Substance abuse effects on urinary tract: methamphetamine and ketamine.

INTRODUCTION: Ketamine is known to cause urinary tract dysfunction. Recently, methamphetamine (MA) abuse has become a growing problem in Asia. We investigated the symptomatology and voiding function in patients who abused MA and ketamine and compared their urinary tract toxicity profiles. METHODS: In the period of 23 months from 1 October 2016, all consecutive new cases of patients presenting with MA- or ketamine-related urological disorder were recruited into a prospective cohort. Polysubstance abuse patients were excluded. Data were analysed by comparison between patients with ketamine abuse and MA abuse. Basic demographic data and initial symptomatology were recorded, and questionnaires on urinary symptoms and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were used as assessment tools. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients were included for analysis. There was a statistically significant difference in mean age between patients with MA and ketamine abuse (27.2 ± 7.2 years and 31.6 ± 4.8 years, respectively, P=0.011). Urinary frequency was the most common urological symptom in our cohort of patients. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of dysuria (ketamine 43.5%, MA 6.7%, P=0.026) and a significant trend in the difference in hesitancy (ketamine 4.3%, MA 26.7%, P=0.069). Overall, questionnaires assessing urinary storage symptoms and voiding symptoms did not find a statistically significant difference between the two groups. The MoCA revealed that both groups had cognitive impairment (ketamine 24.8 ± 2.5, MA 23.6 ± 2.9, P=0.298). CONCLUCSIONS. Abuse of MA caused urinary tract dysfunction, predominantly storage symptoms. Compared with ketamine abuse, MA abuse was not commonly associated with dysuria or pelvic pain.

Hypospadias surgery in children: improved service model of enhanced recovery pathway and dedicated surgical team.

INTRODUCTION: Children in Hong Kong are generally hospitalised for 1 to 2 weeks after hypospadias repairs. In July 2013, we introduced a new service model that featured an enhanced recovery pathway and a dedicated surgical team responsible for all perioperative services. In this study, we investigated the outcomes of hypospadias repair after the introduction of the new service model. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on consecutive children who underwent primary hypospadias repair from January 2006 to August 2016, comparing patients under the old service with those under the new service. Outcome measures included early morbidity, operative success, and completion of enhanced recovery pathway. RESULTS: The old service and new service cohorts comprised 176 and 126 cases, respectively. There was no difference between the two cohorts in types of hypospadias and surgical procedures performed. The median hospital stay was 2 days in the new service cohort compared with 10 days in the old service cohort (P<0.001). Patients experienced less early morbidity (5.6% vs 15.9%; P=0.006) and had a lower operative failure rate (20.2% vs 44.2%; P<0.001) under the new service than the old service. Multivariable analysis revealed that the new service significantly reduced the odds of early morbidity (odds ratio=0.35, 95% confidence interval=0.15-0.85; P=0.02) and operative failure (odds ratio=0.32, 95% confidence interval=0.17-0.59; P<0.001) in comparison with the old service. Of the new service cohort, 111(88.1%) patients successfully completed the enhanced recovery pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The enhanced recovery pathway can be implemented safely and effectively to primary hypospadias repair. A dedicated surgical team may play an important role in successful implementation of the enhanced recovery pathway and optimisation of surgical outcomes.

Management of complications of ketamine abuse: 10 years' experience in Hong Kong.

Ketamine is an N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist, a dissociative anaesthetic agent and a treatment option for major depression, treatment-resistant depression, and bipolar disorder. Its strong psychostimulant properties and easy absorption make it a favourable candidate for substance abuse. Ketamine entered Hong Kong as a club drug in 2000 and the first local report of ketamine-associated urinary cystitis was published in 2007. Ketamine-associated lower-urinary tract symptoms include frequency, urgency, nocturia, dysuria, urge incontinence, and occasionally painful haematuria. The exact prevalence of ketamine-associated urinary cystitis is difficult to assess because the abuse itself and many of the associated symptoms often go unnoticed until a very late stage. Additionally, upper-urinary tract pathology, such as hydronephrosis, and other complications involving neuropsychiatric, hepatobiliary, and gastrointestinal systems have also been reported. Gradual improvement can be expected after abstinence from ketamine use. Sustained abstinence is the key to recovery, as relapse usually leads to recurrence of symptoms. Both medical and surgical management can be used. The Youth Urological Treatment Centre at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, has developed a four-tier treatment protocol with initial non-invasive investigation and management for these patients. Multidisciplinary care is essential given the complex and diverse psychological factors and sociological background that underlie ketamine abuse and abstinence status.

Population-based survey of the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms in adolescents with and without psychotropic substance abuse.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms in adolescents and the effects of psychotropic substance use. METHODS: This was a population-based cross-sectional survey using a validated questionnaire in students from 45 secondary schools in Hong Kong randomly selected over the period of January 2012 to January 2014. A total of 11 938 secondary school students (response rate, 74.6%) completed and returned a questionnaire that was eligible for analysis. Individual lower urinary tract symptoms and history of psychotropic substance abuse were documented. RESULTS: In this study, 11 617 non-substance abusers were regarded as control subjects and 321 (2.7%) were psychotropic substance users. Among the control subjects, 2106 (18.5%) had experienced at least one lower urinary tract symptom with urinary frequency being the most prevalent symptom (10.2%). Females had more daytime urinary incontinence (P<0.001) and males had more voiding symptoms (P=0.01). Prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms increased with age from 13.9% to 25.8% towards young adulthood and age of ≥18 years (P<0.001). Among the substance users, ketamine was most commonly abused. Substance users had significantly more lower urinary tract symptoms than control subjects (P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, increasing age and psychotropic substance abuse increased the odds for lower urinary tract symptoms. Non-ketamine substance users and ketamine users were respectively 2.8-fold (95% confidence interval, 2.0-3.9) and 6.2-fold (4.1-9.1) more likely than control subjects to develop lower urinary tract symptoms. Females (odds ratio=9.9; 95% confidence interval, 5.4-18.2) were more likely to develop lower urinary tract symptoms than males (4.2; 2.5-7.1) when ketamine was abused. CONCLUSIONS: Lower urinary tract symptoms are prevalent in the general adolescent population. It is important to obtain an accurate history regarding psychotropic substance use when treating teenagers with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Reconstructive surgery for females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency: a review from the Prince of Wales Hospital.

OBJECTIVES: To present the results of feminising genitoplasty done in female patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: A tertiary referral centre in Hong Kong. PATIENTS: Female patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia undergoing corrective surgery for virilisation between 1993 and 2012. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The operative result was judged with a scoring system (1-3) for four areas: appearance of clitoris, labia and vagina, plus requirement for revision surgery. RESULTS: A total of 23 female patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia with a median age of 17.5 (range, 1.5-33.8) years were identified. Of these individuals, 17 presented in the neonatal period and early infancy, of which four had an additional salt-losing crisis. Six patients-including four migrants from mainland China-were late presenters at a median age of 2 (range, 0.5-14) years. Twenty-two patients had corrective surgery at a median age of 2 (range, 1-14) years. Clitoral reduction was performed in all, and further surgery in 21 patients. The additional surgery was flap vaginoplasty in 10 patients, a modified Passerini procedure in six, and a labial reconstruction in five; one patient with prominent clitoris was for observation only. Minor revision surgery (eg mucosal trimming) was required in three patients; a revision vaginoplasty was done in one individual. Of the 23 patients, 18 (78%) with a median age of 20 (range, 9.3-33.8) years participated in the outcome evaluation: a 'good' outcome (4 points) was seen in 12 patients and a 'satisfactory' (5-9 points) result in five patients. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly three quarters of our cohort (n=17) presented with classic virilising form of 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Only four (25%) patients experienced a salt-losing crisis. Female gender assignment at birth was maintained for all individuals in this group. 'Good' and 'satisfactory' outcomes of surgery were reported in nearly all participants.

Randomized comparison of closed-loop feedback computer-controlled with manual-controlled infusion of phenylephrine for maintaining arterial pressure during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean delivery.

BACKGROUND: Closed-loop feedback computer-controlled infusion has not been described for administering phenylephrine to maintain arterial pressure (AP) during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean delivery. We aimed to compare AP control using this automated system with a previously described manual infusion system. METHODS: We randomly allocated 222 healthy subjects having spinal anaesthesia for scheduled caesarean delivery to have systolic AP maintained near baseline with phenylephrine (100 µg ml(-1)) by computer-controlled infusion utilizing a proportional algorithm or manual-controlled infusion utilizing an on-off algorithm. AP control was assessed by comparing the proportion of systolic AP measurements within ±20% of baseline and by performance error (PE) calculations. RESULTS: A total of 212 subjects finished the study. In the computer-control group, 97% of systolic AP recordings fell within ±20% of baseline compared with 95% in the manual-control group (P=0.0004). For computer-control compared with manual-control, wobble was smaller [median 3.5 (inter-quartile range 2.5-4.8)% vs 4.2 (3.3-5.9)%, P=0.003], but there was no difference in the median PE [2.9 (0.3-4.7)% vs 1.9 (0-4.2)%], median absolute PE [4.7 (3.5-5.6)% vs 4.7 (3.8-6.7)%], or divergence [-0.01 (-0.03-0)% vs -0.06 (-0.26-0.08)%]. Fewer interventions per subject for controlling AP were required in the computer-control group [2 (2-2) vs 10 (8-13), P<0.001]. There were no differences in measured clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Within the constraints of the studied algorithms, closed-loop feedback computer-controlled phenylephrine infusion provided better AP control with fewer interventions required compared with manual-controlled infusion.

Hitching the gallbladder in laparoscopic-assisted cholecysto-cholangiography: a simple technique.

Neonatal cholestatic disorder in the late neonatal period requires often cholangiography to differentiate between biliary atresia and other causes of prolonged neonatal jaundice. A simplified method of a laparoscopic-assisted cholecysto-cholangiography is presented. Retrospective chart review was conducted of all patients who from May 2002 to April 2012 underwent a laparoscopic-assisted cholecysto-cholangiography with routine fixation of the fundus of the gallbladder to the lateral aspect of the abdominal wall. A total of 18 infants (8 boys) aged 41-104 (median 64) days underwent laparoscopic-assisted cholecysto-cholangiography for prolonged jaundice. The technique identified ten cases of a patent bile duct system and eight biliary atresias. (Thirty-two cases of suspected biliary atresia were confirmed by laparoscopy alone.) Two cases required suturing of a bile leak at the puncture site. Hitching the gallbladder to the lateral abdominal wall is a simple method allowing an optimal radiographic assessment of the extra- and intra-hepatic bile duct anatomy.

Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in a newborn: a diagnostic dilemma.

Infants with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis typically present at 2 to 4 weeks of age with nonbilious projectile vomiting. Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is exceedingly rare in newborn infants and is scarcely reported in literature. Also, the diagnostic criteria for ultrasonographic measurements in newborn infants have yet to be determined. This report is of a newborn infant with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. The patient presented with high-volume non-bile-stained output from a nasogastric tube and a dilated gastric bubble on abdominal radiograph. Contrast study ruled out intestinal malrotation. Two ultrasound tests showed that the pyloric muscle thickness and pyloric canal length were within normal limits. Subsequent laparotomy showed a thickened pylorus and pyloromyotomy was performed. The patient showed marked improvement in feeding postoperatively. A high index of suspicion is required for newborn infants presenting with gastric outlet obstruction. Ultrasound and contrast studies provide additional information, but definitive diagnosis may only be available intra-operatively.

A rare case of primary omental neuroblastoma and resection of the recurrent tumor by laparoscopy.

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. Primary omental neuroblastoma has never been reported in the English literature. A 4-year-old girl presented with a mobile abdominal mass; primary omental neuroblastoma was diagnosed. There was tumor recurrence after complete tumor resection. She received chemotherapy and underwent laparoscopic resection of the recurrent tumor. There was no tumor recurrence after 1 year of follow-up.

Laparoscopic excision of choledochal cysts in children: an intermediate-term report.

PURPOSE: To assess the intermediate-term result of the use of the minimally invasive technique in the treatment of choledochal cysts in children. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of all cases of choledochal cyst treated in the tertiary referral centre. The surgical technique is described and all the medical records were reviewed to assess the intraoperative and postoperative complications and follow-up problems. RESULTS: From October 2000 to April 2008, laparoscopic excision and reconstruction were attempted in 37 patients. Laparoscopic surgery was successfully performed in 34. Conversion was required in three patients due to oozing on cyst dissection (two) and bleeding from small bowel mesentry (one) during the early part of the series. Postoperative complications were observed in 15 patients including subhepatic collection (6), bile leakage (3), minor wound infection (4) and prolonged ileus (2). At a mean follow-up of 4.2 years, four patients developed surgical complications including intrahepatic ductal strictures in a type IV cyst (one), stump pancreatitis (one), terminal ileal obstruction from internal herniation (one) and cholangitis (one). The cosmetic result was good in all patients. CONCLUSION: We conclude that laparoscopic excision and reconstruction can be safely performed in children with a choledochal cyst with satisfactory intermediate-term results.

Laparoscopic management of complicated Meckel's diverticulum in children: a 10-year review.

BACKGROUND: Meckel's diverticulum, the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, is prone to develop complications in the pediatric population. The authors report their 10-year experience with the management of complicated Meckel's diverticulum in children using laparoscopy. METHODS: A retrospective review of all complicated Meckel's diverticulum cases involving children from 1998 to 2007 was performed. The efficacy and safety of laparoscopy used to manage complicated Meckel's diverticulum were assessed. RESULTS: Over a 10-year period, 20 children (17 boys and 3 girls) with a mean age of 5 years (range, 7 months to 13 years) were included in the study. Of the 20 children, 12 presented with gastrointestinal bleeding, 2 had intestinal obstruction, 3 had abdominal pain mimicking acute appendicitis, 2 had inguinal hernia, and 1 had intussusception. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed for all the patients. Laparoscopically assisted transumbilical Meckel's diverticulectomy was performed successfully for 18 of the children. The operative time ranged from 50 to 190 min (mean, 115 min). All the children had an uneventful recovery except one, who experienced a postoperative wound infection. Ectopic gastric mucosa was found in 14 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Diverse pediatric surgical conditions result from Meckel's diverticulum. Laparoscopy is a safe and effective method for the management of complicated Meckel's diverticulum.

Preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographic treatment of complicated choledochal cysts in children: a retrospective case series.

We report our experience with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-(ERCP-)based interventions in children with complicated choledochal cysts that are refractory to conservative management. Between 1999 and 2006, 42 children (12 boys, 30 girls; median age 3 years, range 2-14.5 years) were admitted for surgical treatment of choledochal cysts. Seven of these patients (16.7%; one boy, six girls; median age 3 years, range 2-12 years) showed signs of complicated choledochal cysts, and presented with pancreatitis/cholangitis (n = 4) and obstructive jaundice (n = 3). The anatomical classification of the cysts was type Ic (n = 3), type If (n = 3), and type IV (n = 1). ERCP was successfully performed in 6/7 patients, and therapeutic interventions included removal of debris (n = 3), sphincterotomy (n = 3), and stent placement (n = 4). One patient required blood transfusion for post-sphincterotomy bleeding. The patient in whom the ERCP failed underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. Definitive surgery was performed after a median interval of 10 days (range 7-68 days) after the ERCP intervention.

Closed-loop feedback computer-controlled infusion of phenylephrine for maintaining blood pressure during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section: a preliminary descriptive study.

We describe the novel use of a closed-loop feedback computer-controlled infusion of phenylephrine for maintaining blood pressure in 53 patients having spinal anaesthesia for elective caesarean section. A simple on-off algorithm was used that activated an intravenous phenylephrine infusion at 100 microg.min(-1) when systolic blood pressure was less than or equal to baseline and stopped the infusion when systolic blood pressure exceeded baseline. Up to uterine incision, 94.6% of all systolic blood pressure measurements were within the range (baseline +/- 20%). Seven patients (13.2%) had one or more episodes of hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 80% of baseline) and 23 patients (37.7%) had one or more episodes of hypertension (systolic blood pressure > 120% of baseline). No patient had nausea or vomiting and in no case was umbilical arterial blood pH < 7.2. Calculated system performance parameters were comparable with those of previously published closed-loop systems and provide a reference for the potential development and comparison of more advanced algorithms.

Minimal invasive surgery in pediatric solid tumors.

BACKGROUND: There is only limited experience of using the minimally invasive surgery (MIS) technique in resecting pediatric solid tumors. In this paper, we report our experience of using the MIS technique in the management of pediatric solid tumors. METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken on all children who had undergone MIS for their solid tumors between 1995 and 2005. RESULTS: Over a 10-year period, there were 38 patients who had undergone MIS for tumor resection. The mean age at the time of surgery was 7.5 years (range, 1 day to 15 years). There were 22 ovarian tumors, 4 sacrococcygeal tumors, 3 adrenal tumors, 3 retroperitoneal tumors, 1 kidney tumor, 1 liver mass, 1 intra-abdominal testicular tumor, and 3 intrathoracic masses. Thirty of 38 patients had undergone a successful resection using the MIS technique (78.9%). Eight patients required a conversion to the open procedure because of limited intraperitoneal space in 7 and excessive bleeding in 1. Of the 28 successfully MIS-resected intra-abdominal tumors, 18 required enlargement of the umbilical incision and 5 required an additional Pfannenstiel incision for tumor retrieval. Enlargement of the thoracic port site for specimen retrieval was required in the 2 successfully MIS-resected intrathoracic masses. The mean operation time was 171 minutes (range, 45-275). There was no postoperative complication encountered. On an average follow-up of 3.1 years, there was no recurrence observed, even in the 7 patients with malignant tumors, and all patients with successful MIS tumor excision had good cosmetic results. CONCLUSIONS: With the advance of laparoscopic instruments and techniques, a variety of pediatric solid tumors can be resected safely by the MIS technique. This has the potential benefit of a more rapid postoperative recovery and better cosmetic results. The role of the MIS technique in resecting malignant tumors is uncertain, as the number of cases in the current series is too small to draw any conclusion.

Laparoscopy: an excellent tool in the management of primary omental torsion in children.

INTRODUCTION: Primary omental torsion (POT) is an uncommon acute condition, often occurring in obese children. The clinical presentation usually mimics that of acute appendicitis, and preoperative radiologic imaging may not be helpful in the diagnosis. In this paper, we report our experience of using laparoscopy in diagnosing and treating POT in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of all cases of POT from 1998 to 2006 was performed. The efficacy and safety of using the laparoscope in the management of omental torsion was assessed. RESULTS: There were 5 boys with a mean age of 8.8 years (range, 5-11) included in the study. The majority of the patients were overweight, and all presented with abdominal pain without other gastrointestinal symptoms. In all patients, there was marked localized tenderness at the right side but without rebound tenderness or guarding. Preoperative investigations did not help in the diagnosis in all cases. A laparoscopic examination was performed and, in all cases, the diagnosis of POT was accurately made. The omentum was either adherent to the anterior abdominal wall or to the ascending colon. In all cases, the twisted omentum was successfully removed by the laparoscopic technique. Rapid recovery was universally observed, with the disappearance of pain and a rapid resumption of diet and discharge from the hospital on the first postoperative day. Histology showed gangrenous omentum in all cases. All the patients were well and had good cosmetic results on the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopy is an excellent tool for both diagnosing and treating omental torsion in children.

Clinical heterogeneity in children with gonadal dysgenesis associated with non-mosaic 46,XY karyotype.

INTRODUCTION: Gonadal dysgenesis is unique in disorders of sex development (DSD), in that it can be associated with 46,XX, 46,XY or mosaic 45,X/46,XY karyotypes. Gonadal dysgenesis can be partial or complete. Gonadal dysgenesis associated with the Y-chromosome has increased risk of gonadal germ cell neoplasms. Most of the literature focus on 45,X/46,XY gonadal dysgenesis, while there are scanty data on the condition when the karyotype is non-mosaic 46,XY. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diversity of clinical pictures of children presenting with 46,XY DSD due to gonadal dysgenesis. METHODS: A retrospective study on consecutive patients diagnosed with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis at age ≤18 years in a tertiary center from 1985 to 2015. The clinical presentations, phenotypes, gonadal features and associated anomalies were investigated. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients with Y-chromosome gonadal dysgenesis were identified during the study period and six (21.4%) had non-mosaic 46,XY karyotype. Three had complete gonadal dysgenesis (CGD) with normal female phenotype, while the other three had partial gonadal dysgenesis (PGD). Of the three patients with CGD, two presented with the classical Swyer syndrome at adolescence, while the third presented at birth with multiple congenital anomalies. The three PGD patients presented with ambiguous genitalia at birth (n = 2), and isolated hypospadias (n = 1), which was associated with Frasier syndrome. Three patients had germ cell neoplasms: bilateral gonadoblastoma (n = 1), bilateral intratubular germ cell neoplasia unclassified (n = 1), and dysgerminoma + gonadoblastoma (n = 1). Two patients had global developmental delay with other congenital anomalies, and another patient had learning difficulties with borderline intelligence (Table). DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis is much rarer than 45,X/46,XY gonadal dysgenesis. Patients differed in their clinical presentations and well-established syndromes happened in half of them. Overall, the risk of germ cell neoplasms and the association with other somatic anomalies appeared to be high. The study was limited by: its small number, single-center experience, and the possibility of missing the diagnosis in some male patients with mild undervirilization. CONCLUSION: Heterogeneity was noted in the clinical, phenotypic and gonadal features among pediatric patients with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis.

Seven-day is more effective than 4-day ranitidine bismuth citrate-based triple therapy in eradication of Helicobacter pylori in children: a prospective randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infection is common in paediatric population. To date, there is still no universally accepted recommendation on the treatment of this infection in children. Ranitidine bismuth citrate-based triple therapy has been shown to be effective in H. pylori eradication in adults but its use has rarely been validated in children. AIM: To investigate the efficacy of ranitidine bismuth citrate-based triple therapy in eradication of H. pylori in children and to determine the shortest duration of treatment required. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective randomized study comparing ranitidine bismuth citrate plus amoxicillin plus clarithromycin given for 4 days vs. 7 days in H. pylori-infected children diagnosed by (13)C-urea breath test. Eradication was evaluated by repeat (13)C-urea breath test at 6 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: A total of 206 children were recruited (median age 12 years, 97 boys and 109 girls). Ninety-eight (47.6%) and 108 (52.4%) children were randomized to receive 7-day and 4-day regimen respectively. The eradication rate of 4-day treatment arm was 77.8% (both intention-to-treat and per protocol) compared with 88.8% (intention-to-treat, P = 0.036) and 89.7% (per protocol, P = 0.022) of 7-day regimen. There was no statistical difference in terms of side effects between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Seven-day ranitidine bismuth citrate-based triple therapy is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for eradication of H. pylori in children.