Endoscopic lateral neck dissection via the breast and transoral approaches for papillary thyroid carcinoma: a report of 10 cases / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of endoscopic lateral neck dissection via the breast and transoral approaches (ELNDBTOA) for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods: From February 2015 to April 2019, 10 patients with PTC (cN1b) including 1 male and 9 females aged from 22 to 53 years old received ELNDBTOA in the General Surgery Department of Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University. Total thyroidectomy, the central lymph node dissection and the selective neck dissection (levels Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ) were performed endoscopically via the breast approach, and then the residual lymph nodes were dissected via transoral approach. The medical records, operation time, blood loss, complications and postoperative follow-up outcomes were analyzed retrospectively. SPSS 22.0 software package was used for statistical processing of clinical data of patients. Results: All cases were successfully treated with ELNDBTOA without transfer to open surgery. The average operative time was (362.5±79.7) min, the blood loss was (23.0±14.9) ml, and the postoperative hospital stay was (5.1±1.3) days. The mean number of harvested cervical lymph nodes were (34.2±25.8), and the mean number of positive lymph nodes were (6.5±4.9). Lymph nodes were dissected by the further dissection via oral approach in 6 patients and a total of 9 lateral lymph nodes were havested from 2 of the 6 patients, with 3 positive lymph nodes. Two patients had transient skin numbness in the mandibular area and recovered within two weeks. One patient developed transient hypoparathyroidism and recovered within two months. No secondary bleeding, recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, chylous leakage, neck infection, permanent hypoparathyroidism or other complications were observed. The follow-up time was from 16 to 66 months with a median of 42.5 months, no tumor recurrence or metastasis occurred, and also no obvious deformity, abnormal sensation or movement in the chest, neck and mouth was observed. Conclusions: ELNBTOA is safe and feasible, with good cosmetic outcome.

Distribution and drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria isolated from infected wounds of children after Wenchuan earthquake / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the distribution and the drug resistance pattern of pathogenic bacteria isolated from pediatric cases suffering from wounds infection following the Wenchuan earthquake.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Of the ninety-eight injured children, 50 had wound infection diagnosed by clinical examination. Specimens for culture were collected from the fifty injured children and the results of bacterial identification and antibiotic resistance were retrospectively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the fifty injured children with wound infection, microbial growth was detected in 31 (62.0%) and 21 children suffered from mixed infections (the infection rate was 67.7%). Ninety-nine pathogens were isolated, gram positive bacteria accounted for 16.16% (16 strains), Gram negative bacteria accounted for 81.82% (81 strains), and fungus 2.02% (2 strains). Staphylococcus aureus (5 strains, 5.05%), Enterococcus faecalis (3 strains, 3.03%) and Enterococcus faecium (2 strains, 2.02%) were the primary Gram-positive bacteria identified and Gram-negative infections typically included Acinetobacter baumanii (27 strains, 27.27%), Enterobacter cloacae (18 strains, 18.18%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13 strains, 13.13%). Acinetobacter baumanii was the most common organism isolated from wounds. Duration of being szeged and complications had a significant association with wound infection with Acinetobacter baumanii. Drug sensitivity tests displayed that the isolated bacteria were highly resistant to common antibiotics. One strain of Acinetobacter baumanii-calcoaceticus complex and six strains of Acinetobacter baumanii were resistant to all common antibiotics including imipenem/cilastatin. Vancomycin-resistant Gram-positive bacteria were not identified.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Following the Wenchuan earthquake disaster, wound infection profiles of pediatric patients were significantly different, Acinetobacter baumanii was the main common organism isolated from wounds in contrast to the previous low isolation rate. The isolated bacteria were highly and multiple drug resistant and it was difficult to treat. Knowing the distribution and the drug resistance pattern of pathogen is of paramount importance in guiding the clinical treatment.</p>

Risk factors for the occurrence and severity of crush syndrome in pediatric trauma victims after earthquake / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the factors affecting the occurrence and severity of crush syndrome (CS) after crush injury (CI) in pediatric trauma victims in the Wenchuan earthquake.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Medical records of 98 patients who were transferred to our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The risk factors, such as age, gender, time being besieged, type of injury, wound infection, hemodialysis, etc., which were assessed with T-test/chi(2)/Fisher's exact tests and logistic regression analysis for the occurrence of crush syndrome after crush injury. Possible risk factors influencing CS severity were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 15 patients with CS, and all these cases were from 59 patients with extremities crush injury. The incidence of CS reached 15.3% in pediatric trauma victims after earthquake and 25.4% in extremities crush injury. Six risk factors were assessed with logistic regression analysis for three outcomes relating to crush syndrome, they are age, time being szeged and closed CI, whose log-odds ratio (log-OR) respectively was 1.049, 1.221, and 0.068 (P < 0.05 for all). And no correlation was found between CS and gender, upper or lower limbs injury or wound infection. There was no significant difference in wounds infection rate between patients with open injury and those who underwent CS fasciotomy (P = 0.754), but there was significant difference between those patients who underwent CS fasciotomy and those who underwent other operative incisions (P < 0.05). Wound infection had a significant association with severity of CS (P = 0.041) as compared with other factors such as age, gender, and time being szeged.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The occurrence of crush syndrome is mainly because of extremities crush injury and also has significant relations with age, time being szeged and closed crush injury in children. Infection of incisional wound after CS fasciotomy is a risk factor for aggravation of CS.</p>