Faecal immunochemical testing reduces demand and improves yield of Leicester's 2-week pathway for change in bowel habit.

AIM: We look at the effect of introducing the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) in the straight-to-test 2-week pathway for change in bowel habit (CIBH). METHOD: The FIT in primary care triages 2-week wait (2WW) colorectal referrals for patients aged 60 years and above for straight-to-test CT colonography (CTC). We compare the impact of the FIT on numbers of 2WW CTCs, in the year before and after FIT, in both colorectal cancer (CRC) detection and cost-effectiveness at both 4 µg Hb/g faeces and 10 µg Hb/g faeces. RESULTS: At a threshold of 4 µg Hb/g faeces, the positive predictive value of the FIT for diagnosis of CRC is 5.0% with a negative predictive value of 99.8% and a polyp detection rate of 25.5%. The introduction of the FIT resulted in a reduction in the number of CTCs performed through the CIBH pathway from a mean of 143.9 per month prior to the FIT to 66.8 CTCs per month once the FIT was well established. Given a FIT threshold of 10 µg Hb/g the number of CTCs would be predicted to fall by 70.4% to 42.6 CTCs per month resulting in higher CRC and polyp detection rate, and an estimated annual cost saving of £238 258 in our institution. CONCLUSION: The FIT use in primary care improves the yield of 2WW referrals for CIBH alone and reduces the burden and cost of investigations to exclude CRC. Improvements may be possible by increasing the cut-off employed, without adversely affecting the risk of missing a cancer.

The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland consensus guidelines in emergency colorectal surgery.

AIM: There is a requirement for an expansive and up to date review of the management of emergency colorectal conditions seen in adults. The primary objective is to provide detailed evidence-based guidelines for the target audience of general and colorectal surgeons who are responsible for an adult population and who practise in Great Britain and Ireland. METHODS: Surgeons who are elected members of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland Emergency Surgery Subcommittee were invited to contribute various sections to the guidelines. They were directed to produce a pathology-based document using literature searches that were systematic, comprehensible, transparent and reproducible. Levels of evidence were graded. Each author was asked to provide a set of recommendations which were evidence-based and unambiguous. These recommendations were submitted to the whole guideline group and scored. They were then refined and submitted to a second vote. Only those that achieved >80% consensus at level 5 (strongly agree) or level 4 (agree) after two votes were included in the guidelines. RESULTS: All aspects of care (excluding abdominal trauma) for emergency colorectal conditions have been included along with 122 recommendations for management. CONCLUSION: These guidelines provide an up to date and evidence-based summary of the current surgical knowledge in the management of emergency colorectal conditions and should serve as practical text for clinicians managing colorectal conditions in the emergency setting.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms and work-related accomplishment as predictors of general health and medical utilization among Special Operations Forces personnel.

Research has established clear links among posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), somatic symptoms, and general health among conventional force military personnel. It is possible that the same relationships exist among Special Operations Force (SOF) personnel, but there are very few, if any, studies that examine these relationships. This study investigated correlates of general health and medical visits among SOF personnel and found that the interaction of somatic and PTSD symptoms was associated with worse health and more frequent medical visits. Follow-up analyses indicated that the interaction of avoidance symptoms with somatic symptoms was significantly associated with worse health, whereas the interaction of emotional numbing with somatic symptoms significantly contributed to increased medical visits. In addition, the results suggest that a sense of accomplishment among SOF personnel may serve as a protective factor against poor health. The results suggest developing interactions among SOF personnel that promote a sense of achievement to ultimately improve the health of the force.

Changes in plasma and erythrocyte omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in response to intravenous supply of omega-3 fatty acids in patients with hepatic colorectal metastases.

BACKGROUND: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are functionally the most important omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Oral supply of these fatty acids increases their levels in plasma and cell membranes, often at the expense of the omega-6 PUFAs arachidonic acid (ARA) and linoleic acid. This results in an altered pattern of lipid mediator production to one which is less pro-inflammatory. We investigated whether short term intravenous supply of omega-3 PUFAs could change the levels of EPA, DHA, ARA and linoleic acid in plasma and erythrocytes in patients with hepatic colorectal metastases. METHODS: Twenty patients were randomised to receive a 72 hour infusion of total parenteral nutrition with (treatment group) or without (control group) omega-3 PUFAs. EPA, DHA, ARA and linoleic acid were measured in plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC) and erythrocytes at several times points up to the end of infusion and 5 to 12 days (mean 9 days) after stopping the infusion. RESULTS: The treatment group showed increases in plasma PC EPA and DHA and erythrocyte EPA and decreases in plasma PC and erythrocyte linoleic acid, with effects most evident late in the infusion period. Plasma PC and erythrocyte EPA and linoleic acid all returned to baseline levels after the 5-12 day washout. Plasma PC DHA remained elevated above baseline after washout. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous supply of omega-3 PUFAs results in a rapid increase of EPA and DHA in plasma PC and of EPA in erythrocytes. These findings suggest that infusion of omega-3 PUFAs could be used to induce a rapid effect especially in targeting inflammation.

Opportunistic screening for osteoporosis by abdominal CT in a British population.

BACKGROUND: It has previously been shown that CT scans performed for other indications can be used to identify patients with osteoporosis. This has not yet been tested in a British population. We sought to evaluate the use of vertebral CT attenuation measures for predicting osteoporosis in a British cohort, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as a reference standard. METHODS: Patients who underwent abdominal CT in 2018 and concomitantly underwent DEXA within a six-month interval were retrospectively included. CT attenuation values in Hounsfield units (HU) were measured by placement of a region-of-interest at the central portion of the L1 vertebral body and then compared to their corresponding DEXA score. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the performance of a logistic regression model and to determine sensitivity and specificity thresholds. RESULTS: 536 patients (394 females, mean age 65.8) were included, of which 174 had DEXA-defined osteoporosis. L1 attenuation measures were significantly different (p < 0.01) between the three DEXA-defined groups of osteoporosis (118 HU), osteopenia (143 HU) and normal bone density (178 HU). The area under the ROC curve was 0.74 (95% CI 0.69-0.78). A threshold of 169 HU was 90% sensitive, and a threshold of 104 HU was 90% specific for diagnosing osteoporosis. CONCLUSIONS: Routine abdominal CT can be used to opportunistically screen for osteoporosis without additional cost or radiation exposure. The thresholds identified in this study are comparable with previous studies in other populations. We recommend radiologists engage with primary care and rheumatology providers to determine appropriate cut-off values for further investigation.

Sarcopenia: An Assessment into the Prevalence and Disease Burden in Chronic Pancreatitis Patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients referred to a Multidisciplinary Chronic Pancreatitis (CP) Clinic at the University Hospitals of Leicester. Methods: All patients who had undergone CT scans were identified. Controls were identified from CT colonograms with no features of malignancy or pancreatic pathology. The psoas muscle index (PMI) was calculated using the formula: total psoas muscle cross-sectional area at the third lumbar vertebral level (cm2)/ the patient's height squared (m2). PMI cut-offs were <6.31cm2/m2 and <3.91cm2/m2 for males and females, respectively. Results: 58 CP CT scans were available for analysis along with 62 control scans. 71.9% of CP patients had a PMI below the cut-off for their gender, compared to 45.2% of the controls. The mean PMI (±SD) for male CP patients and male controls were 5.54cm2/m2 (±1.60) and 6.73 cm2/m2 (±1.54), (P=0.0023). The mean PMI (±SD) for female CP patients and female controls were 3.82 cm2/m2 (+/-1.46) and 4.98 cm2/m2 (+/-1.43), (P=0.0021). Conclusions: CP patients had a mean PMI below the cut-off value, suggesting that CP patients are largely sarcopenic. As malnutrition is a significant feature of CP, optimisation of nutrition may help to ameliorate sarcopenia in CP patients.

Threat Appraisal, Recovery Operations, and PTSD Symptoms Among US Air Force Rescue Personnel.

BACKGROUND: Research among military personnel and veterans indicates that subjective appraisal of warzone stressors explains the relation of combat exposure to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but not the relation of exposure to injury and death to PTSD. Studies have primarily been limited to conventional forces using aggregate measures of warzone stressor exposure. Threat appraisal may play a different role in the emergence of PTSD among military personnel for whom dangerous deployment experiences are more closely associated with exposure to injury and death, such as US Air Force Pararescuemen and Combat Rescue officers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a sample of 207 rescue personnel, correlations among various types of warzone stressor exposure, threat appraisal, and postdeployment PTSD symptoms were examined. RESULTS: The relative strongest correlates of threat appraisal were stressors related to injury, death, and human remains. Although exposure to these stressors was also correlated with PTSD symptom severity, partial correlations of stressor exposure and PTSD symptoms were no longer significant when adjusting for threat appraisal. CONCLUSION: Results support the contributing role of threat appraisal to PTSD among military personnel whose primary duties entail exposure to injury and death under hostile and dangerous conditions.

The Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS)--number and type of positive criteria predict interventions and outcomes in acute surgical admissions.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a syndrome that reflects the widespread activation of inflammatory pathways. The goal of this study was to find whether the presence or absence of SIRS on emergency surgical admissions is related to the subsequent clinical outcome in terms of in-hospital interventions, length of stay, and mortality. METHODS: The presence of SIRS at admission, final diagnosis of the underlying disease, treatments, and clinical outcomes were prospectively recorded for 1 month. Comparisons of interventions and outcomes were performed between SIRS+ vs. SIRS- patients. In patients with SIRS, the contribution of each positive criterion was evaluated with regards to mortality. RESULTS: A total of 179 patients were recruited. The prevalence of SIRS at admission was 35.2%. SIRS+ patients required less diagnostic procedures compared with SIRS- (28.6% vs. 34.5%) but had more therapeutic interventions (39.7% vs. 16.4%), surgical interventions (33.3% vs. 3.4%), intensive treatments (11.1% vs. 0.9%; p < 0.05), longer hospital stay (median 6 days vs. 2 days), and more frequent deaths (11.1% vs. 2.6%). SIRS+ patients with four positive criteria had more surgical interventions, intensive treatments, and fatal outcomes compared with the others. Of importance the most influent factor was the respiratory rate followed by the white cell count and the heart rate/temperature. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with SIRS at admission apparently receive more interventions, have longer length of stay, and increased mortality than those patients without SIRS. These findings require separate validation in a larger cohort study.

Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery: a review of present results and future prospects.

Pancreatic surgery is still associated with a relatively high morbidity and mortality compared with other specialties. This is a result of the complex nature of the organ, the difficult access as a result of the retroperitoneal position and the number of technically challenging anastomoses required. Nevertheless, the past two decades have witnessed a steady improvement in morbidity and a decrease in mortality achieved through alterations of technique (particularly relating to the pancreatic anastomoses) together with hormonal manipulation to decrease pancreatic secretions. Recently minimally invasive pancreatic surgery has been attempted by several centres around the world which has stimulated considerable interest in this approach. The majority of the cases attempted have been distal pancreatectomies, because of the more straightforward nature of the resection and the lack of a pancreatic ductal anastomosis, but more recently reports of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy have started to appear. The reports of the series to date have been difficult to interpret and although the results are claimed to be equivalent or better than those associated with a traditional approach a careful examination of the literature and comparison with the best results previously reported does not presently support this. In the present review we examined all the reports of pancreatic procedures performed laparoscopically and compared the results with those previously achieved at open surgery.

Benign Sclerosing and Fibrosing Conditions of the Abdomen and Their Potential Mimics.

The process of abnormal reparative or reactive processes in the abdominal cavity, can lead to sclerosis and fibrous deposition. The relatively recent discovery of an IgG4 subgroup of immune mediated sclerosing disease 1,2 has thrown some light on the pathophysiology of these conditions. Firstly, our pictorial review aims to describe imaging findings to enhance the general radiologist's recognition and interpretation of this varied group of benign sclerotic and fibrotic abdominal processes. Secondly, along with the imaging findings, we bring into discussion the potential mimics of these pathologic processes to minimise interpretational errors. Moreover, some of the mimics of these processes are in the spectrum of malignant disease. Most importantly, to ensure a correct diagnosis thorough clinical and histopathological assessment are required to support the imaging findings presented in this review.

Peripheral vision: abdominal pathology missed outside the centre of gaze.

Radiology misses have been the subject of much debate on both sides of the Atlantic in recent years. There is now greater focus in trying to reduce radiology errors by continuous education and changing the working environment to try and protect the radiologist, and ultimately the patient from potential harm. Duty of candour is a relevant and sensitive area. Developing robust validated reporting pathways within the healthcare structure is very important so as to encourage a "learning from discrepancies" culture and to put the patient and their families at the center of reporting and acknowledging errors in radiology. Having reflected in our daily practice and while writing this pictorial review, we have concluded that during reporting MRI scans, routine assessment of the localizer images, focusing outside the area of interest and having a more structured approach to image interrogation are key actions which may help reduce the number of omissions. We present a myriad of cases where pathology was "missed" outside the center of gaze in relation to the abdomen or outside the abdomen on abdominal MRI, and suggest key high yield sequence related review areas to minimize the chance of missing potentially significant pathology.

Feeding Jejunostomy-Associated Small Bowel Necrosis After Elective Esophago-Gastric Resection.

BACKGROUND: Feeding jejunostomy has increasingly become a standard adjunctive procedure during major esophago-gastric resections. They provide nutritional support during the post-operative period as required. However, significant early complications have been reported, most notably small bowel necrosis. Literature reports have been restricted to case reports or series. This study aims to determine the frequency of this complication in a cohort of patients undergoing esophago-gastric resection, and identify any difference in the risk of this complication between patients undergoing esophagectomy and gastrectomy. METHODS: Consecutive patients who had esophago-gastric resections for malignancy and who had a feeding jejunostomy placed were identified from a prospectively maintained database at Leicester Royal Infirmary during the years 2009-2015. Case notes were reviewed to extract information relating to demographics, presenting features and clinical outcome. RESULTS: The study included 360 patients, 285 of which had esophagectomy and 75 had gastrectomy. There were no small bowel complications among esophagectomy patients (0%), while six patients who had total gastrectomy developed small bowel ischemia or necrosis (8%), p = 0.05, in spite of an identical feeding regimen. Every patient that developed the complication underwent surgery with five out six having resection of the infarcted segment and double-barrel stoma formation. A 6-8-week period of parenteral nutrition was required before stoma reversal. One patient had leucocytosis on the day of diagnosis. The other five patients showed no derangements in biochemical or clinical parameters in the preceding 48 h. Five of the six patients survived. CONCLUSIONS: Small bowel necrosis and perforation is a life-threatening complication of feeding jejunostomy. In our cohort, it happened exclusively in total gastrectomy patients. Antecedent signs were lacking. The condition requires prompt attention with earlier use of CT scanning and a return to the operating room. The presence of pneumatosis intestinalis on CT scan should prompt surgical intervention that improves survival.

A Simple and Safe Technique for CT Guided Lung Nodule Marking prior to Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgical Resection Revisited.

Aim. We describe our experience of a simple, safe, and reproducible technique for lung nodule marking prethoracoscopic metastasectomy. Thoracoscopic lung nodule resection reduces patient discomfort, complications, higher level of care, hospital stay, and cost; however, small deeply placed lung nodules are difficult to locate and resect thoracoscopically. Materials and Methods. We describe and review the success of our novel technique, where nodules are identified on a low dose CT and marked with methylene blue using CT fluoroscopy guidance immediately prior to surgery. Results. 30 nodules were marked with a mean size of 8 mm (4-18 mm) located at a mean depth of 17 mm, distributed through both lungs. Dye was detected at the pleural surface in 97% of the patients and at the nodule in 93%. There were no major complications. Thoracoscopic resection was possible in 90%. Conclusion. This is a simple and safe method of lung nodule marking to facilitate thoracoscopic resection in cases where this may not be technically possible due to nodule location.

Associations Among Back and Extremity Pain With Alcohol, Tobacco, and Caffeine Use Among US Air Force Pararescuemen.

BACKGROUND: Caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol are the most widely used substances globally, but the majority of research on the associations among legal substance use and physical health has focused on the general population, not elite military personnel. The purpose of the current study was to describe patterns of tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine use and to examine the relationship of legal substance use with self-reported physical health complaints among US Air Force Pararescuemen (PJs) and Combat Rescue Officers (CROs). METHODS: Participants were 196 US PJs and CROs. Participants completed self-report measures of legal drug use and somatic symptoms. Generalized linear modeling with robust maximum likelihood estimation was used for multivariate regression analyses. Chi-square analyses were conducted for univariate comparisons of categorical variables. RESULTS: Reported rates of tobacco use (28.2%), alcohol consumption (83.2%), and regular caffeine consumption (88.8%) were similar to the general population. Daily caffeine intake was significantly higher among participants reporting they were bothered a lot by back pain [Wald χ2(2)=11.39; ρ=.003] and extremity pain [Wald χ2(2)=11.39; ρ=.003], even when controlling for age and deployment history. Participants with severe extremity pain also reported drinking approximately twice as many alcoholic beverages per week (mean, 5.46; standard error [SE], 0.91) than participants who were bothered a little (mean, 2.88; SE, 0.54) or not bothered at all (mean, 2.88; SE, 0.52) by extremity pain. CONCLUSION: Back and extremity pain is associated with greater caffeine and alcohol consumption among PJs.

Warzone stressor exposure, unit support, and emotional distress among U.S. Air force pararescuemen.

OBJECTIVES: Combat exposure is associated with increased mental health symptom severity among military personnel, whereas unit support is associated with decreased severity. However, to date no studies have examined these relationships among U.S. Air Force pararescuemen (PJs), who have a unique and specialized career field that serves in both medical and combatant capacities. DESIGN: Cross-sectional self-report survey. METHODS: Self-reported survey data regarding depression symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, perceived unit support, and exposure to traditional combat experiences (e.g., firefights) and medical consequences of combat (e.g., injuries and human remains) were collected from 194 PJs in seven rescue squadrons. RESULTS: Levels of combat exposure were compared with previously published findings from combat units, and levels of medical exposure were compared with previously published findings among military medical professionals. Medical exposure intensity showed a stronger relationship with PTSD severity (?=.365, p=.018) than with combat exposure intensity (?=.136, p=.373), but neither combat nor medical exposure was associated with depression severity (?s<.296, ps>.164). Unit support was associated with less severe PTSD (?=?.402, p<.001) and depression (?=?.259, p=.062) symptoms and did not moderate the effects of combat or medical exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Medical stressors contribute more to PTSD among PJs than do traditional combat stressors. Unit support is associated with reduced PTSD and depression severity regardless of intensity of warzone exposure among PJs.

Imaging findings post colorectal endoscopic mucosal resection.

Endoscopic mucosal resection is commonly the treatment regime of choice for large sessile colonic polyps. We describe the computed tomography findings of a 51 year old female who presented with transient severe abdominal pain without systemic upset post endoscopic mucosal polyp resection, which resolved with conservative management. This is the second case in the literature that demonstrates 'normal' appearances post endoscopic mucosal resection. The clinical team and radiologist need to be aware of these findings when making management decisions in patients who present with acute pain post endoscopic mucosal resection.

Unsaturated fatty acids differ between hepatic colorectal metastases and liver tissue without tumour in humans: results from a randomised controlled trial of intravenous eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids.

INTRODUCTION: Mediators derived from the n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) arachidonic acid oxidation have been shown to have tumour promoting effects in experimental models, while n-3 PUFAs are thought to be protective. Here we report fatty acid concentrations in hepatic colorectal metastases compared to liver tissue without tumour in humans. METHODS: Twenty patients with colorectal liver metastasis were randomized to receive a 72 h infusion of parenteral nutrition with or without n-3 PUFAs. Histological samples from liver metastases and liver tissue without tumour were obtained from 15 patients at the time of their subsequent liver resection (mean 8 days (range 4-12) post-infusion) and the fatty acid composition determined by gas chromatography. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in fatty acid composition between the two intervention groups. When data from all patients were combined, liver tissue without tumour had a higher content of both n-3 and n-6 PUFAs and a lower content of oleic acid and total n-9 fatty acids compared with tumour tissue (p<0.0001, 0.0002,<0.0001 and <0.0001, respectively). The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was found to be higher in tumour tissue than tissue without tumour (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic colorectal adenocarcinoma metastases have a higher content of n-9 fatty acids and a lower content of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs than liver tissue without tumour.

Hepatic haemangioma masquerading as the gallbladder in a case of gallbladder agenesis: a case report and literature review.

Gallbladder agenesis is uncommon. In contrast, liver haemangiomas are the most common type of benign liver lesions. We describe the first documented case of gallbladder agenesis where the clinical presentation was consistent with biliary colic, and radiological investigation suggested the presence of gallstones. Subsequent operative findings revealed a solitary haemangioma of the liver sited in the normal position of the gallbladder fossa but with absence of the gallbladder. It is important that clinicians should keep gallbladder agenesis in mind when the gallbladder appears abnormal on preoperative imaging studies and cannot be found at laparoscopy. As symptoms will improve in 98% of cases, it is very important to avoid unnecessary intervention in patients who have a negative laparoscopy. The clinical presentation, investigations, and operative findings are discussed with a review of other relevant reported cases in the literature.