An Audit on Gastrointestinal Perforation in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital Based in Northern Part of India: A Study of 100 Cases

Background: A prospective study was conducted on 100 patients of perforation peritonitis: To find out the incidence of gastro intestinal perforation in various age groups, sex, riral or urban, socio economic status, To find out the various causes and sites of gastra intestinal perforartions, To determine various types of procedures being done to treat gastro intestinal perforations.Methods:The study population consisted of 100 patients of perforation peritonitis admitted at surgical wards of Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. Patients underwent necessary investigations such as Blood counts, biochemical analysis and urine analysis. X-ray Abdomen and chest / USG Abdomen/Pelvis CT-Abdomen (as and when required). All diagnosed patients were subjected to surgery. In all cases, operative findings and postoperative course were followed up for three months. Final outcome was evaluated on the basis of clinical, operative and radiological findings. In pre-pyloric and duodenal perforation, GRAHAM’S PATCH REPAIR carried out. In Ileal and Jejunal perforations, primary closure or exteriorization done depending upon the condition of the gut and duration of the symptoms. The patient outcome was assessed by duration of hospital stay, wound infection, wound dehiscence, leakage/entero-cutaneous fistula, intra-abdominal collection/abscess, ileostomy related complications and reoperation. Wound infection was graded as per SSI grading.Results:Most common age group for perforation was 21-40 years (50%) followed by 41-60 (33%) years in present study. Mean age of the patients is 37.91 + 13.15 years with male predominance (78%) in our study. 4% of the patients were of upper socio-economic status while 32% of the patients were of middle and 64% of the patients were of lower socio-economic status.Abdominal pain was seen in 100% of the patients while abdominal distension was present in 69% of the patients. Nausea/Vomiting was seen in 61% of the patients while Fever and Constipation was seen in 53% and 86% of the patients respectively. Diarrhoea was seen in 3% of the patients. Tenderness, guarding & rigidity, distension, obliteration of liver dullness and evidence of free fluid were present in 100% of the patients. Bowel sounds were not detected in all the patients. Most common perforations were Duodena(37%), Ileal (25%), Gastric (25%) followed by Appendicular (9%), Jejunal (4%) and Colonic perforation (2%). The most common etiology of gastrointestinal perforations was Peptic ulcer followed by Typhoid, Appendicitis, Tuberculosis, Trauma, Malignancy and non-specific infection.In Gastric perforations, Peptic ulcer was the most common cause of perforation followed by Trauma. In Ileal perforations, Typhoid was the most common cause of perforation followed by Tuberculosis and non-specific infection. In Appendicular perforations, most common cause was Appendicitis. In Jejunal perforations, most common cause was Trauma. In Colonic perforations, most common cause was Malignancy.Conclusions:The incidence of gastrointestinal perforations was common in 21-40 years age group followed by 41-60 years age group with male preponderance in our study. The most common site of perforations was Gastro-duodenal followed by Ileal perforations and the most common cause for these perforations was peptic ulcer followed by typhoid. The most common procedure done to treat gastrointestinal perforations was primary closure, resection and anastomosis, appendectomy and stoma formation. However, small sample size and short follow up period were the limitations of the present study.

Case Report: Vibrio fluvialis isolated from a wound infection after a piercing trauma in the Baltic Sea

Vibrio spp. are Gram-negative bacteria found in marine ecosystems. Non-cholera Vibrio spp. can cause gastrointestinal infections and can also lead to wound infections through exposure to contaminated seawater. Vibrio infections are increasingly documented from the Baltic Sea due to extended warm weather periods. We describe the first isolation of Vibrio fluvialis from a wound infection acquired by an impalement injury in the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea. The severe infection required amputation of the third toe. Whole genome sequencing of the isolate was performed and revealed a genome consisting of two circular chromosomes with a size of 1.57 and 3.24 Mb.

Effects of Neoadjuvant Radiotherapy on Postoperative Complications in Rectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Objective. Neoadjuvant radiotherapy (nRT) is an important treatment approach for rectal cancer. The relationship, however, between nRT and postoperative complications is still controversial. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate such concerns. Methods. The electronic literature from 1983 to 2021 was searched in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Postoperative complications after nRT were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled odds ratio (OR) was calculated by the random-effects model. Statistical analysis was conducted by Review Manager 5.3 and STATA 14. Results. A total of 23,723 patients from 49 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that nRT increased the risk of anastomotic leakage (AL) compared to upfront surgery (OR = 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07–1.41; p = 0.004 ). Subgroup analysis suggested that both long-course (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.03–1.40; p = 0.02 ) and short-course radiotherapy (OR = 1.25, 95% CI, 1.02–1.53; p = 0.04 ) increased the incidence of AL. In addition, nRT was the main risk factor for wound infection and pelvic abscess. The pooled data in randomized controlled trials, however, indicated that nRT was not associated with AL (OR = 1.01; 95% CI 0.82–1.26; p = 0.91 ). Conclusions. nRT may increase the risk of AL, wound infection, and pelvic abscess compared to upfront surgery among patients with rectal cancer.

Outcomes of Early Versus Delayed Completion Thyroidectomy for Malignancy

Purpose To determine whether time interval between hemi-thyroidectomy and subsequent completion thyroidectomy impacts outcomes. Methods Retrospective review of 68 patients having completion thyroidectomy from August 2012 to December 2019. Patients were separated into two groups based on the time interval between surgeries: early (≤10 days) or delayed (≥90 days). Results Patients who underwent delayed completion thyroidectomy (n = 17) had significantly higher rates of hypocalcemia and/or hypoparathyroidism ( P = .03) and higher rates of requiring postoperative hospitalization ( P=.07) compared to those who underwent early completion thyroidectomy (n = 51). Delayed completion had significantly lower risk of developing one or more of dysphonia, dysphagia, or vocal cord paresis postoperatively ( P=.02). No patients developed hematoma or wound infection. Conclusions Delayed completion thyroidectomy is associated with increased rates of hypocalcemia, but lower rates of dysphonia and dysphagia. Given the low risk of long-term complications in both groups, it may be beneficial to perform completion thyroidectomy early in order to expedite cancer treatment.

Frequency of wound infection in children undergoing appendectomy for acute versus perforated appendicitis.

Objective: To find out the frequency of wound infection in children undergoing appendectomy for acute vs perforated appendicitis. Study Design: Observational and Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Surgery at Children’s Hospital and the Institute of Child Health Lahore. Period: January 2018 to July 2018. Material & Methods: Data was collected by using Random sampling technique. Patients of both genders were included. Diabetic children were excluded. Questionnaire was developed with the help of experts, literature review and data collection. Results: A sum of 120 patients were included with mean age of 9 + 1.94 SD minimum was 7 and maximum was 13. Some patients have acute appendicitis 20(16.67%) and 100 (80.33) perforated appendix undergone appendectomy. Conclusion: The findings of the study indicated that there is less wound infection in acute appendix but more wound infection observed in perforated appendix after appendectomy.

The Association of Perioperative Glycemic control with Post-operative wound Infection after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Veterans with Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: After coronary artery bypass (CABG), diabetes mellitus is associated with increased risk of infection. We model the inter-relationship of pre- and post-operative glycemic control and their composite influence on post-operative wound infection. Methods: 2,899 Veterans that underwent isolated CABG were stratified (Group I: < 8%, Group II: 8 - 10%, Group III: > 10%) according to preoperative HbA1c levels. We obtained the median blood sugar level (BSL) on post-operative days 0 - 4 (POD) and compared trends in BSL readings according to HbA1c groups. We fit a multi-variable random effects mixed model to understand the odds (OR) of developing postoperative mediastinitis. A two-stage joint model was fit to evaluate the adjusted hazard (HR) of pre-operative HbA1c, post-operative BSL and clinical factors on 90-day readmission for infection. Results: In groups I, II, and III had 66%, 25% and 9% patients respectively. In 148,810 post-operative BSL readings, median BSL values peaked at POD 2 (145 mg/dl). In group III, 29% BSL reading was above the recommended limit (< 180 mg/dl). Group III (OR 3.5; p < 0.01) and COPD (OR 2.51; p < 0.01) were associated with higher rates of mediastinitis. Groups II (HR 1.4; p = 0.01) and III (HR 1.5; p = 0.04) were associated with increased risk for 90-day readmission for infection. Post-operative blood sugar levels (p = 0.5) were not associated with increased risk for wound infection at 90 days. Conclusion: Among Veterans undergoing coronary artery bypass, a large proportion had HbA1c levels > 8%. In the post-operative period, 22% of the blood sugar readings are higher than 180 mg/dl. Preoperative HbA1c (rather than postoperative glycemic control) is associated with higher rates of deep sternal wound infection.

Wearable Sensors for the Detection of Biomarkers for Wound Infection

Infection represents a major complication that can affect wound healing in any type of wound, especially in chronic ones. There are currently certain limitations to the methods that are used for establishing a clinical diagnosis of wound infection. Thus, new, rapid and easy-to-use strategies for wound infection diagnosis need to be developed. To this aim, wearable sensors for infection diagnosis have been recently developed. These sensors are incorporated into the wound dressings that are used to treat and protect the wound, and are able to detect certain biomarkers that can be correlated with the presence of wound infection. Among these biomarkers, the most commonly used ones are pH and uric acid, but a plethora of others (lactic acid, oxygenation, inflammatory mediators, bacteria metabolites or bacteria) have also been detected using wearable sensors. In this work, an overview of the main types of wearable sensors for wound infection detection will be provided. These sensors will be divided into electrochemical, colorimetric and fluorimetric sensors and the examples will be presented and discussed comparatively.