Appendectomy and asthma: a search for an association in older subjects.

INTRODUCTION: Several risk factors found to be associated with postoperative complications and cancer surgery, which carry a significant morbidity risk to cancer patients. Therefore, prehabilitation is necessary to improve the functional capability and nutritional status of a patient prior to surgery, so that the patient can withstand any postoperative activity and associated deterioration. Thus, this study aims to assess the effectiveness of prehabilitation interventions on the functional status of patients with gastric and oesophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy and gastrectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An interventional study was carried out among oesophageal and gastric cancer patients who had undergone surgery at the National Cancer Institute of Malaysia. The prehabilitation process took a maximum of two weeks, depending on the patient's optimisation before surgery. The prehabilitation is based on functional capacity (ECOG performance status), muscle function (handgrip strength), cardio-respiratory function (peak flow meter) and nutritional status (calorie and protein). Postoperative outcomes are measured based on the length of hospital stay, complications, and Clavien-Dindo Classification. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients were recruited to undergo a prehabilitation intervention prior to gastrectomy (n=21) and esophagectomy (n=10). Demographically, most of the cancer patients were males (67.7%) with an ideal mean of BMI (23.5±6.0). Physically, the majority of them had physical class (ASA grade) Grade 2 (67.7%), ECOG performance status of 1 (61.3%) and SGA grade B (51.6%). The functional capacity and nutritional status showed a significant improvement after one week of prehabilitation interventions: peak expiratory flow meter (p<0.001), handgrip (p<0.001), ECOG performance (p<0.001), walking distance (p<0.001), incentive spirometry (p<0.001), total body calorie (p<0.001) and total body protein (p=0.004). However, those patients who required two weeks of prehabilitation for optimization showed only significant improvement in peak expiratory flow meter (p<0.001), handgrip (p<0.001), and incentive spirometry (p<0.001). Prehabilitation is significantly associated postoperatively with the length of hospital stay (p=0.028), complications (p=0.011) and Clavien-Dindo Classification (p=0.029). CONCLUSION: Prehabilitation interventions significantly increase the functional capacity and nutritional status of cancer patients preoperatively; concurrently reducing hospital stays and complications postoperatively. However, certain cancer patients might require over two weeks of prehabilitation to improve the patient's functional capacity and reduce complications postoperatively.

Anticoagulation use and predictors of stroke, bleeding and mortality in multi-ethnic Asian patients with atrial fibrillation: A single centre experience.

INTRODUCTION: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in singapore. We describe a cohort of multi-ethnic Asian patients with AF, with the aim to evaluate anticoagulation use and to identify factors predictive of stroke, bleeding and all-cause mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: this was a single centre, retrospective cohort study. All patients with an admission diagnosis of AF between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2010 were identified. Of these patients, those who had follow-up data up to 31 December 2012 were included in the study. RESULTS: there were 1095 eligible patients. the mean age was 67±14 years, mean cHADs2 score was 2±1 and mean HAs-bLED score 2±1. Of the 1095 patients, 657 (62.0%) had a cHADs2 score ≥ 2 but only 215 (32.7%) were eventually prescribed warfarin. Patients not on warfarin were older (p<0.0001) and were more likely females (p<0.0001). Among patients not on warfarin, 52% had HAs-bLED score ≤3. Multivariate analysis revealed that warfarin use and high HAs-bLED score were associated with increased bleeding risk. Age, Indian ethnicity and cHADs2 score were predictive of ischemic stroke. All-cause mortality was significantly related to age, presence of heart failure and HAs-bLED score. CONCLUSIONS: Anticoagulation management of AF patients remains inadequate. Objective assessment of bleeding risks should be performed before withholding anticoagulation.

Ventricular tachycardia storm: a case series and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) storm is an uncommon but life-threatening condition. We describe the incidence, causes and management of VT storm among patients admitted to the coronary care unit of a large tertiary hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1 November 2009 and 30 April 2010, 198 patients were admitted to the coronary care unit and 7 (3.5%) presented with VT storm. A retrospective review of their records was conducted. The mean follow-up period was 268 (196 to 345) days. RESULTS: The mean age was 67 years and 4 patients were male. One patient had a previous myocardial infarction. All had abnormal left ventricular ejection fraction, median of 30%. Acute myocardial infarction (4 patients) was the most common trigger, followed by decompensated heart failure (1), systemic inflammatory response syndrome on a background of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (1) and bradycardia-induced polymorphic VT (1). Three patients had polymorphic VT and the rest had monomorphic VT. Intravenous amiodarone, lignocaine, overdrive pacing and intra-aortic balloon pump counterpulsation were useful in arrhythmia control. Three patients underwent coronary revascularization, 3 patients received implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, 1 had a permanent cardiac pacemaker, 1 died during the acute episode. Five out of the 6 survivors were prescribed oral beta-blockers upon discharge. On follow-up, none of the patients had a recurrence of the tachyarrhythmia. CONCLUSION: Acute myocardial infarction was the main trigger of VT storm in our patients. Intravenous amiodarone, lignocaine, overdrive pacing and intra-aortic balloon pump counterpulsation were useful at suppressing VT storm.

Treatment of ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer: A review of the landscape and approach to emerging patterns of treatment resistance in the Australian context.

Since the identification of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in 2005, the treatment of ALK-rearranged NSCLC (ALK+ NSCLC) has evolved at a rapid pace. This molecularly distinct subset of NSCLC has uniquely important biology, clinicopathologic features and mechanisms of drug resistance which impact on the choice of treatment for a patient with this disease. There are multiple ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors now available in clinical practice with efficacy data continuing to emerge and guide the optimal treatment algorithm. A detailed search of medical databases and clinical trial registries was conducted to capture all relevant articles on this topic enabling an updated detailed overview of the landscape of management of ALK-rearranged NSCLC.

Multidetector row CT diagnosis of an infected right atrial thrombus following repeated dialysis catheter placement.

Right atrial thrombus formation is a known complication of dialysis catheter placements. We describe the case of a 61-year-old woman with end-stage renal failure who presented with gram-negative septicaemia. A gas-containing filling defect was noted incidentally in the right atrium during a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis, indicative of a thrombus infected by a gas-forming organism. The finding correlated with a positive blood culture of Klebsiella pneumoniae and the two-dimensional echocardiography finding of an echogenic atrial thrombus.