Foreign bodies in upper digestive tract

Foreign body ingestion is a common problem frequently encountered in both children and adults. A total number of 152 patients (104 children and 48 adults) with ingested foreign body admitted in our hospital are reviewed. Location of foreign body was made out by radiological examination. History of having swallowed foreign body was the most common symptom in both blunt and sharp foreign bodies. Endoscopic removal of foreign body was done under general anaesthesia for all cases, except one in which foreign body was removed by open surgical method. Blunt, foreign bodies were common among children, where as meat with bone was common in adults (19/48). Most of blunt foreign bodies in children (83.5%) were impacted in post cricoid region. Where as in adutls, the foreign bodies (37.5%) were seen in upper oesophagus. Retropharyngeal abscess was seen in 2 cases, which was associated with sharp foreign bodies. In all but one, endoscopic removal was successful. In one case denture impacted in post cricoid region was removed by open surgical method. There was no mortality in our series.     

Prophylactic milrinone may decrease the incidence of myocardial ischemia during opcab surgery

Canadian Journal of Anesthesia/Journal canadien d'anesthésie -     

Beneficial effects of endoventricular circular patch plasty in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and left ventricular dyskinetic or akinetic apical segment

Background  Available data on the efficiency of endoventricular circular patch plasty (EVCPP) especially from Asian Indians are limited. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the efficacy of endoventricular circular patch plasty along with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods  Patients having ischemic left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction [LV ejection fraction (LVEF)≤25%] with left ventricular dyskinetic or akinetic apical segement [as depicted by two dimensional (2D) echocardiography] were enrolled in the study. They were evaluated for 2D echocardiography and color Doppler parameters as well as functional capacity before surgery and after one, three and six months of surgery. Results  39 patients (35 males; average age 59 years) were enrolled in the study. There was significant (P<0.05) increase in LV contractility measured in terms of LVEF with absolute rise of 8–14 digits from presurgery levels during time course of the study. EVCPP performed in addition to CABG produced significant reduction in LV end diastolic diameter (5–5.5 mm) and LV end systolic diameter (4.5–8.5 mm) at short-and intermediate-term following surgery. EVCPP plus CABG also produced significant improvement in functional capacity as a significant decrease in New York Heart Association class for heart failure was observed at all three stages of follow-up after surgery. Conclusion  EVCPP carried out along with CABG produces significant improvement in LV contractility, in reverting LV remodeling and functional status in Indian patients with LV systolic dysfunction and LV dyskinetic or akinetic apical segment at shor-term as well as intermediate-term following surgery.     

An experimental evaluation of the antidiabetic and antilipidemic properties of a standardized Momordica charantia fruit extract

Background  

The MCE, Momordica charantia fruit extract Linn. (Cucurbitaceae) have been documented to elicit hypoglycemic activity on various occasions. However, due to lack of standardization of these extracts, their efficacy remains questionable. The present study was undertaken by selecting a well standardised MCE. This study reports hypoglycemic and antilipidemic activities of MCE employing relevant animal models and in vitro methods.     

Carcinoma of the vulva: a retrospective review of 37 cases at a regional cancer centre in South India.

A retrospective review of 37 cases of carcinoma of the vulva presenting between 1996 and 2000 has been carried out. Thirty-three cases were managed with curative intent and four cases with advanced loco-regional disease were managed with palliative intent. The surgical treatment consisted of wide excision in one case, radical vulvectomy (RV) in six cases, radical vulvectomy and bilateral groin node dissection (RV+BGND) in 25 cases and radical vulvectomy and unilateral groin node dissection in one case. Nine of these 33 women also received adjuvant chemotherapy preoperatively in the hope of achieving better tumour-free surgical margins. Eight cases had a partial response and one case achieved complete response; the surgical margins were free in all these patients. One case received neoadjuvant radiotherapy to the vulva and pelvis followed by RV+BGND, which revealed no residual tumour. Overall, 26/33 cases had groin/inguinal node dissection and 23 (88.4%) of them had groin wound dehiscence. Thirteen of these 26 patients (50%) had inguinal node metastases (Stage III, four patients; Stage IV, nine patients). All the patients with negative nodes were free of disease while three of four patients with Stage III and two of nine patients with Stage IV with nodal metastases remained free of disease. The only patient with Stage III disease plus inguinal node metastases who recurred had multiple positive nodes with extracapsular spread. It appears that although bilateral involvement of the inguinal lymph nodes carries a worse prognosis, unilateral involvement with or without vaginal involvement carries an excellent prognosis provided multiple nodes are not involved. The role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy as compared to neoadjuvant radiotherapy, in locally advanced tumours, needs to be explored further.