Risk Factors for Urgent or Emergent Cholecystectomy Mid-workup for Symptomatic Cholelithiasis.

BACKGROUND: Patients who undergo cholecystectomy often do so for diagnoses related to the sequelae of gallstones. Many patients present acutely, requiring urgent removal due to complications of cholelithiasis. This study aims to characterize the patient population likely to present acutely during ongoing workup for cholelithiasis to better identify those who may benefit from expedited care. METHODS: Medical records of all adult patients who underwent cholecystectomy for indications related to cholelithiasis between 2015 and 2016 were reviewed retrospectively. Qualitative data was analyzed using Chi square test and quantitative data was analyzed using independent t-tests. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-four cholecystectomies were performed. Overall, 74.2% of the procedures were done electively while 25.8% were done urgently. And 42.2% of patients who underwent acute surgical intervention had evidence of prior workup. Patients requiring urgent intervention during ongoing diagnostic evaluation were more likely to have initially presented to an emergency department (ED) than another provider (68.4% vs 31.3%, P < .001) and had an odds ratio of 4.7 for undergoing acute intervention if they initially presented to the ED. They also tended to be more temporally remote from their initial diagnosis (119 ± 142 vs 74.6 ± 68.2 days, P < .19) relative to those who underwent elective operations. DISCUSSION: Patients who require urgent intervention during ongoing workup for cholelithiasis have prolonged courses of care and present to the ED more often for initial evaluation when compared to those who undergo elective intervention. These findings suggest that an emphasis on expedited workup of cholelithiasis and early surgical referral may be warranted, especially for those who initially present in the ED.

Mini thoracic CT adequately determines Haller index and decreases radiation exposure in children with pectus excavatum.

INTRODUCTION: The preoperative assessment of Pectus Excavatum (PE) is resource intensive. CT chest for the purpose of calculating a Haller index (HI) remains a central component and is necessary for third-party reimbursment for surgical correction. With the goal of minimizing radiation exposure, a strategy was introduced to perform a mini-Thoracic CT (mini-CT) for the calculation of HI. OPERATIVE TECHNIQUE: The mini-CT was performed as follows: a radio-opaque marker (ROM) was placed at the clinical deepest point of the deformity. The CT was then columnated to scan 3 cm above and 3 cm below the ROM. HI was calculated according to previously described technique. Seven children with PE who underwent mini-CT were age and weight matched to 7 children with PE who underwent standard low dose CT chest during the same time period. Radiation doses were evaluated using dose length product (DLP) and effective dose (mSv) between the two groups. Significance of differences was determined using the students t-test. The DLP of mini-CT compared to chest-CT was 17.9 vs 48.9,mGycm respectively. (p< 0.001) The mSv of the mini-CT compared to chest-CT was 0.32 vs 0.88, sMV respectively. (p<0.001) Both DLP and mSv were reduced by 63% in children who received a mini-CT. All children obtained insurance authorization and underwent uncomplicated Nuss repair. CONCLUSION: For children with pectus excavatum deformities the mini-Thoracic CT is an effective method to calculate the HI. Compard to the conventional low dose chest CT, the mini-CT strategy significantly reduces radiation exposure to the child by 63% with no impact on third-party authorizations or Nuss repair.

Innovative approach to the difficult ventricular shunt using pleural access device for maintenance drainage: case report.

Patients with complex medical problems and multiple failed ventricular shunts require continued innovation for hydrocephalus management. The authors report the case of a 4-year-old boy with refractory hydrocephalus and secondary reduced ability to absorb CSF in both the pleural and peritoneal cavities following renal transplantation. A novel management approach was devised with split shunting to pleural and peritoneal targets as well as prophylactic pleural port placement to provide a method for minimally invasive thoracentesis should symptomatic pleural effusions develop. Fluid was successfully aspirated via the pleural port with relief of symptoms over a period of 16 months without complication. The authors demonstrate that a previously undescribed approach to distal shunting can prevent neurological sequelae of shunt failure and permit noninvasive maintenance drainage for patients in whom symptomatic pleural effusion is a recurrent complication.