Diagnosis and treatment of epiploic appendagitis in a Middle Eastern country: An observational retrospective analysis of 156 cases.

BACKGROUND: Epiploic appendagitis (EPA) is an uncommon emergency surgical condition that causes acute abdominal pain, rendering a list of differential diagnoses. Therefore, careful examination and imaging tools are required. EPA is a self-limiting condition that can be resolved in 1-2 weeks and rarely needs surgical intervention. Its low incidence makes EPA less well-known among the public and some medical professionals, and it is frequently under-diagnosed. We aimed to explore the incidence, clinical presentation, modalities of imaging to diagnose and options for treating EPA. METHODS: An observational retrospective analysis was conducted between 2016 and 2022 at a tertiary hospital in an Arab Middle Eastern country. RESULTS: There were 156 EPA cases diagnosed over six years, with a mean age of 33 years. Males represented 82% of the cohort. The entire cohort was treated non-operatively except for eight patients who had surgical intervention using open or laparoscopic surgery. The diagnosis was made by a computerized tomographic scan (CT). However, plain X-ray, abdominal ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed initially in a few selected cases to rule out other conditions. No specific blood test indicated EPA; however, a histopathology examination was diagnostic. No mortality was reported in the study cohort. CONCLUSION: This is the most extensive study analyzing EPA patients from the Middle East. EPA is a rare and mostly self-limiting acute abdominal disorder; however, early ultrasound and CT scan can pick it up quickly after a high index of suspicion.

Time to Operation and Mortality Risk in Elderly Patients with Intestinal Fistula: Not Too Early and Not Too Late.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to ascertain the risk factors contributing to in-patient mortality in elderly patients 65 years and older who were admitted emergently, diagnosed with intestinal fistula, and underwent surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) spanning the years 2005-2014. Multivariable logistic regression and a generalized additive model (GAM) were employed to investigate predictors of mortality. Continuous variables are presented as mean values with standard deviations (SD). RESULTS: The study encompassed 34,853 patients with a mean age of 77.7 years-56.5% were female and 79.4% were White. Patients were categorized into three groups based on the time elapsed between admission and surgery: less than two days (17,761), two to three days (8,407), and more than three days (4,233). Mortality rates were 2.7%, 6%, and 6.1% for patients who underwent surgery within two to three days, within two days, and after more than three days of admission, respectively. Notably, the group that operated more than three days from admission experienced nearly double the hospital length of stay (12 days, SD: 7.2) compared to the other two groups (6.3, SD: 6 and 6.1, SD: 4.8). Furthermore, the association between mortality and time to operation, as indicated by the GAM model, revealed a significant non-linear relationship after adjusting for age, gender, race, zip code, hospital location, and comorbidities (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Elderly patients diagnosed with intestinal fistula should undergo operative treatment as soon as possible, once they are resuscitated. Delaying the operation more than three days after admission substantially increases the risk of mortality.

Risk factors and predictors of violence: insights from the emergency department at a level 1 trauma center in the USA.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the risk factors and predictors of violence among patients admitted to a Level 1 trauma center in a single institution. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who were admitted with a history of violence between 2012 and 2016. RESULTS: A total of 9855 trauma patients were admitted, of whom 746 (7.6%) had a history of violence prior to the index admission. Patients who had history of violence were younger and more likely to be males, Black, Hispanic and covered by low-income primary payer in comparison to non-assault trauma patients (P < 0.001 for all). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that covariate-adjusted predictors of violence were being Black, male having low-income primary payer, Asian, drug user, alcohol intoxicated and smoker. CONCLUSIONS: Violence is a major problem among young age subjects with certain demographic, social and ethnic characteristics. Trauma centers should establish violence injury prevention programs for youth and diverse communities.

Acellular Fish Skin Graft Use in Open Abdomen Management.

INTRODUCTION: Open abdomen (OA) management post damage control laparotomy (DCL) is common in complex abdominal trauma and intra-abdominal catastrophe (IAC). Use of polyglactin 910 mesh (VICRYL™, Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, New Jersey) to cover the intra-abdominal contents and wound vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) is current practice in the management of temporary abdominal closure (TAC). This may have complications and requires two to three weeks for granulations to be ready for skin grafting. Acellular fish skin graft (AFSG; Kerecis™, Reykjavik, Iceland), use in wound care management has proven beneficial in the management of both chronic and acute wounds, such as burns, by increasing wound granulation. However, to our knowledge, its utility in OA management has not been reported. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this report is to introduce a novel use of AFSG (Kerecis™) in open abdomen to decrease the time of TACs by accelerating formation of granulation tissue and placement of skin grafts in patients with post damage control laparotomy (DCL) for trauma and IAC when committed to open abdomen management is presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Illustration of application of AFSG (Kerecis™) in two patients who underwent DCL for IAC and OA management is presented. RESULTS: Two patients with intra-abdominal catastrophe post-DCL and fistulae were enrolled; one with postoperative enteric fistula and the other with post-anastomotic ileo-colonic fistula breakdown and major intra-abdominal sepsis resulting in multiple organ system failure (MOSF). In both cases, a hostile abdomen was present. The application of AFSG accelerated the placement of skin grafts in both patients and decreased the use of wound VAC and hospital length of stay. CONCLUSION: This report illustrates the use of AFSG (Kerecis™) to accelerate placement of skin grafts in patients post-DCL and OA management. AFSG (Kerecis™) could be considered as part of the OA management strategy.

How Do We Physicians and Surgeons Deal With our Own Disease?

It is a "known secret" that physicians and surgeons do not make good patients and neglect their own health by ignoring early warning signs of physical and psychological problems. Moreover, often, they seek help late. What are the reasons for this self-neglect? Is it because we think we are "super humans," or we think that we will not get sick, cannot get sick, should not get sick, have no "right" to get sick, as we must care for others? Do we ignore ourselves because we must go to one more meeting, do one more thing, write or present one more paper, give one more lecture, or take the call even with a fever, cough, and chills? Why can't we call in sick? Is this the "macho" effect? Is this culture of denial pervasive everywhere, even though we should know better? Yes, it is! Don't we need to remember the advice given by airlines to put on an oxygen mask on yourself first before helping others? Unfortunately, many of us do not do it. In this article, we will present a personal reflection as an example and review how we physicians and surgeons neglect our own health, ignoring the early warning signs of physical and psychological problems, and how we often seek help late. We also discuss potential reasons for this becoming a "norm" for many of us. Lastly, we review measures taken by some healthcare systems to remedy this situation.

Odds of Mortality in Geriatric Patients with Appendicitis is 22 Times Higher than that in Non-Geriatrics: An Analysis of 336,880 Patients from NIS Database.

RESULTS: A total of 336,880 patients were included in the cohort. Mean age was 37.7 and 73.8 years in adult and elderly patients, respectively. 97.3% of adults and 94.2% of elderly patients underwent an operation. The mortality rate in the elderly patients (1.04%, n=402/38,509) was 22 times higher (p<0.0001) than that in adult patients (0.047%, n=144/301,408). Mean (SD) hospital length of stay (HLOS) was 2.6 (2.9) days in adults and 4.9 (5.2) days in elderly patients (p<0.0001). Ninety-nine percent of adult and elderly patients were discharged within 11 and 20 days after emergent hospitalization, respectively. In the final regression model, every one year older in age increased the odds of mortality by 5% (OR=1.05, 95%CI: 1.04-1.06, p<0.001), and for every one day longer, HLOS increased the odds of mortality by 1% (OR=1.01, 95%CI: 1.001-1.02, p<0.001). The multivariable logistic regression model was built on 82,006 patients whose HLOS was ≥4 days, the odds ratio for HLOS was 1.05 (95%CI: 1.04-1.06). This means that for every additional day in hospital after day 4, the odds of mortality increase by 5%.

When Should We Operate on the Elderly with Acute Pancreatitis Requiring Emergency Surgery? A 10-Year Study of a National Inpatient Sample Using a Generalized Additive Model of 110,289 Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Elderly patients with acute pancreatitis have longer hospital length of stay (HLOS) and higher mortality compared to adult patients. We aimed to assess the optimal timing to operate for acute pancreatitis and to evaluate the relationship between HLOS and mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 110,289 elderly patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis requiring emergency admission using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) between 2005-2014. The ICD9 code 577.0 was used to select patients with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Stratified analysis was performed to compare male versus female, survived versus deceased, and no operation versus operation. Multivariable logistic regression models were created to assess independent risk factors of mortality. Generalized additive models (GAM) were created to assess the linearity of the relationship between HLOS and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: The mean age of the cohort was 76 years old, and 56.3% were female. The mean frailty index was 1.65. Twenty-five percent of patients underwent an operation, with a mean time to operation being 3.44 days for females and 3.77 days for males. Overall mortality was 2.3%. For patients who had an operation, each additional day of delay until operation increased the odds of mortality by 8.8%. Each additional point for the modified frailty index increased the odds of mortality by 30.2%. HLOS had a non-linear relationship with mortality, with an estimated degree of freedom of 22.05 and a nadir at three to seven days. Each additional day in hospital after day seven increased the odds of mortality by 6.7%. CONCLUSIONS: In those who required an operation, every day of delay in operation increased the odds of mortality by almost 9%. The lowest mortality for elderly patients with acute pancreatitis occurred with a hospital length of stay of three to seven days. After seven days, each additional day increased the odds of mortality by 6.7%.

Hospital Length of Stay Independently Predicts Mortality in Patients Emergently Admitted for Esophageal Hemorrhage: Sex, Frailty, and Age as Additional Mortality Factors.

INTRODUCTION: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding results in greater than $7.6 billion of in-hospital economic burden in the United States yearly. With a worldwide incidence between 40-100/100,000 individuals and a mortality rate of approximately 2-10%, upper gastrointestinal bleeding represents a major source of mortality and morbidity. The goal of this study was to describe mortality risk factors in patients emergently admitted with esophageal hemorrhage, the second most common etiology of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients emergently admitted with esophageal hemorrhage between 2005-2014 were evaluated using the National Inpatient Sample database. Patient characteristics, clinical outcomes, and therapeutic trends were obtained. Relationships between morality and all other variables were determined via univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: In total, 4,607 patients were included, of which 2,045 (44.4%) were adults, 2,562 (55.6%) were elderly, 2,761 (59.9%) were males, and 1,846 (40.1%) were females. The average age of adult and elderly patients were 50.1 and 78.7 years, respectively. The multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed, for every additional day of hospitalization, the odds of mortality for nonoperatively treated adult and elderly patients increased by 7.5% (p=<0.001) and 6.6% (p=<0.001), respectively. Every additional year of age was associated with a 5.4% (p=0.012) increase in mortality odds for nonoperatively managed adult patients. Frailty increased the odds of mortality by 31.1% (p=0.009) in nonoperatively treated elderly patients. Undergoing invasive diagnostic procedures in conservatively treated adults reduced mortality significantly (odds ratio=0.400, p=0.021). Frailty, age, and hospital length of stay demonstrated no significant association with mortality in surgically managed adult and elderly patients. CONCLUSION: Nonoperatively managed patients emergently admitted for esophageal hemorrhage with longer hospital length of stay and higher modified frailty index exhibited higher odds of mortality. Invasive diagnostic procedures were negatively correlated with mortality in nonoperatively treated adult patients. Age is only associated with higher mortality rates in adults, while elderly patients revealed no association between age and mortality.

The Risk of Mortality in Elderly Patients with Acute Vascular Insufficiency of the Intestine is 2.5-Fold Greater than that in Adult Patients: An Analysis of 36,864 Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Vascular insufficiency of the intestine is difficult to diagnose and it has high mortality rates. Our study aimed to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality of patients emergently admitted with the primary diagnosis of vascular insufficiency of the intestine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult (18-64 years) and elderly (>64 years) patients emergently admitted with the primary diagnosis of vascular insufficiency of the small and large intestine were analyzed using the National Inpatient Sample database from 2005-2014. Using stratified analysis and backward multivariable logistic regression analysis, the relationship between mortality and several risk factors were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 36,864 patients analyzed of which 4,994 died in hospital. Most patients were elderly, making up 23,052 of the total patients (63.4%). The mean (SD) age for adult males, adult females, elderly males, and elderly females were 50.51 (11.18), 52.12 (10.06), 77.00 (7.50), and 78.44 (7.88) years, respectively. When the data was stratified according to outcome, deceased adult patients accounted for 6.9% of all adult patients, while elderly deceased patients accounted for 17.5% of all elderly patients. Elderly patients had a 2.5 times increase in mortality compared to adult patients. When the data was stratified according to operation status, non-operation patients had 58.6% use of gastrointestinal invasive diagnostic procedures, as opposed to the operative patients with 30.3% use. In the final regression model, age (OR=1.03, 95%CI: 1.02-1.04), male sex (OR=1.12, 95%CI: 1.04-1.21), operation (OR=2.73, 95%CI: 2.50-2.97), bacterial infections (OR=3.12, 95%CI: 2.82-3.44), respiratory diseases, (OR=1.84, 95%CI: 1.71-1.99), cardiac diseases (OR=2.78, 95%CI: 2.09-2.48), liver diseases (OR=2.24, 95%CI: 1.99-2.53), genitourinary system diseases (OR=1.40, 95%CI: 1.30-1.51), fluid and electrolyte disorders (OR=1.48, 95%CI: 1.37-1.60), neurological diseases (OR=1.23, 95%CI: 1.13-1.33), and trauma, burns, and poisons (OR=1.57, 95%CI: 1.43-1.73) were the risk factors for mortality. Gastrointestinal invasive diagnostic procedures (OR=0.31, 95%CI: 0.28-0.34) and hospital length of stay (OR=0.91, 95%CI: 0.90-0.92) were protective factors for mortality in all patients. CONCLUSION: For elderly patients emergently admitted for intestinal vascular insufficiency, the odds of mortality were 2.5 times greater than in adult patients. Age, male sex, operation, and several comorbidities were risk factors for mortality; whereas, invasive diagnostic procedures and longer hospital stay were the protective factors against mortality.

Complex Abdominal Wall Reconstruction with Biologic Mesh for Ventral/Umbilical Hernias in Patients with Cirrhosis: Technique and Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with cirrhosis undergoing non-liver transplant surgery have a higher risk or adverse events than those without cirrhosis. The main objectives of this study were to describe characteristics, outcomes, and outcome predictors of cirrhotic patients undergoing complex abdominal wall reconstruction (CAWR) with biologic mesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study had retrospective and prospective components, including all cirrhotic patients at our center with CAWR for ventral/umbilical hernia repair with biologic mesh between December 2016 and November 2021. RESULTS: We studied 37 patients with cirrhosis. Their mean age was 57.2 years, and 64.9% were male. The median body mass index (BMI) was 28.1kg/m2. Ascites was present in 83.3% of patients. The other most common comorbidities were alcohol abuse (67.6%), hypertension (37.8%), and diabetes (24.3%). All complications in aggregate occurred in 11 patients (29.7%). Six patients (16.2%) underwent reoperation. Surgical site infections (SSIs) occurred in five patients (13.5%). Four deaths occurred within 90 days (11.2% cumulative mortality). By 120 days, there were five deaths (14.2% mortality, but none due to the operation). Seven predictor variables achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for SSI of 0.963, and two predictors yielded an AUROC of 0.825 for 120-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that CAWR for ventral/umbilical hernias among cirrhotic patients is feasible given a dedicated CAWR team in collaboration with transplant surgeons and a transplant hepatologist. The rates of adverse outcomes were low or at the midpoint of the range of the study-specific estimates.

The Role of Telemedicine in Surgical Specialties During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the current body of evidence on the use of telemedicine in surgical subspecialties during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This was a scoping review conducted in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). MEDLINE via Ovid, PubMed, and EMBASE were systematically searched for any reports discussing telemedicine use in surgery and surgical specialties during the first period (February 2020-August 8, 2020) and second 6-month period (August 9-March 4, 2021) of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Of 466 articles screened through full text, 277 articles were included for possible qualitative and/or quantitative data synthesis. The majority of publications in the first 6 months were in orthopedic surgery, followed by general surgery and neurosurgery, whereas in the second 6 months of COVID-19 pandemic, urology and neurosurgery were the most productive, followed by transplant and plastic surgery. Most publications in the first 6 months were opinion papers (80%), which decreased to 33% in the second 6 months. The role of telemedicine in different aspects of surgical care and surgical education was summarized stratifying by specialty. CONCLUSION: Telemedicine has increased access to care of surgical patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, but whether this practice will continue post-pandemic remains unknown.

Disparate access to breast cancer screening and treatment.

BACKGROUND: Barriers to breast cancer screening remain despite Medicaid expansion for preventive screening tests and implementation of patient navigation programs under the Affordable Care Act. Women from underserved communities experience disproportionately low rates of screening mammography. This study compares barriers to breast cancer screening among women at an inner-city safety-net center (City) and those at a suburban county medical center (County). Inner city and suburban county medical centers' initiatives were studied to compare outcomes of breast cancer screening and factors that influence access to care. METHODS: Women 40 years of age or older delinquent in breast cancer screening were offered patient navigation services between October 2014 and September 2019. Four different screening time-to-event intervals were investigated: time from patient navigation acceptance to screening mammography, to diagnostic mammography, to biopsy, and overall screening completion time. Barriers to complete breast cancer screening between the two centers were compared. RESULTS: Women from lowest income quartiles took significantly longer to complete breast cancer screening when compared to women from higher income quartiles when a barrier was present, regardless of barrier type and center. Transportation was a major barrier to screening mammography completion, while fear was the major barrier to abnormal screening work up. CONCLUSION: Disparity in breast cancer screening and management persists despite implementation of a patient navigation program. In the presence of a barrier, women from the lowest income quartiles have prolonged breast cancer screening completion time regardless of center or barrier type. Women who experience fear have longest screening time completion. Future directions aim to increase resource allocation to ameliorate wait times in overburdened safety-net hospitals as well as advanced training for patient navigators to alleviate women's fears.

Surgery for Complex Abdominal Wall Defects: Update of a Nine-Step Treatment Strategy.

Complex abdominal wall defects (CAWDs) are a new surgical entity that require a dedicated and multidisciplinary approach. The spectra of CAWDs and complex abdominal wall reconstruction (CAWR) are poorly defined, and may include any of these elements: large or multiple recurrent hernia, presence of previously placed mesh (open or laparoscopic), loss of abdominal wall domain due to trauma, infection or tumor resection, hernia in the presence of enterocutaneous or enteroatmospheric fistulae (ECF/EAF), hernia in the presence of infected sinus tract, large debilitating parastomal hernia, hernias in the presence of synthetic erosion into the bowel or causing intestinal obstruction, eroded hernias post open abdomen management with skin graft in the presence of intraabdominal catastrophe or massive trauma, and hernias (umbilical or ventral/incisional) in patients with cirrhosis in the presence of massive ascites. The relevance of abdominal wall reconstruction with reinforcement using synthetic or biological mesh has never been as high as it is now. In particular, the use of biological mesh is rising exponentially due to its inherent properties. We previously described a nine-step approach to the management of difficult abdomen with enterocutaneous fistula. In this paper, we update this strategy based on our recent experience with almost 300 patients at our institution who underwent CAWR. Special attention is paid to the management of contaminated fields and the rationale of using biological mesh.

The Risk of Mortality in Geriatric Patients with Emergent Gastroparesis is 7-fold Greater than that in Adult Patients: An Analysis of 27,000 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Gastroparesis, a chronic disorder distinguished by delays in gastric emptying, has been a concern for both health providers and hospitals due to several of its characteristics. Gastroparesis is heterogeneous in nature and is associated with several comorbidities and increasing mortality rates. It can often be caused by underlying conditions, most of which are not well understood. This lack of knowledge regarding its underlying mechanisms creates a need to better understand the risk factors involved in this patient population. This study was undertaken to understand the risk factors involved in the mortality of patients who present with gastroparesis. METHODS: This retrospective study considered data from the National Inpatient Sample for patients who were admitted with a primary diagnosis of gastroparesis from 2005 to 2014. The data were stratified according to various factors of interest to identify risk factors involved in mortality using statistical tools, including a multivariable logistic regression model with backward elimination. RESULTS: A total of 27,000 patients were admitted emergently with a primary diagnosis of gastroparesis. The mortality rate in adult patients (0.18%, N=39) was much lower than that in elderly patients (1.27%, N=71). Females accounted for the majority of patients in both the adult (73.7%) and elderly (71%) populations. The mean age of patients in the adult and elderly groups was 43 and 75 years, respectively. The association between mortality and age was significant in both adults (OR=1.04, 95%CI=1.005-1.08, p<0.025) and the elderly (OR=1.08, 95%CI=1.04-1.12, p<0.001). The hospital length of stay (HLOS, days) in adult females (5.08, SD=5.04) was significantly longer than that in adult males (4.41, SD=5.10) (p<0.001). The association between mortality and HLOS was significant in both adults (OR=1.12, 95%CI=1.09-1.15, p<0.001) and elderly patients (OR=1.10, 95%CI=1.06-1.14, p<0.001). A lower percentage of adults (6.6%, N=1,402) underwent an operation compared to the elderly (9.6%, N=538). The mean time to operation was 4.76 days for adult patients who survived and 17.50 days for adult patients who did not survive (SD=5.37 and 9.37, respectively, p=0.006). On the other hand, this value was 5.57 and 9.10 days for elderly patients (SD=6.50 and 7.15, respectively, p=0.037). Among patients who underwent an operation, the association between mortality and time to operation was significant for both adults (OR=1.17, 95%CI=1.094-1.247, p<0.001) and elderly patients (OR=1.05, 95%CI=1.005-1.124, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The risk of mortality in elderly patients with emergent gastroparesis was 7-fold greater than that in adult patients. The odds of mortality increased by 8% for every year increase in age in elderly patients and by 4% in adults.

Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality in Non-Elderly Adult Patients Emergently Admitted with Rhabdomyolysis: A 10-Year Analysis of 27,688 Patients from the National Inpatient Sample.

INTRODUCTION: Rhabdomyolysis is a condition where muscle damage leads to the leakage of intracellular contents such as myoglobin and creatine kinase. These leak into systemic circulation and can cause detrimental effects. Due to the detrimental effect of rhabdomyolysis on patient mortality and potential complications, identifying factors that affect patient mortality in those with rhabdomyolysis could provide valuable insight in early management strategies and potentially benefit patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to identify independent predictors of in-hospital mortality in non-elderly adult patients who underwent emergency admission due to rhabdomyolysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was done by analyzing 27,688 non-elderly adult patients (18-64 years) with rhabdomyolysis who underwent emergency admission using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) during 2005-2014. Factors such as demographic information, clinical course, and comorbidities were collected to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality. Chi square and student's t-tests were utilized to evaluate various group differences on categorical and continuous variables. Backward logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors that could affect patient mortality. RESULTS: A total number of 27,688 non-elderly adult patients (age 18-64 years) were included, of which, 20,137 patients were male (72.8%) with a mean (SD) age of 40.60 (13.34) years, and 7,551 patients were female (27.3%) with a mean (SD) age of 45.63 (13.20) years. Multivariable backward logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associations between mortality and different variables in our patient sample. Out of different factors, respiratory diseases, cardiac disease, and genitourinary system disease demonstrated the most significant association with mortality, shown by odds ratios of 3.67, 3.59, and 3.08, respectively. Additionally, patient age, history of surgical procedure, bacterial infection (other than tuberculosis), and cerebrovascular diseases were also positively associated with mortality. Their respective odds ratios were 1.03, 2.14, 2.13, and 2.66. CONCLUSION: Each additional year in age leads to 3% increased odds of mortality in non-elderly adult patients who are emergently admitted with rhabdomyolysis.

Longer Hospital Length of Stay and Emergency Surgical Intervention are Associated with Lower Rates of Mortality In Elderly Patients with Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: An Analysis of 7,214 Patients.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to determine predictors for in-hospital mortality for elderly patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) undergoing emergency admission. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study utilizing the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database, 2005-2014, on elderly patients with ruptured AAA undergoing emergency admission. ICD-9 code 441.3 was used to identify patients with ruptured AAA. Male versus female sex, survived versus deceased patients, and operated versus not-operated ones were compared for various patient characteristics. A multivariable logistic regression with backward elimination and a generalized additive model (GAM) were implemented to evaluate the associations between potential risk factors and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 7,214 patients aged 65 and older with ruptured AAA were included. About 31% of total sample, 26% of survived, and 36% of deceased were female. Mortality rate was higher in older patients, females, and those who were not operated on (40.6%) versus those that were (74.5%). Age, sex, healthcare insurance, severity of illness subclass, hospital length of stay, total charges, and several comorbidities had significant association with mortality in univariable models. Multivariable logistic regression with backward elimination confirmed age (odds ratio[OR]=1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.03-1.05; p<0.001), sex (OR=1.23; 95%CI=1.07-1.41; p=0.004), hospital length of stay (OR=0.87; 95%CI=0.86-0.88; p<0.001), bacterial infection (OR=3.79; 95%CI=3.07-4.68; p<0.001), cardiac disease (OR=1.97; 95%CI=1.71-2.28; p<0.001), liver disease (OR=2.90; 95%CI=2.22-3.77; p<0.001), fluid and electrolyte disorders (OR=1.34; 95%CI=1.18-1.52; p<0.001), and coagulopathy (OR=1.96; 95%CI=1.04-1.37; p=0.01) to be the independent predictors of mortality. Age showed a linear association with mortality; whereas, hospital length of stay had a significant L-shaped association. Elderly patients emergently admitted for ruptured AAA had the lowest risk of mortality with hospital stays greater than seven days (EDF=13.91, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Longer hospital length of stay (>7 days) of emergently admitted elderly patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm was associated with better outcomes and lower risk of mortality. Surgical intervention was also associated with much lower rate of mortality, while increasing age was associated with higher rate of mortality. In elderly patients admitted for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, every one year older than 65, increased the odds of mortality by 4% and female sex increased the odds of mortality by 23%.

Complex Abdominal Wall Reconstruction with Biologic Mesh for Ventral Hernia Repair in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND: Ventral hernia is a common occurrence in patients undergoing solid organ transplant (SOT) and who require complex abdominal wall reconstruction (CAWR). The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of CAWR in SOT patients in a tertiary center. METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study in patients who underwent CAWR with biological mesh at our center from January 2016 to November 2021. As per the study protocol, all patients will be followed for 3 years. RESULTS: During the study period, we performed CAWR in 38 SOT patients. The mean age (Standard Deviation: SD) was 61 (9.5) years and the majority were males (68%). Mean body mass index (SD) was 30.3 (5.5) kg/m2 and hernia repair was performed electively in 33 patients. The majority (82%) of the hernias were less than class 2 with a median mesh size (interquartile range) of 600 (400-800) cm2. Seventy-nine percent of patients were liver transplant recipients and the mesh was placed sub-lay (retro-rectus) (82%); the most common technique was posterior component separation (82%). Five patients (13.2%) had surgical site infection and 4 (10.5%) had unplanned reoperations. None of the patients died postoperatively and the 30-day readmission rate was 21%. Three patients (7.9%) had recurrence during follow-up and all of them underwent reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: Complex abdominal wall reconstruction (CAWR) using biologic mesh for solid organ transplant patients with ventral hernia is safe and has low recurrence when performed by a dedicated CAWR team.

Direct Peritoneal Resuscitation (DPR) Improves Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) IV and Acute Physiology Score When Used in Damage Control Laparotomies: Prospective Cohort Study on 37 Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Using direct peritoneal resuscitation (DPR) as an adjunct when managing patients undergoing damage control laparotomy (DCL) shows promising results. We report our initial experience in utilizing DPR when managing patients who underwent DCL for emergent surgery at the index operation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively collected data on 37 patients between August 2020 to October 2021 who underwent DCL with open abdomens after the index operation and utilized DPR. DPR was performed using peritoneal lavage with DIANEAL PD-2-D 2.5% Ca 3.5 mEq/L at a rate of 400ml/hour. Patients' physiological scores and clinical outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: 86% required DCL and DPR due to septic abdomen/bowel ischemia. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 62 years (53-70); 62% were male, and median (IQR) body mass index was 30.0kg/m2 (25.5-38.4). On DPR initiation, median (IQR) APACHE-IV score was 48 (33-64) and median (IQR) Acute Physiology Score (APS) was 31 (18-54). After initiation, median (IQR) APACHE-IV score and median (IQR) APS were 39 (21-62) and 19 (11-56), respectively, and both showed significant improvement in survivors (p<0.05). Median (IQR) DPR duration was four days (2-8) and primary abdominal closure was achieved in 30 patients (81%). There were eight mortalities (21.6%) within 30 days postoperatively, of which seven were within 3-24 days due to uncontrolled sepsis/multiple organ failure. The most frequent complication was surgical-site infection recorded in 12 patients (32%). Twenty-four patients (67%) were discharged home/transferred to a rehab center/nursing home. CONCLUSION: DPR application showed significant improvement of APACHE-IV score and APS in patients with peritonitis/septic abdomen.

Do the benefits of prophylactic inferior vena cava filters outweigh the risks in trauma patients? A meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate whether the benefits of prophylactic inferior vena cava filters (IVCF) outweigh the risks thereof. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for records published from 1980 to 2018 by two independent researchers (MG, GG). The endpoints of interest were pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) rates. Quality assessment, data extraction and analysis were performed according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Mantel-Haenszel method with odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (OR (95%CI)) as the measure of effect size was utilized for meta-analysis. RESULTS: Fifteen studies (two randomized controlled trials and 13 observational studies) were included in the meta-analysis. PE rate was 0.9% (11/1183) in IVCF vs. 0.6% (240/39,417) in No IVCF. This difference was not statistically significant [OR (95%CI) = 0.31 (0.06, 1.51); p = 0.15]. DVT rate was 8.4% (77/915) in IVCF vs. 1.7% (653/38,807) in No IVCF. The difference was not statistically significant [OR (95%CI) = 2.67 (0.90, 7.98); p = 0.08]. In the subset of RCTs, PE rate was 0% (0/64) in IVCF vs. 12% (6/5) in No IVCF. This difference was statistically significant [OR (95%CI) = 0.12 (0.01, 1.03); p = 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis found that prophylactic IVCF may be associated with decreased PE rates at the possible cost of increased DVT rates. Further observational and experimental clinical studies are needed to confirm the findings of this meta-analysis.

Delta Shock Index Predicts Outcomes in Pediatric Trauma Patients Regardless of Age.

INTRODUCTION: Changes in the shock index (ΔSI) can be a predictive tool but is not established among pediatric trauma patients. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of ΔSI on mortality in pediatric trauma patients. METHODS: We performed a 2017 analysis of all pediatric trauma patients (age 0-16 y) from the ACS-TQIP. SI was defined as heart rate(HR)/systolic blood pressure(SBP). We abstracted the SI in the field (EMS), SI in the emergency department (ED) and calculated the change in SI (ΔSI = ED SI-EMS SI). Patients were divided into four age groups: 0-3 y, 4-6 y, 7-12 y, and 13-16 y and substratified into two groups based on the value of the age-group-specific ΔSI cutoff obtained with receiver operating characteristic ROC analysis; +ΔSI and -ΔSI. Our outcome measure was mortality. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: We included 31,490 patients. Mean age was 10.6 ± 4.6 y, and 65.8% were male. The overall mortality rate was 1.4%. In the age group 0-3 y the cutoff point for ΔSI was 0.29 with an area under the curve (AUC) 0.70 [0.62-0.79], ΔSI cutoff 4-6 y was 0.41 AUC 0.81 [0.70-0.92], ΔSI cutoff 7-12 y was 0.05 AUC 0.83 [0.76-0.90], and ΔSI cutoff 13-16 y was 0.13 AUC 0.75 [0.69-0.81]. On the Cox regression analysis, +ΔSI was independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality and 24-h mortality (P ≤ 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Vital signs vary by age group in children, but ΔSI inherently accounts for this variation. ΔSI predicts mortality and may be utilized as a predictor to help guide triage of pediatric trauma patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III Prognostic.