Non-robotic minimally invasive gastrectomy as an independent risk factor for postoperative intra-abdominal infectious complications: A single-center,retrospective and propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND Minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer(GC) has gained widespread use as a safe curative procedure especially for early GC.AIM To determine risk factors for postoperative complications after minimally invasive gastrectomy for GC.METHODS Between January 2009 and June 2019, 1716 consecutive patients were referred to our division for primary GC. Among them, 1401 patients who were diagnosed with both clinical and pathological Stage Ⅲ or lower GC and underwent robotic gastrectomy(RG) or laparoscopic gastrectomy(LG) were enrolled. Retrospective chart review and multivariate analysis were performed for identifying risk factors for postoperative morbidity.RESULTS Morbidity following minimally invasive gastrectomy was observed in 7.5% of the patients. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that non-robotic minimally invasive surgery, male gender, and an operative time of ≥ 360 min were significant independent risk factors for morbidity. Therefore, morbidity was compared between RG and LG. Accordingly, propensity-matched cohort analysis revealed that the RG group had significantly fewer intra-abdominal infectious complications than the LG group(2.5% vs 5.9%, respectively; P = 0.038), while no significant differences were noted for other local or systemic complications.Multivariate analyses of the propensity-matched cohort revealed that non-robotic minimally invasive surgery [odds ratio = 2.463(1.070–5.682); P = 0.034] was a significant independent risk factor for intra-abdominal infectious complications.CONCLUSION The findings showed that robotic surgery might improve short-term outcomes following minimally invasive radical gastrectomy by reducing intra-abdominal infectious complications.     

Valor de la escala ASPECTS de circulación posterior y del índice puente-mesencéfalo en imágenes de TC sin contraste y angiografía por TC en pacientes con oclusiones de la arteria basilar recanalizados tras trombectomía mecánica

Purpose

Endovascular treatment with mechanical thrombectomy devices demonstrated high recanalization rates but functional outcome did not correlate with high rates of recanalization obtained. Patient selection prior to the endovascular treatment is very important in the final outcome of the patient. The primary aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of posterior circulation Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (pc-ASPECTS) and Pons-Midbrain Index (PMI) scores in patients with Basilar Artery Occlusion (BAO) treated with successful angiographic recanalization after mechanical thrombectomy.

不伴红细胞增多的慢性阻塞性肺疾病患者并发肺栓塞的影响因素研究

背景　慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）患者肺栓塞（PE）发生率显著高于常人，但目前不伴红细胞增多的COPD患者并发PE的机制尚不明确。目的　探讨不伴红细胞增多的COPD患者并发PE的影响因素。方法　本研究为回顾性病例对照研究。收集2017年1-12月在新疆医科大学第一附属医院呼吸与呼吸危重症中心住院治疗的血红蛋白（Hb）≤140 g/L的COPD患者。依据肺多层螺旋CT肺血管成像（CTPA）检查结果将患者分为并发PE组和单纯COPD组。记录患者的年龄、性别、合并症、服用抗血小板或抗凝药物史。采用倾向性评分匹配（PSM）方法，通过二元Logistic回归分析估计倾向性评分值，采用1∶1最邻近原则匹配，卡钳值为0.05，筛选出基线相同的两组病例。记录患者的D-二聚体、血常规检查结果，比较两组间差异；分析不伴红细胞增多的COPD患者并发PE的影响因素，红细胞分布宽度（RDW）与中性粒细胞/淋巴细胞比值（NLR）的相关性。结果　共纳入病例339例，其中单纯COPD组289例，并发PE组50例。采用PSM方法筛选两组患者，最终得到单纯COPD组、并发PE组各50例进行后续研究。并发PE组患者D-二聚体、中性粒细胞计数（N）、RDW、NLR高于单纯COPD组，淋巴细胞计数（L）低于单纯COPD组（P<0.05）。二元Logistic回归分析结果显示，RDW是不伴红细胞增多的COPD患者并发PE的影响因素〔OR=1.561，95%CI（1.096，2.225），P<0.05〕。Spearman秩相关分析结果显示，不伴红细胞增多的COPD患者RDW与NLR呈正相关（rs=0.225，P<0.05）。结论　RDW升高是Hb≤140 g/L的COPD患者并发PE的危险因素，且RDW与NLR呈正相关。     

Surgical Helmets Used During Total Joint Arthroplasty Harbor Common Pathogens: A Cautionary Note

BackgroundThe use of personal-protection surgical helmet/hood systems is now a part of the standard surgical attire during arthroplasty in North America. There are no protocols for the disinfection of these helmets.MethodsThis is a prospective, single-center, observational study. Helmets worn by 44 members of the surgical team and foreheads of 44 corresponding surgical personnel were swabbed at three distinct time points. In addition, 16 helmets were treated with hypochlorite spray to determine if pathogens could be eliminated. Swabs obtained were processed for culture and next-generation sequencing (NGS).ResultsOf the 132 helmet samples, 97 (73%) yielded bacteria on culture and 94 (71%) had evidence of bacterial–deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) on NGS. Of the swabs sent for bacterial identification at the three time points, at least one from each helmet was positive for a pathogen(s). Of the 132 forehead samples, 124 (93%) yielded bacteria on culture and 103 (78%) had evidence of bacterial-DNA on NGS. The most commonly identified organism from helmets was Cutibacterium acnes (86/132) on NGS and Staphylococcus epidermidis (47/132) on culture. The most commonly identified organism from the foreheads of surgical personnel was Cutibacterium acnes (100/132) on NGS and Staphylococcus epidermidis (70/132) on culture. Sanitization of helmets was totally effective; no swabs taken the following morning for culture and NGS identified any bacteria.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that surgical helmets worn during orthopedic procedures are contaminated with common pathogens that can potentially cause surgical site infections. The findings of this study should at the minimum compel us to develop protocols for the disinfection of these helmets.     

Fractal dimension in CT low attenuation areas is predictive of long-term oxygen therapy initiation in COPD patients: Results from two observational cohort studies

BackgroundSome chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients develop hypoxemia with disease progression, with some even requiring long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). Lung function, especially diffusing capacity, and the annual decline in PaO₂, are reported to be predictive factors of chronic respiratory failure. However, the association between lung morphometry evaluated using computed tomography (CT) images and LTOT initiation is unknown.MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated the relationship between clinical indices, including pulmonary function, body mass index (BMI), and CT parameters, at baseline and LTOT initiation in two prospective COPD cohorts. In the Nara Medical University cohort (n = 76), the low attenuation area (LAA) and its fractal dimension (fractal D) were adapted as the indices for parenchymal destruction in CT images. The association between these CT measurements and LTOT initiation was replicated in the Kyoto University cohort (n = 130).ResultsIn the Nara Medical University cohort, lower BMI (hazard ratio [HR]:0.70, p = 0.006), lower % diffusing capacity (%DLCO) (HR: 0.92, p = 0.006), lower %DLCO/VA (HR, 0.90, p = 0.008), higher RV/TLC (HR, 1.26, p = 0.012), higher LAA% (HR: 1.18, p = 0.001), and lower fractal D (HR: 3.27 × 10^?8, p < 0.001) were associated with LTOT initiation. Multivariate analysis in the Kyoto University cohort confirmed that lower %DLCO and lower fractal D were independently associated with LTOT initiation, whereas LAA% was not.ConclusionFractal D, which is the index for morphometric complexity of LAA in CT analysis, is predictive of LTOT initiation in COPD patients.