Cutaneous ulcers in a returning traveller: a rare case of imported diphtheria in the UK.

We describe a case of cutaneous diphtheria in the UK, presenting as lower leg ulcers in a returning traveller, and discuss the epidemiology, significance and public health implications of this disease and the therapeutic options available. A 65-year-old woman presented with a 6-week history of multiple ulcers appearing on her legs following a holiday in Kenya. Culture of biopsy tissue grew Corynebacterium diphtheriae. A cascade of therapeutic and public health interventions followed, many of which were terminated once the isolate was confirmed as nontoxigenic. Cutaneous diphtheria is a rare, notifiable disease in the UK, but is common in tropical countries, and is most often seen in the West as a traveller's disease. Corynebacteria are common skin commensals, and without appropriate clinical details, laboratories may not recognize C. diphtheriae/Corynebacterium ulcerans. This is likely to have led to under-reporting and under-recognition of the condition.

Colorectal specialization and survival in colorectal cancer.

AIM: It is recognized that higher surgeon volume is associated with improved survival in colorectal cancer. However, there is a paucity of national studies that have evaluated the relationship between surgical specialization and survival. METHOD: We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare cancer registry to examine the association between colorectal specialization (CRS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) between 2001 and 2009. A total of 21,432 colon cancer and 5893 rectal cancer patients who underwent elective surgical resection between 2001 and 2009 were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate Cox survival analysis was used to identify the association between surgical specialization and cancer-specific survival. RESULTS: Colorectal specialists performed 16.3% of the colon and 27% of the rectal resections. On univariate analysis, specialization was associated with improved survival in Stage II and Stage III colon cancer and Stage II rectal cancer. In multivariate analysis, however, CRS was associated with significantly improved DSS only in Stage II rectal cancer [hazard ratio (HR) 0.70, P = 0.03]. CRS was not significantly associated with DSS in either Stage I (colon HR 1.14, P = 0.39; rectal HR 0.1.26, P = 0.23) or Stage III (colon HR 1.06, P = 0.52; rectal HR 1.08, P = 0.55) disease. When analysis was limited to high volume surgeons only, the relationship between CRS and DSS was unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: CRS is associated with improved DSS following resection of Stage II rectal cancer. A combination of factors may contribute to long-term survival in these patients, including appropriate surgical technique, multidisciplinary treatment decisions and guideline-adherent surveillance. CRS probably contributes positively to these factors resulting in improved survival.

Diabetes mellitus: new drugs for a new epidemic.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing rapidly in the 21st century as a result of obesity, an ageing population, lack of exercise, and increased migration of susceptible patients. This costly and chronic disease has been likened recently to the 'Black Death' of the 14th century. Type 2 DM is the more common form and the primary aim of management is to delay the micro- and macrovascular complications by achieving good glycaemic control. This involves changes in lifestyle, such as weight loss and exercise, and drug therapy. Increased knowledge of the pathophysiology of diabetes has contributed to the development of novel treatments: glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) mimetics, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, thiazolidinediones (TZDs), and insulin analogues. GLP-1 agonists mimic the effect of this incretin, whereas DPP-4 inhibitors prevent the inactivation of the endogenously released hormone. Both agents offer an effective alternative to the currently available hypoglycaemic drugs but further evaluation is needed to confirm their safety and clinical role. The past decade has seen the rise and fall in the use of the TZDs (glitazones), such that the only glitazone recommended is pioglitazone as a third-line treatment. The association between the use of rosiglitazone and adverse cardiac outcomes is still disputed by some authorities. The advent of new insulin analogues, fast-acting, and basal release formulations, has enabled the adoption of a basal-bolus regimen for the management of blood glucose. This regimen aims to provide a continuous, low basal insulin release between meals with bolus fast-acting insulin to limit hyperglycaemia after meals. Insulin therapy is increasingly used in type 2 DM to enhance glycaemic control. Recently, it has been suggested that the use of the basal-release insulins, particularly insulin glargine may be associated with an increased risk of cancer. Although attention is focused increasingly on newer agents in the treatment of diabetes, metformin and the sulphonylureas are still used in many patients. Metformin, in particular, remains of great value and may have novel anti-cancer properties.

The accuracy of medical history information in referral letters.

BACKGROUND: Accurate medical history information is essential for good patient care and should be notified in the letter of referral. The aim of this study was to investigate the subjective opinion that the medical information in a large number of referrals is either inaccurate or non-existent. METHODS: Medical histories from 54 patients with positive medical history findings upon taking the medical history at the initial consultation appointment were compared to the medical information supplied in the referral letter. RESULTS: Overall, medical information was only 58.8% complete with dental referrals being 55.2% complete and medical referrals 62.4%. The majority of referral letters (70.4%) missed at least one relevant finding and only 29.6% of referrals were 100% complete. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the standard of referral letters needs to be improved as the received referrals were generally incomplete and contained inaccurate information. This highlights the need for each and every practitioner to take their own detailed medical history and not rely on the information supplied in the referral.

C-reactive protein as a predictor of outcome after discharge from the intensive care: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have found plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) to be a predictor of outcome after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). To assess the generalizability of this finding, we assessed the value of CRP on the day of ICU discharge as a predictor of unplanned ICU readmission and unexpected death within 2 weeks. Plasma albumin and white cell count at discharge were also considered as markers associated with ongoing inflammation. METHODS: This was a single-centre observational study involving a medical-surgical ICU in a university teaching hospital. Data were prospectively collected from 1487 admissions involving 1401 patients over a 12 month period. Patients' admission details and APACHE II score were collected in addition to plasma CRP, white cell count, and albumin values from the day of discharge from ICU. We assessed the difference in these variables between patients who were readmitted, who died unexpectedly, and those who did not. RESULTS: We found that 9.9% of patients discharged were either readmitted (7.0%) or died unexpectedly (2.9%). Patients who were readmitted had a lower plasma albumin concentration [20 (16, 24) vs 22 (19, 27), P<0.001] and a higher admission APACHE II score [median (inter-quartile range, IQR) 16.5 (13, 21) vs 15 (12, 18), P=0.02]. Patients who died unexpectedly on the ward were older [mean (sd): 76 (12) vs 59 (19), P<0.001] and had a higher APACHE II score [21 (17.25, 26) vs 15 (12, 18), P<0.001]. There was not a statistically significant difference in CRP concentration between patients who either required ICU readmissions or died unexpectedly on the ward and those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: In a mixed medical-surgical intensive care, plasma CRP measured at the day of discharge from intensive care is not a predictor of readmissions or deaths.

Temporomandibular joint disorders in patients referred for third molar extraction.

BACKGROUND: Third molar removal has been implicated as a precipitating event for temporomandibular joint disorders. The aim of this study was to determine what proportion of patients had pre-existing pain and dysfunction that could be attributed to the temporomandibular joints. METHODS: Sixty patients referred for third molar removal were clinically examined and a history of their presenting complaint recorded at the initial consultation visit. Patients were then diagnosed and categorized. RESULTS: Of the total number of patients examined, 13.3 per cent showed signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction while a further 23.3 per cent also had symptomatic third molar teeth. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the signs of temporomandibular joint disorders are common in patients referred for third molar extractions.

Diabetes mellitus: anaesthetic management.

As the incidence of diabetes mellitus continues to increase in the United Kingdom, more diabetic patients will present for both elective and emergency surgery. Whilst the underlying pathophysiology of type 1 and type 2 diabetes differs, there is much good evidence that controlling the blood glucose to < or = [corrected] 10 mmol.l(-1) in the peri-operative period for both types of diabetic patients improves outcome. This should be achieved with a glucose-insulin-potassium regimen in all type 1 diabetics and in type 2 diabetics undergoing moderate or major surgical procedures. After surgery, a decrease in the catabolic hormone response resulting from good analgesia and the avoidance of nausea and vomiting should allow early re-establishment of normal glycaemic control.

Oral cancer at a Tasmanian tertiary referral clinic, the Royal Hobart Hospital 1996-2002.

BACKGROUND: The Holman Clinic at the Royal Hobart Hospital includes a multi-disciplinary head and neck clinic which functions as a tertiary referral centre for Southern Tasmania and involves Ear Nose and Throat surgeons, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, Radiation Oncologists and Medical Oncologists. METHODS: The aim of this study was to examine retrospectively the number, gender distribution, age, site of lesion, histology, mortality and treatment modalities of the oral cancers referred to the Holman clinic at the Royal Hobart Hospital. The medical histories and a database of the Holman clinic were used as the sources of data for this study. A total of 101 patients were treated for oral cancer in the Holman clinic at the Royal Hobart Hospital from 1996 to 2002. There were 64 males and 37 females. RESULTS: The distribution of anatomical sites of the oral cancers in this study was as follows: 36 oral tongue lesions, 17 floor of mouth, 13 lip, five retromolar trigone, five mandibular alveolus, six buccal mucosa, nine palatal and 10 minor and major salivary gland cancers. The most common site of oral cancer was the tongue (35.6 per cent), followed by the floor of mouth (16.8 per cent) and lip (12.9 per cent). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of oral cancers were squamous cell carcinoma, except for the salivary gland cancers. The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma was between 67 and 100 per cent, depending upon the site involved. The trends found in this study are similar to those previously documented over the past 20 years.

The hormonal and inflammatory responses to pelvic reconstructive surgery following major trauma.

Patients undergoing trauma sustain an initial injury followed by further physiological challenges during surgery. Plasma osteocalcin (OC), a marker of osteoblastic activity, declines after major surgery. Increased cortisol secretion, and other components of the perioperative stress response, may play a role in mediating this response. We have examined the osteocalcin, hormonal and cytokine responses in twenty patients undergoing post-traumatic pelvic reconstruction surgery. We measured plasma osteocalcin, serum cortisol, bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP), IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations for up to 3 days after surgery. We recorded an increase in IL-6, IL-10 and epinephrine concentrations perioperatively and a fall in OC and BSAP concentrations. There were no significant changes in cortisol or IL-8 concentrations. Patients undergoing pelvic reconstruction surgery following trauma have a preserved inflammatory and catecholamine response but the cortisol response may be obtunded. Osteocalcin concentrations are affected by factors other than glucocorticoids.