[Gunshot injuries of the ureter]. / Les plaies projectilaires de l'uretère.

The increased incidence of gunshot injuries of the ureter (GIU) can be explained by increased of armed violence in some large cities and by the performance of intensive care teams, both in civilian practice and in a context of war. The discovery of a GIU, during salvage laparotomy for vascular or visceral lesions is no longer exceptional. We report 5 cases of abdomen gunshot wounds with ureteric trauma treated between 1987 and 1994 by three surgical teams. The data in the literature and the principles of ballistic wounds are analysed. Theses lesions are initially misdiagnosed diagnosis in 10 to 20% of cases, as there are no specific clinical signs, radiological opacification of urinary tract is rarely performed, and septic nature of associated lesions and the ballistic context of the trauma guide the treatment of GIU. When the ureteric lesion is short and associated lesions are limited, the continuity of the urinary tract can be restored after debridement of the extremities by end-to-end anastomosis for the upper 2/3 and direct vesical reimplantation or into a psoas bladder for the lower 1/3. Drainage is ensured either by a bladder catheter or by a double J stent, for a minimal duration of 3 weeks. When there is a defect of the upper two-thirds of the ureter, mobilization of the kidney and its pedicle or transureteroureterostomy may be required. Urinary diversion by nephrostomy or in situ ureterostomy is indicated when the haemodynamic state is unstable and the associated lesions are very septic or in the presence of multiple lesions. Extensive contusion of the ureteric wall must be intubated to prevent fistula formation due to necrosis. Nephrectomy should be avoided in these patients with a mean age of 27 years.

[Two stage videoassisted restorative proctocolectomy. Early experience of 12 cases]. / Coloproctectomie totale avec anastomose iléoanale en deux temps vidéoassistée. Expérience initiale de 12 cas.

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study reports our early experience in two-stage video assisted restorative proctocolectomy (RPC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From May 1999 to May 2003, 12 video assisted RPCs were performed (mucosal ulcerative colitis: n = 11; familial adenomatous polyposis: n = 1). These patients were matched for age, gender, body mass index and indication for surgery, with 12 patients who underwent RPC by laparotomy (open group). RESULTS: Median operative time was significantly longer in the video assisted RPC group (400 min; range: 360-490) vs open group (300 min; range: 210-390) (P = 0.003). A conversion in midline laparotomy (under the umbilicus) was necessary in 3/12 patients (25%) in the video assisted RPC group. Return to bowel function and oral intake occurred two days earlier after video assisted RPC (respectively, P = 0.009 and P = 0.0001) but length of stay was not significantly shorter in this group. A complication occurred in 3/12 patients (25%) in both groups, which lead to a reoperation in one patient in the open group (ns). CONCLUSION: Two-stage videoassisted RPC is feasible at the cost of a lengthening of operative time, Nevertheless postoperative results after video assisted RPC are comparable to those obtained after RPC by laparotomy.

[Damage control laparotomy for haemorragic abdominal trauma. A retrospective multicentric study about 109 cases]. / La laparotomie écourtée dans les traumatismes abdominaux hémorragiques. Etude multicentrique rétrospective sur 109 cas.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Damage control laparotomy is a new approach to the more severe abdominal traumas. It stems from a better understanding of the physiopathology of the haemorragic shock. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A national retrospective study from 27 centers about 109 trauma patients who underwent a damage control procedure between January 1990 and December 2001, is analysed. Surgical procedures included 97 hepatic packing, 10 abdominal packing, 4 exclusive skin closure, 1 open laparotomy technique and 3 digestive stapplings. RESULTS: The mortality rate is 42%. Eleven abdominal compartment syndromes have occurred with 7 decompressive laparomy (4 deaths). CONCLUSION: This study is based on the largest series of damage control laparotomy published in France. Results in terms of mortality and morbidity are similar to those of published studies from the USA.

[Transpleurodiaphragmatic drainage of post-operative sub-phrenic abcesses (author's transl)]. / Le drainage transpleurodiaphragmatique des abcès sousphréniques post-opoératoires.

About 19 observations, authors analyse a method for treating post-operative sub-phrenic abscesses: transpleurodiaphragmatic drainage. This study is showing the efficiency of the technic which is a real flattening of the abscess. It is showing as well its inocuosness as mortality and morbidity are none in spite of the field this treatment is used on. On the other hand this method prescribes very definite conditions: the real sub-phrenic abscess must be single and quite localized in postero-lateral position.

Comparison of concentrations of sulbactam-ampicillin administered by bolus injections or bolus plus continuous infusion in tissues of patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

The concentrations of sulbactam and ampicillin were determined in sera and different abdominal tissues of 16 patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups. At the time of induction of anesthesia, patients in group 1 (eight patients) were given 1,000 mg of sulbactam with 2,000 mg of ampicillin by intravenous bolus injection (3 min). This dose was administered again after 2 h by bolus injection by the same route. Patients in group 2 (eight patients) were given the same initial dose of sulbactam-ampicillin by bolus injection (3 min). Then, a continuous infusion of 1,000 mg of sulbactam with 2,000 mg of ampicillin in normal saline was immediately started and was administered over a 4-h period. Blood samples were collected to determine peak (10 min) and trough (end of surgery) antibiotic levels. Serial blood samples were also collected at predetermined periods (at the time of opening and closing of the abdominal cavity and at the time of surgical anastomosis). Abdominal wall fat, epiploic fat, and colonic wall tissue samples were collected simultaneously. Antibiotic concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Similar levels of the drugs in serum were observed for the two regimens of administration, with trough sulbactam levels of 33 +/- 16 and 37 +/- 22 microg/ml in groups 1 and 2, respectively, and trough ampicillin levels of 72 +/- 55 and 79 +/- 47 microg/ml in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Similar sulbactam concentrations were observed in abdominal tissues whichever regimen of administration was used; in fatty tissues the sulbactam concentrations ranged from 2.7 to 3.8 microg/g for group 1 and from 1.7 to 4.0 microg/g for group 2, and sulbactam concentrations in the colonic wall were 5.6 +/- 7.7 and 6.8 +/- 3.2 microg/g in groups 1 and 2, respectively (not significant). Again, no influence of the regimen of administration was observed on tissue ampicillin concentrations; in fatty tissues ampicillin concentrations ranged from 4.1 to 5.4 microg/g for group 1 and from 3.2 to 5.8 microg/g for group 2, and sulbactam concentrations in the colonic wall were 7.0 +/- 2.8 and 11.0 +/- 4.7 microg/g for groups 1 and 2, respectively (not significant). In most patients, the concentrations of ampicillin-sulbactam were greater than the MIC at which 50% of isolates are inhibited (MIC50) for Bacteroides fragilis in the fatty tissues. In the colonic wall, for most patients the concentrations of ampicillin-sulbactam were greater than the MIC90 for B. fragilis. No influence of the regimen of administration was observed on the ratio of the two components in the tissues investigated and in sera. In conclusion, a second intraoperative bolus injection or a continuous infusion were equally effective in maintaining sulbactam-ampicillin concentrations in abdominal tissues. The first method of administration can be recommended since it is easier to handle.