Conservative versus Surgical Treatment of Pneumatosis Intestinalis: Experience from a Multidisciplinary Center.

BACKGROUND Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is an uncommon condition that is not specific to any particular disease. Currently, there is no specific clinical guideline for treating and diagnosing PI. Furthermore, there are numerous causes of PI, which makes it difficult for clinicians - internal medicine physicians as well as surgeons - to take a clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment. CASE REPORT We present 3 clinical scenarios with PI. In the first patient there was a solitary image of PI, which was treated successfully with parenteral nutrition and intravenous antibiotics, and he was discharged after 5 days. The other 2 cases, which involve gas in the hepatic portal vein (HPVG), were handled in 2 distinct ways: surgically and conservatively. One needed diagnostic laparoscopy with necrotic segmentectomy and was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 16. The last patient, received resuscitation treatment due to severe comorbidities and inability to tolerate surgery. After 3 days, abdominal CT scan revealed no signs of remaining PI. However, the patient was terminally discharged after 7 weeks of treatment due to septic shock caused by sacrococcygeal ulcer and urinary tract infection. By drawing comparisons among these 3 scenarios, we aim to highlight certain indicators for conservative treatment success. CONCLUSIONS PI with HPVG is a sign of severe prognosis, which often requires surgical intervention. However, the decision to manage conservatively or surgically depends on the patient's condition and other criteria such as peritonitis, free fluid in the abdominal cavity, and the presence of shock. Physicians should also weigh the benefits and risks of surgical intervention in critically ill patients.

Emergence of amoxicillin resistance and identification of novel mutations of the pbp1A gene in Helicobacter pylori in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Amoxicillin-resistant Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains seem to have increased over time in Vietnam. This threatens the effectiveness of H. pylori eradication therapies with this antibiotic. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of primary resistance of H. pylori to amoxicillin and to assess its association with pbp1A point mutations in Vietnamese patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Naive patients who presented with dyspepsia undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were recruited. Rapid urease tests and PCR assays were used to diagnose H. pylori infection. Amoxicillin susceptibility was examined by E-tests. Molecular detection of the mutant pbp1A gene conferring amoxicillin resistance was carried out by real-time PCR followed by direct sequencing of the PCR products. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using the Tamura-Nei genetic distance model and the neighbor-joining tree building method. RESULTS: There were 308 patients (46.1% men and 53.9% women, p = 0.190) with H. pylori infection. The mean age of the patients was 40.5 ± 11.4 years, ranging from 18 to 74 years old. The E-test was used to determine the susceptibility to amoxicillin (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≤ 0.125 µg/ml) in 101 isolates, among which the rate of primarily resistant strains to amoxicillin was 25.7%. Then, 270 sequences of pbp1A gene fragments were analysed. There were 77 amino acid substitution positions investigated, spanning amino acids 310-596, with the proportion varying from 0.4 to 100%. Seven amino acid changes were significantly different between amoxicillin-sensitive (AmoxS) and amoxicillin-resistant (AmoxR) samples, including Phe366 to Leu (p <  0.001), Ser414 to Arg (p <  0.001), Glu/Asn464-465 (p = 0.009), Val469 to Met (p = 0.021), Phe473 to Val (p <  0.001), Asp479 to Glu (p = 0.044), and Ser/Ala/Gly595-596 (p = 0.001). Phylogenetic analyses suggested that other molecular mechanisms might contribute to amoxicillin resistance in H. pylori in addition to the alterations in PBP1A. CONCLUSIONS: We reported the emergence of amoxicillin-resistant Helicobacter pylori strains in Vietnam and new mutations statistically associated with this antimicrobial resistance. Additional studies are necessary to identify the mechanisms contributing to this resistance in Vietnam.

Effects of laparoscopic Hartmann reversal on short-term operative outcomes among vietnamese patients / Resultados da reversão precoce da cirurgia de Hartmann em pacientes vietnamitas

Abstract Background The reestablishment of continuity after Hartmann operation is considered a major surgical procedure with high morbidity and mortality. The optimal interval time between the Hartman procedure and reversal is controversial. Our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of laparoscopic Hartmann reversal and to determine the optimal timing of operation. Methods All patients who underwent laparoscopic Hartmann reversal from 2008 to 2019 (11 years) at the University Medical Center (UMC) in Ho Chi Minh City were recruited and divided into 2 groups according to the interval time (≤ 4 or > 4 months). The short-term operative outcomes of these groups were compared. Results There were 66 patients who underwent laparoscopic Hartmann reversal (mean age: 63.2 years old); ~ 77% of them had colorectal cancer, and 17% had complicated diverticular disease. Themortality rate, anastomotic leakage rate, and overall complication rate were 0%, 1.5%, and 13.2%, respectively. Early operation was performed in 36 patients, and late reversal in 28 patients. There was no difference in mortality, anastomotic leakage, operative complications, and hospital stay between the two groups. Conclusion Laparoscopic Hartmann reversal was effective with acceptable morbidity and mortality at the UMC. There was no observed impact of the interval time between the Hartmann procedure and laparoscopic Hartmann reversal on the short-term operative outcomes.

Resumo Introdução O reestabelecimento da continuidade após a cirurgia de Hartmann é considerado um procedimento cirúrgico de grande porte com altas morbidade e mortalidade. O tempo ideal de intervalo entre a cirurgia de Hartmann e a reversão é controverso. Nosso estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a eficácia da reversão da cirurgia de Hartmann e determinar o momento ideal para a cirurgia. Métodos Todos os pacientes submetidos à reversão laparoscópica da cirurgia de Hartmann entre 2008 e 2019 (11 anos) no Centro Médico Universitário (UMC, na sigla em inglês) na cidade de Ho Chi Minh foram recrutados e divididos em 2 grupos de acordo como tempo de intervalo (≤ 4 or > 4 meses). Os resultados pós-operatórios de curto prazo destes grupos foram comparados. Resultados Um total de 66 pacientes foram submetidos à reversão laparoscópica da cirurgia de Hartmann (mediana de idade: 63.2 anos); ~ 77 deles tinha câncer colorretal, e 17% tinham doença diverticular complicada. As taxas de mortalidade, de vazamento, e de complicações em geral foram de 0%, 1,5%, e 13,2%, respectivamente. Cirurgia precoce foi realizada em 36 pacientes, e reversão tardia foi realizada em 28 pacientes. Não houve diferença em mortalidade, vazamento anastomótico, complicações operatórias e duração da internação entre os dois grupos. Conclusão A reversão laparoscópica da cirurgia de Hartmann foi eficaz, com morbidade e mortalidade aceitáveis no UMC. Não foi observado qualquer impacto no tempo de intervalo entre a cirurgia de Hartmann e a reversão laparoscópica nos resultados pós-operatórios de curto prazo.