Alcohol-Containing Versus Aqueous-Based Solutions for Skin Preparation in Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The use of optimal skin antiseptic agents for the prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) is of critical importance, especially during abdominal surgical procedures. Alcohol-based chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and aqueous-based povidone-iodine (PVI) are the two most common skin antiseptics used nowadays. The objective of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness of alcohol-based CHG versus aqueous-based PVI used for skin preparation before abdominal surgery to reduce SSIs. METHODS: Standard medical databases such as MEDLINE, Embase, Pubmed, and Cochrane Library were searched to find randomized, controlled trials comparing alcohol-based CHG skin preparation versus aqueous-based PVI in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. The combined outcomes of SSIs were calculated using odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals. All data were analyzed using Review Manager Software 5.4, and the meta-analysis was performed with a random effect model analysis. RESULTS: A total of 11 studies, all randomized, controlled trials, were included (n = 12,072 participants), recruiting adult patients undergoing abdominal surgery. In the random effect model analysis, the use of alcohol-based CHG in patients undergoing abdominal surgery was associated with a reduced risk of SSI compared to aqueous-based PVI (odds ratio: 0.84; 95% confidence interval [0.74, 0.96], z = 2.61, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol-based CHG may be more effective for preventing the risk of SSI compared to aqueous-based PVI agents in abdominal surgery. The conclusion of this meta-analysis may add a guiding value to reinforce current clinical practice guidelines.

Appendiceal Foreign Bodies in Adults: A Systematic Review of Case Reports.

Adults can accidentally swallow foreign bodies (FBs) with food. In rare occasions, these can lodge in the appendix lumen causing inflammation. This is known as foreign body appendicitis. We conducted this study to review different types and management of appendiceal FBs. A comprehensive search on PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar was performed to detect appropriate case reports for this review. Case reports eligible for this review included patients above 18 years of age with all types of FB ingestion causing appendicitis. A total of 64 case reports were deemed to be eligible for inclusion in this systematic review. The patient mean age was 44.3 ± 16.7 years (range, 18-77). Twenty-four foreign bodies were identified in the adult appendix. They were mainly lead shot pellet, fishbone, dental crown or filling, toothpick, and others. Forty-two percent of the included patients presented with classic appendicitis pain, while 17% were asymptomatic. Moreover, the appendix was perforated in 11 patients. Regarding modalities used for diagnosis, computed tomography (CT) scans confirmed the presence of FBs in 59% of cases while X-ray only managed to detect 30%. Almost all of the cases (91%) were treated surgically with appendicectomy and only six were managed conservatively. Overall, lead shot pellets were the most common foreign body found. Fishbone and toothpick accounted for most of the perforated appendix cases. This study concludes that prophylactic appendicectomy is recommended for the management of foreign bodies detected in the appendix, even if the patient is asymptomatic.

Systematic review with meta-analysis of transverse vs. vertical midline extraction incisional hernia risk following laparoscopic colorectal resections.

Background: The aim of this article is to explore the risk of incisional hernia (IH) occurrence at the site of specimen extraction following laparoscopic colorectal resection (LCR), highlighting the comparison between transverse incision versus midline vertical abdominal incision. Methods: Analysis was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Systematic search of medical databases, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed and Cochrane Library were performed to find all types of comparative studies reporting the incidence of IH at the specimen extraction site of transverse or vertical midline incision following LCR. The analysis of the pooled data was done using the RevMan statistical software. Results: Twenty-five comparative studies (including 2 randomised controlled trials) on 10,362 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. There were 4,944 patients in the transverse incision group and 5,418 patients in the vertical midline incision group. In the random effects model analysis, the use of transverse incision for specimen extraction following LCR reduced the risk of IH development (odds ratio =0.30, 95% CI: 0.19-0.49, Z=4.88, P=0.00001). However, there was significant heterogeneity (Tau2=0.97; Chi2=109.98, df=24, P=0.00004; I2=78%) among included studies. The limitation of the study is due to lack of RCTs, this study includes both prospective and retrospective studies along with 2 RCTs which makes the meta-analysis potentially biased in source of evidence. Conclusions: Transverse incision used for specimen extraction following LCR seems to reduce the risk of postoperative IH incidence compared to vertical midline abdominal incisions.

Evaluating the Safety and Outcomes of Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy in Elderly Patients Presenting With Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

AIMS: In the absence of evidence-based guidelines regarding the safety and appropriateness of emergency endoscopy in elderly, co-morbid and frail patients, we aimed to find clinical outcomes in elderly patients who have undergone gastroscopy following an acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). METHODS: We carried out a retrospective observational study of patients aged 70 years and older who had undergone emergency oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, United Kingdom, between May 2020 and January 2022. Data collected for analysis included Glasgow-Blatchford score, age, gender, endoscopic findings, endoscopic treatments, immediate complications, 90-day complications, 30-day and 90-day survival, length of hospital stay and re-bleeding. RESULTS: A total of 248 study participants were categorised into two groups: age 70-79 years (n=102) and ≥80 years (n=146). Melaena (n=226, 91%, p=0.0001) was the commonest indication for emergency OGD in both groups, with the majority of patients presenting with a Glasgow-Blatchford score of ≥1 (n=200, 80.6%, p=0.2). Endoscopy findings were normal in 26.4% (n=27) of those 70-79 years and 32% (n=47) of those ≥80 years (p=0.01). Duodenal ulcer, oesophagitis and gastric ulcer were the commonest abnormal findings (n=50, 20%; n=29, 11.7%; and n=28, 11.3%, respectively). Of the participants, 93.8% (n=212) had no immediate complications. Bleeding and hypotension occurred in 2.7% (n=6) and 2% (n=5) of patients, respectively. At 90 days post-procedure, 83.3% (n=85) of those 70-79 years and 67.8% (n=99) of those ≥80 years had survived (p=0.180). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that OGD is largely a safe procedure in older adults with acute UGIB; however, the high proportion of OGDs with normal findings reinforces the importance of careful selection of patients.

Comparing Thoracic Epidural Anaesthesia to Rectus Sheath Catheter Analgesia for Postoperative Pain After Major Abdominal Surgeries: A Systematic Review.

Controlling postoperative pain is essential for the greatest recovery following major abdominal surgery. Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) has traditionally been considered the preferred method of providing pain relief after major abdominal surgeries. Thoracic epidural analgesia has a wide range of complications, including residual motor blockade, hypotension, urine retention with the need for urinary catheterisation, tethering to infusion pumps, and occasional failure rates. In recent years, rectus sheath catheter (RSC) analgesia has been gaining popularity. The purpose of this review is to compare the effectiveness of TEA and RSC in reducing pain following major abdominal surgeries. Four randomised controlled trials (RCTs) reporting outcomes of the visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score were included according to the set criteria. A total of 351 patients undergoing major abdominal surgery were included in this meta-analysis. There were 176 patients in the TEA group and 175 patients in the RSC group. In the random effect model analysis, there was no significant difference in VAS pain score in 24 hours at rest (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.46; 95% CI -1.21 to 0.29; z=1.20, P=0.23) and movement (SMD -0.64; 95% CI -1.69 to -0.14; z=1.19, P=0.23) between TEA and RSC. Similarly, there was no significant difference in pain score after 48 hours at rest (SMD -0.14; 95% CI -0.36 to 0.08; z=1.29, P=0.20) or movement (SMD -0.69; 95% CI -2.03 to 0.64; z=1.02, P=0.31). In conclusion, our findings show that there was no significant difference in pain score between TEA and RSC following major abdominal surgery, and we suggest that both approaches can be used effectively according to the choice and expertise available.

Regional vessels wrapping following pancreaticoduodenectomy reduces the risk of post-operative extra-luminal bleeding. A systematic review.

Background: Post-pancreatectomy bleeding is a potentially fatal complication which results from the erosion of the regional visceral arteries, mainly the hepatic artery and stump of the gastro-duodenal artery, caused by a leak or fistula from the pancreatic anastomosis. The objective of this article is to assess whether wrapping of regional vessels with omentum or falciform/teres ligament following pancreaticoduodenectomy reduces the risk of extra-luminal bleeding. Materials and method: Standard medical electronic databases were searched with the help of a local librarian and relevant published randomised controlled trials (RCT) and any type of comparative trial were shortlisted according to the inclusion criteria. The summated outcome of post-operative extra-luminal bleeding in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy was evaluated using the principles of meta-analysis on RevMan 5 statistical software. Result: Two RCTs and 5 retrospective studies on 4100 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy were found suitable for this meta-analysis. There were 1404 patients in the wrapping-group (WG) and 2696 patients in the no-wrapping group (NWG). In the random effects model analysis, the incidence of extra-luminal haemorrhage was statistically lower in WG [odds ratio 0.51, 95%, CI (0.31, 0.85), Z = 2.59, P = 0.01]. There was moderate heterogeneity between the studies; however it was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The wrapping of regional vessels (using omentum, falciform ligament or ligamentum teres) following pancreaticoduodenectomy seems to reduce the risk of post-operative extra-luminal bleeding. However, more RCTs of robust quality recruiting a greater number of patients are required to validate these findings as this study presents the combined data of two RCTs and 5 retrospective studies.

Role of single or double ringed circumferential wound protectors in reducing surgical site infections following colorectal resections. A systematic review.

Objective: The objective of this article is to explore whether the use of single or double ringed wound protectors (WP) in patients undergoing colorectal resection (CRR) are associated with reduced risk of surgical site infections (SSI). Materials and methods: Analysis was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. With the help of expert local librarians, systematic search of medical databases like MEBASE, MEDLINE and PubMed was conducted to find appropriate randomized controlled trials (RCT) according to predefined inclusion criteria. The analysis of the pooled data was done using the principles of meta-analysis on statistical software RevMan version 5. Result: Twelve RCT on 2425 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. There were 1216 patients in the WP group and 1209 patients in the no-WP group. In the random effects model analysis, the use of WP during CRR was associated with the reduced risk of SSI [odds ratio 0.60, 95% CI (0.41-0.90), z = 2.49, P = 0.01]. However, there was significant heterogeneity (Tau2 = 0.22; Chi2 = 25.87, df = 11; (p = 0.007; I2 = 57%) among included studies. Conclusion: Use of WP seems to reduce the risk of SSI and therefore, may routinely be used during both open and laparoscopic CRR.