Prevention of Peritoneal Adhesions by Non-Thermal Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Treatment on Mouse Model: A Proof of Concept Study.

Purposes: Formation of peritoneal adhesions is a common consequence of abdominopelvic surgeries and remarkably increases the mortality and morbidity. Moreover, peritoneal adhesions linked to chronic abdominopelvic pain and infertility in women. Various attempts for prevention of peritoneal adhesions were reported. However, these methods either remain insufficient to prevent formation of peritoneal adhesions or carry some practical limitations and thus, there is a need for novel techniques that could effectively decrease the formation of peritoneal adhesions. The aim of the present prospective, randomized, controlled, and single blinded study was to evaluate the effect of non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) treatment on prevention of peritoneal adhesions. Materials and Methods: Sixteen male CD-1 mice were randomly divided into two groups: control and plasma. Excisional and abrasion adhesion models were generated on the peritoneal side wall and cecum, respectively. Ten days after creating adhesion models, mice were sacrificed and adhesion formations were evaluated macroscopically using Knightly's and Linsky's grading systems to assess the intensity and extent of adhesions, respectively. Zühlke's grading system was used for microscopic assessment of adhesions. Results: The mean scores for peritoneum and cecum in control group according to Knightly's grading system were determined as 3.3 and 2.6, respectively. In NTAP-treated group, Knightly's score was determined as 1.6 and 0.5 for peritoneum and cecum, respectively. NTAP treatment reduced Linsky's score from 3.8 to 1.3 and 2.1 to 1.1 on peritoneum and cecum. Finally, in microscopic evaluation, NTAP treatment reduced Zühlke's score from 3.4 to 1.5 and 2.6 to 1.3 for peritoneum and cecum, respectively. Conclusions: The results of the present proof of concept study suggest that NTAP could be a novel method to reduce and/or prevent the formation of peritoneal adhesions after abdominopelvic surgeries.

Usefulness of FGSI and UFGSI scoring systems for predicting mortality in patients with Fournier's gangrene: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of Fournier's gangrene scoring index (FGSI) and Uludag FGSI (UFGSI) for predicting mortality in patients with FG. METHODS: Patients who underwent treatment and follow-up in the A division department of general surgery at two education and research hospitals between January 2012 and December 2015 were evaluated for mortality-related factors. The sensitivities of FGSI and UFGSI scoring systems for predicting mortality-related factors and disease prognosis were evaluated. Patients were grouped as survivors (Group I) or non-survivors (Group II). RESULTS: In total, 29 patients were included in the study. The mean age (±SD) was 51.52±13.36 years. The mortality rate was 20.6% (six patients). Bacterial growth was observed in wound cultures of 17 patients (58.6%). Of the patients with bacterial growth, 11 (47.8%) were in Group I and six (100%) were in Group II. The presence of bacterial growth was significantly associated with mortality (p=0.028). Fourteen patients (48.3%) had comorbid conditions. The number of comorbid conditions was related (p=0.049). FGSI and UFGSI scores were significantly higher in Group II than in Group I (p=0.002 and p=0.001, respectively). Among UFGSI parameters, extent of disease, body temperature, pulse rate, and HCO3 values were significantly higher in Group II than in Group I (p<0.05). The FGSI and UFGSI scoring systems had 100% sensitivity and 78.2% and 73.9% specificity, respectively, for predicting mortality. CONCLUSION: The FGSI and UFGSI scoring systems are valuable for predicting mortality in patients with FG. The extent of the disease was an important prognostic parameter in this study. Whichever scoring system is used, we suggest the use of the extent of disease score in UFGSI.

How much Reliable Is Alvarado Scoring System in Reducing Negative Appendectomy?

There is still an ongoing debate, especially regarding early diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Early surgery leads to inadequate evaluation of acute abdominal pain and negative appendectomy, whereas delayed surgery leads to appendicitis perforation complications. The diagnosis of this condition is considerably difficult, especially due to subtle early symptoms and clinical condition. The aim of the present study was to identify whether the Alvarado scoring system could reduce the incidence of negative appendectomy in patients who will undergo surgery for acute appendicitis. Patients who underwent surgery with acute appendicitis prediagnosis were retrospectively classified as negative appendectomies (group A) and positive appendectomies (group B) according to histological diagnosis. All groups were evaluated for age, gender, Alvarado scores, and parameters. Two hundred eighty-one patients were included in the study. Group A contained 71 (25.3 %) patients, and group B contained 210 (74.7 %) patients. There was a significant difference in WBC, left shift, rebound, and change of pain localization between the groups (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.023, respectively). Alvarado scores were significantly different between the groups (p < 0.001). In logistic model examination, the major factor was the Alvarado score (7 or above) and the minor factor was spreading pain. The Alvarado scoring system can be used to reduce negative appendectomy in patients who will undergo surgery with acute appendicitis.