Ionic and non-ionic intravenous X-ray contrast media: antibacterial agents?

X-ray contrast media have been reported to have inhibitory effects on bacterial growth. Despite its potentially beneficial effect on patients, these features of contrast media have received relatively little attention in the medical literature in the past decades. The aim of this review is to evaluate the literature concerning the bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects of X-ray contrast media, specifically if there is a known difference concerning these effects between ionic and non-ionic contrast media. Systematic literature review was performed for the years of publication between 1911 and 2019. Since the publication of Grossich in 1911, the effect of iodine on the treatment of superficial infections in surgical procedures has been established clinical knowledge. Bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects of ionic X-ray contrast media are well established. However, non-ionic contrast agents have been the subject of little research in this respect. In past decades, the hypothesis emerged in the literature that mainly the concentration of free iodine might be responsible for any bacteriostatic or bactericidal effect of ionic X-ray contrast media. Nowadays, however, only non-ionic contrast media are used. The question regarding the mechanism and magnitude of bacteriostatic or bactericidal effects of these, non-ionic contrast media, could not be answered conclusively from this review. Non-ionic contrast media could be used intentionally when a local antibacterial effect is intended (e.g. in percutaneous abscess drainage), as well as to reduce the overall dose of antibiotics administered to a patient. Thus, this question remains relevant and might constitute the area of future research.

Percutaneous abdomino-pelvic abscess drainage in complicated Crohn’s disease

Purpose: Percutaneous abscess drainage (PAD) is the first-line approach for abscess in Crohn’s disease (CD) since it procrastinates or avoids surgery especially in postoperative abscesses [within 30 days post-operative (p.o.)]. We retrospectively evaluated the effectiveness, complications and outcome after PAD in postoperative and spontaneous abscesses and factors influencing the outcomes. Methods: We performed PAD in 91 abscesses, 45 (49,5%) postoperative and 46 (50,5%) spontaneous. We defined the overall success (OS) as clinical (CS) and technical success (TS) when imaging documented the resolution of the abscess with no surgery within 30 days. Conversely, patients without abscess at the time of surgery, were considered as TS but clinical failure (CF). We also analyzed the overall failure (OF) defined as CF with or without technical failure (TF). Overall technical success (OTS) was OS plus TS. Complications were classified as major and minor according to the Interventional Radiology Criteria. Results: In postoperative abscesses we found 91% OS, 9% OF, no TF and 100% OTS. In spontaneous abscesses we found 33% OS, 67% OF, 6.4% TF, 95,6% OTS. A total abscess resolution was achieved in 97,8% of patients. No major complication occurred; only 1 case of minor complication. Factors statistically influencing the outcome were postoperative vs spontaneous collections (OF: 9% vs. 67%, p < 0.0001), multiloculated vs uniloculated collections (OF: 38% vs. 1%, p < 0.0001) and upper abdominal vs lower location (OF: 13% vs. 25%, p <0.05). Conclusion: Our data confirms the safety and effectiveness of PAD even in cases needing surgery within 30 days; most remarkable, PAD allows avoidance of early reoperation in almost all the patients with postoperative abscess.

Gossypiboma (retained surgical sponge) induces septic shock after previous breast surgery: A case report

Foreign body granuloma caused by retained surgical sponge is also called gossypiboma or textiloma, is mostly described in the abdominal cavity, with only a very few cases of retained surgical sponges located in breasts. A 48-year-old female came to our emergency department due to shortness of breath with consciousness disturbance. Sixteen years previously, she had gone through modified radical mastectomy. Eight years later, she received breast reconstruction. At emergency department, her hemodynamic status was unstable. Besides, there was one mass lesion with abscess in the right axillary region, and percutaneous abscess drainage was performed. She was sent to the medical intensive care unit for further care of septic shock. Because her symptoms and signs did not improve, we decided to perform fasciectomy and surprisingly found one retained surgical sponge in her breast. After the operation, she recovered well and the wound was stable. Due to limited literature available, we present a case of gossypiboma in the breast with a clinical manifestation of septic shock.

An Analysis of Factors that Predict Hospital Readmission after Surgery for Perforated Appendicitis

We performed this study to develop an understanding of why patients were readmitted after appendectomy for perforated appendicitis. Patients who required surgery for perforated appendicitis during a recent five-year period were identified. We recorded the demographic data, length of symptoms, length of stay, vital signs, laboratory findings, surgical approach, length of surgery, time to readmission, length of readmission, and intervention required after readmission. We divided the cohort into two groups depending on whether the patient was readmitted. We used chisquared analysis and t test to determine differences between the two groups. We identified 86 patients, with 14 (16.3%) requiring readmission. The only factors that predicted readmission were longer appendectomy surgery (P = 0.03) and open surgery (P = 0.04). After readmission, one patient required reoperation, and two required percutaneous abscess drainage. The remaining 11 patients were readmitted for a median of two days, received intravenous fluids, and required no additional clinically significant management. Patients requiring longer and open surgery are at an increased risk for hospital readmission after resection of a perforated appendix. Efforts to reduce readmission will likely be most successful if hydration and brief periods of clinical observation can be arranged when necessary for patients after discharge from surgery.

LOW-INVASIVE TREATMENT OF PANCREATOGENIC RETROPERITONEAL ABSCESSES

The article presents the experience of treatment of pancreatogenic retroperitoneal abscesses in 52 patients with the application of low-invasive surgery under ultrasonic inspection. The percutaneous abscess drainage was performed for all the patients. The most optimal conditions for drainage were determined with an allowance of localization, sizes and character of abscess content. An optimal approach to the abscess was chosen through the safe acoustic window in such a way, that the drainage was located in extraperitoneal position and outside the organs. The drainage was installed using «stylet-catheter» system in majority of cases. Drainage sizes and their number were selected on the basis of cavity sizes and its content. The fistulography was carried out after drainage for all the patients. This allowed detection of characteristics of purulent cavity and visual comprehension of its connection with the Wirsung’s duct. Recanalization and outwardly-internal drainage were used in the case of the blocked Wirsung’s duct in order to prevent pancreatic fistulas. The low-invasive drainage allowed avoiding an open operation and reducing the percentage of postoperative complications.