[Abscesstonsillectomy: Uni- or bilateral?] / Abszesstonsillektomie: Uni- oder bilateral?

OBJECTIVE: In addition to an empirical use of antibiotics for treatment of a peritonsillar abscess (PTA) there is a drainage of pus or the abscess tonsillectomy. Postoperative bleeding after abscesstonsillectomy (ABTE) is this surgery's most feared complication which can rarely lead to patients' deaths. The objective of this study was to compare bleeding complications of ABTE with and without contralateral tonsillectomy (TE) and to analyze the occurrence of a metachronous PTA at the contralateral side. METHODS: Retrospective study of n= 655 patients undergoing ABTE with and without TE of the contralateral side from 2004 to 2019. Bleeding complications needing surgical hemostasis were analyzed regarding demographic and surgical parameters. In addition, occurrence of PTA and need for ABTE of the contralateral side after unilateral ABTE were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, 10/655 (1.5 %) patients presented with postoperative bleeding after ABTE. In 404/655 an ABTE with contralateral TE was performed. Here, 8/404 (1.98 %) patients showed contra- or bilateral bleeding. Only in 2/251 (0.7 %) patients occurred a bleeding complication after unilateral ABTE. Therefore, bleeding after unilateral ABTE was significantly lower than ABTE with contralateral TE (1.98 % vs. 0.7 %, p= 0.001). In 0.8 % of the patients a contralateral ABTE was necessary due to a metachronous PTA. CONCLUSION: Overall, the rate of postoperative bleeding after ABTE (1.5 %) was low. Unilateral ABTE showed significantly lower postoperative bleeding rates compared to ABTE with contralateral TE. Consequently, the indication of a contralateral TE must be very strict.

[Agranulocytosis after use of metamizole - an underestimated risk?] / Agranulozytose nach Metamizol-Einnahme ­ ein unterschätztes Risiko?

OBJECTIVE: Metamizole was the second most common drug prescribed in Germany in 2018 despite the known risk of agranulocytosis and the strict indication. According to Stammschulte et al. up to 25 % of all prescriptions are off-label use. Although mandatory according to the prescribing information of metamizole, regular blood cell counts are not performed in up to 50 % of the patients with long-term use of this drug. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of eight cases metamizole-induced agranulocytosis over a period of five years (2016-2020) in the university ENT department in Erlangen. Five patients were men and three women. Mean age of diagnosis was 52,4 years (±â€Š25,6). RESULTS: Agranulocytosis after use of metamizole is a serious adverse drug reaction that may affect patients of all ages. Frequently, only distinct clinical symptoms such as temperature of unknown origin, dysphagia and tonsillitis in combination with abscesses in the head and neck area result in the detection of a metamizole-induced agranulocytosis. An agranulocytosis provokes partially radical surgery and/ or intensive-care measures and could lead to sepsis with organ failure or even to death. CONCLUSIONS: These patient cases show that agranulocytosis is a dangerous or even deadly adverse drug reaction after use of metamizole. Although the risk of agranulocytosis appears to increase with duration of use, we would recommend patient education as well as documentation of even a single administration of metamizole. This may facilitate early diagnosis of metamizole-induced agranulocytosis and thus prevent the onset of severe complications with possible lethal outcome.

Outcomes and Influence of the Pedal Arch in Below-the-Knee Angioplasty in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease and Critical Limb Ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Management of dialysis patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) still represents a challenge to vascular medicine, whereas the effects of the pedal arch quality in these patients with predominant affection of the infrapopliteal vessels have rarely been evaluated. Therefore, our aim was to analyze the outcomes of infrapopliteal angioplasty in the setting of chronic renal failure (end-stage renal disease) and evaluate the influence of the pedal arch involvement on clinical success. METHODS: Prospective follow-up of 32 ERSD patients on hemodialysis (mean age, 72 years) with CLI and consecutive infrapopliteal angioplasty over a 5-year period 2010-2014 was performed. Mean follow-up was 10 months (range, 0-51 months). Statistical end points were defined for amputation-free survival, overall survival, and wound healing. Each patient's pedal arch was classified in 4 categories according to patency on completion angiography and the influence of the pedal arch quality on end points was assessed. RESULTS: A total of 44 vessels in 32 ischemic legs were treated. Technical success was achieved in 96% of patients, no major complications were observed. A 30-day mortality rate amounted 6% with no procedure-related deaths. The 1-year amputation-free survival rate was 56% and 34% at 2 years. Two major amputations were required. Subsequent revascularization procedures were necessary in 11 patients (10 redo angioplasty, 1 pedal bypass graft). The pedal arch was classified as category I in 1 patient (3%), category IIa in 12 (38%), IIb in 3 (9%), and III in 16 patients (50%). No statistical significant differences in terms of survival or wound-healing rate were observed between those groups, and the pedal arch quality had no impact on predefined end points. CONCLUSIONS: End-stage renal disease patients represent a subgroup with poor prognosis of limb salvage in CLI. Amputation-free survival remains poor and based on these data, an endovascular therapy is feasible and safe in these highly multimorbid patients. The quality of the pedal arch was not found to have any impact on wound healing or survival in the present study.

Differences in Need for Opioids After Sinonasal Surgery at Day of Surgery and in the Postoperative Period.

INTRODUCTION: In the last years, the use of opioid analgesics has increased, as well as their morbidity and mortality, especially in the United States. Most patients after sinonasal surgery receive opioid analgesics, although up to 90% have leftover opioid pills. Around 70% of these patients keep the opioid analgesics, which could possibly lead to improper use. The objective of the following study was the investigation of the need for, use of, timing and side effects of opioid and non-opioid analgesics after sinonasal surgery. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of (n = 280) patients who underwent sinonasal surgery in the Otolaryngology Department of the University Erlangen-Nürnberg between January and December 2018. The postoperative pain (3-5 days after surgery) using the numeric rating scale and the postoperative need for on-demand opioids and non-opioid analgesics in relation to demographic and surgical parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: Of total, 59.64% of all patients received opioid analgesics postoperatively on the day of surgery. On the first postoperative day (POD1), the mean pain score yielded the highest values; however, only 0.71% of the patients needed opioid analgesics, and pain was sufficiently controlled with non-opioids or no pain medication at all. There was a significant reduction of the pain score from POD2 to 5 (P = .01; P < .01, respectively). Only 1.8% of the patients needed an opioid analgesic from POD1-5. Of total, 2.1% of the patients presented with a postoperative bleeding complication, and only 1 (0.4%) patient needed endoscopic coagulation. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the majority of patients need opioid analgesics almost exclusively on the day of surgery. There were no major complications in patients taking either opioid or non-opioids. Our results indicate that the postoperative pain regimen from POD1 should initially be started using non-opioid analgesics and be further escalated to opioid analgesics in individual cases.

Depression and female gender associated with higher postoperative pain scores after sinonasal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Although it is extremely necessary to reduce the number of opioids taken postoperatively after sinonasal surgery, this is the subject of controversial discussion. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to identify factors that predict higher postoperative pain scores (PPS) and the need for opioid analgesics after sinonasal surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of n = 492 patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), septoplasty or a combination of both in the Otolaryngology Department in Erlangen between January and December 2018. Postoperative pain using the numeric rating scale and the postoperative need for non-opioid and opioid analgesics in relation to demographic and surgical parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: Significant predictors for a higher pain score were depression (p = .009) and female gender (p < .001). A significant predictor of the need for postoperative opioids was the female gender (p < .001), whereas FESS alone showed a significantly lower need for opioids (p = .035) and a significantly lower PPS compared to septoplasty (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The study identified risk factors for a higher PPS and the need for opioids. The results indicated that reducing postoperative opioids might be possible in patients without these risk factors and might help guide individualized postoperative therapy.