Jejunal nutrition.

Contrary to the past experience of forced parenteral nutrition nowaday's the enteral [jejunal] nutrition enjoys priority. It is not questionable, that well adjusted and controlled application of fluid, ion, fat, carbon hydrate, amino acid promoted convalescence. The experiences of the Authors supports that enteral nutrition through technically proper outperformed jejunostomy does not increase complication rate and beside well controlled food administration provides the physiologic stimules of food, the method is relatively easy and cost effective. For this reason the Authors initiated jejunostomy at the end of larger interventions such as Akyama procedure, total gastrectomy, multivisceral interventions, pancreatectomy, operations for massive gastrointestinal bleeding and finally reoperations with extreme negative N-balance and with the chance of inability of oral feeding for several days.

Experience acquired by applying gentamicin-sponge.

Chronic suppuration is a reverting problem in surgical practice. The concerned region either has insufficient circulation due to basic disease, or systemic antibiotics takes no effect due to inflammatory barrier developed meanwhile. For this reason Authors initiated systematic use of gentamicin sponge (Garamycin, Schering-Plough, USA) two years ago. During this period we implanted gentamicin sponge in 40 cases. After primary intervention in 85% of treated patients we observed complete recovery, or in case of ulcus cruris we reached proper condition for skin-transplantation. Three patients needed further incision and in two cases amputation of diabetic foot could not be avoided. Our results support the effectivity of gentamicin sponge in treating local inflammatory processes supplementing and increasing efficiency of surgical procedures.

The effect of drotaverine hydrochloride in acute colicky pain caused by renal and ureteric stones.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the spasmolytic effect of drotaverine hydrochloride in colicky pain caused by renal and ureteric stones. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a placebo-controlled, multicentre, multinational, randomized, double-blind study changes in the intensity of pain were recorded using a visual analogue scale (VAS), a four-grade (five points) pain intensity (PI) scale and a pain-relief scale. The primary endpoint was the evaluation of the antispasmodic effect of drotaverine during a 3-h study period, to confirm that drotaverine abolished or significantly decreased the intensity of pain in renal colic. The painkilling effect was defined as a decrease by at least half in the PI scale, and/or a >or= 40% decrease in the VAS 40 min after either the first or the second injection of 80 mg drotaverine or placebo (if necessary the dose could be repeated once). In all, 140 patients were enrolled but 38 withdrew, leaving 102 patients for analysis (48 drotaverine, 54 placebo; mean age 42.5 years, sd 11.25, and 41.7, sd 10.79). RESULTS: Drotaverine was effective in 79% of patients and placebo in only 46% (P < 0.001). There were no serious adverse effects. There were 20 minor side-effects in the drotaverine and four in the placebo group; none of the patients required treatment. The most frequent side-effects were a transitory decrease in blood pressure, vertigo, nausea or vomiting. CONCLUSION: Intravenous drotaverine provides effective pain relief in more than two-thirds of patients with renal colic, with no serious side-effects.