Importance of diagnostic laparoscopy in the assessment of the diaphragm after left thoracoabdominal stab wound: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Stab wounds in the left thoracoabdominal region may cause diaphragmatic injury. The aim of the present study was to determine incidence of diaphragmatic injury and role of diagnostic laparoscopy in detection of injury in patients with left thoracoabdominal stab wound. METHODS: Total of 81 patients (75 male, 6 female; mean age 27.5±9.8 years; range 14 to 60 years) who presented with left thoracoabdominal stab wound between April 2009 and September 2014 were evaluated. Laparotomy was performed on patients who had hemodynamic instability, signs of peritonitis, or organ evisceration. Remaining patients were followed conservatively. After 48 hours, diagnostic laparoscopy was performed on patients without laparotomy indication to examine the left diaphragm for injury. Follow-up and treatment findings were prospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Thirteen patients underwent laparotomy while diagnostic laparoscopy was performed on remaining 68 patients. Left diaphragmatic injury was observed in 19 patients (23.5%) in the study group. Four injuries were diagnosed by laparotomy and 15 were diagnosed by laparoscopy. Presence of hemopneumothorax did not yield difference in incidence of diaphragmatic injury (p=0.131). No significant difference was detected in terms of diaphragmatic injury with respect to entry site of stab wound in the thoracoabdominal region (p=0.929). CONCLUSION: It is important to evaluate the diaphragm in left thoracoabdominal stab injuries, and diagnostic laparoscopy is still the safest and most feasible method.

Clinical Significance of the Glasgow Prognostic Score for Survival after Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) has been found to be a useful tool in various cancer types. Our aim was to evaluate the significance of GPS in patients operated on for colorectal cancer (CRC). Patients with CRC who underwent radical resections between April 2010 and January 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. GPS was estimated based on the preoperative measurement of C-reactive protein and serum albumin levels. Data including demographics, laboratory and pathological parameters, surgical outcomes, and late-term follow-up results were analyzed. The study group of 115 patients consisted of 51 (44 %) women and 64 (56 %) men with a median age of 66 (range 32-91) years. The mean follow-up period was 20 (range 7-41) months. Tumor size and wound infection rates were significantly increased in patients with higher GPS (p = 0.019 and p = 0.003, respectively). According to multivariate analyses, CEA and GPS were found to be independent risk factors significantly effecting mortality (p = 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively). At the end of the late-term follow-up period, it was detected that cancer-specific survival significantly decreased as the GPS increased (p = 0.016). The GPS is a significant prognostic factor in CRC and should be included in the routine preoperative assessment of all surgically treated CRC patients.