Right-sided diverticulitis in a Western population.

BACKGROUND: While left-sided colonic diverticular disease is common in Western Caucasian populations, right-sided colonic disease (RCD) is rare. The present study aimed to determine the rate of RCD and to identify the symptoms, clinical features, treatment, and outcomes in a single medical center in Israel. METHODS: Data for this descriptive retrospective analysis were collected from the electronic medical records of all patients diagnosed with colonic diverticulitis from January 2014 to June 2019. RESULTS: During the study period, 1000 patients with diverticulitis were admitted to our institution, of which 99 had RCD (10%). Mean age was 50.2 years. The main presenting symptom was acute onset of right-sided abdominal pain. The diagnosis was made almost exclusively by computed tomography scan and the cecum was the most frequent site. The clinical course was benign, without major complications for most patients (90.1%). Nine patients presented with abscess (n = 1), covered perforation (n = 7), or partial obstruction (n = 1). All patients were treated with intravenous antibiotics with a median length of hospital stay of 3 days and a median 9 days of antibiotic treatment. Only 1 patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy due to suspected intestinal perforation. Three patients experienced disease recurrence after a median follow-up of 48 months. Upon recovery, half of the patients underwent colonoscopy; no further pathology was found in any. CONCLUSION: Unlike sigmoid colon diverticulitis, the incidence of RCD in Western populations is low. The clinical course is benign, with conservative treatment without the need for surgery. The complication and recurrence rates are low.

Clinical Course and Outcomes of Severe Covid-19: A National Scale Study.

Knowledge of the outcomes of critically ill patients is crucial for health and government officials who are planning how to address local outbreaks. The factors associated with outcomes of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) who required treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU) are yet to be determined. METHODS: This was a retrospective registry-based case series of patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 who were referred for ICU admission and treated in the ICUs of the 13 participating centers in Israel between 5 March and 27 April 2020. Demographic and clinical data including clinical management were collected and subjected to a multivariable analysis; primary outcome was mortality. RESULTS: This study included 156 patients (median age = 72 years (range = 22-97 years)); 69% (108 of 156) were male. Eighty-nine percent (139 of 156) of patients had at least one comorbidity. One hundred three patients (66%) required invasive mechanical ventilation. As of 8 May 2020, the median length of stay in the ICU was 10 days (range = 0-37 days). The overall mortality rate was 56%; a multivariable regression model revealed that increasing age (OR = 1.08 for each year of age, 95%CI = 1.03-1.13), the presence of sepsis (OR = 1.08 for each year of age, 95%CI = 1.03-1.13), and a shorter ICU stay(OR = 0.90 for each day, 95% CI = 0.84-0.96) were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: In our case series, we found lower mortality rates than those in exhausted health systems. The results of our multivariable model suggest that further evaluation is needed of antiviral and antibacterial agents in the treatment of sepsis and secondary infection.

Evaluation of sepsis using compensatory reserve measurement: A prospective clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, characterized by metabolic and hemodynamic changes that can lead to multiorgan failure and death. The evaluation of a patient's condition is routinely performed by several objective criteria. The compensatory reserve measurement (CRM) represents a new paradigm that measures the total of all physiological compensatory mechanisms, using noninvasive photoplethysmography to read changes in arterial waveforms. The present study's aim was to evaluate the applicability and the predictive value of the CRM during sepsis. METHODS: Data were prospectively collected from patients hospitalized in the department of surgery because of different inflammatory illnesses. All subjects were evaluated with hemodynamic, laboratory measurements and CRM throughout hospitalization. RESULTS: Of 100 subjects enrolled, 84 patients were not septic. The remaining 16 patients were in sepsis (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA] score, >2), 6 of whom were in septic shock and 4 died. When nonseptic patients were compared with septic patients, statistical differences were found in C-reactive protein level (p < 0.0005), SOFA score (p < 0.0005), and CRM (p < 0.0001). Other parameters did not show any difference between groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for CRM was 1, significantly higher than the area under the receiver operating characteristic for heart rate (0.78), systolic blood pressure (0.67), quick SOFA (0.81), and respiratory rate (0.56). CONCLUSION: Clinical criteria, imaging, and laboratory features used to identify a septic patient are suboptimal. This demonstrates the need for a monitoring device capable of detecting rapidly, constantly, and simply the sum condition of the ill patient. We have shown that CRM was able to distinguish between severe septic and nonseptic patients early in the course of hospitalization and was significantly more sensitive than the conventional diagnostic tools. Such capability to assess the septic patients or even to triage these patients will surely aid treatment of sepsis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Care management, level II.

Percutaneous aspiration of the gall bladder for the treatment of acute cholecystitis: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy has been established as the best treatment for acute cholecystitis. However, conservative treatment is advocated for high-risk patients. Failure of conservative treatment can result in high-risk operations with relatively high rates of operative morbidity. Percutaneous cholecystostomy is a good option for these patients. Recently, percutaneous aspiration of the gall bladder without drain has been described. METHODS: A protocol of initial conservative management in high-operative-risk patients admitted with acute cholecystitis was prospectively assessed. Patients who did not respond to antibiotics were treated with percutaneous trans-hepatic aspiration of the gall bladder under ultrasound guidance. Following discharge, the patients were seen in the outpatient clinic and elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy was considered and scheduled as necessary. RESULTS: Between January 2011 and December 2012, 33 patients with persistent clinical and sonographic signs of acute cholecystitis after failure of initial antibiotic treatment underwent gall bladder aspiration under ultrasound guidance. No complications related to the procedure were reported. In 25 patients (76 %), the procedure was successful and they were discharged. Seven patients needed repeated aspiration. Eight patients (24 %) who did not improve underwent percutaneous cholecystostomy and were discharged with a drain and later reevaluated for elective surgery. The mean hospital stay of patients with successful aspiration was 3 days. During the follow-up period, 23 patients underwent elective interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Two were converted to open surgery (8.7 %). CONCLUSIONS: Conservative treatment and delayed operation is an acceptable option for acute cholecystitis. Percutaneous gall bladder aspiration is a simple and effective procedure, with a high success rate and low morbidity. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy after drainage of the gall bladder has low morbidity with a relatively low conversion rate.