Calcifications in the descending thoracic aorta predict postoperative anastomotic leakages after esophagectomy for cancer.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic leak is one of the most feared complications of esophagectomy. Previous studies have suggested a potential link between aortic calcifications detected on routine preoperative CT scans and increased risk of anastomotic leak after esophagectomy. This study aims to investigate whether clinicians' assessment of aortic calcifications can predict the occurrence of anastomotic leaks in patients undergoing esophagectomy for cancer. METHODS: A long-term follow-up was conducted on consecutive patients with esophageal cancer who underwent elective open esophagectomy at a Finnish tertiary hospital. Aortic calcifications were evaluated based on CT scans and categorized on a 0-3 scale reflecting the number of calcifications in the affected segment of the aorta. Reviewers assessing the calcifications were blinded to clinical details and postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: The study included 97 patients (median age: 64 years and range: 43-78; 20% female), with a median follow-up time of 1307 (2-1540) days. Among them, 22 patients (23%) had postoperative anastomotic leak. We observed a significant association between calcifications in the descending aorta and a higher risk of anastomotic leak (p = 0.007), as well as an earlier occurrence of leak postoperatively (p = 0.013). However, there was no association between aortic calcifications and increased mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Presence of calcifications in the descending aorta is independently associated with an increased risk of anastomotic leaks following esophagectomy for cancer. Identifying patients at higher risk for this complication could facilitate appropriate pre- and postoperative interventions, as well as enable earlier diagnosis and treatment to mitigate the severity of the complication.

Long-Term Outcomes following Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Remain Poor: A Single-Center Comparison over Two Distinct Time Periods within the Last 15 Years in Finland.

Introduction: Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) is a common and life-threatening condition. This study aimed to compare the causes and long-term outcomes of AUGIB over two distinct periods in the last 15 years. Methods: This population-based study included consecutive patients who underwent emergency upper endoscopy for visible bleeding in 2006 and 2016. Our primary focus was on long-term mortality up to 5 years after the endoscopy, although short-term mortality was also reported. Results: A total of 832 patients (median age 67 [12-96] years, 37% female) were included, with peptic ulcer disease (48%), esophagitis (20%), and variceal bleeding (15%) being the most common diagnoses. The incidence of AUGIB increased with age, reaching 8.31 cases per 1,000 person-years among those aged 80 years or older. Mortality rates at 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, and 5 years were 13%, 16%, 27%, and 47%, respectively. The standardized mortality ratio was high in all age groups, with particularly elevated rates observed among younger patients compared to the standard population. Variceal bleeding, liver cirrhosis, and chronic alcohol abuse were associated with the highest mortality. Only two short-term deaths were attributed to failed hemostasis. The primary causes of death were malignancies, liver failure, and cardiac failure. No improvement in outcomes was observed between the two time periods. Conclusion: Although the treatment of AUGIB may be relatively straightforward, the outcomes following treatment remain poor. High mortality can be attributed to the presence of coexisting conditions and patients' lifestyle.

Is reassessment of Computed Tomography Reports Worthwhile in Acute Diverticulitis?

INTRODUCTION: Since the assessment of the disease severity in acute diverticulitis (AD) is of utmost importance to determine the optimal treatment and the need for follow-up investigations, we wanted to investigate whether the first CT report is compatible with daytime reassessment report and whether the value of initial report changes according to the experience of the radiologist. METHODS: Consecutive patients from tertiary referral centre with AD were included. CT images done in the emergency department were initially analysed by either resident radiologists or consultant radiologists and then later reanalysed by consultant abdominal radiologists. Discrepancies between reports were noted. RESULTS: Of total of 562 patients with AD, CT images were reanalysed in 439 cases. In 22 reports (5.0%) the final report was significantly different from the initial report and management changed in 20 cases. In reports of uncomplicated acute diverticulitis, reanalysis changed initial assessment in 4.0% of the cases and in complicated acute diverticulitis (CAD) in 9.1%. When consultant and resident radiologists were compared, there was no significant difference. CONCLUSION: Although no statistical difference could be noted between residents and consultants, the final report was significantly different in overall 5% of the cases when reanalysed at normal working hours by an experienced consultant abdominal radiologist. Therefore, we conclude that reassessment of CT reports is worthwhile in AD.

Sacral neuromodulation in endometriosis - A promising treatment option for chronic pelvic pain.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects over one fifth of women worldwide, and endometriosis is one of the most common causes. In the present study, we examined whether sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is effective in the treatment of refractory chronic pelvic pain in women with endometriosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This multicenter prospective pilot study was started in 2017 and includes patients with chronic pelvic pain with no other obvious pathology than endometriosis. Other treatment options have been tried or they are unsuitable. Patients underwent SNM implantation. The main outcome was postoperative pain reduction and secondary outcome was quality of life. The following questionnaires were used to assess the outcomes: Brief pain inventory (BPI), clinical global impression - improvement (CGI-I), 15D-measure of health-related quality of life, and Biberoglu and Behrman (B&B) score. RESULTS: A total of 35 patients underwent the SNM procedure and, at the time of analysis, 15 patients had returned one-year questionnaires. The patients had a history of endometriosis for a median of 5.5 (interquartile range 2-9) years, with no correlation between the severity of symptoms and the duration of the disease (p = 0.158). A total of 31 patients (89%) were implanted with the internal pulse generator. There were statistically significant changes in BPI pain-related items. Worst experienced daily pain decreased among those who returned 12-month questionnaires from median 9 to 5 (p = 0.006), average daily pain from 6 to 3.5 (p = 0.004), and least daily pain from 3 to 1 (p = 0.004). Based on the CGI questionnaire (n = 14), at 12 months nine patients (60%) experienced great improvement in their symptoms, three patients (20%) much improvement and two patients (13%) minimal improvement. None of the patients experienced worsening of their symptoms. There was a statistically significant change in overall 15D score at 1 month (p < 0.001), 6 months (p = 0.001) and 12 months (p = 0.018), when the results were compared to baseline values. Median B&B score also improved significantly and decreased from a baseline value of 8 (4-12) to 4.5 (0-6), p = 0.002. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the preliminary findings of our study, SNM might be a promising treatment of CPP in endometriosis patients.

Long-term outcome after implementation of endovascular-first strategy to treat acute mesenteric ischemia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rationale of an aggressive endovascular-first strategy to treat elderly patients with acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) by studying long-term survival, readmissions, and patients' discharge to home vs nursing facility a decade after an episode of AMI. METHODS: The retrospective study cohort included 66 consecutive patients (all-comers) treated for arterial occlusive AMI between 2009 and 2013. Endovascular revascularization (EVR) was attempted in 50 patients (EVR+), whereas 16 patients were treated without attempted revascularization (EVR-). All patients were followed until death or September 2022. Studied outcomes included discharge status, long-term survival and cause of death and readmissions related to AMI. RESULTS: The mean age of all 66 patients was 78 ± 10 years: 79 ± 9 years in the EVR+ group and 76 ± 12 years in the EVR- group. EVR was technically successful in 44 patients (88%); three patients underwent subsequent open revascularization after EVR failure. One-third required bowel resection after EVR. The 30-day mortality for all patients was 44%; 32% in the EVR+ group and 81% in the EVR- group. Only two survivors were permanently institutionalized, whereas all others were discharged to the same place they lived prior to the AMI episode. There were four AMI-related readmissions during the follow-up; all were in the EVR+ group. Two patients underwent reinterventions for recurrent AMI. One-year survival was 52% for EVR+ and 19% for EVR- patients. Five-year survival rates were 18% and 13%, respectively. The causes of deaths were mesenteric ischemia in 22, other cardiovascular event in 21, and non-cardiovascular cause in 19 patients. Four patients were alive at the end of the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In this unselected elderly population with AMI, the aggressive strategy to attempt EVR resulted in a high revascularization rate and favorable outcomes. The high proportion of patients returning to their prior living status and low readmission rate after survival from AMI encourages active treatment of high-functioning elderly patients.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus antibiotic therapy for acute cholecystitis in patients over 75 years: Randomized clinical trial and retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of acute cholecystitis among elderly patients is increasing. The aim of this study was to compare laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) to antibiotics in elderly patients with acute cholecystitis. METHODS: A randomized multicenter clinical trial including patients over 75 years with acute calculous cholecystitis was conducted in four hospitals in Finland between January 2017 and December 2019. Patients were randomized to undergo LC or antibiotic therapy. Due to patient enrollment challenges, the trial was prematurely terminated in December 2019. To assess all eligible patients, we performed a retrospective cohort study including all patients over 75 years with acute cholecystitis during the study period. The primary outcome was morbidity. Predefined secondary outcomes included mortality, readmission rate, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Among 42 randomized patients (LC n = 24, antibiotics n = 18, mean age 82 years, 43% women), the complication rate was 17% (n = 4/24) after cholecystectomy and 33% (n = 6/18, 5/6 patients underwent cholecystectomy due to antibiotic treatment failure) after antibiotics (p = 0.209). In the retrospective cohort (n = 630, mean age 83 years, 49% women), 37% (236/630) of the patients were treated with cholecystectomy and 63% (394/630) with antibiotics. Readmissions were less common after surgical treatment compared with antibiotics in both randomized and retrospective cohort patients (8% vs 44%, p < 0.001% and 11 vs 32%, p < 0.001, respectively). There was no 30-day mortality within the randomized trial. In the retrospective patient cohort, overall mortality was 6% (35/630). CONCLUSIONS: LC may be superior to antibiotic therapy for acute cholecystitis in the selected group of elderly patients with acute cholecystitis.

Short learning curve in transition from laparoscopic to robotic-assisted rectal cancer surgery: a prospective study from a Finnish Tertiary Referral Centre.

The narrow pelvis causes special challenges in surgery, and robotic-assisted surgery has been proven beneficial in these circumstances. While robotic surgery has some specific advantages in rectal cancer surgery, there is still limited evidence of the learning curve of the technique involved. The aim here was to study the transition from laparoscopic to robotic-assisted surgery among experienced laparoscopic surgeons. The data for this study were collected from a prospectively compiled register that includes patients operated on by the Da Vinci Xi robot in Tampere University Hospital. Each consecutive rectal cancer patient was included. The information on the surgical and oncological outcomes was analysed. The learning curve was assessed using cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis. CUSUM already demonstrated an overall positively sloped curve at the beginning of the study, with neither the conversion rate nor morbidity reaching unacceptable thresholds. Conversions (4%) and postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo III-IV 15%, no intraoperative complications) were rare. One patient died within one month and the death was not procedure-associated. While surgical and oncological outcomes were similar among all surgeons, the console times showed a decreasing trend and were shorter among those with more experience in laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery. Robotic-assisted rectal cancer surgery can be safely adapted by experienced laparoscopic colorectal surgeons.

Osteoporosis and sarcopenia are common and insufficiently diagnosed among chronic pancreatitis patients.

PURPOSE: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) leads to diabetes and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI). PEI may lead to maldigestion and malnutrition, which may cause fat-soluble vitamin deficiency, sarcopenia and abnormal bone density. We aim to study the prevalence of osteoporosis, sarcopenia and vitamin deficiency among CP patients. METHODS: Long-term (4-5 years) follow-up was implemented on CP patients. We recorded CP duration, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption and medication. We determined the serum values for A, D and E vitamins, albumin, creatinine, haemoglobin, calcium and magnesium. Bone density measurement was taken from the proximal femur and lumbar spine. CT/MRI scans were used to measure for psoas muscle area. RESULTS: A total of 33 patients (median age 62 [39-81] years, 61% male) were included. None of these patients had earlier diagnosis of osteopathy, and none of them had known vitamin deficiency or were sarcopenic. Nineteen patients (57%) had pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and of these seven patients (37%) had no pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) and one (5%) had inadequate enzyme therapy. During the study, osteoporosis was diagnosed in 20% and possible sarcopenia in 48% of patients. PEI and inadequate PERT was associated with low E vitamin levels (75% vs. 0%, p = 0.012), higher risk of osteoporosis (43% vs. 5.6%, p = 0.013) and sarcopenia (80% vs. 36%, p = 0.044). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that chronic pancreatitis is associated with osteoporosis, sarcopenia and vitamin deficiency. If untreated, pancreatic exocrine insufficiency is associated with increased risk of these outcomes. This highlights the importance of identifying and treating PEI in CP patients.

Palliative gastrointestinal surgical oncology-outcomes after palliative care consultation: retrospective observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Palliative surgery aims to relieve patients' symptoms and improve quality of life with surgical interventions. While a multidisciplinary approach has been found beneficial for critically ill patients, limited evidence supports this approach in palliative surgery. Here we sought to study whether palliative care consultations can improve outcomes among patients undergoing palliative surgery. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing palliative care at gastrosurgical wards in a tertiary Finnish university hospital during a 2-year study period were included. Outcomes of those undergoing surgery with or without palliative care consultation were compared. The main outcome measures were patients' functional status, postoperative morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 312 patients were included, of whom 173 underwent surgery, 77 endoscopic care and 62 were treated conservatively. Of the operated patients, 24 underwent multidisciplinary assessment while among the rest, the treatment decision was based on the surgeons' assessment. Multidisciplinary assessment was associated with a clinically significantly reduced morbidity (8.3% vs 23%, p=0.111), in-hospital mortality (8.3% vs 17%, p=0.051) and rate of hospital readmissions (8.3% vs 21%, p=0.052). There was no difference in median survival 49 (2-440) vs 45 (1-971) days (p=0.949). Of those undergoing conservative care, 44% could have undergone surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The aim of the palliative surgery is to relieve symptoms among patients with no hope of being cured. While the involvement of the palliative care consultation into the surgical decision-making is likely to reduce unnecessary operations, it is likely to be even more important in improving quality of end-of-life care.

Routine use of laparoscopic techniques in daily practice improves outcomes after appendectomy.

BACKGROUND: Appendectomy is the most common emergency operation and is often performed during on-call hours, when surgeons with different sub-specialties and levels of experience in emergency surgery operate on patients. However, little is known about the safety of the procedure when operations are performed by surgeons not regularly using standard laparoscopic techniques. Here we aim to assess variation in outcomes in patients operated on by surgeons with different levels of experience in laparoscopic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing appendectomy at Tampere University Hospital between September 1, 2014 and April 30, 2017 for acute appendicitis were included. The data were analyzed by level of experience among surgeons regularly performing laparoscopic surgery and by volume among surgeons performing over 30 appendectomies per year or fewer. RESULTS: A total of 1560 patients underwent appendectomy, with 61% operated on by laparoscopic surgeons, and the rest by surgeons not habitually using laparoscopic techniques. Demographic characteristics, as well as share of patients with perforated appendicitis were similar in both groups. Morbidity was higher among those operated on by non-laparoscopic surgeons (6.1% and 3.0% p = 0.004), especially if appendicitis was complicated (18% and 5.6%, p < 0.001). Infectious complications were the most common. The risk of postoperative organ/space surgical site infections was higher among patients operated on by non-laparoscopic surgeons (3.5% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.006; Clavien-Dindo III-IV 2.0% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.030). Morbidity was 2.7% among those operated on by surgeons performing ≥ 30 appendectomies per year compared to 5.2% among those performing < 30 appendectomies per year. In multivariate analysis surgeon's experience (p = 0.002; HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.38-3.90) and complicated disease (p < 0.001; HR 4.71; 95% CI 2.79-7.93) predicted higher morbidity. DISCUSSION: According to our study, routine use of laparoscopic techniques in daily practice improves outcomes after appendectomy. In addition, a higher surgical volume correlates with improved outcomes.

Incidence of acute diverticulitis compared to appendicitis in emergency wards: a 10-year nationwide register and cohort study from Finland.

BACKGROUND: The two most common abdominal infections in emergency departments (ED) are acute appendicitis (AA) and sigmoid diverticulitis (AD). The frequency of ED visits for diverticulitis has increased strongly in many countries during recent decades. The aim of this study was to analyze the nationwide changes in AD rate requiring hospital admission compared to AA during a 10-year study period. METHODS: Register data of AD and AA in the whole of Finland were obtained between the years 2009 and 2018. Changes in the incidence and surgical treatment of AD in the whole country were compared to those of AA. Patient demographics and treatment of AD were analyzed in greater detail from a smaller cohort (n = 614). RESULTS: The incidence of AD increased from 262 to 413 cases (58%) per 100,000 inhabitants during 10 years and emergency surgery for AD decreased from 27 to 24 cases per 100,000 (11%). The incidence of AA remained stable and varied from 118 to 124 annual cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In a patient cohort of AD (n = 614), most of the patients (68%) had only one episode of diverticulitis during 10 years; 16% were operated urgently, with a mortality of 8%. Disease-specific mortality increased from 0% to 5.7% along with patient age when comparing the age groups <50 years and > 70 years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that the incidence of acute diverticulitis is still increasing and is now 2-3 times higher than that of appendicitis in emergency departments.

Wait-and-see strategy is justified after ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy in elderly patients with common biliary duct stones.

BACKGROUND: Older patients with simultaneous main bile duct and gallbladder stones, especially those with high-surgical risks, create a common clinical dilemma. After successful endoscopic removal of main bile duct stones, should these patients undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy to reduce risk of recurrent biliary events? In this population-based cohort study, we report long-term outcomes of a wait-and-see strategy after successful endoscopic extraction of main bile duct stones. METHODS: Consecutive patients 75 years or older undergoing endoscopic stone extraction without subsequent cholecystectomy in two tertiary academic centers between January 2010 and December 2018 were included. Primary outcome measure was recurrence of biliary events. Secondary outcome measures were operation-related morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 450 patients (median age, 85 years; 61% female) were included, with a median follow-up time of 36 months (0-120 months). Recurrent biliary events occurred in 51 patients (11%), with a median time from index hospital admission to recurrence of 307 days (12-1993 days). The most common biliary event was acute cholecystitis (7.1%). Twelve patients had cholangitis (2.7%) and two biliary pancreatitis (0.4%). Only one patient (0.4%) underwent surgery due to later gallstone-related symptoms. Eighteen patients (4.0%) required endoscopic intervention and 16 (3.5%) underwent surgery. There were no operation-associated deaths or morbidity among those undergoing later surgical or endoscopic interventions. CONCLUSION: In elderly patients, it is relatively safe to leave gallbladder in situ after successful sphincterotomy and endoscopic common bile duct stone removal. In elderly and frail patients, a wait-and-see strategy without routine cholecystectomy rarely leads to clinically significant consequences. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III.

Computer-generated structured electronic medical records are preferable to conventional medical records for patients with acute abdominal pain - a prospective, double-blinded study.

OBJECTIVES: Structured medical records improve readability and ensure the inclusion of information necessary for correct diagnosis and treatment. This is the first study to assess the quality of computer-generated structured medical records by comparing them to conventional medical records on patients with acute abdominal pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective double-blinded study was conducted in a tertiary referral center emergency department between January 2018 and June 2018. Patients were examined by emergency department physicians and by experience and inexperienced researcher. The researchers used a new electronical medical records system, which gathered data during the examination and the system generate structured medical records containing natural language. Conventional medical records dictated by physician and computer-generated medical records were compared by a group of independent clinicians. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients were included. The overall quality of the computer-generated medical records was better than the quality of conventional human-generated medical records - the structure was similar or better in 99% of cases and the readability was similar or better in 86% of cases, p < 0.001. The quality of medical history, current illness, and findings of physical examinations were likewise better with the computer-generated recording. The results were similar when patients were examined by experienced or inexperienced researcher using the computer-generated recording. DISCUSSION: The quality of computer-generated structured medical records was superior to that of conventional medical records. The quality remained similar regardless of the researcher's level of experience. The system allows automatic risk scoring and easy access for quality control of patient care. We therefore consider that it would be useful in wider practice.

Endoscopic duodenal stenting is efficient, but has higher rate of reoperations than gastrojejunostomy in palliative treatment for gastric outlet obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Surgical gastrojejunostomy has traditionally been the palliative treatment of choice for patients with advanced malignancies and gastric outlet obstruction syndrome. Recently, palliative endoscopic duodenal stenting has increased in popularity. We report outcomes after gastrojejunostomy and duodenal stenting when used for palliative indications. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing palliative gastrojejunostomy or palliative endoscopic duodenal stenting in a Finnish tertiary referral center between January 2015 and December 2020 were included. The postoperative outcomes of these two palliative interventions were compared. The main outcome measures were mortality and morbidity, rate of reoperations, postoperative oral intake ability, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: A total of 88 patients, 46 (52%) patients underwent palliative gastrojejunostomy and 42 (48%) duodenal stenting. All patients had malignant disease, most typically hepatopancreatic cancer. Nineteen (44%) patients in duodenal stenting group and 4 (8.7%) patients in gastrojejunostomy group required subsequent interventions due to persisting or progressing symptoms (p < 0.001). Median delay until first oral intake was 2 days (1-24) after gastrojejunostomy and 0 days (0-3) after stenting (p < 0.001). Postoperative morbidity was 30% after gastrojejunostomy and 45% after stenting (p < 0.001). Median length of hospital stay was 7 days (1-27) after surgery and 5 days (0-20) after endoscopy (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing endoscopic duodenal stenting are more able to initiate rapid oral intake and have shorter hospital stay. On the other hand, there are significantly more reoperations in stenting group. If the patient's life expectancy is short, we recommend stenting, but for patients whose life expectancy is longer, gastrojejunostomy could be a better procedure, for the reasons mentioned above.

High Occurrence of Thrombo-Embolic Complications During Long-Term Follow-up After Pleural Infections-A Single-Center Experience with 536 Consecutive Patients Over 17 Years.

PURPOSE: Pleural infections are associated with significant inflammation, long hospitalizations, frequent comorbidities, and are often treated operatively-all of which are consequential risk factors for thrombo-embolic complications. However, their occurrence following the treatment of pleural infection is still unknown. The aim of the study was to ascertain the early and long-term occurrence of thrombo-embolic events in patients treated for pleural infections. METHODS: The study included all patients that were treated for pleural infections in Tampere University Hospital between January 2000 and December 2016. Data regarding later treatment episodes due to pulmonary embolisms and/or deep vein thromboses as well as survival data were requested from national registries. The rates were also compared to a demographically matched reference population adjusted for age, sex, and the location of residence. RESULTS: The final study population comprised 536 patients and 5318 controls (median age 60, 78% men). The most common etiology for pleural infection was pneumonia (73%) and 85% underwent surgical treatment for pleural infection. The occurrence of thrombo-embolic complications in patients and controls was 3.8% vs 0.1% at three months, 5.0% vs 0.4% at one year, 8.8% vs 1.0% at three years, and 12.4% vs 1.8% at five years, respectively, p < 0.001 each. Female sex, advanced age, chronic lung disease, immunosuppression, video-assisted surgery, and non-pneumonic etiology were associated with a higher incidence of thrombo-embolism. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of thrombo-embolic events-particularly pulmonary embolism but also deep vein thrombosis-was significant in patients treated for pleural infections, both initially and during long-term follow-up.

The rate of short-term revisits after diagnosis of non-specific abdominal pain is similar for surgeons and emergency physicians - results from a single tertiary hospital emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Acute abdominal pain can be a diagnostic challenge even for experienced surgeons. Delayed diagnosis can lead to higher morbidity, mortality and increased costs. While readmission rate has been used to evaluate quality of surgical care, studies addressing the issue in emergency departments (ED) are rare. The role of emergency physicians in the care of patients with abdominal pain is increasing in many European countries, including Finland. It is not known whether this has an effect on the number of readmissions. Here we evaluate whether the increasing role of emergency physicians in examining patients presenting with abdominal pain has affected the rate of short-term revisits among patients with non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP). METHODS: We identified consecutive ED patients receiving a diagnosis of NSAP 1.1. 2015-31.12.2016 in the ED of Tampere University Hospital. Those revisiting the ED within 48 h were selected for further analysis. Data were obtained from electronic medical records. We compared the outcomes of those initially examined by surgeons and by emergency physicians. RESULTS: During the study period, 173,630 patients visited our ED, of whom 6.1% (n = 10,609) were discharged with a diagnosis of NSAP. Only 3.0% of patients revisited the ED, 0.7% required hospitalization and 0.06% immediate surgery. The short-term revisit rates among those originally examined by surgeons and by emergency physicians were similar, 2.8 and 3.2% respectively (p = 0.193). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of short-term revisits in patients with NSAP was altogether low. The increasing role of emergency physicians in the care of acute abdominal patients did not affect the revisit rate.

A population-based study of 2347 fall-related injuries among older people in a Finnish emergency department.

PURPOSE: Fall-related injuries are a significant cause of morbidity, mortality and functional decline among older people. The aim of this study is to analyze the incidence of fall-related emergency department (ED) visits and compare the characteristics of single and recurrent fallers in a population-based sample. METHODS: Consecutive patients aged ≥ 80 years and living in the Tampere city region who visited collaborative emergency department within a two-year study period (1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016) due to fall-related injury were included. The incidence of fall-related injuries and recurrent falls was calculated using population statistics. RESULTS: A total of 6915 ≥ 80-year-old patients visited our ED 17,769 times during the study period. Thirteen percent of these visits (n = 2347, median 87 years, 80-103 years; 74% female) were fall-related. The incidence of fall-related ED visits increased from 94/1000 person-years to 171/1000 among those aged 80-89 years and ≥ 90 years, respectively. Twenty-four percent of patients had recurrent falls (range 2-5) during the observational period. Twenty-five percent of those discharged home had a subsequent fall-related injury within one month after the index visit. The distribution of diagnoses was similar among those with single and recurrent falls. CONCLUSION: Fall-related injuries are a significant health issue. Almost one in eight of all ED visits were fall-related, and 24% of patients had recurrent fall-related injuries. The risk of subsequent injury was high during the first month after the first injury, emphasizing the need to intervene with the fall risk promptly.

The incidence and long-term outcomes of esophageal perforations in Finland between 1996 and 2017 - a national registry-based analysis of 1106 esophageal perforations showing high early and late mortality rates and better outcomes in patients treated at high-volume centers.

Background: Esophageal perforations cause severe life-threatening diseases with significant mortality and morbidity. The national incidence and long-term prognosis of these patients is incompletely described in the current literature.Methods: Information regarding each treatment episode for esophageal perforations that had occurred in Finland between 1996 and 2017 and survival data of each patient was obtained from national registries. The occurrence of the disease, related interventions, the number and type of later treatment episodes, as well as the prognosis of these patients was analyzed.Results: The total number of patients with esophageal perforations was 1106 (median age 65, 38% female) and the median follow-up time was 113 months. The overall incidence of the disease was 0.95 (95% CI ± 0.12) per 100,000 person years with male predominance and a trend for slightly increasing occurrence. Esophageal cancer was present in 5.8% of cases. Altogether 41% of patients underwent invasive treatment (31% endoscopic stenting, 69% surgery). Particularly stenting was more frequent later in the series. The median number of disease-related hospitalizations was two and later out-patient clinic visits four. The overall 30-day, 90-day, 1-year and 5-year mortality rates were 14%, 22%, 31% and 46%, respectively, and significantly higher in malignancy-associated cases. There were no clear improvements in the mortality rates over the study period, but the prognosis was better in patients that were treated in higher volume hospitals.Conclusion: There is a slightly increasing trend in the occurrence of esophageal perforations. Contemporary treatment is less invasive with similar results. Patients treated in high-volume hospitals have better prognosis.

Preoperative computed tomography is poor in detecting tumors of the appendix among patients with acute appendicitis: A cohort study of 5,224 appendectomies.

BACKGROUND: Neoplastic processes are among the known etiologies for acute appendicitis. While conservative treatment with antibiotics alone has been proposed as a treatment for uncomplicated appendicitis, the presence of tumors should be excluded when offering patients this option. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in detecting appendiceal tumors. METHOD: Consecutive patients operated on for acute appendicitis between January 2007 and October 3, 2018, in our university hospital were included. Whenever appendiceal tumor was histopathologically confirmed, CT interpretations and surgical reports were carefully reviewed. All CT scans were reanalyzed by consultant body radiologists. Discrepancies between the preliminary and final radiological interpretations were noted. RESULTS: A total of 5,224 patients underwent appendectomy, of whom 4,766 had histopathologically confirmed acute appendicitis. Eighty-four patients (median, 61 (13-89) years; 54% female) were diagnosed with appendiceal tumor. Fifty-two patients (62%) had uncomplicated appendicitis. Although incidence of tumors was associated with older age, tumors were found in all ages. The share of tumors increased from 1.7% to 3.0%/year during the study. The most common tumors were neuroendocrine tumors (n = 33), low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (n = 14), and adenocarcinomas (n = 11). Sixty-one patients (73%) underwent preoperative CT. Computed tomography interpretation during on-call hours suspected tumor in only one case (3.4%) with invasive tumor, and in five cases (16%) with noninvasive tumor. CONCLUSION: Appendiceal tumors are possible findings in appendix specimens, and most patients had uncomplicated acute appendicitis. In light of findings we conclude that CT cannot be used to exclude neoplastic etiology underlying acute appendicitis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic, level IV.