Role of honey in wound dressing in diabetic foot ulcer.

BACKGROUND: Honey has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and role of honey as local wound dressing agent in the management of diabetic foot and its effect on rate of amputation. METHOD: This prospective observational study was done in the general surgery department, Al- Noor Specialist hospital, Holly Makkah, KSA from 1st March, 2007 to 31st May, 2008 (15 months). This study includes 172 patients of either gender, above 18 years of age, belonging to different nationalities admitted to A1- Noor specialist hospital, Holly Makkah, KSA. RESULTS: A total of 172 patients with male to female ratio 1.54:1 were admitted from 1st March, 2007 to 31st May, 2008 with complicated and non-healing diabetic foot ulcers. Out of these 172 patients, 135 (78.48%) were Saudi and 37 (21.52%) were non Saudi residents with ratio of 3.6:1. After admission and resuscitation, all the patients under went early surgical debridement and dressing with the thick layer of honey locally available. Wounds became healthy within 7-35 days. Three patients (1.75%) underwent big toe amputation and 2 (1.16%) patients under.went below knee amputations. Twenty (11.6%) patients under went split skin grafting to cover the wound while in other patients wound healed by secondary intention. CONCLUSION: Use of honey significantly reduced rate of amputation and improve wound healing when used for wound dressing in chronic diabetic foot ulcers.

Late presentation of breast cancer: a dilemma.

OBJECTIVE: To asses factors responsible for late presentation of breast cancer in Nawabshah. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted at a private and a public sector hospital of Nawabshah, Pakistan, from Jan 2004 to Dec 2008. RESULTS: Sixty females were admitted and selected as study subjects during the study period with mean age of 43.5 +/- 10.38 years and range (28-80 years). Patients with poor economic status were 49 (81.6%) and remaining 11 (18.3%) were from middle class. Sixteen (26.6%) patients were literate, with 3 of them being educated to secondary level. In our study 58 (96.6%) patients with breast carcinoma noted lumps in respective breasts as incidental findings in breast self-examination. Only in 2 (3.3%) patients family physicians noted a lump and referred them to a proper health care facility. Fifty-eight (96.6%) patients belonged to rural areas. In 95% patients, first visit regarding the breast symptoms was made after 6 months of initiation of symptoms. Three (5%) patients in this study presented in stage I, 15 (25%) in stage II, 23 (38.3%) in stage III and 19 (31.6%) in stage IV. CONCLUSION: Most cases of breast cancer presented in advanced stage probably due to poor economic status, illiteracy and negligence by patients or their family members and general practioners.

Single versus 3-dose antibiotic prophylaxis in clean and clean contaminated operations.

BACKGROUND: Infection is a great problem in surgery and is encountered by all surgeons by nature of their craft; they invariably impair the first line of host defence. Bacteria may enter the wound during or after the operation and may be of endogenous or exogenous origin. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in reduction of postoperative wound infection in clean and clean contaminated procedures and to compare the cost of antibiotic prophylaxis in both groups. METHOD: This was a prospective study done on patients in General Surgery Department, Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Holly Makkah, Saudi Arabia from 1st April 2006 to 30th March 2007. Total 400 patients were divided into 2 groups of 200 patients each: Group-A received single dose antibiotic prophylaxis, and Group-B received 3 doses of antibiotic therapy. Only clean and clean contaminated procedures were included and results were compared. RESULTS: In Group A, clean procedures (Group-Al) were 110, and clean contaminated (Group-A2) were 90 patients. In clean procedure, rate of infection was 5 out of 110 (4.54%) and in clean contaminated procedures it was 3 out of 90 (3.33%). In Group B, in clean procedures (Group-B1), rate of infection was 7 out of 90 (7.77%), while in clean contaminated procedures (Group-B2) it was 9 out of 110 (8.18%) patients. Over all wound infection rate after single dose antibiotic prophylaxis was 4% in both procedures and 8% after 3-dose antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: Single dose antibiotic prophylaxis is as effective as 3-dose therapy in clean and clean contaminated procedures to prevent wound infection and is cost-effective.

Prevalence of necrotizing fasciitis during Ramadan and Hajj 1427-H.

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing Fasciitis is a rare progressive disease which results in significant rate of mortality and morbidity if there is any delay in diagnosis and treatment. Objectives of this Prospective observational study were to share our experience of dealing necrotizing fasciitis in terms of different presentations, diagnosis, treatment and outcome during Ramadan and Hajj. It was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Holly Makkah, KSA during Ramadan and Hajj period from 1-8-1427 to 30-1-1428. METHODS: Total 35 patients > 12 years of age, irrespective of the gender belonging to different nationalities admitted to Al-Noor specialist hospital, Makkah, KSA were included in this study to evaluate the different causative factors, presentations, response to medical/surgical treatment and outcome. RESULTS: Total 35 patients with male to female ratio of 6:1 were admitted during Ramadan and Hajj period from 1-8-1427 to 30-1-1428 (six months) with the features of necrotizing Fasciitis. Out of these 35 patients, 23 (65.7%) were Hajji and 12 (34.28%) were residents (Both Saudi and non Saudi) with a ratio of 2:1. Major co-morbid factors were old age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and renal failure. Among systemic manifestations, 4 (11.42%) developed septic shock and admitted to ICU, 4 (11.42%) needed ventilator support for respiratory failure, and 5 (14.28%) patients developed Myocardial infarction. After resuscitation, 33 patients under went aggressive surgical debridement and two patients died before surgery. Microbiology revealed, 15 (42.85%) Streptococcus Group-A infection, 13 (8.51%) Polymicrobial and 4 (11.42%) MRSA. Diagnosis was conformed by histopathology. Mortality rate was 11.5%. CONCLUSION: Better outcome in necrotizing fasciitis depends upon early presentation, prompt diagnosis and aggressive surgical debridement. There was strong correlation between severity of necrotizing fasciitis and co morbid factors, general condition at presentation, systemic toxicity and raised WBC count.