Hyperdry Human Amniotic Membrane as a Protective Dressing for Open Wounds With Exposed Bowel in Mice.

INTRODUCTION: An enteroatmospheric fistula forms when the exposed bowel is perforated with chronic enteric fistula formation. Currently, there is no established preventative method for this condition. Hyperdry (HD) amniotic membrane (AM) can promote early granulation tissue formation on the exposed viscera and is suitable for dressing intractable wounds as it possesses anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory properties. This study investigated whether HD-AM promotes early formation of blood vessel-containing granulation tissue for enteroatmospheric fistula treatment. METHODS: An experimental animal model of an open wound with exposed bowel was developed. A 15 × 20 mm wound was prepared on the abdomen of Institute of Cancer Research mice, and the HD-AM was placed. The mice were assigned to one of the following groups: HD-AM group, in which the stromal layer of the HD-AM was placed in contact with the exposed bowel; HD-AM UD group, in which the epithelial layer of the HD-AM was placed in contact with the exposed bowel; and the HD-AM (-) or control group, in which the HD-AM was not used. RESULTS: On postoperative days 7 and 14, granulation tissue thickness significantly increased in the HD-AM and HD-AM UD groups compared with that in the HD-AM (-) group. Macrophages accumulated in the HD-AM epithelium only in the HD-AM group. During HD-AM contact, a subset of invading macrophages switched from M1 to M2 phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: HD-AM is a practical wound dressing with its scaffolding function, regulation of TGF ß-1 and C-X-C motif chemokine 5 (CXCL-5), and ability to induce M1-to-M2 macrophage conversion.

Open abdominal management for perforative peritonitis with septic shock: a retrospective analysis on usefulness of a standardized treatment protocol.

BACKGROUND: Damage control surgery (DCS) with open abdominal management (OAM) has been increasingly expanded to include critically ill non-trauma patients. However, there is limited data regarding the usefulness of this protocol for the treatment of severe perforative peritonitis (PP), especially with septic shock (SS). Here, we retrospectively evaluated the usefulness of our OAM protocol for PP with SS. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with from June 2015 to September 2018. The proposed protocol was composed of the following steps: (1) rapid control of contamination; (2) temporary abdominal closure; (3) repeated washout of the abdominal cavity; and (4) delayed definitive surgery. For temporary abdominal closure, a negative pressure wound therapy device was used. The end points were the morbidity and 30-day mortality rates. Logistic backward regression was performed to identify factors associated with complications. RESULTS: The mortality rate was 4% (1/25) and the overall morbidity rate of surviving patients was 58.3% (14/24). The mean duration of the first DCS was 67.36 ± 22.83 min. The median durations of ventilation and intensive care unit stay were 5 and 7 days, respectively. Although not significant, morbidity might be associated with age, diabetes mellitus, initial operative time, and OAM duration. CONCLUSIONS: A standardized protocol for OAM may improve the outcomes of patients with SS due to PP. This damage control approach can be applied for the treatment of severe abdominal sepsis.

Perioperative Factors Associated With Respiratory Complications Following Open Abdomen Management.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative respiratory complications are often severe and associated with a high risk of mortality in patients who undergo open abdomen (OA) management following emergency damage-control surgery. The causes of postoperative respiratory complications remain unknown. Therefore, we evaluated postoperative factors associated with respiratory complications in nontrauma patients who had undergone OA management using propensity score matching, with a focus on OA-related risk factors. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included subjects who underwent OA management during a 4-y study period. Age, body mass index, and smoking history were selected as covariates. After propensity score matching, we compared postoperative factors (ie, first operative time, duration of OA, initial 3-d fluid balance, length of ICU stay, and in-hospital mortality) in 2 groups of subjects: those who had post-OA respiratory complications (PORCs) and those who did not. RESULTS: 60 subjects (33 men and 27 women) were identified; 38.3% of these subjects had PORCs. After propensity score matching, 18 subjects were matched. The 3-d fluid balance was significantly higher in subjects with PORCs than in those without PORCs (3,513 mL vs 1,087 mL; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine factors associated with respiratory complications following OA in nontrauma subjects. After adjusting for known co-factors associated with postoperative respiratory complications, the 3-d fluid balance was identified as a significant risk factor for PORCs in subjects who had undergone OA. Clinicians should pay attention to the incidence of PORCs in OA subjects with a positive fluid balance after emergency abdominal surgery.

Novel laparoscopic methods for inguinal hernia post pelvic fracture: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Pelvic fractures can occur in minor injuries, such as falls, in the elderly. Extensive adhesion of preperitoneal space is common after pelvic fracture surgery; hence, surgical interventions for inguinal hernia may be challenging. We treated a case of inguinal hernia after pelvic fracture surgery, using novel laparoscopic methods: iliopubic tract repair (IPTR) and modified intraperitoneal onlay mesh (mIPOM) approach. PRESENTATION OF CASE: This is the case of an elderly male with pelvic fracture. Open reduction and internal fixation were performed. Eighteen months after the procedure, a right inguinal bulge appeared, swelling increased, and he opted for surgery. We chose laparoscopic surgery to determine the status of the hernia and anatomy around the pelvis. He was diagnosed with an indirect inguinal hernia, and the inner inguinal ring was widely open. We chose the mIPOM approach and IPTR. He was discharged on day 3 post-operation. He developed a seroma after surgery, which disappeared after a month. Six months post-operation, no recurrence or neurologic pain observed. DISCUSSION: The transabdominal preperitoneal approach (TAPP) was initiated at first; however, the adhesion inside the inferior epigastric vessels was very strong, challenging to break into the preperitoneal space. We switched to the mIPOM method because the peritoneum was fragile and difficult to suture. Additionally, the internal ring was widely opened; hence, we proceeded with IPTR on confirmation that no tension on the abdominal wall was applied. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic surgery is useful in flexibility of surgical options, such as TAPP, IPTR, IPOM, in addition to hybrid conversion.

Intraluminal Apple as a Rare Cause of Small Bowel Obstruction.

Small bowel obstruction due to ingested foreign bodies is rare in adults. A 48-year-old male visited our hospital with abdominal pain and vomiting. Computed tomography revealed intestinal obstruction by a 3 × 4 cm apple-shaped foreign body. Emergency surgery was performed to clear the obstruction which, upon inspection, was caused by a sexual toy made of rubber. Flexible rubber products that are ingested should be carefully followed after they pass thorough the pylorus. For obstructions related to sexual behavior, the patient's sense of shame often delays the process of seeking medical attention, thereby making preoperative diagnosis difficult.

Efficacy of isoproterenol for treating amlodipine overdose resulting in bradycardia.

Case: Amlodipine predominantly affects vascular smooth muscle cells. Amlodipine overdose usually presents with vasodilatory shock, accompanied by reflex tachycardia rather than bradycardia.An 81-year-old woman presented with impaired consciousness 8 h after ingesting 50 5-mg amlodipine tablets with suicidal intent. On admission, her blood pressure was 50/40 mmHg and her heart rate was 45 b.p.m. Serum amlodipine level was extremely high (474.4 ng/mL), causing refractory bradycardia. She remained hypotensive despite fluid resuscitation, and therefore was administered dopamine and norepinephrine. She was also administered glucagon and calcium gluconate, and underwent high-dose insulin euglycemic therapy. Outcome: Although her blood pressure improved, bradycardia progressively worsened and isoproterenol infusion was initiated, which resulted in an improvement in her heart rate. The patient discharged on day 14 without any complications. Conclusion: Isoproterenol is effective for treating bradycardia after amlodipine overdose.

[A Case of Laparoscopic Resection of Sigmoid Colon Cancer Complicated by an Iliopsoas Abscess Preceded by Abscess Drainage].

For colon cancer complicated by iliopsoas abscess, it is unclear whether surgery should be performed prior to abscess drainage. We were able to perform laparoscopic sigmoid resection safely after first draining the abscess. We believed it would be beneficial to avoid surgery in the presence of abscess and inflammation, and the minimally invasive operation was performed after improvements of the patient's general status and inflammation.

[Damage Control Surgery for Perforation of Colon Cancer].

Perforation due to colon cancer maycause peritonitis and septic shock. In these cases, we maynot be able to rescue the patients in spite of emergencysurgical intervention; in these conditions, owing to limitations of operation time, it is difficult for us to assess the state or extent of the disease and to perform an ideal oncological surgerywith dissection of lymph nodes. To overcome these limitations, we introduce the concept of "damage control surgery" developed in the trauma region to treat perforations of colon cancer. There are 3 steps: first, the perforated intestine is resected and the peritoneal cavityis lavaged to control contamination. Open abdominal management is used as a temporaryabdominal closure; second, sepsis is treated in the ICU; and third, based on the treatment strategydecided upon after consulting a colorectal surgeon and the patient's family, a colostomy, anastomosis, and extra dissection of lymph node are performed before abdominal closure. We report the fatal case of a 92-year-old woman who had developed severe shock to indicate the significance of this strategy.

[A Case of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in the Fat Replacement of the Pancreatic Body and Tail].

A 56 year-old woman with obesity (BMI3 2) and diabetes mellitus was diagnosed with right renal cell carcinoma. She underwent right nephrectomy 1 year ago. Seven months after surgery, CT revealed a rapidly growing mass near the spleen. The mass showed slight accumulation of FDG (SUVmax=2.4) on PET-CT. Since the lesion grew rapidly and was not enhanced in the early phase of enhanced CT, we diagnosed pancreatic cancer. Distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy were performed. The final pathological diagnosis was invasive ductal carcinoma in the fat replacement of the pancreatic body and tail. Postoperatively, the patient had no complications such as pancreatic fistula or aggravation of glucose intolerance. She received postoperative chemotherapy with gemcitabine. Since she developed pulmonary artery thrombosis, postoperative chemotherapy was interrupted after 8 courses. Thirty-two months after the surgery, she was still living without any recurrence. Acinar cells were absent in the fat replacement of the pancreas, but the pancreatic duct cells were still present. There was carcinoma in situ in the main pancreatic duct surrounding chronic inflammation. Fat replacement itself could be potentially precursor of the pancreatic cancer.

[A study of laparoscopic stoma creation for patients with malignant bowel obstruction].

UNLABELLED: We evaluated the efficacy of laparoscopic palliative stoma creation for patients with malignant bowel obstruction (MBO). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four patients with MBO who underwent laparoscopic stoma creation between January 2009 and December 2012 were studied and their clinical outcome was evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Compared to the open approach, the laparoscopic approach led to significantly shorter operation times and a significantly lower incidence of surgical site infection( SSI). The rate of removal of the intestinal tube and intravenous drip after surgery was 100% and 88%, respectively, and the rate of oral intake was 100% after palliative stoma creation. The prognosis was 58% in 3 months and 29% in 1 year, and the median survival time was approximately 4 months. DISCUSSION: The quality of surgery by the laparoscopic approach was better than that by the open approach, and the quality of life( QOL) after stoma creation was better than that before surgery. Given the shorter operation time, lower incidence of SSI, and better QOL, laparoscopic stoma creation is a beneficial choice for palliative treatment in patients with MBO.

[Clinical analysis of 104 cases of overdose in suicide attempts].

Patients who have attempted suicide by taking medicines are frequently admitted to emergency and critical care medical centers. These patients usually have both physical and mental problems. Some try repeatedly to commit suicide. In this study, to ascertain how to prevent repeated attempts of suicide, we investigated the clinical characteristics of patients attempting suicide by taking overdoses of medicine. One hundred and four cases of suicide attempted by taking an overdose of medicine, seen at The Emergency and Critical Care Medical Center, Tottori University Hospital, Tottori from April 2005 to March 2006, were investigated in this retrospective study. Patients were 25 males (24%), and 79 females (76%). Eighty one patients (77.9%) had regularly been receiving psychiatric care, with neurotic disorders being the most common psychiatric condition. Thirty eight patients (36.5%) had repeated suicide attempts by taking an overdose of medicine. In 2005, there were 9 patients (9.4%) who had repeatedly consulted our critical care medical center. Most of these patients were females who had previously consulted a psychiatric clinic and had diagnoses of stress-related or personality disorders. In this study, we demonstrated that it is important to build a good relationship between psychiatrists and emergency doctors. As well, to prevent repeated incidents of taking an overdose of medicines in a suicide attempt, it is important to ensure that medical and psychosocial support are positively applied to patients with such tendencies.

[Case of tetrodotoxin intoxication in a uremic patient].

Ingestion of certain types of puffer fish can result in severe and potentially lethal intoxication, referred to as tetrodotoxin (TTX) intoxication. It is well known that respiratory support plays a key role in the management of patients with TTX intoxication. We describe here the case of a 52-year-old uremic woman, who complained of numbness of the lips and weakness in the legs after ingestion of puffer fish (Lagocephalus wheeleri; called shirosaba-fugu in Japanese). While her symptoms were not severe and she did not require respiratory support, her condition did not improve after 2 days of hospitalization. Hemodialysis was therefore performed on hospital days 3, 4 and 5, and resulted in marked improvement of symptoms. We suggest that the patient's renal dysfunction caused an accumulation of TTX due to delayed excretion and thus modified the clinical course of TTX intoxication. Hemodialysis may be effective in the treatment of TTX intoxication. This is the first report of TTX intoxication in a uremic patient in Japan, and, importantly, the first report of intoxication with Lagocephalus wheeleri, which was previously considered to be a non-toxic species.