NGAL in the Development of Acute Kidney Injury in a Murine Model of Remote Ischaemic Preconditioning and Liver Ischaemia Reperfusion.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common following liver transplantation and is associated with liver ischeamia reperfusion (IR) injury. The purpose of this study was to use a mouse model of liver IR injury and AKI to study the role of Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin (NGAL), a biomarker of AKI, in liver IR injury and AKI. We demonstrate an adapted, reproducible model of liver IR injury and AKI in which remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) by repeated episodes of hindleg ischemia prior to liver IR reduced the severity of the IR injury. In this model, serum NGAL at 2 h post reperfusion correlated with AKI development early following IR injury. This early rise in serum NGAL was associated with hepatic but not renal upregulation of NGAL mRNA, suggesting NGAL production in the liver but not the kidney in the early phase post liver IR injury.

Major trauma among E-Scooter and bicycle users: a nationwide cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence, demographics and injury patterns involved in E-Scooter-related hospital admissions due to significant trauma compared with bicycle-related trauma within England and Wales. To compare morbidity and mortality between groups. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study based on data which has been prospectively collected and submitted to the UK Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) registry. SETTING: Major trauma centres and trauma units within England and Wales. PARTICIPANTS: Patients of any age who were admitted to hospitals in England and Wales with injuries following E-Scooter or bicycle incidents between the dates 1 January 2021-31 December 2021. All patients must have met TARN database inclusion criteria. OUTCOMES: In-hospital mortality, critical care admission and length of stay (LoS), hospital LoS and discharge destination. RESULTS: There were 293 E-Scooter trauma incidents compared with 2538 bicycle incidents. E-Scooter users were more likely to be admitted to a major trauma centre (p=0.019) or a critical care unit (p<0.001). Serious head and limb trauma (Abbreviated Injury Scale >2) occurred more frequently among the E-Scooter cohort (35.2% vs 19.7%, p<0.001 and 39.9% vs 27.2%, p<0.001, respectively) while serious chest and pelvic trauma were greater among bicycle users (p<0.001 and p=0.003, respectively). Over one-third of E-Scooter injuries were incurred outside the current legislation by patients who were intoxicated by alcohol and drugs (26%, 75/293) or under the age of 17 (14%, 41/293). CONCLUSIONS: These early results suggest a greater relative incidence of serious trauma and an alternative pattern of injury among E-Scooter users compared with bicycles. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: TARN210101.

Literature review of the mechanisms of acute kidney injury secondary to acute liver injury.

People exposed to liver ischaemia reperfusion (IR) injury often develop acute kidney injury and the combination is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Molecular mediators released by the liver in response to IR injury are the likely cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) in this setting, but the mediators have not yet been identified. Identifying the mechanism of injury will allow the identification of therapeutic targets which may modulate both liver IR injury and AKI following liver IR injury.

Economic impact of surgery on households and individuals in low income countries: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Surgical disease in Low Income Countries (LIC) is common, and overall provision of surgical care is poor. A key component of surgical health systems as part of universal health coverage (UHC) is financial risk protection (FRP) - the need to protect individuals from financial hardship due to accessing healthcare. We performed a systematic review to amalgamate current understanding of the economic impact of surgery on the individual and household. Our study was registered on Research registry (www.researchregistry.com). METHODS: We searched Pubmed and Medline for articles addressing economic aspects of surgical disease/care in low income countries. Data analysis was descriptive in light of a wide range of methodologies and reporting measures. Quality assessment and risk of bias analysis was performed using study design specific Joanna-Briggs Institute checklists. This study has been reported in line with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and AMSTAR (Assessing the methodological quality of systematic reviews) Guidelines. RESULTS: 31 full text papers were identified for inclusion; 22 descriptive cross-sectional studies, 4 qualitative studies and 5 economic analysis studies of varying quality. Direct medical, direct non-medical and indirect costs were variably reported but were substantial, resulting in catastrophic expenditure. Costs had far reaching economic impacts on individuals and households, who used entire savings, took out loans, reduced essential expenditure and removed children from school to meet costs. CONCLUSION: Seeking healthcare for surgical disease is economically devastating for individuals and households in LICs. Policies directed at strengthening surgical health systems must seek ways to reduce financial hardship on individuals and households from both direct and indirect costs and these should be monitored and measured using defined instruments from the patient perspective.

Formation of a temporary gastrostomy to aid delivery of gastric trichobezoar and decrease incidence of wound infection.

Trichobezoars are relatively uncommon problems with a known female predominance. We report two female children with gastric bezoars. Main presenting symptoms were abdominal distension, weight loss and anaemia. Upper abdominal mass was palpable in both. Diagnosis was suspected on initial abdominal radiograph and ultrasound scan then confirmed by upper endoscopy. No bowel extension was recorded in either case. We report here a modification of the surgical technique in which the gastrostomy cut edges were anchored to the laparotomy skin. This modification aided easy and complete delivery of hair balls avoiding any spillage or wound contamination.

Pedicled jejunal interposition for long gap esophageal atresia.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Long gap esophageal atresia (LGEA) represents 10% of all esophageal atresias but can be complex to manage. Jejunal interposition (JI) has been recommended as the operative management of choice when esophageal ends cannot be opposed. We report our experience using the pedicled jejunal interposition technique with comparison to patients undergoing primary repair of LGEA. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of all patients managed for LGEA at our unit between 2003 and 2017 with comparison between pedicled jejunal interposition and primary repair. RESULTS: 10 patients were treated with pedicled jejunal interposition and 9 patients underwent primary repair (including one Foker procedure performed elsewhere). Patient demographics and short term outcomes were similar between the two groups, but less anastomotic stricturing and gastroesophageal reflux were observed in the JI group. CONCLUSION: This is the largest published series of pedicled jejunal interposition from the UK. Our results support continued use of this procedure with good long term graft function. It is our recommendation that pedicled interposition grafts are used in all patients requiring extensive dissection or tension to achieve opposition for primary repair. TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

LAP-VEGaS Practice Guidelines for Reporting of Educational Videos in Laparoscopic Surgery: A Joint Trainers and Trainees Consensus Statement.

OBJECTIVE: Consensus statement by an international multispecialty trainers and trainees expert committee on guidelines for reporting of educational videos in laparoscopic surgery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Instructive laparoscopy videos with appropriate exposition could be ideal for initial training in laparoscopic surgery, but there are no guidelines for video annotation or procedural educational and safety evaluation. METHODS: Delphi questionnaire of 45 statements prepared by a steering group and voted on over 2 rounds by committee members using an electronic survey tool. Committee selection design included representative surgical training experts worldwide across different laparoscopic specialties, including general surgery, lower and upper gastrointestinal surgery, gynecology and urology, and a proportion of aligned surgical trainees. RESULTS: All 33 committee members completed both the first and the second round of the Delphi questionnaire related to 7 major domains: Video Introduction/Authors' information; Patient Details; Procedure Description; Procedure Outcome; Associated Educational Content; Peer Review; and Use in Educational Curriculae. The 17 statements that did not reach at least 80% agreement after the first round were revised and returned into the second round. The committee consensus approved 37 statements to at least an 82% agreement. CONCLUSION: Consensus guidelines on how to report laparoscopic surgery videos for educational purposes have been developed. We anticipate that following our guidelines could help to improve video quality.These reporting guidelines may be useful as a standard for reviewing videos submitted for publication or conference presentation.

Antiangiogenic effect of erythromycin: an in vitro model of Bartonella quintana infection.

BACKGROUND: Bartonella quintana, the etiological agent of bacillary angiomatosis (BA), causes endothelial cell proliferation. Erythromycin has dramatic effects on BA, and the effects are largely unexplained by the compound's bacteriostatic properties. Our aim here was to evaluate the possibility that erythromycin alters angiogenesis. METHODS: The effect of erythromycin on B. quintana-induced endothelial cell proliferation was studied using a wild-type strain and an erythromycin-resistant B. quintana mutant. The latter was generated by serial subcultures on blood agar plates. RESULTS: We show that erythromycin significantly inhibits the proliferation of dermal microvascular endothelial cells induced either by wild-type B. quintana or by our erythromycin-resistant mutant. Doxycycline and gentamycin failed to exert such an effect. Finally, we found that the resistant strain harbored a 27-bp insertion in the highly conserved region of the gene encoding the ribosomal protein L4; this insertion may explain the existence of the resistance to erythromycin. CONCLUSION: The data presented here indicate that erythromycin profoundly down-modulates endothelial cell proliferation irrespective of its bacteriostatic effects and suggest that this may be a key component of the efficacy of the compound in the treatment of patients with BA.