RESUMEN
Appendicectomy, or the removal of the appendix, is an emergency procedure following symptomatic acute appendicitis. Diagnosis is made on clinical examination but can be confirmed on imaging if other abnormalities are suspected. A few variants of appendix anatomical position exist that can be difficult to manage. In addition, secondary findings during surgery can come unexpectedly. We report a case of a 14-year-old male, who presented to the emergency department at our government institution with abdominal pain and vomiting. Examination revealed an empty right scrotum, which was unnoticed by the patient and never examined previously due to residence in an area of limited healthcare access. Ultrasound done elsewhere was inconclusive. The surgical intervention showed a retrocecal appendix attached to an ascending colon terminating at hepatic flexure. The procedure was further complicated by the presence of the right intra-abdominal testis located below the cecum. Excised samples were sent for histopathology, and the patient was followed with biopsy reports. This case highlights the challenges encountered during routine appendicectomy with unusual findings.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the frequency of urinary tract infection (UTI), identify the isolated bacteria, and assess antibiotic sensitivity in patients undergoing orthopedic implant fixation for hip fractures. METHODOLOGY: After ethical approval from the institutional review board, this retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Orthopedic Surgery Department of Dow University Hospital Karachi from June 2022 to June 2023. Through non-probability consecutive sampling, 186 patients above 16 years of age, of either gender, presenting with hip fractures such as intracapsular or extracapsular fractures, who underwent surgical fixation, were included in the study. A urine sample for urinalysis of these patients was sent on admission. Patients who presented with open fractures or those treated with conservative management were excluded from the study. The fracture diagnosis was confirmed on radiographs. All other relevant baseline investigations were also performed before surgery, per protocol, and urine-detailed and cultured reports were followed. In addition, each patient was asked about common symptoms of UTI before surgery and then diagnosed with UTI on positive urine culture and sensitivity (CS). RESULTS: Out of 186 hip fracture patients, 98 (52.7%) were males and 88 (47.3%) were females, with a mean age of 61.03 ± 16.43 (16-96) years. Pre-operative UTI symptoms were reported by 79 patients, including dysuria (16; 20.3%), polyuria (19; 24.0%), and burning (44; 55.7%). UTI was diagnosed on culture and sensitivity report in 65 (34.9%) patients with Escherichia coli as commonly diagnosed bacteria 35 (53.8%), followed by Enterococcus 8 (12.4%), Klebsiella 7 (10.9%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 3 (4.7%), and Acinetobacter 2 (3.1%) patients. E. coli was sensitive to amikacin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cefixime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, ciprofloxacin, colistin, cotrimoxazole, fosfomycin, gentamycin, levofloxacin, meropenem, nitrofurantoin, polymyxin B, and piperacillin-tazobactam. CONCLUSION: Urinary tract infection is common in patients undergoing orthopedic implant fixation for hip fractures, which can lead to potentially serious outcomes. Overall, hygiene, prompt treatment, and standard protocol should be utilized to treat those infected and minimize the spread.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Lower extremity amputation (LEA) is a surgical procedure performed to remove either a part or the entire lower limb due to medical conditions such as trauma, infection, peripheral vascular disease, or malignancy. The procedure is becoming increasingly common in Pakistan, with a bulk of patients presenting from rural areas in tertiary care centers. Understanding the indications, levels, and outcomes of LEA is essential for improving patient care and adopting preventive strategies, especially in developing countries. METHODOLOGY: This study was conducted at Dow University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Retrospective data of 384 patients who underwent non-traumatic lower extremity amputations between January 2016 and December 2020 was collected to include relevant history and characteristics, amputation indication and level, type of anesthesia used, and outcome within hospital stay. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The data is composed of a wide age range (18 to 91 years) of patients, including a male majority (76.3%, n = 293). The employment status of the patients was taken into consideration, with a reported high number of unemployed individuals (60.4%, n = 232). Diabetes mellitus (84.4%, n = 324) was a commonly reported past medical condition, followed by hypertension (4.4%, n = 17). Indications for amputation exceedingly recorded were diabetic foot ulcers (84.4%, n = 324), followed by infections (9.4%, n = 36) and peripheral arterial disease (3.6%, n = 14). The anesthetic approach that was observed most in these patients was regional anesthesia (74.7%, n = 287). Right-sided amputations (52.9%, n = 203) were dominant, with below-knee amputations leading by the level of amputation performed (42.5%, n = 163). Many patients delayed seeking treatment (71.6%, n = 275) and indicated denial of severity (18%, n = 69) as a reason for the delay. Regarding outcome, many patients were successfully discharged following treatment (85.9%, n = 330). CONCLUSION: Overall, LEAs are being frequently performed in developing countries, such as Pakistan, especially with a large population living with diabetes mellitus. The implications of this disease are reflected in this study population, with the majority of patients reporting delays in treatment due to reasons such as the unknown severity of the disease or financial burdens. The challenges faced by these individuals, especially in this country, can be tackled with widespread affordability and availability of care and education on early management.