Pseudocholelithiasis in an elderly man with calcified hydatid cysts.

A 69 year old man with intrabiliary rupture of a calcified echinococcal cyst mimicking acute cholelithiasis is discussed. This case is of interest because the correct diagnosis was not recognized preoperatively despite the fact that certain aspects of the illness were classic features of this complication of hydatid disease. Although this is a common complication of hydatid disease, which is well recognized in other countries, only seven cases have been reported in the American literature. Treatment of our patient included successful use of a Roux-en-Y drainage procedure which, to the best of our knowledge, has not previously been employed in treating this disease.

Vertebral arteriovenous fistula associated with an anomalous arterial vessel.

The widespread use of angiography in patients sustaining vascular trauma has demonstrated an increased incidence in vertebral artery injuries. With the improvement in peripheral vascular techniques and the utilization of extended exposure of the vertebral artery, aggressive therapy now is generally advocated. While new concepts continue to evolve, it becomes important to report anatomical variants that are not commonly recognized. An anomalous vessel originating from the proximal subclavian artery is reported. Initial ligation of a semmingly normal vertebral artery failed to control the fistula which was fed by the anomalous vessel. The importance of complete arteriographic studies is stressed. In particular, it is important to visualize the vascular anatomy both proximally and distally to the injury in order that anomalous vessels are recognized. Arteriography will improve diagnosis, help plan operative or nonoperative therapy, and decrease the incidence of missed injuries and complications.

Peritoneal lavage. Reliability of RBC count in patients with stab wounds to the chest.

Two hundred thirteen patients with stab wounds to the lower part of the chest and abdomen were reviewed to determine if a lavage RBC count of 100,000/cu mm was a reasonable figure to permit prompt recognition of injury and to minimize the number of negative operative procedures. There were four (1.9%) false-positive and nine (4.2%) false-negative lavages. Three patients (1.4%) had complications due to delayed operation, including one death (0.47%). Two patients (0.9%) had hollow viscus injuries; neither involved the colon. Three of the nine patients with injuries had cell counts of less than 1,000/cu mm. The negative cellotomy rate was 4.2%. It was concluded that the number of missed injuries, delayed operative procedures, and complications was sufficiently low enough to continue recommending 100,000 RBCs per cubic millimeter as a safe number to use as an indication for operation.

Peritoneal lavage. Its unreliability in gunshot wounds of the lower chest and abdomen.

The accuracy of peritoneal lavage in patients with gunshot wounds has not been previously reported. A prospective study comprised of 168 patients was designed to determine the reliability of physical examination and peritoneal lavage. Patients sustaining gunshot wounds to the lower chest and abdomen underwent clinical assessment followed up by lavage prior to operation. There was 20.2% false-negative and 15.9% false-positive physical examination results. Of the patients. 25.4% with a false-negative lavage results had a positive celiotomy. Six of 15 patients with false-negative lavage results had RBC counts less than 1,000/cu mm. Gunshot wounds differ from stab wounds because of the unpredictable trajectory, blast effect, and high likelihood of visceral injury. It can be concluded from this study that because of the inconsistent results of both lavage and physical examination, patients who sustain gunshot wounds are best treated by exploratory celiotomy.

Effects of alcohol and other drugs on traumatized patients.

During a six-month period, blood was drawn from 615 traumatized patients for alcohol determination and general toxicology screen. The patients were divided into four groups: alcohol only, other drugs only, alcohol and other drugs, and no alcohol or other drugs. Each group was analyzed for severity of injury, length of hospitalization, complications, and mortality. In 362 patients (58.9%) we found alcohol in the blood; 74% had alcohol levels greater than 100 mg/dL. Twenty patients (3.3%) had other drugs, while 34 patients (5.5%) had both alcohol and other drugs. There were no differences between the groups except that the patients with drugs only had a significantly higher incidence of shock, severity of injury, and mortality.

Assessment of proximity of a wound to major vascular structures as an indication for arteriography.

The use of angiography to evaluate penetrating extremity wounds with proximity to major vascular structures remains controversial. Arteriography in the asymptomatic patient with a penetrating extremity wound is reported to identify arterial injuries in 6% to 21% of patients; however, some injuries may have little clinical importance. This study attempted to determine the value of proximity as an indication for angiography. Five hundred seven asymptomatic patients with 534 penetrating extremity injuries underwent arteriography due to proximity to major vascular structures. Thirty-six arteriograms (6.7%) were positive. Seven patients did not undergo operative exploration, 19 patients (3.6%) had arteriograms, and ten (1.9%) had false-positive arteriograms. The remaining 498 patients had true-negative examination results. Arteriography was associated with 13 complications (2.6%). Proved vascular injury in the clinically asymptomatic patients in our series was extremely low (3.6%). These data make it difficult to justify arteriography due to proximity of injury to major vascular structures. However, it is difficult to abandon exclusion arteriography based on these retrospective data. These observations do suggest that better criteria to define proximity need to be identified.

Perforated gastric ulcers. A plea for management by simple closures.

One hundred seven patients with perforated gastric ulcers were treated by either simple closures (omental patches, 81 patients; primary suture without patches, 13 patients; or ulcer excisions with closures, two patients) or primary gastric resections (11 patients). The latter were performed when ulcers were too large to be treated by simple closures. The mortality rate after omental patches or ulcer excisions with closures was 12%, while that following primary gastric resections was 45%. Patients who underwent closures with suturing only had a mortality rate of 62%, which was significantly higher than the mortality rate following patch closures. Gastric outlet obstructions developed following 15% of simple closures of prepyloric ulcers. Closures of perforated gastric ulcers with omental patches or ulcer excisions can be undertaken with low mortality and morbidity rates. Primary gastric resections are reserved for patients with ulcers that are large or located in the prepyloric area.

Analysis of American College of Surgeons trauma consultation program.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the criteria deficiencies found during peer consultation of hospitals and the relationship to subsequent verification. METHODS: Between September 1987 and December 1992, 52 hospitals had consultation visits using American College of Surgeons criteria. Each report was studied for deficiencies, frequency of deficiencies, and relationship to verification. RESULTS: There are 108 American College of Surgeons criteria. Thirty-five different criteria deficiencies were found. The number of deficiencies per hospital ranged from zero to 12. The more frequent deficiencies included a lack of the following: quality improvement, 35 (67%); trauma service, 20 (38%); trauma surgeon in emergency department, 20 (38%); 24-hour operating room availability, 17 (33%); trauma registry, 17 (33%); trauma continuing medical education, 16 (31%); trauma director, 15 (29%); computed tomography technician in hospital, 15 (29%); research, 14 (27%); trauma coordinator, 14 (27%); and neurosurgeon availability, 13 (25%). No hospital that lacked commitment of surgeons (n = 12) or hospital (n = 3) requested a verification visit. Twenty-four hospitals (46%) achieved verification by February 1994. Twenty-eight hospitals had six or fewer deficiencies, with 19 (68%) verified. Twenty-four hospitals had seven or more deficiencies, with only five (21%) subsequently verified. Verification visits followed consultation by 3 to 52 months. Two hospitals with nine deficiencies were verified after 30 and 48 months, although one failed its first verification visit. CONCLUSIONS: American College of Surgeons consultation assists hospitals to identify their trauma center capability and appears to improve their ability to pass subsequent trauma center verification. Most criteria deficiencies are correctable. Lack of commitment by the surgeons or hospital is difficult to correct. There is an inverse relationship between the number of deficiencies and subsequent verification.

Evaluation of ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute and chronic biliary tract disease.

Oral cholecystography and intravenous cholangiography are the two studies most frequently used to confirm the diagnosis of biliary tract disease. Since it is not always practical to obtain these in acutely ill patients, gray scale sonography was evaluated to determine its accuracy. One hundred eight patients had sonography performed prior to operation. The sonogram was correct in 96 of the 108 patients (89%). There were four false-negatives (3.7%), one false-positive (0.9%), and seven patients (6.4%) in whom the study was nondiagnostic. Stones were seen in 88 patients and confirmed in 87 patients for an accuracy of 98.9% Sonography is a simple, noninvasive procedure by which cholelithiasis can be accurately detected. Because of the high correlation between sonography and operative findings, we suggest that cholecystosonography be used as the initial screening study in patients suspected of having biliary tract disease.

Endothelial response to venous injury.

This investigation characterized venous endothelial healing after surgical manipulation. Procedures were performed on jugular and femoral veins in 21 mongrel dogs without systemic anticoagulation. Veins were harvested at varying intervals and vessel structure evaluated with light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy. Veins that were mobilized or stripped of adventitia demonstrated 25% to 50% endothelial loss at one hour. Endothelial damage was rapidly repaired with complete healing observed in some veins at 48 hours. Tourniquets and clamps resulted in prominent medial and endothelial injury at occlusion sites. Eighteen of 24 transected veins remained patent for the study period. Endothelial healing was unaffected by tension at anastomoses. These observations confirm that venous endothelium receives nutrition by luminal diffusion. The healing process of venous anastomoses is characterized by an early fibrin sleeve sealing the anastomotic site; endothelial bridging of defects can be noticeably delayed by excessive fibrin deposition.

The validity of normal arteriography in penetrating trauma.

The detection of underlying arterial injury is a major problem in the management of penetrating trauma. Arteriovenous fistula and false aneurysm are late sequelae of unrepaired injuries. The diagnostic accuracy of arteriography in clinically occult injury has not been defined. One hundred and seventy-seven patients with 183 penetrating extremity wounds underwent arteriography followed by operative vessel exploration. Arteriogram/operation correlation demonstrated 36 true-positive, 132 true-negative, 14 false-positive, and one false-negative arteriogram. Arteriography is sufficiency sensitive to exclude the presence of arterial injury in patients with equivocal clinical signs of injury. The radiographic changes are often sublte and diagnostic accuracy demands attention to the details of technique and interpretation. Unequivocal clinical signs of arterial injury and any arteriographic abnormality are indications for operative exploration.

Significance of omental evisceration in abdominal stab wounds.

Over a 4 year period, 115 patients presented to Parkland Memorial Hospital with omental evisceration after a stab wound to the abdomen. All patients underwent exploratory celiotomy. Serious abdominal injuries were found in 86 patients (75 percent), and half of these had two or more organs injured. The injury rate in patients with omental herniation was three times that of patients with simple stab wounds. No preoperative evaluation technique was reliable in identifying patients without injury. There were no deaths and only a 7 percent incidence of minor complications in patients who underwent negative exploration. Our data suggest that omental evisceration in a patient with an abdominal stab wound portends potentially serious injury and supports the policy of expeditious celiotomy.

Diagnosis of penetrating cervical esophageal injuries.

Arterial injuries pose the greatest early threat to the patient with penetrating neck trauma and esophageal injuries, the greatest late threat. Clinical evaluation reliably identifies 80 percent of esophageal injuries, which, in our opinion, is not adequate. In 118 minimally symptomatic or asymptomatic patients with penetrating neck trauma, the combination of esophagography with esophagoscopy identified all 10 esophageal injuries in 118 patients with penetrating neck trauma. These data suggest that patients with penetrating neck trauma and minimal clinical findings should be initially evaluated with arteriography and esophagography. If the results of arteriography or esophagography are positive, then neck exploration should be performed. If the results of esophagography are equivocal, then rigid esophagoscopy should be performed. If all test results are negative, then observation is justified.

Management of colon injuries.

The evaluation and management of colon injuries have recently undergone significant changes. The time-honored philosophy of conservative management by repair and diversion is giving way to a more aggressive approach, which includes primary repair of many injuries. The role of colostomy has been challenged by the need for additional operative procedures, patient disability, and rising hospital and medical costs. Based on the current literature, the authors have come to the following conclusions: 1. Primary repair is safe in carefully selected cases. 2. Colostomy should not be abandoned because of a fear of the morbidity associated with its closure. 3. The difference between injuries on the right and the left is questionable and probably not as significant as previously thought. 4. Exteriorized repair frequently requires conversion to colostomy and probably has little indication for use. 5. Short-term perioperative single-antibiotic coverage is sufficient. 6. Use of drains cannot be supported in most instances. 7. Wounds are best left open in patients with significant contamination. Surgical judgment remains the final arbiter in the decision process. These controversies and the debate generated have sharpened the guidelines for that judgment.

Inner-city trauma centers. Financial burdens or community saviors?

Trauma systems have proved effective in reducing morbidity and mortality rates. Depending on a center's geographic location and patient mix between penetrating and blunt trauma, participation in a system may be a liability or an asset. In general, inner-city hospitals tend to see more indigent patients and to have sizeable financial losses. At the same time, they provide an invaluable service to any community, and their ability to do so must be preserved. The two important issues of malpractice and uncompensated care threaten to destroy the very concept of trauma care and therefore pose a serious threat to the health care profession. Solutions are possible, but it will take a significant public awareness and education campaign to elicit the support and initiate the programs that will ensure that every injured patient has an opportunity to receive the best of trauma care. Inner-city hospitals are both a financial burden and a community savior.

Morbidity of appendectomy in patients with acute salpingitis.

Diagnosis of right lower quadrant pain in a woman is frequently confusing. The course of 53 patients who had operation with a normal appendix and no other intra-abdominal pathology is compared with a group of 50 patients with a normal appendix and acute salpingitis. Appendectomies were performed in all cases and there was a lower mortality and morbidity rate in the group of patients with salpingitis. It is, therefore, concluded that appendectomy is a safe procedure in patients with acute salpingitis.