Surgical management of retroperitoneal necrotising fasciitis by planned repeat laparotomy and debridement.

Mortality remains high in patients with necrotising fasciitis despite use of modern powerful antimicrobial drug therapy and advances in the care of the critically ill. This is particularly so in patients with intra-abdominal retroperitoneal lesions. While necrotising fasciitis of the integument has been well described, its retroperitoneal (extraperitoneal) location has not been highlighted. Planned repeated laparotomies and debridement have been used in 10 recent patients with only 2 deaths. The initiating incident was caesarean section in 3 patients; perineal sepsis, trauma or intra-uterine death in 2 patients each; and uterine instrumentation to induce early abortion in the remaining patient. All patients received empirical antimicrobial therapy, which was changed when microbial isolates and their sensitivity indicated. Mechanical ventilation support was given to 60% of the patients early on during the illness. All received nutritional supplementation either parenterally or enterally throughout their inhospital treatment. This report focuses on intra-abdominal extraperitoneal necrotising fasciitis and the use of planned repeated laparotomy and debridement in the treatment of retroperitoneal (extraperitoneal) necrotising fasciitis per se and we recommend it as an essential part of the management of this condition.

Penetrating visceral injuries of the neck: results of a conservative management policy.

A study of the conservative treatment of 109 patients with penetrating neck injuries was carried out over 3 years. Patients with clinical or radiological evidence of injury to the oesophagus or trachea were included in the study while nine patients with major vascular trauma were explored immediately and excluded. Three late vascular operations were performed. The remaining 106 patients were treated conservatively. There were two deaths, both from associated injuries. The remaining 104 patients were treated successfully with only three cases of minor wound sepsis. We conclude that oesophageal and tracheal injuries after stab injuries and low velocity gunshot wounds can be treated successfully by non-operative treatment.

Role of intraoperative prograde colonic lavage and a decompressive loop ileostomy in the management of transmural amoebic colitis.

A prospective analysis is presented of a selected group of 45 consecutive patients with transmural amoebic colitis treated by laparotomy, colonic lavage and ileostomy (phase 1 surgery) over 3 years. The diagnosis of amoebic colitis and amoebic perforation of the bowel were difficult and therefore all patients with 'acute abdomen' had proctosigmoidoscopy and a trial of metronidazole for 24-48 h before laparotomy. At laparotomy, adhesive wraps were present in all patients; 13 perforations were exposed by inadvertent disturbance of adhesive wraps but were successfully closed by suture to any available organ in close proximity, such as the omentum or small bowel. Four patients (9 per cent) died after phase 1 surgery. After 6 weeks when the acute disease had healed, 33 of the remaining 41 patients (80 per cent) required closure of ileostomy only, five had resection of stricture and three (7 per cent) needed stricturoplasty (phase 2 surgery). Two patients (5 per cent) died after phase 2 surgery. Thus, in surgery for transmural amoebic colitis adhesive wraps should not be disturbed as they mechanically protect the peritoneal cavity from faecal soiling when perforation occurs. The colon should be emptied by lavage and the faecal stream diverted to avoid secondary bacterial effects.

Technical aids in surgery. Completely defunctioning loop colostomy.

To avoid a double-barrel colostomy with its associated problems, a simple loop colostomy can be converted into a completely defunctioning colostomy by ligation of the distal limb with nylon. The technique ensures complete diversion of the faecal stream, and is simple, effective and reduces operating time. An added advantage is the ease with which it can be closed. It is believed that this offers a simple, but useful and important, alternative to the double-barrel colostomy at present in use.

Role of adhesive wraps in the pathogenesis of complicated amoebic colitis.

Ischaemic foci within the abdomen attract omental and peritoneal adhesions with neovascularization. Previously it has been shown that transmural amoebic colitis is an ischaemic process. An intra-operative evaluation of the peritoneal barriers in response to necrosis was undertaken during laparotomy in 82 patients with clinical transmural amoebic colitis. At operation the ischaemic colon was covered by adhesive wraps in all patients; peritonitis subsequently was absent in 23 patients (28 per cent), serous in 43 patients (52 per cent), purulent in only 9 patients (11 per cent) and faeculent in another 7 patients (9 per cent). The author regards wrapping as mechanically protective. Wrapping is also a source of neovascularization which was demonstrated on 10 angiograms of resected specimens with transmural disease. This is further supported by clinical finding of subsequent necrosis of colons in three patients whose wraps were disturbed at laparotomy without resection of the colons. Therefore, for both mechanical and vascular reasons, these wraps should not be disturbed.

The conservative management of amoebic liver abscess complicated by thoracic extension.

We report the successful use of a conservative regimen in the management of amoebic liver abscess with thoracic spread and present two illustrative case reports.

Vascular occlusion in the pathogenesis of complicated amoebic colitis: evidence for an hypothesis.

Amoebic perforation of bowel, the final and most serious manifestation of transmural amoebic colitis, is due to thrombotic occlusion of vessels supplying the segment of bowel with subsequent infarction and ischaemic necrosis. The ischaemic nature of the necrosis is confirmed by its shape and the demonstration of vascular thrombosis in the resected specimens of perforated amoebic colitis. Specimen angiography confirms the avascular area confined to the macroscopic lesions. Thrombotic occlusion and amoebic invasion of blood vessels have been demonstrated histologically. This new information suggests that amoebic perforation of the bowel is due to vascular compromise.

Penetrating injuries of the pleural cavity.

Two hundred and fifty one cases of penetrating wounds of the chest were studied prospectively. Clinical evidence is presented to show that: basal intercostal drains are adequate to remove both air and fluid from within the pleural cavity; frequent chest radiographs are unnecessary and intercostal drains may be removed on clinical grounds alone; long term antibiotic prophylaxis is unnecessary; eight per cent of those undergoing initial observation will develop a delayed haemothorax or pneumothorax of sufficient size to require drainage; subcutaneous emphysema is of no prognostic significance in the symptomless patient with minimal intrapleural damage on admission; and outpatient follow up is not required.