Endovascular revascularization strategies for aortoiliac and femoropopliteal artery disease: a meta-analysis.

AIMS: Optimal endovascular management of intermittent claudication (IC) remains disputed. This systematic review and meta-analysis compares efficacy and safety outcomes for balloon angioplasty (BA), bare-metal stents (BMS), drug-coated balloons (DCB), drug-eluting stents (DES), covered stents, and atherectomy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Electronic databases were searched for randomized, controlled trials (RCT) from inception through November 2021. Efficacy outcomes were primary patency, target-lesion revascularization (TLR), and quality-of-life (QoL). Safety endpoints were all-cause mortality and major amputation. Outcomes were evaluated at short-term (<1 year), mid-term (1-2 years), and long-term (≥2 years) follow-up. The study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021292639). Fifty-one RCTs enrolling 8430 patients/lesions were included. In femoropopliteal disease of low-to-intermediate complexity, DCBs were associated with higher likelihood of primary patency [short-term: odds ratio (OR) 3.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.44-4.24; long-term: OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.93-3.16], lower TLR (short-term: OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.22-0.49; long-term: OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.29-0.60) and similar all-cause mortality risk, compared with BA. Primary stenting using BMS was associated with improved short-to-mid-term patency and TLR, but similar long-term efficacy compared with provisional stenting. Mid-term patency (OR 1.64, 95% CI 0.89-3.03) and TLR (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.22-1.11) estimates were comparable for DES vs. BMS. Atherectomy, used independently or adjunctively, was not associated with efficacy benefits compared with drug-coated and uncoated angioplasty, or stenting approaches. Paucity and heterogeneity of data precluded pooled analysis for aortoiliac disease and QoL endpoints. CONCLUSION: Certain devices may provide benefits in femoropopliteal disease, but comparative data in aortoiliac arteries is lacking. Gaps in evidence quantity and quality impede identification of the optimal endovascular approach to IC.

Diseño y validación de una herramienta para la predicción de desenlaces adversos en pacientes con obstrucción intestinal por bridas: La escala HALVIC / Design and validation of a predicting adverse outcomes toll for patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction: HALVIC score

Introducción. La obstrucción intestinal por bridas representa una causa común de consulta a los servicios de urgencias, pero hay poca claridad sobre qué pacientes tienen mayor riesgo de desarrollar complicaciones. El objetivo de este estudio fue diseñar y validar una escala de predicción de riesgo de desenlaces adversos en pacientes con obstrucción intestinal por bridas. Métodos. Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo realizado a partir de la base de datos MIMIC-IV. Se incluyeron pacientes adultos admitidos al servicio de urgencias entre 2008 y 2019, con diagnóstico de obstrucción intestinal por bridas. El desenlace principal fue el compuesto de resección intestinal, ingreso a unidad de cuidados intensivos y mortalidad por cualquier causa. Se diseñó una escala de predicción de riesgo asignando un puntaje a cada variable. Resultados. Se incluyeron 513 pacientes, 63,7 % hombres. El desenlace compuesto se presentó en el 25,7 % de los casos. La edad, historia de insuficiencia cardiaca y enfermedad arterial periférica, nivel de hemoglobina, recuento de leucocitos e INR constituyeron el mejor modelo de predicción de estos desenlaces (AUC 0,75). A partir de este modelo, se creó la escala simplificada HALVIC, clasificando el riesgo del desenlace compuesto en bajo (0-2 puntos), medio (3-4 puntos) y alto (5-7 puntos). Conclusión. La escala HALVIC es una herramienta de predicción simple y fácilmente aplicable. Puede identificar de manera precisa los pacientes con obstrucción intestinal por bridas con alto riesgo de complicaciones, permitiendo el ajuste individualizado de las estrategias de manejo para mejorar los desenlaces

Introduction. Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction (ASBO) represents a common cause of consultation to the emergency department. Currently there is little clarity about which patients with ASBO are at increased risk of developing complications, potentially benefiting from early surgical management. The present study aims to design and validate a risk prediction scale for adverse outcomes in patients with ASBO. Methods. Retrospective cohort study performed from the MIMIC-IV database between 2008 and 2019. Adult patients admitted to the emergency department with a diagnosis of ASBO were included. The primary outcome was the composite of bowel resection, intensive care unit admission, and all-cause mortality. A risk prediction scale was designed by assigning a score to each variable according to the measure of association obtained in the logistic regression model. All analyses were performed in R statistical software (version 3.5.3). Results. Five-hundred-thirteen patients were included (men 63.7%, median age: 61 years). Composite outcome was present in 25.7% of cases. Age, history of heart failure and peripheral arterial disease, hemoglobin level, leukocyte count, and INR were the best predictors of these outcomes (AUC 0.75). Based on this model, the simplified HALVIC scale was created, classifying the risk of the composite outcome as low (0-2 points), medium (3-4 points) and high (5-7 points). Conclussion. The HALVIC scale is presented as a simple and easily applicable predictive tool in the clinical setting, which can accurately identify patients with ASBO at high risk of complications, allowing the surgeon to adjust management strategies individually and potentially improving the outcomes of these patients

Efficacy of phage therapy in preclinical models of bacterial infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance of bacterial pathogens is an increasing clinical problem and alternative approaches to antibiotic chemotherapy are needed. One of these approaches is the use of lytic bacterial viruses known as phage therapy. We aimed to assess the efficacy of phage therapy in preclinical animal models of bacterial infection. METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, MEDLINE/Ovid, Embase/Ovid, CINAHL/EbscoHOST, Web of Science/Wiley, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to Sept 30, 2021. Studies assessing phage efficacy in animal models were included. Only studies that assessed the efficacy of phage therapy in treating established bacterial infections in terms of survival and bacterial abundance or density were included. Studies reporting only in-vitro or ex-vivo results and those with incomplete information were excluded. Risk-of-bias assessment was performed using the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation tool. The main endpoints were animal survival and tissue bacterial burden, which were reported using pooled odds ratios (ORs) and mean differences with random-effects models. The I2 measure and its 95% CI were also calculated. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022311309. FINDINGS: Of the 5084 references screened, 124 studies fulfilled the selection criteria. Risk of bias was high for 70 (56%) of the 124 included studies; therefore, only studies classified as having a low-to-moderate risk of bias were considered for quantitative data synthesis (n=32). Phage therapy was associated with significantly improved survival at 24 h in systemic infection models (OR 0·08 [95% CI 0·03 to 0·20]; I2=55% [95% CI 8 to 77]), skin infection (OR 0·08 [0·04 to 0·19]; I2 = 0% [0 to 79]), and pneumonia models (OR 0·13 [0·06 to 0·31]; I2=0% [0 to 68]) when compared with placebo. Animals with skin infections (mean difference -2·66 [95% CI -3·17 to -2·16]; I2 = 95% [90 to 96]) and those with pneumonia (mean difference -3·35 [-6·00 to -0·69]; I2 = 99% [98 to 99]) treated with phage therapy had significantly lower tissue bacterial loads at 5 ±â€ˆ2 days of follow-up compared with placebo. INTERPRETATION: Phage therapy significantly improved animal survival and reduced organ bacterial loads compared with placebo in preclinical animal models. However, high heterogeneity was observed in some comparisons. More evidence is needed to identify the factors influencing phage therapy performance to improve future clinical application. FUNDING: Swiss National Foundation and Swiss Heart Foundation.

Epidemiología del trauma en Bucaramanga, Colombia: análisis del registro institucional de trauma enel Hospital Universitario de Santander / Epidemiology of trauma in Bucaramanga, Colombia: Analysis of the institutional trauma registry at the Hospital Universitario of Santander

Introducción. El trauma es una de las principales causas de mortalidad a nivel mundial y representa un problema de salud pública. En Latinoamérica y particularmente en Colombia, son escasos los registros de trauma que se han desarrollado satisfactoriamente. El objetivo del presente estudio fue describir la epidemiología del trauma en el Hospital Universitario de Santander, en el primer año de implementación del registro de trauma institucional.Métodos. Personal del Departamento de Cirugía General de la Universidad Industrial de Santander y el Hospital Universitario de Santander, iniciaron el diseño del registro de trauma en el año 2020. Se incluyeron todos los pacientes que ingresaron al hospital, incluso los que fallecieron en el servicio de urgencias. La implementación del registro se inició el 1 de agosto de 2020, previa realización de una prueba piloto. Los informes se recogieron automáticamente y se exportaron a una base de datos electrónica no identificada. Resultados. Se evaluaron 3114 pacientes, el 78,1 % de ellos hombres, con una mediana de edad de 31 años. La mediana de tiempo prehospitalario fue de tres horas y lo más frecuente fue el ingreso por propios medios (51,2 %). El mecanismo de trauma más frecuente fue el penetrante (41,8 %), siendo la mayoría de heridas por arma cortopunzante (24,9 %). El trauma cerrado se presentó en el 41,7 % de los pacientes evaluados y el 14,4 % de la población se encontraba bajo el efecto de sustancias psicoactivas. El servicio de Cirugía general fue el más interconsultado (26,9 %), seguido del servicio de cirugía plástica (21,8 %). La mediana de estancia hospitalaria fue de dos días (Q1:0; Q3:4) y 75 pacientes (2,4 %) fallecieron durante su hospitalización. Conclusión. El registro de trauma de nuestra institución se presenta como una plataforma propicia para el análisis de la atención prehospitalaria e institucional del trauma, y el desarrollo de planes de mejora en este contexto. Este registro constituye una herramienta sólida para la ejecución de nuevos de proyectos de investigación en esta área.

Introduction. Trauma is one of the main causes of mortality worldwide and represents a public health problem. In Latin America, and particularly in Colombia, few trauma registries have been successfully developed. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiology of trauma at the Hospital Universitario of Santander in the first year of implementation of the institutional trauma registry.Methods. The Department of General Surgery of the Universidad Industrial of Santander, together with the Hospital Universitario of Santander, began the design of the trauma registry in 2020. All patients admitted to the hospital or who died in the emergency department were included. The implementation of the registry began on August 1, 2020, after carrying out a pilot test. Reports were automatically collected and exported to an unidentified electronic database.Results. 3114 patients were evaluated (M: 31 years; men: 78.1%). The median pre-hospital time was three hours and the most frequent means of transport was self-admission (51.16%). The most frequent mechanism of trauma was penetrating trauma (41.81%), with the majority being injuries caused by a sharp weapon (24.92%). Blunt trauma occurred in 41.71% of the patients evaluated and 14.4% of the population was under the influence of psychoactive substances. The general surgery service was the most consulted (26.97%), followed by the plastic surgery service (21.8%). The median hospital stay was two days (Q1:0; Q3:4) and 75 patients (2.41%) died during their hospital stay.Conclusion. The trauma registry of our institution is presented as a favorable platform for the analysis of prehospital and institutional trauma care, and the development of improvement plans in this context. This registry constitutes a solid tool for the execution of new research projects in this area.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of risk factors for Mesh infection following Abdominal Wall Hernia Repair Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgical Mesh Infection (SMI) after Abdominal Wall Hernia Repair (AWHR) represents a catastrophic complication. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze the risk factors for SMI in the context of AWHR. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Scielo, and LILACS were searched without language or time restrictions from inception until June 2021. Articles evaluating the association between demographic, clinical, laboratory and surgical characteristics with SMI in AWHR were included. RESULTS: 23 studies were evaluated, comprising a total of 118,790 patients (98% males; mean age 56.5 years) with a mesh infection pooled prevalence of 4%. Significant risk factors for SMI were type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking history, steroids use, ASA III/IV, laparotomy vs laparoscopy, emergency surgery, duration of surgery and onlay mesh position vs sublay. The quality of evidence was regarded as very low-moderate. CONCLUSION: Several factors, highlighting sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, and the clinical scenario, may increase the risk of developing mesh infections in AWHR. The recognition and mitigation of these may significantly reduce mesh infection rates in this context.

Infección temprana de la malla quirúrgica en herniorrafia incisional. Incidencia, factores de riesgo y desenlaces en más de 60.000 pacientes / Early infection of the surgical mesh in incisional herniorrhaphy. Incidence, risk factors, and outcomes in more than 60,000 patients

Introducción. La infección de la malla en cirugía de reparación de hernias de pared abdominal es un desenlace pobre, asociado a un incremento en el riesgo de complicaciones. El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar la incidencia, los factores asociados y desenlaces en pacientes llevados a herniorrafia incisional con malla con posterior diagnóstico de infección temprana. Métodos. Estudio de cohorte retrospectiva. Se utilizaron los datos de egresos hospitalarios de la National Inpatient Sample (NIS) de los Estados Unidos de América para identificar a todos los pacientes adultos llevados a herniorrafia incisional durante los años 2010 a 2015. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión logística bivariada y multivariada para evaluar los factores de riesgo en infección temprana de la malla, y finalmente, modelos de regresión logística y lineal, según el tipo de variable dependiente, de tipo stepwise forward para evaluar la asociación entre el diagnóstico de infección de malla y los desenlaces adversos. Resultados. En total se incluyeron 63.925 pacientes. La incidencia de infección temprana de la malla fue de 0,59 %, encontrando como factores asociados: comorbilidades (obesidad, desnutrición proteico calórica, anemia carencial y depresión), factores clínico-quirúrgicos (adherencias peritoneales, resección intestinal, cirugía laparoscópica y complicaciones no infecciosas de la herida) y administrativos o asistenciales. Conclusiones. La infección temprana, aunque infrecuente, se asocia con un aumento significativo en el riesgo de complicaciones. La optimización prequirúrgica con base en los factores de riesgo para este desenlace nefasto es un elemento clave para la reducción de la incidencia y mitigación del impacto de la infección en los pacientes con herniorrafía incisional con malla.

Introduction. Mesh infection in abdominal wall hernia repair surgery has poor outcome, associated with an increased risk of complications. The objective of this study was to analyze the incidence, associated factors, and outcomes in patients undergoing incisional herniorrhaphy with mesh and subsequent diagnosis of early infection.Methods. Retrospective cohort study. Hospital discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) of the United States of America were used to identify all adult patients undergoing incisional herniorrhaphy during the years 2010 to 2015. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate risk factors in early mesh infection, and finally, logistic and linear regression models, according to the type of dependent variable, of the stepwise forward type to evaluate the association between the diagnosis of mesh infection and adverse outcomes.Results. A total of 63,925 patients were included. The incidence of early infection of the mesh was 0.59%, finding as associated factors: comorbidities (obesity, protein-caloric malnutrition, deficiency anemia and depression), clinical-surgical factors (peritoneal adhesions, intestinal resection, laparoscopic surgery and surgical site complications) and administrative or healthcare.Conclusions. Early infection, although rare, is associated with a significantly increased risk of complications. Pre-surgical optimization based on risk factors for this poor outcome is a key element in reducing the incidence and mitigating the impact of infection in patients with mesh incisional herniorrhaphy.

Primary esophageal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: demographics, clinical characteristics, histopathologic types, and survival in 179 patients from the SEER program and systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The most frequent site for the extranodal appearance of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) is the gastrointestinal (G.I.) tract. However, primary esophageal lymphoma is extremely rare. The purpose of the present study was to describe and analyze the demographics, clinical characteristics, histopathologic types, and long-term survival of patients with primary esophageal NHL registered in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. Individuals with primary esophageal lymphoma (PEL) were identified using the international classification of disease for oncology, third edition histology codes. Patients were excluded if there was no microscopic confirmation of the neoplasm or if the diagnosis was made by autopsy or death certificate. Data on demographics, clinical characteristics, histopathology and survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, life table, and cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: 179 patients were included (68% males, median age 66 years [IQR 46-79]). The overall survival at 1, 5 and 10 years was 65% (95% CI 57.9-72.3%), 49% (95% CI 42.1-57.3%), and 31% (95% CI 24.5-38.6%), respectively. On univariate analyses, individuals with extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) had a significantly higher overall survival when compared to patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (HR 0.29; 95% CI 0.11-0.73. p = 0.008). Furthermore, patients whose cancer was diagnosed after 1997 showed an improved overall survival (HR 0.40; 95% CI 0.26-0.61. p < 0.001) when compared to those diagnosed before 1997. CONCLUSIONS: In this large population-based series, diagnosis after 1997 (year of rituximab approval by the FDA) and MZL subtype were associated with improved survival outcomes in patients with PEL.

Risk Factors for Prolonged Postoperative Ileus in Colorectal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged postoperative ileus (PPOI) represents a frequent complication following colorectal surgery, affecting approximately 10-15% of these patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perioperative risk factors for PPOI development in colorectal surgery. METHODS: The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA Statement. PubMed, EMBASE, SciELO, and LILACS databases were searched, without language or time restrictions, from inception until December 2018. The keywords used were: Ileus, colon, colorectal, sigmoid, rectal, postoperative, postoperatory, surgery, risk, factors. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale and the Jadad scale were used for bias assessment, while the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used for quality assessment of evidence on outcome levels. RESULTS: Of the 64 studies included, 42 were evaluated in the meta-analysis, comprising 29,736 patients (51.84% males; mean age 62 years), of whom 2844 (9.56%) developed PPOI. Significant risk factors for PPOI development were: male sex (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.25-1.63), age (MD 3.17; 95% CI 1.63-4.71), cardiac comorbidities (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.19-2.00), previous abdominal surgery (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.19, 1.75), laparotomy (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.77-3.44), and ostomy creation (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.04-1.98). Included studies evidenced a moderate heterogeneity. The quality of evidence was regarded as very low-moderate according to the GRADE approach. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple factors, including demographic characteristics, past medical history, and surgical approach, may increase the risk of developing PPOI in colorectal surgery patients. The awareness of these will allow a more accurate assessment of PPOI risk in order to take measures to decrease its impact on this population.