The red cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio: A simple index has high predictive accuracy for clinical outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Ongoing research is seeking to identify the best prognostic marker for acute pancreatitis (AP). The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the red blood cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio (RAR) in the prognosis of AP. METHODS: This 18-month prospective cohort study was conducted between June 2021 and December 2022 with patients diagnosed with AP. The patients were divided into two groups: severe AP (SAP) and non-severe AP. Factors associated with SAP within the first 48 h of admission were determined. In addition, RAR values at admission and at 48 h (RAR-48th) were calculated, and their ability to predict clinical outcomes was assessed. The primary outcomes were severe disease and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Fifty (13.7 %) of 365 patients had SAP. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome, blood urea nitrogen, calcium, and RAR at 48 h after admission were independent predictors of SAP. When RAR-48th was >4.35, the risk of SAP increased approximately 18-fold (OR: 18.59; 95 % CI: 8.58-40.27), whereas no patients with a RAR-48th value of <4.6 died. For in-hospital mortality, the area under the curve (AUC) value of RAR-48th was 0.960 (95 % CI: 0.931-0.989), significantly higher than the AUC values of existing scoring systems. The results of RAR-48th were comparable to those of the other scoring systems with regard to the remaining clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: RAR-48th successfully predicted clinical outcomes, particularly in-hospital mortality. Being simple and readily calculable, RAR-48th is a promising alternative to burdensome and complex scoring systems for the prediction of clinical outcomes in AP.

Evaluation of preoperative procollagen type 1 N-terminal peptide and collagen type 1 C-telopeptide levels in the prediction of postoperative hypocalcemia in patients undergoing parathyroidectomy due to primary hyperparathyroidism.

PURPOSE: This study is aimed at investigating the role of preoperative procollagen type 1 N-terminal peptide (P1NP) and collagen type 1 C-telopeptide (CTx) levels in predicting the development of postoperative hypocalcemia in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). METHODS: In this prospective observational study, preoperative complaints of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and their urea, creatinine, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), calcium, albumin, urinary calcium, parathyroid hormone, and bone mineral density (BMD) were recorded. P1NP and CTx levels were analyzed in blood samples taken the day before surgery, and their relationship with calcium levels obtained on the first postoperative day was examined. RESULTS: The median age was 53 years for patients who developed hypocalcemia and 62 years for those who did not develop hypocalcemia (p = 0.01). The urea, creatinine, and GFR values were determined as 22 mcg/dl, 0.61 mcg/dl, and 105 ml/min, respectively, for the hypocalcemia group (Group 1) and 30.5 mcg/dl, 0.74 mcg/dl, and 90 ml/min, respectively, for the non-hypocalcemia group (Group 2) (p = 0.02, 0.001, and 0.01, respectively). The BMD femur Z-score was - 0.1 in Group 1 and 0.8 in the Group 2 (p = 0.02). The mean CTx values were 4.14 pg/dl and 1.98 pg/dl (p = 0.036), and the mean P1NP values were 252.84 mcg/dl and 269.04 mcg/dl (p = 0.427) for Groups 1 and 2, respectively. According to multivariate analysis, only CTx was a significant independent predictor of hypocalcemia (odds ratio 1.739). CONCLUSION: CTx level is a significant factor in predicting the risk of developing early postoperative hypocalcemia in patients scheduled for surgery due to primary hyperparathyroidism.

Red cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio is a simple promising prognostic marker in acute cholangitis requiring biliary drainage.

BACKGROUND: It is crucial to assess the severity of acute cholangitis (AC). There are currently several prognostic markers. However, the accuracies of these markers are not satisfied. The present study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the red cell distribution width (RDW)-to-albumin ratio (RAR) for the prognosis of AC. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients diagnosed with AC between May 2019 and March 2022. RAR was calculated, and its predictive ability for in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, bacteremia, and the length of hospitalization were analyzed. RESULTS: Out of 438 patients, 34 (7.8%) died. Multivariate analysis showed that malignant etiology [odds ratio (OR) = 4.816, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.936-11.980], creatinine (OR = 1.649, 95% CI: 1.095-2.484), and RAR (OR = 2.064, 95% CI: 1.494-2.851) were independent risk factors for mortality. When adjusted for relevant covariates, including age, sex, malignant etiology, Tokyo severity grading (TSG), Charlson comorbidity index, and creatinine, RAR significantly predicted mortality (adjusted OR = 1.833, 95% CI: 1.280-2.624). When the cut-off of RAR was set to 3.8, its sensitivity and specificity for mortality were 94.1% and 56.7%, respectively. Patients with an RAR of > 3.8 had a 20.9-fold (OR = 20.9, 95% CI: 4.9-88.6) greater risk of mortality than the remaining patients. The area under the curve value of RAR for mortality was 0.835 (95% CI: 0.770-0.901), which was significantly higher than that of TSG and the other prognostic markers, such as C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio, and procalcitonin-to-albumin ratio. Lastly, RAR was not inferior to TSG in predicting ICU admission, bacteremia, and the length of hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: RAR successfully predicted the in-hospital mortality, ICU admission, bacteremia, and the length of hospitalization of patients with AC, especially in-hospital mortality. RAR is a promising marker that is more convenient than TSG and other prognostic markers for predicting the prognosis of patients with AC.

Long-term impact of sleeve gastrectomy on serum uric acid levels.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for hyperuricemia. Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment method for metabolic control. The aim of our study was to evaluate the correlation between the preoperative and postoperative serum uric acid levels with body mass index, body weight, and excess weight loss in patients that underwent sleeve gastrectomy. METHODS: A total of 164 patients that underwent laparoscopic and open sleeve gastrectomy were evaluated in terms of the demographic characteristics, preoperative body weight, body mass index and serum uric acid levels, and postoperative body weight, body mass index, excess weight loss and serum uric acid levels at the first, third, sixth, 12th, 18th and 24th-36th months. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in serum uric acid levels in the first postoperative month (p = 0.000). The patients with a high preoperative body mass index were found to have a lower excess weight loss in the first postoperative month, which was statistically significant (p = 0.000, R = -0.474). Serum uric acid levels were also positively correlated with body weight at the third and sixth postoperative months. DISCUSSION: The weight loss associated with sleeve gastrectomy is the main reason for the reduced postoperative serum uric acid levels.

Missing Part of Vitalism: Information.

No Abstract Available.

Central neck dissection is an independent risk factor for incidental parathyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the frequency of incidental parathyroidectomy (IP), to reveal the risk factors and to present the clinical importance of IP through the experiences of our clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing thyroid surgery between June 2016 and May 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Along with demographic data, surgery reports, pathology results and postoperative follow-up data were examined. Factors assumed to be associated with IP and postoperative hypocalcemia were compared between the IP group and the non-IP group. RESULTS: A total of 633 patients with a mean age of 48 ± 13 years were included in this study. IP was detected in 138 (21.8%) patients and parathyroid glands were localized 29.72% intrathyroidal. Postoperative hypocalcemia in the IP group was approximately 2-fold higher than the no-IP group (%15.94 to %7.27), (p < .001). Gender (p = .014), body mass index (p = .021), both preoperative and postoperative diagnosis of malignancy (p < .001) and performing central neck dissection (CND) (p < .001) were significantly associated with IP in univariate analysis. However, multivariate analysis demonstrated that CND was independently associated with IP (OR = 0.301, 95% Cl: 0.161-0.562, p < .001). CONCLUSION: This study reveals that IP increases the frequency of postoperative temporary and permanent hypocalcemia in patients undergoing thyroid surgery, and CND is the only independent risk factor for IP. Highlights of the study This study reveals that central neck dissection is the most important and only independent risk factor for incidental parathyroidectomy in patients undergoing thyroid surgery. According to our analysis, both temporary and permanent hypocalcemia, which occurs in the postoperative period, are associated with incidental parathyroidectomy.

Can preoperative modified systemic inflammation score (mSIS) be used to predict malignancy in persistent nondiagnostic thyroid nodules?

Background/aim: Despite the use of ultrasound guidance, a significant part of thyroid biopsies are nondiagnostic (ND). We aimed to investigate the utility of the preoperative modified systemic inflammation score (mSIS) to predict malignancies in patients with persistent ND thyroid nodules (TNs). Materials and methods: Records of 924 patients underwent thyroidectomy between September 2016 and May 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The calculation of mSIS was as follows: mSIS 0 [patients with albumin (ALB) ≥ 4.0 g/dL and lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) ≥ 3.4], mSIS 1 [ALB < 4.0 g/dL or LMR < 3.4], and mSIS 2 [ALB < 4.0 g/dL and LMR < 3.4]. Results: One hundred and thirty-six patients were included in the study. Of the patients with a median age of 49 (21­81) years, 26 (19.1%) were male, and 110 (80.9%) were female. Besides low lymphocyte count (P = 0.03), and ALB levels (P < 0.01), higher BMI (P = 0.02) were also associated with malignancy. In patients classified as mSIS 2, 1 and 0; malignancy rates were 100%, 25.8%, and 16.1%, respectively. The association between preoperative mSIS and thyroid malignancies was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Conclusion: We recommend that when patients with persistent ND TNs are assigned to mSIS 2 or 1, surgery should not be delayed due to the risk of malignancy.

Assessment of Ankaferd Blood Stopper in experimental liver ischemia reperfusion injury

Background/aim: To investigate possible protective effects of Ankaferd Blood Stopper® (ABS) in an experimental liver ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) model. Materials and methods: The study was carried out on 30 female rats separated into 3 groups as sham, control (IRI), and treatment (IRI + ABS) groups. In the IRI + ABS group, 0.5 mL/day ABS was given for 7 days before surgery. In the IRI and IRI + ABS groups, the hepatic pedicle was clamped for 30 min to apply ischemia. Then, after opening the clamp, 90-min reperfusion of the liver was provided. Blood and liver tissue samples were taken for biochemical and histopathological analyses. Results: Compared to the sham group, the IRI group had significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total oxidant status (TOS), malondialdehyde (MDA), fluorescent oxidant products (FOP) and lower expression of albumin and total antioxidant status (TAS) (P < 0.05). Compared to the IRI group, the IRI+ABS group showed lower expression of AST, ALT, TOS, MDA and FOP and higher expression of albumin and TAS (P < 0.05). In the histopathological analysis, congestion scores were statistically significantly lower in the IRI + ABS group than in the IRI group. Conclusions: ABS has a strong hepatoprotective effect due to its antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects and could therefore be used as a potential therapeutic agent for IRI.

The outcomes of isolated ureteral resection and reconstruction in non-urologic cancer patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery (CRC) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

BACKGROUND: Urinary system resections are performed during the cytoreductive surgery with hypertermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC). However, isolated ureter resection and reconstruction results are uncertain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the postoperative outcomes of isolated ureteral resection and reconstructions in patients who underwent CRC and HIPEC procedure. METHODS: A total of 257 patients that underwent CRC and HIPEC between 2015 and 2017 in the Department of Surgical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty patients that had undergone isolated ureteral resection and reconstruction were included in the study. Predisposing factors were investigated in patients who developed postoperative complications. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 55.1 years. The mean follow-up time of all the patients was 11.6 months. Postoperative mortality occurred in two patients. The mean PCI score was 13.9. Postoperative urologic complications were observed in eight patients after ureter reconstruction. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of reconstruction techniques and postoperative complications (P = 302). There was no correlation between age (P = 0.571) and gender (P = 0.161) with complications. CRS-HIPEC was performed mostly due to gynecologic malignancy. However, there was no correlation between the primary cancer diagnosis and the development of complications (P = 0.514). The hospital stay duration was higher in the group with complications (16.3 vs 8.8 days, P = 0.208). CONCLUSIONS: Ureteral resections and reconstructions can be performed for R0/1 resections in CRS-HIPEC operations. It leads to an increase in hospital stay. But there is no significant difference in the development of complications. In the management of complications, conservative approach was sufficient.

External validation of anastomotic leakage risk analysis system in patients who underwent colorectal resection

Background/aim: One of the most feared complications after colon resection for carcinoma is anastomotic leakage. Prediction of anastomotic leakage can alter pre- and perioperative management of patients. This study validates an anastomotic leakage prediction system. Materials and methods: Ninety-five patients who underwent colonic resection between 1 January 2016 and 30 January 2017 were included in the study. Patient records and electronic charting system data were used to calculate anastomotic leakage risk on the http://www.anastomoticleak.com/ website. Results: Fifty-six (58.9%) patients were male and thirty-nine (41.1%) were female. The mean age was 61.7 (min: 33, max: 90). Six (6.3%) patients had anastomotic leakage. According to the ROC analysis, the area under curve for the prediction system was 0.767. Conclusion: The prediction system for anastomotic leakage produced significant results for our patient population. It can be effectively utilized in preoperative and perioperative measures to prevent anastomotic leakage.

The prognostic value of different node staging systems in patients with ≤15 lymph nodes following surgery for gastric adenocarcinoma.

AIM: Lymph node (LN) status is an important prognostic indicator in patients with gastric cancer (GC). Although American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union against Cancer (AJCC/UICC) is the most widely used staging system, there is a challenge in predicting survival of patients when the number of total harvested LNs is ≤15. Our aim was to investigate the prognostic performances of seventh edition AJCC/UICC, lymph-node ratio (LNR), and log odds of metastatic lymph nodes (LODDS) on the overall survival (OS) of GC patients with ≤15 examined LNs after gastric resection. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A total of 74 patients who underwent curative resection for gastric adenocarcinoma and had ≤15 LNs at the final histopathological examination were included in the study. The prognostic ability of three node staging models to predict OS was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: Of the 74 patients, 15 (20.3%) had no LN metastasis whereas 59 (79.7%) had nodal involvement. The median OS was 26 months. When assessed as a continuous variable, LNR was the strongest staging system to stratify GC patients on the basis of LN status. LODDS had superiority on other node staging models when the number of LNs retrieved was modeled as categorical variable. CONCLUSIONS: LNR (continuous) and LODDS (categorical) were the strongest indicators of OS in GC when the number of LN harvested was ≤15. Therefore, they may be considered as an alternative nodal staging systems for GC.

Ischemia-modified albumin as a predictor of the severity of acute appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: The early prediction of gangrenous/perforated appendicitis is of great importance for the surgical planning, further treatments, and predicting the course of disease. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) was previously reported as a biomarker of various ischemia-based diseases. Our aim is to determine the predictive value of serum IMA in the severity of acute appendicitis. METHODS: Sixty-two patients who underwent urgent appendectomy were included in the study. Plasma level of IMA was measured after diagnosis and before treatment. All patients were classified as noncomplicated (acute) appendicitis and complicated (gangrenous/perforated) appendicitis according to histopathological findings, and comparisons were made between the groups. RESULTS: The data of 62 patients with a mean age of 30.1 years were statistically evaluated. The pathological diagnoses were acute appendicitis in 33 (53.2%), and gangrenous/perforated appendicitis in 29 (46.8%) patients. There were significant differences in computed tomography (CT) findings (P = .031) and IMA (P = .012) levels between the groups. A strong positive correlation between IMA levels and CT findings was also found (Spearman ρ = +0.688, P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: The IMA can be considered as a novel and useful marker to distinguish gangrenous/perforated appendicitis from noncomplicated appendicitis. The correlation of IMA with CT findings also enhances the predictive value of IMA.

High serum cancer antigen 125 level indicates perforation in acute appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of acute appendicitis is sometimes challenging, and prompt evaluation is required because of the risk of complications if not treated appropriately. AIM: We aimed to evaluate whether cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) has diagnositic accuracy and predictor of the severity in acute appendicitis. RESULTS: Sixty patients with acute appendicitis were recruited prospectively in this study between May 2014 and March 2015. Blood samples were obtained to measure CA-125 levels before appendectomy. Of the 57 patients, 10 had perforated or gangrenous appendicitis intraoperatively. The CA-125 levels were significantly higher in patients with perforated or gangrenous appendicitis than patients with uncomplicated appendicitis (49.9 vs 10.5 U/mL, P=.000). CONCLUSIONS: Cancer antigen 125 levels in patients with highly suspected or confirmed appendicitis could help clinicians determine the severity of the disease.