Effects of cisapride in patients with cystic fibrosis and distal intestinal obstruction syndrome

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, we investigated the effects of the prokinetic drug cisapride in patients with cystic fibrosis and chronic recurrent distal intestinal obstruction syndrome (DIOS). After a baseline period, 17 patients (12.9 to 34.9 years; 12 boys) received, in random order, cisapride (7.5 to 10 mg) and placebo three times daily by mouth, each for 6 months. Gastrointestinal symptoms (flatulence, abdominal pain, fullness, abdominal distension, nausea, anorexia, heartburn, diarrhea, vomiting and regurgitation) were scored three times monthly and physical examinations assessed. At baseline and at each 6-month period, assessment included food intake for 7 days, 3-day stool collection, pulmonary function tests, and abdominal radiographs. During cisapride therapy compared with placebo, there were significant reductions in flatulence (p less than 0.005), fullness, and nausea (p less than 0.05). Patients with the worst symptom scores benefited most from cisapride. With cisapride, 12 patients felt better and three worse (p less than 0.05); physicians judged 11 patients improved and two worse (p less than 0.05). No side effects were noted. There were no significant differences between cisapride and placebo periods in nutritional status, x-ray scores, pulmonary function, food intake (fat, protein, calories), stool size and consistency, and fecal losses of fat, bile acids, chymotrypsin, and calories. For acute episodes of DIOS, intestinal lavage was needed 6 times in 4 patients during treatment with cisapride, and 11 times in 6 patients receiving placebo. In comparison with unselected patients with cystic fibrosis and pancreatic insufficiency who were receiving enzyme supplements and who had no distal intestinal obstruction, fecal fat losses (percentage of intake) were almost twice as high in the study group with DIOS (31.2 +/- 20.6% vs 16.2 +/- 17.6%; p less than 0.01). We conclude that in the dosage used, long-term treatment with cisapride appears to improve chronic abdominal symptoms in patients with cystic fibrosis and DIOS, but fails to abolish the need for intestinal lavage. Cisapride treatment had no effect on digestion and nutritional status of cystic fibrosis patients with pancreatic insufficiency.     

Lower limb compartment syndrome complicating pelvic pouch surgery

A 10-year-old boy who underwent prolonged pelvic surgery in the Lloyd-Davies position developed a postoperative lower limb compartment syndrome that was successfully treated by urgent fasciotomy. The clinical and aetiological aspects of this increasingly reported complication must be recognised if serious sequelae are to be avoided.     

Nasal mucociliary clearance after radiation therapy

Irradiation has been demonstrated to cause decreased mucociliary clearance in animal models. We sought to verify this effect clinically by using the saccharin transport test to evaluate nasal mucociliary clearance in 9 patients previously treated with radiation therapy to the nasal cavity. The patients also completed a questionnaire examining the prevalence of nasal symptoms before and after radiation therapy. Patients who received radiation therapy had no clearance of saccharin from the nasal cavity at a minimum of 20 minutes. The controls had a median clearance time of 5 minutes. The patients noted a higher prevalence of nasal congestion, drainage, and facial pain after radiation therapy. This study demonstrates that radiation therapy to the nasal cavity causes a decrease in nasal mucociliary clearance. This alteration should be considered when selecting therapy for malignancies in the nasal area.     

Sarcoma botryoides of the female genital tract

Results of treating 14 patients with sarcoma botryoides of the female genital tract are reviewed. Nine patients were younger than four years old and five were older than 14. Primary tumors were in the vagina (eight), cervix (three), vulva (one), and cervicovaginal region (two). All but one patient underwent surgery, including wide local excision (one), vaginectomy (one), hysterectomy (one), hysterectomy and vaginectomy (two), anterior exenteration (two), and total pelvic exenteration (six). A combination of vincristine, actinomycin-D, and cyclophosphamide was the chemotherapy regimen most frequently administered. Only one of the nine patients receiving chemotherapy died from recurrence. One patient with disease too extensive for surgery received intraarterial vincristine and radiation therapy; 16 years later she developed an adenosquamous carcinoma of the uterus. Sarcoma recurred in three patients. This review of patients treated between 1956 and 1983 reflects the evolution of therapy over 30 years. Conservative surgery alone was inadequate; therefore, radical (exenterative) surgery was adopted; recently less extensive surgery has been combined with chemotherapy, producing satisfactory results.     

Diagnosis of recurrent cervical carcinoma after radical hysterectomy

A standard surveillance program for cervical carcinoma patients treated with radical hysterectomy is reviewed. Between 1962-1984, 249 patients with stage IB cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy were entered in the surveillance program. Of the 27 patients (11%) diagnosed with recurrent carcinoma, 17 (63%) were identified by clinical history, 22 (81%) by physical examination, five (18%) by vaginal cytology, six (22%) by chest radiography, and eight (30%) by renal contrast imaging. Combined clinical history and physical examination identified 24 patients (89%) with recurrent carcinoma. Disease recurrence was detected by vaginal cytology in one asymptomatic patient with a normal examination. The recommended surveillance procedures for patients with cervical carcinoma after radical hysterectomy include clinical history, physical examination, and vaginal cytology. Chest radiography and renal contrast imaging should be reserved for symptomatic patients.     

Interposition of the gallbladder — or the absent common hepatic duct and cystic duct

Interposition of the gallbladder is a rare anomaly, but its diagnosis is important since it represents a surgically correctable cause of jaundice. The patients present with jaundice, abdominal pain and sometimes an enlarged gallbladder. Radiological diagnosis may be difficult since the condition may be mistaken for a choledochal cyst, hydrops of the gallbladder or Caroli's disease. The ultrasound, cholangiogram and surgical findings of dilated intrahepatic ducts adjacent to a normal or enlarged gallbladder with no dilatation of the common bile duct are presented in two children with this condition.     

Fetal growth sustained by parenteral nutrition in pregnancy

Severe maternal nutritional deprivation has been associated with intrauterine growth retardation, premature labor, and increased perinatal mortality and morbidity. The authors present four cases in which total parenteral nutrition was used successfully to support fetal growth in such diverse complications as twin pregnancy with maternal jejunoileal bypass, regional enteritis, and acute pancreatitis. Maintenance of fetal growth as evidenced by serial sonographic examination allows achievement of fetal lung maturation before delivery. In all the cases presented there was no perinatal mortality or morbidity. The main clinical implication of the report is the possible application of total parenteral nutrition to maintain adequate growth in fetuses small for gestational age because of maternal nutritional deprivation.     

Determinants of occupational disability following a low back injury: a critical review of the literature

The aim of this research was to determine prognostic indicators of work disability in occupational back pain as reported in the literature, by systematically searching the research literature, assessing the methodological quality of the research, and synthesizing the findings into a concise summary. An article was considered eligible for review if research participants had an injury of the back, the article was based on original research, published in English, and involved a cohort with back pain less than 6 months post injury with at least one follow up assessment. Each article was independently reviewed by two blinded reviewers using 19 appraisal criteria for methodological quality of prognostic studies. Nineteen studies met the methodological standard to be included. Time since onset, demographic factors, functional disability, psychological distress, pain reports, previous episodes, and work environment were identified as important prognostic factors. Most studies compartmentalized the factors they considered. What is needed is a comprehensive multivariate biopsychosocial job-related model of work disability.