investigated the clinical correlation between HBsAg level and clinical course in patients with CHB who are treated long-term with nucleoside analogues.

Methods

Patients with CHB who started lamivudine or entecavir monotherapy before June 2007 were enrolled. HBsAg was quantified at baseline, at 6 months, and at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years of treatment. We compared data between the groups according to the presence or absence of a virological response (VR) and resistance.

Results

Forty-eight patients were analyzed. There was no definite reduction in HBsAg level during the early period of treatment; differences in HBsAg levels between baseline and each time point were significant only at 5 years (P=0.028). In a subgroup analysis, this difference was significant only in non-resistant patients at 5 years (P=0.041).

Conclusions

There was no definite decrease in the HBsAg level during the early period of nucleoside analogue treatment, with long-term treatment being required to observe a significant reduction.     

Regional prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do,Korea

Background/Aims

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Korea has increased recently. The aim of the present study was to determine the regional differences in the prevalence and characteristics of NAFLD.

Methods

From January 2009 to December 2010, 161,891 Seoul and Gyeonggi-do residents receiving a health examination at our institution were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. After applying exclusion criteria, the data of 141,610 subjects (80,943 males, 60,667 females) were analyzed. The presence of NAFLD was established by ultrasound examination.

Results

The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 27.3% (38.3% in men, 12.6% in women). When standardized according to age, area, and sex, the prevalence of NAFLD was 25.2%. The age and area standardized prevalence of NAFLD was higher for men (34.4%) than for women (12.2%; P<0.001). The overall prevalence of NAFLD was higher in Gyeonggi-do (27.7%) than in Seoul (26.9%; P<0.001). Among the men, the prevalence of NAFLD was higher in Gyeonggi-do (39.2%) than in Seoul (37.4%; P<0.001), while for the women it was higher in Seoul (13.2%) than in Gyeonggi-do (12.0%; P<0.001).

Conclusions

The regional prevalence of NAFLD differed between Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. Further studies are needed to establish the etiology of this difference.     

Favorable surgical treatment outcomes for chronic constipation with features of colonic pseudo-obstruction

AIM: To determine long-term outcomes of surgical treatments for patients with constipation and features of colonic pseudo-obstruction.METHODS: Consecutive 42 patients who underwent surgery for chronic constipation within the last 13 years were prospectively collected. We identified a subgroup with colonic pseudo-obstruction (CPO) features, with dilatation of the colon proximal to the narrowed transitional zone, in contrast to typical slow-transit constipation (STC), without any dilated colonic segments. The outcomes of surgical treatments for chronic constipation with features of CPO were analyzed and compared with outcomes for STC.RESULTS: Of the 42 patients who underwent surgery for constipation, 33 patients had CPO with dilatation of the colon proximal to the narrowed transitional zone. There were 16 males and 17 females with a mean age of 51.2 ± 16.1 years. All had symptoms of chronic intestinal obstruction, including abdominal distension, pain, nausea, or vomiting, and the mean duration of symptoms was 67 mo (range: 6-252 mo). Preoperative defecation frequency was 1.5 ± 0.6 times/wk (range: 1-2 times/wk). Thirty-two patients underwent total colectomy, and one patient underwent diverting transverse colostomy. There was no surgery-related mortality. Postoperative histologic examination showed hypoganglionosis or agangliosis in 23 patients and hypoganglionosis combined with visceral neuropathy or myopathy in 10 patients. In contrast, histology of STC group revealed intestinal neuronal dysplasia type B (n = 6) and visceral myopathy (n = 3). Early postoperative complications developed in six patients with CPO; wound infection (n = 3), paralytic ileus (n = 2), and intraabdominal abscess (n = 1). Defecation frequencies 3 mo after surgery improved to 4.2 ± 3.2 times/d (range: 1-15 times/d). Long-term follow-up (median: 39.7 mo) was available in 32 patients; all patients had improvements in constipation symptoms, but two patients needed intermittent medication for management of diarrhea. All 32 patients had distinct improvements in constipation symptoms (with a mean bowel frequency of 3.3 ± 1.3 times/d), social activities, and body mass index (20.5 kg/m² to 22.1 kg/m²) and were satisfied with the results of their surgical treatment. In comparison with nine patients who underwent colectomy for STC without colon dilatation, those in the CPO group had a lower incidence of small bowel obstructions (0% vs 55.6%, P < 0.01) and less difficulty with long-distance travel (6.7% vs 66.7%, P = 0.007) on long-term follow-up.CONCLUSION: Chronic constipation patients with features of CPO caused by narrowed transitional zone in the left colon had favorable outcomes after total colectomy.