The influence of socio-economic deprivation on rates of major lower limb amputation secondary to peripheral arterial disease.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate a hypothesised link between socio-economic deprivation and rates of major lower limb amputation within the catchment of a district general hospital in the United Kingdom. DESIGN: An analysis of a demographic database collated using patients identified by the OPCS codes for lower limb amputations. MATERIALS: All patients undergoing a lower limb amputation as a result of peripheral vascular disease, as identified by ICD-10 code, between January 2003 and January 2009 were included in the study. METHODS: A case-control study was undertaken, comparing the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007 (IMD) scores of major lower limb amputees, to those of the catchment population. Multivariate analysis was not undertaken. RESULTS: A total of 327 patients underwent 445 lower limb amputations during the 6-year period. A comparative plot of cumulative frequency of IMD score in the catchment and amputation groups indicates greater numbers of major amputations in more deprived postcodes (P=0.004). The catchment population was further divided into population-matched deprivation quintiles. A significant increase in the number of amputations occurred in the two most deprived quintiles (OR (95%CI)=1.654 (1.121-2.440), P=0.011) CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates a positive association between increasing social deprivation and rates of lower limb amputation. If the most deprived quintiles are combined, this increase in amputation rates is approximately 65%. This inequity should be further investigated, and consideration given to targeted care within areas of greater social deprivation.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery in a district general hospital: a 15-years experience.

The incidence of patients presenting with both ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) and elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (EAAA) increases with age. The aim of our study was to find out the incidence of RAAA, age and sex groups of patients at risk, and 30-day all-cause perioperative mortality associated with RAAA as well as EAAA repair in a busy district general hospital over a 15-year time period. All patients operated for AAA during 1989-2003, both elective and ruptured, were included in the study. Patients who died in the community from RAAA were also included. The data were collected from the hospital information system, theater logbooks, intensive therapy unit records, postmortem register, and patients' medical notes. We divided the data for RAAA into two groups of 7.5 years each to see if there was any improvement over time in 30-day postoperative mortality. There were 816 cases of AAA, which included 468 RAAAs (57%) and 348 EAAAs (43%). Out of 468 RAAAs, 243 patients had emergency repair, of whom 213 were males. There were 201 patients who had RAAA postmortem (43%). Median age (range) was 73 (54-94) years in males and 77 (52-99) years in females, with a male-to-female ratio of 7:1. The peak incidence of RAAA was over 60 years of age in males and 70 years in females. Incidence of RAAA was 7.3/100,000/year in males and 5/100,000/year in females. For RAAA, 30-day perioperative mortality was 43% (105/243) while overall mortality was 70% (330/468), which includes deaths in the community. There was no improvement in 30-day mortality over time after comparing data for the first 7.5 years (50/115, 43.5%) with those for the second set of 7.5 years (55/128, 43%). There were 348 patients who had EAAA repair over the same period, comprising 282 males, with a male:female ratio of 4.3:1. The 30-day mortality in the elective group was 7.75%. Incidence and mortality of RAAA remain high. A high proportion of patients with AAA remain undiagnosed and die in the community. More lives may be saved if a screening program is started for AAA.

Necrotizing fasciitis following gall-bladder perforation.

Necrotizing fasciitis continues to carry a very high mortality and prolonged morbidity. Gallstones have previously not been reported as a cause of this condition. We report a patient who presented with gallbladder perforation leading to necrotizing fasciitis of the anterior abdominal wall. The only organism isolated was Escherichia Coli, cultured from necrotic issue.

Pyomyositis: an unusual infection due to staphylococcus aureus.

Pyomyositis is a primary pyogenic infection of skeletal muscle, leading to the formation of intramuscular abscesses. Although common in tropical climates, it is infrequent in temperate zones. We report a patient who developed the condition without travelling to tropical areas.

Prevention of phantom pain after major lower limb amputation by epidural infusion of diamorphine, clonidine and bupivacaine.

Phantom limb pain may appear in up to 85% of patients after amputation. There is no effective treatment. Perioperative epidural infusion of morphine and bupivacaine, alone or in combination, is effective in preventing phantom limb pain in patients with pre-existing limb pain. Serious side-effects, however, make them difficult to manage on a general ward. Clonidine has been shown to be an effective postoperative analgesia when applied epidurally. To mitigate the potentially serious side-effects of all these drugs, we have studied their combined efficiency in preventing phantom limb pain in a prospective controlled study of 24 patients undergoing lower limb amputation. In the study group (n = 13), an epidural infusion containing bupivacaine 75 mg, clonidine 150 micrograms and diamorphine 5 mg in 60 ml normal saline was given at 1-4 ml/h 24-48 h preoperatively and maintained for at least 3 days postoperatively. The control group (n = 11) received on-demand opioid analgesia. Pain was assessed by visual analogue scale at 7 days, 6 months and 1 year. At 1 year follow-up, one patient in the study group and eight patients in the control group had phantom pain (P < 0.002) and two patients in the study group versus eight patients in the control group had phantom limb sensation (P < 0.05). There was no significant improvement in stump pain. We conclude that perioperative epidural infusion of diamorphine, clonidine and bupivacaine is safe and effective in reducing the incidence of phantom pain after amputation.

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis: where should it be treated?

A retrospective analysis in the form of an audit into the management of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in a district general hospital has revealed that the results are equivalent to that of published data from specialised units. It is stressed in this study that close co-operation has to be maintained between paediatricians and surgeons in the care of these infants. The diagnosis can be made on clinical grounds in the majority of cases. The operation has to be carried out by experienced surgeons and anaesthetists. The morbidity can be minimised under these circumstances and pyloromyotomy can be performed safely in a district general hospital.

Naproxen-associated vasculitis.

Three cases of digital vasculitis attributable to naproxen ingestion are reported. The vasculitic changes were reversed by withdrawal of the drug. These three cases emphasize the need to consider drug sensitivity as a cause of unexplained digital vascular lesions.