Urea to Albumin Ratio Is an Excellent Predictor of Death in Patients With Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections.

Background: The urea to albumin ratio (UAR) has shown a prognostic value in various clinical settings, however, no study has yet investigated its ability to predict outcome in complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs). Therefore, our aim was to evaluate the association between UAR and mortality in such patients. Patients and Methods: A single-center prospective study including 62 patients with cIAIs was performed at a University Hospital Stara Zagora for the period November 2018 to August 2021. Various routine laboratory and clinical parameters were recorded before surgery and on post-operative day 3. We used serum levels of urea and albumin to calculate the UAR. Results: The observed in-hospital mortality was 14.5%. Non-survivors had higher pre- and post-operative median of UAR than survivors (88.39 vs. 30.99, p < 0.0001 and 106.18 vs. 26.58, p < 0.0001, respectively). Lethal outcome was predicted successfully both by UAR before surgery (area under receiver operating characteristics [AUROC] curves = 0.889; p < 0.0001) at a threshold of 61.42 and on third post-operative day (AUROC = 0.943; p < 0.0001) at a threshold = 55.89. Conclusions: Peri-operative UAR showed an excellent ability for prognostication of fatal outcome in patients with cIAIs.

A predictive model for intraabdominal infection after radical gastrectomy in elderly patients.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with a relatively high incidence among the elderly population. Surgical resection is the mainstay treatment for GC and is currently the only cure. However, the incidence of postoperative intraabdominal infections remains high and seriously affects the prognosis. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for intraabdominal infections after radical gastrectomy in elderly patients and to establish and validate a risk prediction model. We collected the clinical data of 322 GC patients, who underwent radical gastrectomy at the General Surgery Department of China Medical University Dandong Central Hospital from January 2016 to January 2023. The patients were divided into an infected group (n = 27) and a noninfected group (n = 295) according to whether intraabdominal infections occurred postoperatively. A nomogram risk prediction model for the occurrence of postoperative intraabdominal infections was developed. All patients were randomized into a training set (n = 225) and a validation set (n = 97) in a 7:3 ratio, and the model was internally validated. Of the 322 patients, 27 (8.3%) experienced postoperative intraabdominal infections. Single-factor analysis revealed associations of intraabdominal infection with body mass index, glucose, hemoglobin, albumin, and other factors. The multifactorial analysis confirmed that body mass index, glucose, hemoglobin, albumin, surgical duration, and bleeding volume were independent risk factors for intraabdominal infections. The nomogram constructed based on these factors demonstrated excellent performance in both the training and validation sets. A nomogram model was developed and validated to predict the risk of intraabdominal infection after radical gastrectomy. The model has a good predictive performance, which could help clinicians prevent the occurrence of intraabdominal infections after radical gastrectomy in elderly patients.

Risk factors of acute respiratory distress syndrome in sepsis caused by intra-abdominal infections: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Intra-abdominal infections are frequently associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome, which significantly affects patient prognosis. However, little is known about the specific risk factors of acute respiratory distress syndrome in sepsis caused by intra-abdominal infections. METHODS: This retrospective study included adult patients with intra-abdominal sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit of a tertiary teaching hospital in China between June 2017 and June 2022. Patients were categorized based on the presence or absence of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Data, including vital signs, laboratory values, and severity scores collected within 24 hours of sepsis diagnosis, as well as outcomes within 90 days, were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. RESULTS: A total of 738 patients were included, of whom 218 (29.5%) developed acute respiratory distress syndrome. Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome were younger, had a higher body mass index and disease severity scores, and exhibited higher proportions of septic shock and hospital-acquired intra-abdominal infections. The mortalities in the intensive care unit and at 28 and 90 days were higher in the acute respiratory distress syndrome group. In the multivariate logistic regression model, age under 65 years (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.571 [1.093-2.259]), elevated body mass index (2.070 [1.382-3.101] for overweight, 6.994 [3.207-15.255]) for obesity, septic shock (2.043 [1.400-2.980]), procalcitonin (1.009 [1.004-1.015]), hospital-acquired intra-abdominal infections (2.528[1.373-4.657]), and source of intra-abdominal infections (2.170 [1.140-4.128] for biliary tract infection, 0.443 [0.217-0.904] for gastroduodenal perforation) were independently associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. CONCLUSION: In patients with intra-abdominal sepsis, age under 65 years, higher body mass index and procalcitonin, septic shock, hospital-acquired intra-abdominal infections, and biliary tract infection were risk factors for acute respiratory distress syndrome.

To treat or not to treat: Assessing the role of anti-enterococcal therapy for intra-abdominal infections in patients with cancer.

The clinical significance of enterococci in intra-abdominal infections, particularly those caused by multiple organisms, remains unclear. There are no definitive guidelines regarding the use of empiric therapy with antimicrobial agents targeting enterococci. In this study, we evaluated the impact of the initial antimicrobial therapy administration of anti-enterococcal agents on the treatment of intra-abdominal infections in patients with cancer in whom enterococci were isolated from ascitic fluid cultures. This retrospective study was conducted at Shizuoka Cancer Center between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2020, on all adult patients with cancer with enterococci in their ascitic fluid cultures. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcomes were composite outcomes consisting of three components (mortality, recurrence, and treatment failure) and the risk factors associated with all-cause mortality and composite outcomes. In total, 103 patients were included: 61 received treatment covering enterococci, and 42 did not. The mortality rates did not differ significantly between the treated and untreated groups (treated: 8/61 [13.1%]; untreated: 5/42 [11.9%]; p = 1.00). Additionally, no significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of composite outcomes (treated group: 11/61 [18.0%]; untreated group: 9/42 [21.4%]; p = 0.80). Multivariate analysis showed that performance status (PS2-4; p < 0.0001) was an independent risk factor for mortality. The composite outcome was also significantly higher for PS2-4 (p = 0.007). Anti-enterococcal treatment was not associated with mortality or the composite outcome. In patients with cancer and intra-abdominal infections caused by enterococci, anti-enterococcal therapy was not associated with prognosis, whereas PS2 or higher was associated with prognosis. The results of this study suggest that the initial routine administration of anti-enterococcal agents for intra-abdominal infections may not be essential for all patients with cancer. To substantiate these findings, validation by a prospective randomized trial is warranted.

Hand-sewn gastrojejunal anastomosis reduces delayed gastric emptying after pancreaticoduodenectomy: A single-center retrospective clinical study of 1,077 consecutive patients.

BACKGROUND: Hand-sewn anastomosis and stapled anastomosis are the 2 main types of gastrojejunal anastomotic methods in pancreaticoduodenectomy. There is ongoing debate regarding the most effective anastomotic method for reducing delayed gastric emptying after pancreaticoduodenectomy. This study aims to identify factors that influence delayed gastric emptying after pancreaticoduodenectomy and assess the impact of different anastomotic methods on delayed gastric emptying. METHODS: The study included 1,077 patients who had undergone either hand-sewn anastomosis (n = 734) or stapled anastomosis (n = 343) during pancreaticoduodenectomy between December 2016 and November 2021 at our department. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, and a 1:1 propensity score matching was performed to balance confounding variables. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 320 patients were included in each group. Compared with the stapled anastomosis group, the hand-sewn anastomosis group had a significantly lower incidence of delayed gastric emptying (28 [8.8%] vs 55 [17.2%], P = .001) and upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding (6 [1.9%] vs 17 [5.3%], P = .02). Additionally, the hand-sewn anastomosis group had a significantly reduced postoperative length of stay and lower hospitalization expenses. However, the hand-sewn anastomosis group had a significantly longer operative time, which was consistent with the analysis before propensity score matching. Logistic regression analysis showed that stapled anastomosis, intra-abdominal infection, and clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula were independent prognostic factors for delayed gastric emptying. CONCLUSION: Hand-sewn anastomosis was associated with a lower incidence rate of clinically relevant delayed gastric emptying after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Stapled anastomosis, intra-abdominal infection, and clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula could increase the incidence of postoperative clinically relevant delayed gastric emptying. Hand-sewn anastomosis should be considered by surgeons to reduce the occurrence of postoperative delayed gastric emptying and improve patient outcomes.

Targeted versus Empiric Embolization for Delayed Postpancreatectomy Hemorrhage: A Retrospective Study of 312 Patients.

PURPOSE: To assess the safety and clinical effectiveness of empiric embolization (EE) compared with targeted embolization (TE) in the treatment of delayed postpancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of patients with delayed PPH between January 2012 and August 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. In total, 312 consecutive patients (59.6 years ± 10.8; 239 men) were included. The group was stratified into 3 cohorts according to angiographic results and treatment strategies: TE group, EE group, and no embolization (NE) group. The χ2 or Fisher exact test was implemented for comparing the clinical success and 30-day mortality. The variables related to clinical failure and 30-day mortality were identified by univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Clinical success of transcatheter arterial embolization was achieved in 70.0% (170/243) of patients who underwent embolization. There was no statistical difference in clinical success and 30-day mortality between the EE and TE groups. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that malignant disease (odds ratio [OR] = 5.76), Grade C pancreatic fistula (OR = 7.59), intra-abdominal infection (OR = 2.54), and concurrent extraluminal and intraluminal hemorrhage (OR = 2.52) were risk factors for clinical failure. Moreover, 33 patients (13.6%) died within 30 days after embolization. Advanced age (OR = 2.59) and intra-abdominal infection (OR = 5.55) were identified as risk factors for 30-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: EE is safe and as effective as TE in preventing rebleeding and mortality in patients with angiographically negative delayed PPH.

Early short-term abdominal paracentesis drainage in moderately severe and severe acute pancreatitis with pelvic ascites.

BACKGROUND: We sought to evaluate the effect of early short-term abdominal paracentesis drainage (APD) in moderately severe and severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP/SAP) with pelvic ascites. METHODS: A total of 135 MSAP/SAP patients with early pelvic ascites were divided into the Short-term APD group (57 patients) and the Non-APD group (78 patients). The effects, complications, and prognosis of short-term APD patients were evaluated. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics in the two groups were similar. The target days of intra-abdominal hypertension relief, half-dose enteral nutrition, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit stay (in days) and total hospitalization (also in days) were all lower in the Short-term APD group than in the Non-APD group (P = 0.002, 0.009, 0.004, 0.006 and 0.019), while the white blood cell count and serum C-reaction protein level decreased significantly more quickly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05), and the prevalence of intra-abdominal infection was also significantly lower (P = 0.014) in the former than the latter. No complications occurred in early APD patients, and the microbial cultures of pelvic ascites were all negative. In addition, patients with early APD presented fewer cases of residual wall-off necrosis or fluid collection (P = 0.008) at discharge and had a lower incidence of rehospitalization and percutaneous catheter drainage and/or necrosectomy (P = 0.017 and 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: For MSAP/SAP patients with pelvic ascites, the early short-term APD is feasible and safe to perform, and it can decrease clinical symptoms, reduce intra-abdominal infection and shorten the hospital stay. It may also reduce the incidence of rehospitalization and surgical intervention.

Duration of antimicrobial treatment for complicated intra-abdominal infections after definitive source control: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and practice management guideline from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma

Recent studies have evaluated outcomes associated with duration of antimicrobial treatment for complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI). The goal of this guideline was to help clinicians better define appropriate antimicrobial duration in patients who have undergone definitive source control for cIAI. A working group of Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) performed a systematic review and meta-analyses of the available data pertaining to the duration of antibiotics after definitive source control of cIAI in adult patients. Only studies that compared patients treated with short vs. long duration antibiotic regimens were included. The critical outcomes of interest were selected by the group. Noninferiority of short compared with long duration of antimicrobial treatment was defined as an indicator for a potential recommendation in favor of shorter antibiotics course. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology was used to assess the quality of the evidence and to formulate recommendations. Sixteen studies were included. The short duration ranged from 1 dose to ≤10 days, with an average of 4 days, and the long duration ranged >1 day to 28 days, with an average of 8 days. There were no differences between short and long duration of antibiotics in terms of mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56-1.44), rate of surgical site infection (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.56-1.38); persistent/recurrent abscess (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.45-1.29); unplanned interventions (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.12-2.26); hospital length of stay (mean difference, -2.62 days; CI, -7.08 to 1.83 days); or readmissions (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.50-1.69). The level of evidence was assessed as very low. The group made a recommendation for shorter (four or less days) versus longer duration (eight or more days) of antimicrobial treatment in adult patients with cIAIs who had definitive source control.

Obesity paradox as a new insight from postoperative complications in gastric cancer.

The obesity paradox is reported to exist in various diseases. However, obesity is a pivotal issue in gastric cancer (GC) patients because of the surgical difficulty related to postoperative abdominal infectious complications (PAIC). This study clarified the existence of the obesity paradox in GC. Between 1997 and 2015, 1536 consecutive patients underwent curative gastrectomy. Of all patients, 18.6% (285/1536) were obese and tended to have a better prognosis (P = 0.073). In patients without PAIC, obesity was a significant prognostic factor for 5-year overall survival (P = 0.017). PAIC was an independent poor prognostic factor in both obese and non-obese patients (P < 0.001; hazard ratio [HR] 4.22 and 1.82). In pStage II-III patients, there was a large and significant prognostic difference between non-PAIC and PAIC obese patients (P = 0.006; 5-year overall survival: 69.7% vs. 43.8%) related to the higher incidence of peritoneal recurrence in PAIC obese patients (P = 0.035; 31% vs. 10%). Whereas, there was a small prognostic difference between non-PAIC and PAIC non-obese patients (P = 0.102; 5-year overall survival: 56.5% vs. 51.9%). Although the obesity paradox is present in GC, PAIC had a more negative prognostic impact through peritoneal recurrence in obese GC patients.

Intra-abdominal packing does not increase infection risk or mandate longer presumptive antibiotic therapy.

BACKGROUND: Damage control laparotomy allows for resuscitation and reversal of coagulopathy with improved mortality. In-tra-abdominal packing is often used to limit hemorrhage. Temporary abdominal closure is associated with increased rates of subse-quent intra-abdominal infection. The effect of increased duration of antibiotics is unknown on these infection rates. We sought to determine the role of antibiotics in damage control surgery. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all trauma patients requiring damage control laparotomy on admission to an ACS verified level one trauma center from 2011 to 2016 was performed. Demographic and clinical data including ability and time to attain primary fascial closure, as well as complication rates, were recorded. The primary outcome measure was intra-abdominal abscess formation following damage control laparotomy. RESULTS: Two-hundred and thirty-nine patients underwent DCS during the study period. A majority were packed (141/239, 59.0%). No differences existed in demographics or injury severity between groups, and infection rates were similar (30.5% vs. 38.8%, P=0.18). Patients with infection were more likely to have suffered gastric injury (23.3% vs. 6.1%, P=0.003) than those without complication. There was no significant association between gram negative and anaerobic (Odds Radio [OR] 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87-1.05) or antifungal therapy (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.74-1.31) and infection rate, regardless of duration on multivariate regression CONCLUSION: Our study offers the first review of the effect of antibiotic duration on intra-abdominal complications following DCS. Gastric injury was more commonly identified in patients who developed intra-abdominal infection. Duration of antimicrobial therapy does not affect infection rate in patients who are packed following DCS.

Exploration of a Potential Desirability of Outcome Ranking Endpoint for Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections Using 9 Registrational Trials for Antibacterial Drugs.

BACKGROUND: Desirability of outcome ranking (DOOR) is a novel approach to clinical trial design that incorporates safety and efficacy assessments into an ordinal ranking system to evaluate overall outcomes of clinical trial participants. Here, we derived and applied a disease-specific DOOR endpoint to registrational trials for complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI). METHODS: Initially, we applied an a priori DOOR prototype to electronic patient-level data from 9 phase 3 noninferiority trials for cIAI submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration between 2005 and 2019. We derived a cIAI-specific DOOR endpoint based on clinically meaningful events that trial participants experienced. Next, we applied the cIAI-specific DOOR endpoint to the same datasets and, for each trial, estimated the probability that a participant assigned to the study treatment would have a more desirable DOOR or component outcome than if assigned to the comparator. RESULTS: Three key findings informed the cIAI-specific DOOR endpoint: (1) a significant proportion of participants underwent additional surgical procedures related to their baseline infection; (2) infectious complications of cIAI were diverse; and (3) participants with worse outcomes experienced more infectious complications, more serious adverse events, and underwent more procedures. DOOR distributions between treatment arms were similar in all trials. DOOR probability estimates ranged from 47.4% to 50.3% and were not significantly different. Component analyses depicted risk-benefit assessments of study treatment versus comparator. CONCLUSIONS: We designed and evaluated a potential DOOR endpoint for cIAI trials to further characterize overall clinical experiences of participants. Similar data-driven approaches can be utilized to create other infectious disease-specific DOOR endpoints.

Can Triclosan-Coated Sutures Reduce the Incidence of Surgical Site Infections and Intra-Abdominal Infection: A Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common nosocomial infections suffered by surgical patients. They increase medical costs and prolong hospital stay. With respect to gastrointestinal surgery, SSIs are reported to have an incidence of up to 30%, and they frequently cause morbidity. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate whether use of triclosan-coated sutures for abdominal incision closure during colorectal surgery reduces the incidence of SSI. Patients and Methods: This was a double-blinded randomized controlled trial in a single academic surgical hospital. Patients who underwent laparoscopic or open colorectal surgery were included. Patients were pre-operatively randomly assigned to either the Vicryl® Plus (VP) or Vicryl® (Ethicon Inc., Somerville, NJ) group. The patients and medical staff were blinded. Results: The primary end point was overall SSI rate and SSI at 30 days. Over a six-year period, 811 patients who underwent colorectal surgery and provided informed consent were randomly assigned (VP group, 396 patients; Vicryl group, 415 patients). No differences in baseline demographics were observed between the groups. The overall incidence of SSI was 4.8% (39/811 patients). There were no statistically significant differences in mean length of post-operative hospital stay between the groups (VP group, 9.3 days; Vicryl group, 9.6 days; p = 0.587). Statistically significant differences in SSI rate after post-operative day 30 were observed between the groups (VP group, 1 patient [7.1%]; Vicryl group, 7 patients [28.0%]; p = 0.039). Conclusions: Although use of triclosan-coated sutures did not reduce incidence of SSI within 30 days post-operatively, it is associated with reduced SSI rate after post-operative day 30.

Abdominal infection combined with pneumoperitoneum after renal transplantation: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Abdominal infection combined with pneumoperitoneum after renal transplantation is rare, clinically confusing, and easily misdiagnosed by physicians as gastrointestinal perforation. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 54-year-old man experienced abdominal pain and distension together with signs of peritoneal irritation after cadaveric renal transplantation. CT and standing abdominal plain film showed a large pneumoperitoneum in the abdominal cavity and the patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy but no gastrointestinal perforation was found. DIAGNOSIS: No gastrointestinal perforation was found during the operation. In the search for the infectious agent, ascites culture was negative while next-generation sequencing was positive, suggesting the presence of intestinal flora ectopic to abdominal infection with anaerobic respiration fermentation leading to large amounts of gas. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy without gastrointestinal perforation, and then underwent abdominal lavage, placed abdominal drainage tube, and conducted culture and next-generation sequencing examination of ascites. OUTCOMES: Postoperative symptoms were relieved and intestinal function recovered. After 3 months of outpatient follow-up, the patient had stable transplanted kidney function and was in good spirits and sleeping well, with a good appetite, soft and regular stools, no abdominal pain and distension, and no fever. CONCLUSION: Patients after kidney transplantation should be wary of abdominal infection being misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal perforation.

[Basic principles,methods and evaluation of minimally invasive treatment for infected pancreatic necrosis].

Infected pancreatic necrosis(IPN) is the main surgical indication of acute pancreatitis. Minimally invasive debridement has become the mainstream surgical strategy of IPN,and it is only preserved for IPN patients who are not response for adequate non-surgical treatment. Transluminal or retroperitoneal drainage is preferred,and appropriate debridement can be performed. At present,it is reported that video assisted transluminal,trans-abdominal and retroperitoneal approaches can effectively control IPN infection. However,in terms of reducing pancreatic leakage and other complications,surgical and endoscopic transgastric debridement may be the future direction in the treatment of IPN.

[Imaging classification and analysis of the diagnosis and treatment of infected pancreatic necrosis:a report of 126 cases].

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics of various types of infected pancreatic necrosis(IPN) and the prognosis of different treatment methods in the imaging classification of IPN proposed. Methods: The clinical data of 126 patients with IPN admitted to the Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from December 2018 to December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 70 males(55.6%) and 56 females(44.4%), with age(M(IQR)) of 44(17)years (range: 12 to 87 years). There were 67 cases(53.2%) of severe acute pancreatitis and 59 cases (46.8%) of moderately severe acute pancreatitis. All cases were based on the diagnostic criteria of IPN. All cases were divided into Type Ⅰ(central IPN)(n=21), Type Ⅱ(peripheral IPN)(n=23), Type Ⅲ(mixed IPN)(n=74) and Type Ⅳ(isolated IPN)(n=8) according to the different sites of infection and necrosis on CT.According to different treatment strategies,they were divided into Step-up group(n=109) and Step-jump group(n=17). The clinical indicators and prognosis of each group were observed and analyzed by ANOVA,t-test,χ2 test or Fisher exact test,respectively. Results: There was no significant difference in mortality, complication rate and complication grade in each type of IPN(all P>0.05). Compared with other types of patients, the length of stay (69(40)days vs. 19(19)days) and hospitalization expenses(323 000(419 000)yuan vs. 60 000(78 000)yuan) were significantly increased in Type Ⅳ IPN(Z=-4.041, -3.972; both P<0.01). The incidence of postoperative residual infection of Type Ⅳ IPN was significantly higher than that of other types (χ2=16.350,P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the mortality of patients with different types of IPN between different treatment groups. The length of stay and hospitalization expenses of patients in the Step-up group were significantly less than those in the Step-jump group(19(20)days vs. 33(35)days, Z=-2.052, P=0.040;59 000(80 000)yuan vs. 122 000(109 000)yuan,Z=-2.317,P=0.020). Among the patients in Type Ⅳ IPN, the hospitalization expenses of Step-up group was significantly higher than that of Step-jump group(330 000(578 000)yuan vs. 141 000 yuan,Z=-2.000,P=0.046). The incidence of postoperative residual infection of Step-up group(17.4%(19/109)) was significantly lower than that of Step-jump group(10/17)(χ2=11.980, P=0.001). Conclusions: Type Ⅳ IPN is more serious than the other three types. It causes longer length of stay and more hospitalization expenses. The step-up approach is safe and effective in the treatment of IPN. However, for infected lesions which are deep in place,difficult to reach by conventional drainage methods, or mainly exhibit "dry necrosis", choosing the step-jump approach is a more positive choice.

Dynamics of Serum Procalcitonin Can Predict Outcome in Patients of Infected Pancreatic Necrosis: A Prospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Timely intervention can alter outcome in patients of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) but lacks adequate biomarker. Role of serum procalcitonin (PCT) in the management of IPN is understudied, and hence, this study was planned. METHODOLOGY: All patients of acute pancreatitis with IPN without prior intervention were included. Baseline demographic, radiological and laboratory parameters were documented. PCT was measured at baseline, prior to intervention, and thereafter every 72 h. Patients were grouped into those having baseline PCT < 1.0 ng/mL and those with PCT ≥ 1.0 ng/mL and various outcome measures were compared. RESULTS: Of the 242 patients screened, 103 cases (66 males; 64.1%) with IPN were grouped into 2: PCT < 1.0 ng/mL (n = 29) and PCT ≥ 1.0 ng/mL (n = 74). Patients with baseline PCT ≥ 1.0 ng/mL had significantly more severe disease scores. 16 out of 19 patients with rise in PCT on day-7 post-intervention expired. PCT ≥ 1.0 ng/mL group had higher need for ICU (p = 0.001) and mortality (p = 0.044). PCT > 2.25 ng/mL (aOR 22.56; p = 0.013) at baseline and failure in reduction of PCT levels to < 60% of baseline at day-7 post-intervention (aOR 53.76; p = 0.001) were significant mortality predictors. CONCLUSION: Baseline PCT > 1.0 ng/mL is associated with poor outcome. PCT > 2.25 ng/mL and failure in reduction of PCT levels to < 60% of its baseline at day-7 post-intervention can identify high-mortality risk patients.

Imaging classification and analysis of the diagnosis and treatment of infected pancreatic necrosis:a report of 126 cases / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics of various types of infected pancreatic necrosis(IPN) and the prognosis of different treatment methods in the imaging classification of IPN proposed. Methods: The clinical data of 126 patients with IPN admitted to the Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from December 2018 to December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 70 males(55.6%) and 56 females(44.4%), with age(M(IQR)) of 44(17)years (range: 12 to 87 years). There were 67 cases(53.2%) of severe acute pancreatitis and 59 cases (46.8%) of moderately severe acute pancreatitis. All cases were based on the diagnostic criteria of IPN. All cases were divided into Type Ⅰ(central IPN)(n=21), Type Ⅱ(peripheral IPN)(n=23), Type Ⅲ(mixed IPN)(n=74) and Type Ⅳ(isolated IPN)(n=8) according to the different sites of infection and necrosis on CT.According to different treatment strategies,they were divided into Step-up group(n=109) and Step-jump group(n=17). The clinical indicators and prognosis of each group were observed and analyzed by ANOVA,t-test,χ2 test or Fisher exact test,respectively. Results: There was no significant difference in mortality, complication rate and complication grade in each type of IPN(all P>0.05). Compared with other types of patients, the length of stay (69(40)days vs. 19(19)days) and hospitalization expenses(323 000(419 000)yuan vs. 60 000(78 000)yuan) were significantly increased in Type Ⅳ IPN(Z=-4.041, -3.972; both P<0.01). The incidence of postoperative residual infection of Type Ⅳ IPN was significantly higher than that of other types (χ2=16.350,P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the mortality of patients with different types of IPN between different treatment groups. The length of stay and hospitalization expenses of patients in the Step-up group were significantly less than those in the Step-jump group(19(20)days vs. 33(35)days, Z=-2.052, P=0.040;59 000(80 000)yuan vs. 122 000(109 000)yuan,Z=-2.317,P=0.020). Among the patients in Type Ⅳ IPN, the hospitalization expenses of Step-up group was significantly higher than that of Step-jump group(330 000(578 000)yuan vs. 141 000 yuan,Z=-2.000,P=0.046). The incidence of postoperative residual infection of Step-up group(17.4%(19/109)) was significantly lower than that of Step-jump group(10/17)(χ2=11.980, P=0.001). Conclusions: Type Ⅳ IPN is more serious than the other three types. It causes longer length of stay and more hospitalization expenses. The step-up approach is safe and effective in the treatment of IPN. However, for infected lesions which are deep in place,difficult to reach by conventional drainage methods, or mainly exhibit "dry necrosis", choosing the step-jump approach is a more positive choice.

Basic principles,methods and evaluation of minimally invasive treatment for infected pancreatic necrosis / 中华外科杂志

Infected pancreatic necrosis(IPN) is the main surgical indication of acute pancreatitis. Minimally invasive debridement has become the mainstream surgical strategy of IPN,and it is only preserved for IPN patients who are not response for adequate non-surgical treatment. Transluminal or retroperitoneal drainage is preferred,and appropriate debridement can be performed. At present,it is reported that video assisted transluminal,trans-abdominal and retroperitoneal approaches can effectively control IPN infection. However,in terms of reducing pancreatic leakage and other complications,surgical and endoscopic transgastric debridement may be the future direction in the treatment of IPN.