Deaths from surgical conditions in Malawi - a randomised cross-sectional Nationwide household survey.

BACKGROUND: Relatively little is known about deaths from surgical conditions in low- and middle- income African countries. The prevalence of untreated surgical conditions in Malawi has previously been estimated at 35%, with 24% of the total deaths associated with untreated surgical conditions. In this study, we wished to analyse the causes of deaths related to surgical disease in Malawi and where the deaths took place; at or outside a health facility. METHODS: The study is based on data collected in a randomised multi-stage cross-sectional national household survey, which was carried out using the Surgeons Overseas Assessment of Surgical Need (SOSAS) tool. Randomisation was done on 48,233 settlements, using 55 villages from each district as data collection sites. Two to four households were randomly selected from each village. Two members from each household were interviewed. A total of 1479 households (2909 interviewees) across the whole country were visited as part of the survey. RESULTS: The survey data showed that in 2016, the total number of reported deaths from all causes was 616 in the 1479 households visited. Data related to cause of death were available for 558 persons (52.7% male). Surgical conditions accounted for 26.9% of these deaths. The conditions mostly associated with the 150 surgical deaths were body masses, injuries, and acute abdominal distension (24.3, 21.5 and 18.0% respectively). 12 women died from child delivery complications. Significantly more deaths from surgical conditions or injuries (55.3%) occurred outside a health facility compared to 43.6% of deaths from other medical conditions, (p = 0.0047). 82.3% of people that died sought formal health care and 12.9% visited a traditional healer additionally prior to their death. 17.7% received no health care at all. Of 150 deaths from potentially treatable surgical conditions, only 21.3% received surgical care. CONCLUSION: In Malawi, a large proportion of deaths from possible surgical conditions occur outside a health facility. Conditions associated with surgical death were body masses, acute abdominal distention and injuries. These findings indicate an urgent need for scale up of surgical services at all health care levels in Malawi.

Children with hearing impairment in Malawi, a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcomes of children diagnosed with hearing impairment 3 years earlier in terms of referral uptake, treatment received and satisfaction with this treatment, and social participation. METHODS: We conducted a population-based longitudinal analysis of children with a hearing impairment in two rural districts of Malawi. Key informants within the community identified the cohort in 2013 (baseline). Informants clinically screened children at baseline, and by questionnaires at baseline and follow-up in 2016. We investigated associations between sociodemographic characteristics and outcomes by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: We diagnosed 752 children in 2013 as having a hearing impairment and traced 307 (40.8%) children of these for follow-up in 2016. Referral uptake was low (102/184; 55.4%), more likely among older children (odds ratio, OR: 3.5; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.2-10.2) and less likely for those with an illiterate caregiver (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.2-0.9). Few of the children who attended hospital received any treatment (33/102; 32.4%) and 63.6% (21/33) of caregivers reported satisfaction with treatment. Difficulty making friends and communicating needs was reported for 10.0% (30/299) and 35.6% (107/301) of the children, respectively. Lack of school enrolment was observed for 29.5% (72/244) of children, and was more likely for older children (OR: 28.6; 95% CI: 10.3-79.6), girls (OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2-4.8) and those with an illiterate caregiver (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.0-4.1). CONCLUSION: More widespread and holistic services are required to improve the outcomes of children with a hearing impairment in Malawi.

TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS TO ACCESS HEALTH CARE FOR SURGICAL CONDITIONS IN MALAWI a cross sectional nationwide household survey.

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that nearly five billion people worldwide do not have access to safe surgery. This access gap disproportionately affects low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). One of the barriers to healthcare in LMICs is access to transport to a healthcare facility. Both availability and affordability of transport can be issues delaying access to health care. This study aimed to describe the main transportation factors affecting access and delay in reaching a facility for health care in Malawi. METHODS: This was a multi-stage, clustered, probability sampling with systematic sampling of households for transportation access to general health and surgical care. Malawi has an estimated population of nearly 18 million people, with a total of 48,233 registered settlements spread over 28 administrative districts. 55 settlements per district were randomly selected for data collection, and 2-4 households were selected, depending on the size. Two persons per household were interviewed. The Surgeons Overseas Assessment of Surgical need (SOSAS) tool was used by trained personnel to collect data during the months of July and August 2016. Analysis of data from 1479 households and 2958 interviewees was by univariate and multivariate methods. RESULTS: Analysis showed that 90.1% were rural inhabitants, and 40% were farmers. No formal employment was reported for 24.9% persons. Animal drawn carts prevailed as the most common mode of transport from home to the primary health facility - normally a health centre. Travel to secondary and tertiary level health facilities was mostly by public transport, 31.5 and 43.4% respectively. Median travel time from home to a health centre was 1 h, and 2.5 h to a central hospital. Thirty nine percent of male and 59% of female head of households reported lack financial resources to go to a hospital. CONCLUSION: In Malawi, lack of suitable transport, finances and prolonged travel time to a health care centre, all pose barriers to timely access of health care. Improving the availability of transport between rural health centres and district hospitals, and between the district and central hospitals, could help overcome the transportation barriers to health care.

Adverse events and in-hospital mortality: an analysis of all deaths in a Norwegian health trust during 2011.

BACKGROUND: The estimated number of in-hospitals deaths due to adverse events is often different when using data from deceased patients compared with that of a population experiencing adverse events. METHODS: The study was conducted at three hospitals in the Bergen Hospital Trust, including a 950-bed university hospital. The objective was to study the reported deaths and investigate the probable number of deaths caused by adverse events. Information about all patients who died in the hospitals during 2011 was retrieved from the electronic patient data management system and the medical records. All deaths were classified into two groups according to Norwegian law based on whether or not the death was sudden and/or unexpected. The cause of death in the latter group was further classified as being due to either natural or unnatural causes according to national requirements. An expert review panel screened the patient records for information regarding adverse events and possible (≥ 50%) preventability. Age, length of hospital stay, and Charlson Comorbidity Index were also registered. RESULTS: There were 59,605 unique patients admitted in 2011 and 1185 registered deaths (1.98%). The mean and median ages of the deceased were 73,8 and 78 years, respectively, and the median length of stay was 5.6 days (range). Of these deaths, 290 (24.5%) were considered sudden and/or unexpected and 218 were considered to be due to natural causes. Of the 72 unnatural deaths, 16 (1.4%) were classified as preventable or probably preventable. For 18 deaths (%) it was impossible to confirm or rule out preventability. CONCLUSIONS: Using this method, we identified a small proportion of hospital deaths that could be classified as unnatural. Furthermore, there was a ≥ 50% chance or more that 34 deaths (2.9%) were due to causes that could have been prevented.

Evaluation of training program for surgical trauma teams in Botswana.

BACKGROUND: Trauma represents a challenge to healthcare systems worldwide, particularly in low-and middle-income countries. Positive effects can be achieved by improving trauma care at the scene of the accident and throughout hospitalization and rehabilitation. Therefore, we assessed the long-term effects of national implementation of a training program for multidisciplinary trauma teams in a southern African country. METHODS: From 2007 to 2009, an educational program for trauma, "Better and Systematic Team Training," (BEST) was implemented at all government hospitals in Botswana. The effects were assessed through interviews, a structured questionnaire, and physical inspections using the World Health Organization's "Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care." Data on human and physical resources, infrastructure, trauma administrative functions, and quality-improvement activities before and at 2-year follow-up were compared for all 27 government hospitals. RESULTS: A majority of hospitals had formed local trauma organizations; half were performing multidisciplinary trauma simulations and some had organized multidisciplinary trauma teams with alarm criteria. A number of hospitals had developed local trauma guidelines and local trauma registries. More equipment for advanced airway management and stiff cervical collars were available after 2 years. There were also improvements in the skills necessary for airway and breathing management. The most changes were seen in the northern region of Botswana. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of BEST in Botswana hospitals was associated with several positive changes at 2-year follow-up, particularly for trauma administrative functions and quality-improvement activities. The effects on obtaining technical equipment and skills were moderate and related mostly to airway and breathing management.

Predictive factors for time to recurrence, treatment and post-recurrence survival in patients with initially resected colorectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND: Despite progress in resection for colorectal liver metastases (CLM), the majority of patients experience recurrence. We aimed to evaluate factors influencing time to recurrence (TTR), treatment and post-recurrence survival (PRS) related to site of recurrence. METHODS: This is a retrospective population-based cohort study (1998-2012) of consecutive patients without extrahepatic disease treated with resection for CLM in a referral centre. RESULTS: A total of 311 patients underwent resection for CLM. After a median follow-up of 4.2 years (range 1.2-15.2), 209 (67.4 %) patients developed recurrence, hepatic 90, extrahepatic 59 and both 60. Median TTR was 14.0 months, and 5-year recurrence-free status was 25.7 %. Five- and 10-year overall survival (OS) was 38.8 and 22.0 %, respectively. Median OS was 45 months. A multivariate analysis displayed synchronous disease (hazard ratio (HR) 1.50), American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) score (HR 1.40), increasing number (HR 1.24) and size of metastases (HR 1.08) to shorten TTR (all p < 0.05). Perioperative chemotherapy (n = 59) increased overall TTR (HR 0.63) and overall survival (OS; HR 0.55). Hepatic TTR was correlated to synchronous disease (HR 2.07), number of lesions (HR 1.20), R1 resection (HR 2.00) and ASA score (HR 1.69), whereas extrahepatic TTR was correlated to N stage of the primary (HR 1.79), number (HR 1.27) and size of metastases (HR 1.16). Single-site recurrence was most common (135 of 209, 64.5 %), while 58 patients had double- and 16 triple-site relapses. Median PRS was 24.3 months. There was a difference in median PRS (months) according to site of relapse: liver 30.5, lung 32.3, abdominal 22.0, liver and lung 14.3, others 14.8 (p = 0.002). Repeated liver resections were performed in n = 57 patients resulting in 40.6 months median OS and 36.8 % 5-year OS. CONCLUSIONS: An adverse overall TTR was correlated to number and size of metastases, ASA score and synchronous disease. Perioperative chemotherapy increased TTR and OS after surgery for CLM. Patients with solitary post-resection relapse in the liver or lungs had the potential for longevity due to multimodal treatment.

Percutaneous cholecystostomy in acute cholecystitis; a retrospective analysis of a large series of 104 patients.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical course and possible benefit of a percutaneous cholecystostomy in patients with acute cholecystitis. METHODS: Retrospective study of 104 patients with severe cholecystitis or cholecystitis not responding to antibiotic therapy treated with percutaneous drainage of the gall bladder (PC) during the period 2007 - 2013. Primary outcome was relief of cholecystitis, complications following the procedure and need for later cholecystectomy. RESULTS: There were 57 men and 47 women with a median age of 73,5 years (range 22 - 96). 43% of the patients were ASA III or IV and 91% had cholecystitis Grade 2 or 3. About 60% of the patients had severe comorbidity (cardiovascular disease or active cancer). Drain insertion was successful in all but one patient and complications were mild, apart from two patients that needed percutaneous drainage of intraabdominal fluid collection due to bile leakage. The drain was left in place for 1 - 75 days (median 6,5). When evaluated clinically and by blood tests (CRP and white blood cell counts) we found resolution of symptoms in 101 patients (97,2%), whereas 2 patients had no obvious effect of drainage. Four patients died within 30 days, no deaths were related to the drainage procedure. Follow-up after drainage was median 12 months (range 0 - 78). During that time cholecystectomy was performed in 30 patients and 24 patients had died. Following cholecystectomy, two had died, both from cancer and more than one year after the operation. CONCLUSION: Patients with acute cholecystitis were promptly relieved from their symptoms following PC. There were only minor complications following the procedure and only about 30% of the patients had a later cholecystectomy.

Outcome of patients with esophageal perforations: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that stent-grafting may improve the treatment outcome of patients with esophageal perforation, but evidence on this is still lacking. METHODS: Data on 194 patients who underwent conservative (43 patients), endoclip (4 patients) stent-grafting (63 patients) or surgical treatment (84 patients) for esophageal perforation were retrieved from nine medical centers. RESULTS: In-hospital/30-day mortality was 17.5 %. Three-year survival was 67.1 %. Age, coronary artery disease, and esophageal malignancy were independent predictors of early mortality. Chi squared automatic interaction detection analysis showed that patients without coronary artery disease, without esophageal malignancy and younger than 70 years had the lowest early mortality (4.1 %). Surgery was associated with slightly lower early mortality (conservative 23.3, endoclips 25.0 %, stent-grafting 19.0 %, surgery 13.1 %; p = 0.499). One center reported a series of more than 20 patients treated with stent-grafting which achieved an early mortality of 7.7 % (2/26 patients). Stent-grafting was associated with better survival with salvaged esophagus (conservative 76.7 %, endoclips 75.0 %, stent-grafting 77.8 %, surgery 56.0 %; p = 0.019). Propensity score adjusted analysis showed that stent-grafting achieved similar early mortality (p = 0.946), but significantly higher survival with salvaged esophagus than with surgical treatment (p = 0.001, OR 0.253, 95 % CI 0.110-0.585). Primary surgical repair was associated with somewhat lower early mortality (14.6 vs. 19.0 %; p = 0.561) and better survival with salvaged esophagus (85.4 vs. 77.8 %; p = 0.337) than stent-grafting. CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal perforation was associated with a rather high mortality rate in this all-comers population. Stent-grafting failed to decrease operative mortality, but it improved survival with salvaged esophagus. The results of one of the centers indicate that increasing experience with this less invasive procedure may possibly improve the outcome of these patients.

Surgery for colorectal liver metastases: the impact of resection margins on recurrence and overall survival.

BACKGROUND: Several reports have presented conflicting results regarding the association between resection margins (RMs) and outcome after surgery for colorectal liver metastases (CLM), especially in the era of modern chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of RMs on overall survival (OS), time to recurrence (TTR) and local recurrence (LR) status, particularly for patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy. METHODS: A combined retrospective (1998 to 2008) and prospective (2008 to 2010) cohort study of consecutive patients with CLM without extrahepatic disease treated with primary resection at a medium volume centre. RESULTS: A total of 253 patients with known R status and 242 patients with defined margin width were included in the study. Patients were stratified according to margin width; A: R1, <1 mm (n=48, 19%), B: 1 to 4 mm (n=77), C: 5 to 9 mm (n=46) and D: ≥10 mm (n=71). Median time to recurrence was 12.8 months, and after five years 21.5% had no recurrence. LR (inclusive combined recurrence in other hepatic sites or extrahepatic) occurred in 40 (16.5%) cases, most frequently seen with RMs below 5 mm. Five-year OS was 42.5% in R0 and 16.1% in R1 resections (P=0.011). Patients were also stratified according to preoperative chemotherapy (n=88), and the difference in five-year OS between R0 (45.1%) and R1 (14.7%) was maintained (P=0.037). By multiple Cox regression analysis R1 resections tended to an adverse outcome (P=0.067), also when adjusting for preoperative chemotherapy (P=0.081). CONCLUSIONS: R1 resections for colorectal liver metastases predict adverse outcome. RMs below 5 mm increased the risk for LR and shortened the time to recurrence. Preoperative chemotherapy did not alter an adverse outcome in R1 vs. R0 patients.

Trauma care in Africa: a status report from Botswana, guided by the World Health Organization's "Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care".

BACKGROUND: Trauma represents a significant and increasing challenge to health care systems all over the world. This study aimed to evaluate the trauma care capabilities of Botswana, a middle-income African country, by applying the World Health Organization's Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care. METHODS: All 27 government (16 primary, 9 district, 2 referral) hospitals were surveyed. A questionnaire and checklist, based on "Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care" and locally adapted, were developed as situation analysis tools. The questionnaire assessed local trauma organization, capacity, and the presence of quality improvement activity. The checklist assessed physical availability of equipment and timely availability of trauma-related skills. Information was collected by interviews with hospital administrators, key personnel within trauma care, and through on-site physical inspection. RESULTS: Hospitals in Botswana are reasonably well supplied with human and physical resources for trauma care, although deficiencies were noted. At the primary and district levels, both capacity and equipment for airway/breathing management and vascular access was limited. Trauma administrative functions were largely absent at all levels. No hospital in Botswana had any plans for trauma education, separate from or incorporated into other improvement activities. Team organization was nonexistent, and training activities in the emergency room were limited. CONCLUSIONS: This study draws a picture of trauma care capabilities of an entire African country. Despite good organizational structures, Botswana has room for substantial improvement. Administrative functions, training, and human and physical resources could be improved. By applying the guidelines, this study creates an objective foundation for improved trauma care in Botswana.

Long-term treatment with the pan-PPAR agonist tetradecylthioacetic acid or fish oil is associated with increased cardiac content of n-3 fatty acids in rat.

BACKGROUND: Excess peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) stimulation has been associated with detrimental health effects including impaired myocardial function. Recently, supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) has been associated with improved left ventricular function and functional capacity in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. We investigated the long-term effects of the pan-PPAR agonist tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) and/or high-dose fish oil (FO) on cardiac fatty acid (FA) composition and lipid metabolism. Male Wistar rats were given one out of four different 25% (w/v) fat diets: control diet; TTA diet; FO diet; or diet containing both TTA and FO. RESULTS: After 50 weeks n-3 PUFA levels were increased by TTA and FO in the heart, whereas liver levels were reduced following TTA administration. TTA was associated with a decrease in arachidonic acid, increased activities of carnitine palmitoyltransferase II, fatty acyl-CoA oxidase, glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, and fatty acid synthase in the heart. Furthermore, cardiac Ucp3 and Cact mRNA was upregulated. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment with the pan-PPAR agonist TTA or high-dose FO induced marked changes in PUFA composition and enzymatic activity involved in FA metabolism in the heart, different from liver. Changes included increased FA oxidation and a selective increase in cardiac n-3 PUFA.

Esophageal perforation: clinical patterns and outcomes from a patient cohort of Western Norway.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal perforation is a rare, often life-threatening condition, and management remains challenging. METHODS: Retrospective review of consecutive patients with esophageal perforation treated at two university hospitals between 2000 and 2010. Pertinent data from hospital records were retrieved for statistical calculations and evaluation of perforation score. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients [47% female, median age 62 years (range 15-88)] were included. The annual incidence was 4.7/1,000,000. Perforations were spontaneous in 14 patients (30%), iatrogenic in 25 (53%), and caused by trauma and foreign body impaction in 8 patients (17%). ASA score (p = 0.004), perforation localization (p = 0.001), diagnostic delay (p = 0.002), and perforation score (p < 0.001) differed significantly between patient groups with different etiology, but not between groups with different outcomes. Early diagnosis (≤24 h) was significantly associated with a low perforation score (p = 0.033). A non-operative approach was employed in 26 patients (55%) - more commonly for proximally localized perforations (p = 0.045). The non-operative group showed lower severe complication rates (p = 0.033), shorter ICU stays (p < 0.001) and durations of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.022). The overall 30-day mortality was 23.4%. CONCLUSION: Careful clinical evaluation and appropriate, individualized treatment are important. The high mortality may be partly explained by the underlying disease and the complexity of the clinical condition in many patients.

Long-term survival from adenocarcinoma of the esophagus after transthoracic and transhiatal esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: The effects of transthoracic or transhiatal esophagectomy on the long-term survival of patients who had adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were compared, as were factors applicable in preoperative stratification of patient treatment. METHODS: A cohort of 147 consecutive patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus was evaluated for esophagectomy between 1984 and 2000. The patients were followed prospectively and observed survival rates of patients with a transthoracic or transhiatal approach to esophagectomy were compared by standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and relative mortality ratio (RMR) using the expected survival of a matched Norwegian population. RESULTS: A R0 resection was performed by transthoracic (n = 33) or a transhiatal (n = 55) esophagectomy in 88 (60%) patients with a median age of 61 (range: 35-77) and 70 (42-88) years, respectively (P <0.001). Tumor stages and other possible risk factors were similar in the two groups. Transthoracic or transhiatal esophagectomy resulted in a median survival time of 20.5 (95% confidence interval (CI): 10.4-57.6) and 16.4 (10.6-28.7) months, respectively. The respective survival rates were 31.2% and 27.8% by 5 years, and 21.3% and 16.6% by 10 years with an overall RMR of 1.14 (P = 0.63). Median survival time in the absence or presence of lymph node metastases was 74.0 (95% CI: 17.5-166.4) and 10.7 (7.9-14.9) months. The corresponding survival rates by 10 years with non-involved or involved nodes were 48.9% and 3.8% respectively (RMR 2.22, P = 0.007). Patients with a pT1-tumor were few and the survival rate was not very different from that of the general population (SMR = 1.7, 95% CI: 0.7-4.1). The median survival time of patients with a pT2-tumor was 30.4 (95% CI: 9.0-142) months and with a pT3-tumor 14 (9.2-16.4) months. The survival rates by 10 years among patients with a pT1 tumor were 57.0% (95% CI: 14.9-78.9), pT2 33.3% (11.8-52.2), and pT3 7.1% (1.9-15.5). The relative mortality for T3 stages compared to T1 stages was statistically significant (RMR = 3.22, P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: Transthoracic and transhiatal esophagectomy are both effective approaches for treatment of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and survival of more than 10 years can be expected without adjuvant chemotherapy. However, increasing depth of tumor invasion and lymph node metastases reduce life expectancy.

Paediatric surgical conditions in Malawi - A cross-sectional nationwide household survey.

Background: Untreated surgical conditions may lead to lifelong disability in children. Treating children with surgical conditions may reduce long-term effects of morbidity and disability. Unfortunately, low- and middle-income countries have limited resources for paediatric surgical care. Malawi, for example, has very few paediatric surgeons. There are also significantly inadequate infrastructures and personnel to treat these children. In order to strengthen resources that could provide such services, we need to begin by quantifying the need. Aim: To estimate the approximate prevalence of surgical conditions among children in Malawi, to describe the anatomical locations and diagnoses of the conditions and the presence of injuries. Methods: A cross-sectional, nationwide survey of surgical needs was performed in 28 of 29 districts of Malawi. Villages, households and household members were randomly selected. A total of 1487 households were visited and 2960 persons were interviewed. This paper is a sub analysis of the children in the dataset. Information was obtained from 255 living children and inquiry from household respondents for the 255 children who had died in the past year. The interviews were conducted by medical students over a 60-day period, and the validated SOSAS tool was used for data collection. Results: There were 67 out of 255 (26.3%) total children living with a surgical condition at the time of the study, with most of the conditions located in the extremities. Half of the children lived with problems due to injuries. Traffic accidents were the most common cause. Two-thirds of the children living with a surgical condition had some kind of disability, and one-third of them were grossly disabled. There were 255 total deceased children, with 34 who died from a surgical condition. The most prevalent causes of death were congenital anomalies of the abdomen, groin and genital region. Conclusion: An extrapolation of the 26% of children found to be living with a surgical condition indicates that there could be 2 million children living with a condition that needs surgical consultation or treatment in Malawi. Congenital anomalies cause significant numbers of deaths among Malawian children. Children living with surgical conditions had disorders in their extremities, causing severe disability. Many of these disorders could have been corrected by surgical care.

High-dose chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery versus surgery alone in esophageal cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess whether high-dose preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) improves outcome in esophageal cancer patients compared to surgery alone and to define possible prognostic factors for overall survival. METHODS: Hundred-and-seven patients with disease stage IIA - III were treated with either surgery alone (n = 45) or high-dose preoperative CRT (n = 62). The data were collected retrospectively. Sixty-seven patients had adenocarcinomas, 39 squamous cell carcinomas and one undifferentiated carcinoma. CRT was given as three intensive chemotherapy courses by cisplatin 100 mg/m2 on day 1 and 5-fluorouracil 1000 mg/m2/day, from day 1 through day 5 as continuous infusion. One course was given every 21 days. The last two courses were given concurrent with high-dose radiotherapy, 2 Gy/fraction and a median dose of 66 Gy. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log rank test was used to obtain survival data and Cox Regression multivariate analysis was used to define prognostic factors for overall survival. RESULTS: Toxicity grade 3 of CRT occurred in 30 (48.4%) patients and grade 4 in 24 (38.7%) patients of 62 patients. One patient died of neutropenic infection (grade 5). Fifty percent (31 patients) in the CRT group did undergo the planned surgery. Postoperative mortality rate was 9% and 10% in the surgery alone and CRT+ surgery groups, respectively (p = 1.0). Median overall survival was 11.1 and 31.4 months in the surgery alone and CRT+ surgery groups, respectively (log rank test, p = 0.042). In the surgery alone group one, 3 and 5 year survival rates were 44%, 24% and 16%, respectively and in the CRT+ surgery group they were 68%, 44% and 29%, respectively. By multivariate analysis we found that age of patient, performance status, alcoholism and >or= 4 pathological positive lymph nodes in resected specimen were significantly associated with overall survival, whereas high-dose preoperative CRT was not. CONCLUSION: We found no significant survival advantage in esophageal cancer stage IIA-III following preoperative high-dose CRT compared to surgery alone. Patient's age, performance status, alcohol abuse and number of positive lymph nodes were prognostic factors for overall survival.

Weight loss and BMI criteria in GLIM's definition of malnutrition is associated with postoperative complications following abdominal resections - Results from a National Quality Registry.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although malnutrition is thought to be common among patients with intraabdominal diseases and is recognized as a risk factor for postoperative complications, diagnostic criteria for malnutrition have not been consistent. Thus, the Global Leadership Initiative in Malnutrition (GLIM) has recently published new criteria for malnutrition. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition according to weight loss and BMI criteria in GLIM's second step for the diagnosis and their association with severe postoperative complications in patients undergoing gastrointestinal resections. METHOD: The current study includes adult patients who were prospectively included in the Norwegian Registry for Gastrointestinal Surgery in the period between 2015 and 2018. Exclusion criteria were acute surgery and lack of information regarding preoperative weight and/or postoperative complications. Severe surgical complications were classified according to the Revised Accordion Classification system and malnutrition with the GLIM criteria. Associations were assessed by logistic regression analyses, and the adjusted odds ratio included age (continuous), gender (male/female) and scores from the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification System and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. RESULTS: Out of 6110 patients, 2161 (35.4%) were classified as with malnutrition, 1206 (19.7%) with moderate and 955 (15.6%) with severe malnutrition. Malnourished patients were 1.29 (95% CI: 1.13-1.47) times more likely to develop severe surgical complications, and 2.15 (95% CI: 1.27-3.65) times more likely to die within 30 days, as compared to those who were not. CONCLUSION: Preoperative malnutrition is common among patients having gastrointestinal resections and is associated with an increased risk of severe surgical complications.

Survival and an overview of decision-making in patients with cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cholangiocarcinoma is rare, accounting for approximately 3% of all gastrointestinal cancers. This study aimed to identify the survival rate among surgically treated and palliated patients, and secondly to identify parameters that could predict a curative resection. METHODS: A total of 121 patients, 55 men and 66 women, median age 70 years (range 31-91), who had been treated for cholangiocarcinoma in the period of 1990-2005 were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Curative resection was performed in 40 patients (33%), whereas 81 received palliative treatment (67%). 16% (19 of 121) of the patients had an explorative laparotomy without tumour resection. Age above 65 years (OR 3.4; 95% CI 1.4-8.4; P=0.008), weight loss (OR 8.5; 95% CI 1.5-46; P=0.01) or tumour location (The resection rate of hilar cholangiocarcinoma was lower than that of intrapancreatic cancer.) (OR 2.7; 95% CI 1.7-4.5; P=0.001) predicted palliative treatment. The adjusted 5-year survival rate of patients who received tumour resection and palliative treatment was 30% and 1.2 %, respectively (P<0.001). The survival rate of patients who were subjected to hepatectomy (70%) was better than that of patients who had a local or distal resection (20%) (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In few patients with a resectable cholangiocarcinoma, an explorative laparotomy is often necessary to evaluate resectability. However, long-term survival is significantly better in patients who received radical surgical resection.

[Surgical treatment of liver metastases from colorectal cancer]. / Kirurgisk behandling av levermetastaser fra kolorektal kreft.

BACKGROUND: The liver is the most common location for metastases from colorectal cancer. Current treatment options (i.e. neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, pre-operative portal vein embolization), IMPROVED OPERATIVE TECHNIQUES: and combinations of modalities and have rendered more patients eligible for liver surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Literature from 1996 to July 2007 was retrieved from Pubmed using the search terms "liver metastases", "liver resection", "colorectal cancer", "randomized controlled trial", "systematic review" and "meta-analysis". RESULTS: No randomized controlled trials were identified that compared liver resection with non-surgical treatment of these patients. Except for a few systematic review articles, the scientific basis for resection of liver metastases from colorectal cancer consists mainly of retrospective studies from single institutions. Median survival for patients with colorectal liver metastases is about 20 months; a five-year survival of 30-50% is reported in resected patients. Patients with non-resectable disease rarely survive for five years. 30-40% of the resected patients have post-operative complications (mostly minor) and postoperative mortality is 3-5%. INTERPRETATION: Surgical treatment of liver metastases is established practice. Patients with colorectal liver metastases should be referred to a multidisciplinary team for appropriate evaluation. Neoadjuvant treatment and multimodal approaches may increase the proportion of patients with resectable liver metastases, and better preoperative imaging may help to more carefully select patients who can benefit from this treatment.