Can low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) be used as an alternative to revision surgery for patients with non-unions following fracture fixation?

BackgroundNon-union is a significant complication of fracture fixation surgery, and can negatively impact a patient’s quality of life. Low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been used to treat delayed or non-unions previously in the literature. The aim of this study was to determine the success rate of LIPUS treatment in patients with chronic fracture non-unions, and to establish the effect of systemic or local factors on its success.MethodsThis was a retrospective, observational study which included all patients undergoing LIPUS treatment in a single institution. Patients deemed suitable for LIPUS underwent treatment for a period of 6 months from initiation. They were followed up with sequential radiographs to assess union at intervals of 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. LIPUS treatment was considered to be successful when patients achieved clinical and radiological union, without the need for revision surgery.ResultsA total of 46 patients were included in the study; 8 were lost to follow – up, leaving 38 patients for the final analysis. The mean age of patients was 47.03 ± 19.7 with a male to female ratio of 1.2:1. Union was achieved in 57.89%; the rest underwent revision surgery. There was no significant association between outcomes after LIPUS treatment and patients’ age, gender, smoking status or type of non-union. Patients with a small inter-fragment bone gap were more likely to have a successful outcome after LIPUS (p = 0.041). Time to treatment did not have a statistically significant impact on outcomes after LIPUS. Interestingly, all 6 patients with diabetes in the study managed to achieve union after LIPUS.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that LIPUS is not successful in a large proportion of patients with established fracture non-unions. However, it does represent a low risk treatment modality as an alternative to revision surgery, especially for patients with diabetes who have a small inter – fragment bone gap. More research in the form of large randomised controlled trials needs to be carried out to further assess the role of LIPUS in the treatment of non-unions.     

急诊内镜诊疗在结直肠癌根治术后吻合口出血中的应用

目的探讨结直肠癌根治术后吻合口出血病人使用急诊内镜检查及止血的安全性和有效性。方法回顾性分析华中科技大学同济医学院附属协和医院2014年1月至2019年11月结直肠癌根治术后吻合口出血行急诊内镜检查以及内镜下治疗的28例病人资料。结果28例病人包括直肠癌术后15例、左半结肠癌术后3例及右半结肠癌术后10例。上述病例均完成急诊内镜检查并接受内镜下止血治疗。仅1例直肠癌术后吻合口出血病人因合并吻合口漏经内镜下止血效果不佳,最终接受外科手术治疗;其余27例吻合口出血病人均经过内镜止血成功。所有病例住院期间无再发出血,内镜诊疗并未导致术后吻合口漏及穿孔。结论结直肠癌根治术后吻合口出血急诊内镜检查及止血的方案,不增加吻合口出血、穿孔及漏等风险。术后急诊内镜下止血是安全有效的治疗手段,能明显提高止血成功率,降低再手术率。在病人出血后8 h内行急诊内镜是非常关键的诊治措施。     

胆胰手术后假性动脉瘤诊断及治疗

胆胰疾病病人经外科手术、介入或内镜治疗后发生迟发性大出血时,救治困难、病死率高,而术后假性动脉瘤形成和破裂是主要原因。胆胰手术后假性动脉瘤成因复杂多样,瘤体破裂出血前临床症状隐匿。从致病机制源头预防假性动脉瘤形成、重视前哨出血等特征性临床症状,将会有效确保胆胰疾病病人围手术期安全性,提高术后迟发性大出血的救治成功率。     

Adult congenital heart disease

Continued advances in the understanding and management of congenital heart disease (CHD) mean that over 90% of children born with CHD now survive to adulthood. This in turn results in greater numbers of adult patients presenting for medical and surgical care at non-specialist centres. A simple classification of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) according to complexity can help clinicians to understand the implications of the specific cardiac anomaly encountered. Issues relating to the conduct of anaesthesia in ACHD patient include careful attention to euvolaemia, the preservation of sinus rhythm and cardiac output, and in complex patients, manipulating the balance between systemic and pulmonary blood flows. Additionally, effective antibiotic prophylaxis and the prevention of either excessive bleeding or thromboembolism are vitally important. It should not be forgotten that although many patients with simple or repaired cardiac lesions may be very well managed in a non-specialist unit, those with Eisenmenger’s syndrome or severe pulmonary hypertension have an extremely high risk of death in the perioperative period, and in all but life-threatening situations should always be managed within specialist centres.     

Morel-Lavallée lesion diagnosed 25 years after blunt trauma

IntroductionMorel-Lavallée lesions are closed degloving injuries in which the skin and subcutaneous tissues separate from the underlying fascia secondary to a shearing force. These injuries are uncommon and can be misdiagnosed in acute settings. If treated incorrectly, they can recur, causing complications requiring multiple surgical interventions. Therefore, it is important to discuss the clinical presentation and imaging characteristics in order to improve their diagnosis and management.Presentation of caseThis is the case of a 44-year-old male patient with a Morel-Lavallée lesion of the left thigh that presented 25 years after trauma. He was successfully treated with open surgical excision. The patient underwent multiple surgical interventions before the lesion was accurately diagnosed and treated.DiscussionMorel-Lavallée injuries can lead to chronic symptoms, such as pain and swelling, affecting the patient’s quality of life. Treatment options include minimally invasive procedures, such as compression bandages or percutaneous drainage. However, if diagnosed late, a fibrotic capsule can form, which may require surgical excision. Our patient was diagnosed more than 20 years after the trauma. Earlier noninvasive treatment options were unsuccessful.ConclusionThe patient was treated with open surgical excision of the chronic lesion. There was no report of any recurrence up to 10 months after surgery. Such lesion treatments should be guided based on the chronicity of the injury and the patient’s symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case with such delayed presentation.     

To compare the outcomes of pancreaticojejunostomy and pancreaticogastrostomy reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy: A prospective observational study

BackgroundWe have been in constant search of novel innovations to decrease the high morbidity after Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) and pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) are the two different methods of reconstruction after PD. However, the existing data is ambiguous in supporting either of them as the preferred technique of reconstruction.MethodsThis was a single-center prospective observational study that included 64 patients who underwent PD over two years. We compared PG with PJ as a method of reconstruction after PD. The primary objective was to assess whether PG decreases the rate of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) rates or not. Secondary objectives comprised analysis of perioperative outcomes, 30-day and 90-day mortality.ResultsPancreatic fistula was significantly lower in PG as compared to the PJ group (24% vs. 47%) with a p-value of 0.027. The incidence of clinically pertinent (grade B) fistula was only 3% in the PG group and 32% in the PJ group. PG group had a higher incidence of post pancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH) and delayed gastric emptying (DGE). No statistically significant difference was seen between either group need for blood transfusion, re-exploration, re-admissions, ICU stay, or length of hospital stay, and 30-day and 90-day mortality. Pancreatic texture and high BMI were independent predictors for pancreatic fistula.ConclusionPG when compared to PJ for reconstruction after PD, decreases the rate of POPF significantly; however, it is associated with an elevated risk of DGE and PPH. There was no difference in 30-day and 90-day mortality between both the treatment groups.     

Effect of lesions of the ascending 5-hydroxytryptaminergic pathways on choice between delayed reinforcers

The possible involvement of the ascending 5-hydroxytryptaminergic (5HTergic) pathways in determining the effectiveness of delayed positive reinforcers was investigated using Mazur's (1984) adjusting-delay paradigm. Fourteen rats received injections of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine into the dorsal and median raphe nuclei; 12 rats received sham lesions. The rats made repeated choices in a two-lever operant conditioning chamber between a smaller reinforcer delivered after a 2-s delay and a larger reinforcer delivered after a variable delay, the length of which was determined by the subject's previous choices. When the two reinforcers consisted of one and two food pellets, the indifference point (the delay to the larger reinforcer that rendered the two reinforcers equally effective) was shorter in the lesioned group than in the control group. Increasing the sizes of the reinforcers to three and six pellets reduced the indifference point in both groups and abolished the between-group difference. The levels of 5HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) in the parietal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens and hypothalamus were greatly reduced in the lesioned group, but the levels of noradrenaline and dopamine were not significantly affected. The results are consistent with the suggestion that the 5HTergic pathways play a role in maintaining the effectiveness of delayed reinforcers.     

Study on Relevance of Endothelin to Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Associated with Long-Term Subdermal Implants Use

Objective To investigate the relationship between estradiol, progesterone and endothelin (ET) and abnormal uterine bleeding after using sub-dermal contraceptive implant Materials & methods A prospective self-control clinical trial was conducted in 29 women in the self-control group. Blood samples were obtained on four occasions across the different phases of menstrual cycle before and after using implant. A blood sample was taken for a single determination in another 59 women in the already-use implant group. Plasma of estradiol, progesterone and endothelin were determined by using radioimmunoassays (RIA) in both groups.Results The level of estradiol and progesterone had no significant differences in women before and after using implant in self-control group. The level of estradiol,progesterone had no differences between women with normal and abnormal menstrual cycle in both groups. The levels of plasma endothelin (ET) in women with abnormal bleeding pattern were higher than women with normal bleeding pattern, but difference was not significant. Women with abnormal bleeding pattern had significantly higher ET level than that in women with normal bleeding pattern before using implants,especially in early-proliferative phase and mid-proliferative phase. the level of plasma endothelin was significantly higher in women with disturbed bleeding pattern than that in normal women in the already-use group.Conclusion High serum concentrations of ET are likely to be correlated with abnormal uterine bleeding in long-term subdermal contraceptive implants users.     

脑损害昏迷患者上消化道出血的预防

目的 探讨脑损害昏迷患者上消化道出血的发病因素和预防措施。方法 对274例脑损害昏迷患者,分析其并发上消化道出血的内环境因素和预防效果。结果 并发上消化道出血49例,占17.9%,而在ICU条件下早期鼻饲西沙必利、奥美拉唑及氢氧化铝凝胶预防组消化道出血的发生率为40%(2/50);伤后休克低血压、低氧血症、低钠血症、氮质血症、酸中毒、高血糖、高脂质过氧化水平均可增加上消化道出血的发生率。结论 ICU条件下维护内环境平衡、早期鼻饲、胃肠动力及抑酸药物应用,可显著关注脑损害昏迷患者上消化道出血的发生。