Third-generation cephalosporins for polymicrobial surgical sepsis.

During 31 months of study, 808 patients with polymicrobial surgical infection were randomized for antibiotic therapy between a third-generation cephalosporin (moxalactam disodium [149], cefotaxime sodium [125], and cefoperazone sodium [141]) and the combination of gentamicin sulfate plus clindamycin (393). Results based on antibiotic therapy included the following: cure in 83% given cephalosporin, 73% with antibiotic combination; control but recurrent sepsis in 7% and 15%; and failure in 4% and 8%, respectively. Such data support the tenet that third-generation cephalosporins are at least equal, if not superior, to the combination of gentamicin plus clindamycin for treatment of polymicrobial surgical sepsis.

Effects of age and severity of illness on outcome and length of stay in geriatric surgical patients.

From April 1, 1990, to March 31, 1992, 8,899 patients who were 65 years of age and older underwent an anesthetic and surgical procedure in a 1,000-bed community hospital in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The hospital has been using a proprietary system called MedisGroups for assessing the severity of illness on admission and in-hospital morbidity. All patients were followed up until death or discharge from the hospital. Using the hospital database, we analyzed the patient sample to test the hypothesis that severity of illness was more important than age in predicting postoperative morbidity and mortality rates. Using correlation and multiple regression analysis, we found that the severity of illness was a much better predictor of outcome than age. The results were significant at the level of p < 0.001. Based on the results of this study, we recommend that age not be used in surgical decisions in the elderly.

An analysis of breast cancer surgery after free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Breast reconstruction is currently offered on a more routine basis to patients after mastectomy for breast cancer. This paper analyzes the outcomes of breast cancer surgery, and the results and effects of breast reconstruction using free TRAM flaps. METHODS: A retrospective review of 75 consecutive patients who had free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery was performed. A total of 92 free TRAM flaps were performed on 75 patients in Victoria, British Columbia, from January 1992 to May 1999. Thirty-three patients (44%) underwent primary breast cancer surgery and an immediate reconstruction (7 bilateral and 27 unilateral) and 42 patients (56%) had delayed reconstruction (10 bilateral and 32 unilateral). RESULTS: Twenty- one patients (28%) had stage 0 disease, 20 (26.7%) had stage I disease, 17 (22.7%) had stage IIA disease, 12 (15%) had stage IIB disease, and 4 (5.3%) had stage IIIA disease. In 1 patient the stage of disease was unknown. The mean patient age was 49.4 years (range 33 to 73). Of the patients undergoing immediate reconstruction 3 had postoperative chemotherapy and 1 had postoperative radiotherapy. Three patients had combined chemoradiotherapy. In none of these cases was the adjuvant therapy delayed by the reconstructive surgery. Overall mean follow-up time from cancer diagnosis was 56.8 months and from the time of TRAM flap reconstruction, 36.7 months. To date, 5 recurrences have been detected (6.6%). Mean time between reconstruction and detection of recurrence was 22.8 months. Detection of recurrence was achieved clinically and was not impaired in any of the cases by the presence of the free flap. Patient satisfaction was assessed via a telephone survey, with 93% of patients pleased with the cosmetic results of their surgery. CONCLUSIONS: For those patients with breast cancer requiring mastectomy, free TRAM flap reconstruction is a safe, cosmetically acceptable surgical alternative that impairs neither effective breast cancer surgery nor detection of recurrent disease.

Hepatic portal venous gas in adults: importance of ultrasonography in early diagnosis and survival.

Hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) is an ominous radiologic sign and indicates the need for urgent surgical intervention. The causes are varied, but the commonest and most serious is infarcted bowel. Because HPVG is difficult to detect on plain abdominal x-ray films, more reliable methods have been sought. The authors describe the case of a 31-year-old man to illustrate the need for and benefit of early detection of HPVG using ultrasonography, which was instrumental in the survival of the patient.

Gallstone pancreatitis: biliary tract pathology in relation to time of operation.

During a 29-month trial, 65 patients with acute gallstone pancreatitis were randomly selected for biliary tract explorations either within 73 hours of admission (36 patients) or at three months following remission with nonoperative measures (29 patients, with five others awaiting elective operation). The details of surgery were identical, i.e., cholecystectomy, transduodenal sphincteroplasty, and pancreatic duct septotomy. Major bile ducts were cleared of stones by Fogarty catheter passage up the sphincteroplasty. At early operation, pancreatitis was in the acute edematous form in 29 patients, necrotizing in six, and hemorrhagic in one. Acute inflammatory changes were also noticed in three patients who underwent late operation. The locations of the gallstones in patients undergoing early versus delayed operations were, respectively: 97% and 100% in gallbladder, 75% and 28% within common or hepatic ducts (p < 0.02), and 31% and 0% free in duodenum (p < 0.01). The distal choledochus and ampulla were inflamed in 89% of the patients who underwent early operations, but in merely 17% operated upon electively (p < 0.01). Concomitant acute cholecystitis was present in 31% of the patients if surgery was performed during the initial admission, but in only 3% of the patients at delayed operation (p < 0.05). Most striking was the sudden "gush" of pancreatic juice when the ampullary sphincter was first stretched or cut during sphincteroplasty at early operation. Precipitous falls in serum amylase levels then followed over the next 24 hours. No significant differences were noticed in the mortality rate (one death after early operation, two after a delayed procedure), major morbidity rate (in four and three patients, respectively), or in duration of the initial hospitalization period (early operation: 13.5 days, delayed operation: 16.7 days). However, a second admission to the hospital for the delayed operation (12.1 days) was avoided by early operation. These data support the concept that biliary pancreatitis is probably initiated by gallstone passage through, or lodgement at, the ampulla of Vater. The resultant ampullary edema with or without gallstone impaction appears to be the anatomic cause for major pancreatic duct obstruction and the consequent pancreatitis. Early and appropriate surgical relief of the biliary tract pathology via a transduodenal sphincteroplasty can obviate the need for a second admission to the hospital without increasing, significantly, the attendant morbidity and mortality rates.

Hepatic trauma: evaluation of routine drainage.

Routine drainage of liver wounds created by trauma has recently been challenged, prompting a prospective, randomized trial of drainage via a Penrose dam versus no drain in patients having emergency laparotomy for abdominal trauma. We excluded cases in which definite bile leak was noted at operation. Of 167 patients studied, six had obligatory drainage because of obvious bile leak. Among the remaining 161 patients, there was no significant difference as to demographics, mode of injury, volume of blood lost or used for resuscitation, incidence and severity of shock, number and types of associated injuries, or magnitude of liver wound between the 78 allocated to drainage and the 83 left without a drain. Resultant mortality, duration of hospitalization, incidence of wound and/or intra-abdominal infection, and likelihood of subsequent bile fistula were not different. Such data support the routine use of a drain only if bile leakage from the liver wound is found at laparotomy. Without obvious bile leak, drainage of a specific liver injury does not appear to be necessary.

Extraperitoneal versus transperitoneal drainage of the intra-abdominal abscess.

Controversy as to whether the intra-abdominal abscess should be drained extraperitoneally or through formal laparotomy still rages. Arguments for a transperitoneal approach include no need to identify specific locus preoperatively and uniform drainage of all abscesses, especially any otherwise unrecognized pus collection. Proponents for the extraperitoneal route stress failure to contaminate previously uninvolved peritoneal spaces and more reliable avoidance of injury to intestine, predisposing to subsequent intestinal fistula. To resolve this impasse, a prospective study of each method was based upon a schedule of previously randomized treatment options. After 32 months of study, 60 patients had been enrolled without obvious differences between treatment groups with respect to demographic features, preoperative definition and locus of infection, precipitating cause of sepsis, associated diseases, responsible bacteria and antibiotic therapy. With the transperitoneal approach, five patients had hollow viscus injury, while seven eventually had an intestinal fistula develop, causing major problems in four. Despite no obvious intestinal injury with the extraperitoneal route, two transient intestinal fistulas did occur. Seven patients drained transperitoneally had additional abscesses discovered, yet another operation was required to drain at least one complicating abscess in seven of this same group. With the extraperitoneal route, only two patients needed reoperation to drain another abscess. Although there were more deaths and complications in the group drained transperitoneally, morbidity (47 per cent) and mortality (7 per cent) were not significantly different statistically. Such data refute the professed superiority of a transperitoneal approach to intra-abdominal abscess drainage, both from need to reoperative for second abscess as well as incidence of latter intestinal fistula. Best results were noted with abscess identification through computerized tomography followed by extraperitoneal drainage.

Abdominal incisions: transverse vs vertical placement and continuous vs interrupted closure.

A previous retrospective review of 2,006 emergency laparotomies had suggested that anesthesia and operative times could be reduced by using a continuous stitch closure for all layers of the incision. A prospective, randomized study was then implemented through use of odd/even digits in the last and next-to-last digits in the hospital number. Of 551 patients subjected to laparotomy because of abdominal trauma, no intraperitoneal injury was found in 212. There was no statistically significant difference in time expended or complications (wound or other, including pulmonary) on contrasting transverse (101) with vertical (111) incisions, or on comparing continuous (104) and interrupted (108) closure, with the exception of an average 26 minutes in time saved by a continuous suture (P = .02). Analysis of these same factors in 339 patients with trauma found at laparotomy could document no statistically significant difference. Such data support the use of a running suture for closure of the abdominal wall as a practical method to save anesthesia and operating time without increased risk of developing a wound or other postoperative complication.

Clinical comparison of cefotaxime with gentamicin plus clindamycin in the treatment of peritonitis and other soft-tissue infections.

The efficacy and safety of cefotaxime were compared with the efficacy and safety of gentamicin plus clindamycin in the treatment of peritonitis and soft-tissue infection in 112 patients. Patients received 20 mg of intravenous cefotaxime/kg of body weight every 6 hr or 1 mg of gentamicin/kg every 8 hr plus 5 mg of clindamycin/kg every 6 hr (both intravenously). Therapy was continued for five to 10 days. The overall clinical cure rate was 82%, with no significant difference between cure rates in the two groups. Both antibiotic regimens were effective against aerobic and anaerobic isolates, although Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an occasional isolate of Enterobacter, and some anaerobes were resistant to cefotaxime. All clinical failures involved patients who had septicemia or who had received inadequate surgical treatment. Six (11%) of the patients who received combination therapy developed impaired renal function, as indicated by a rise in serum creatinine of 30%. No reduction in renal function was noted in patients given cefotaxime. The clinical efficacy of cefotaxime was equal to that of gentamicin plus clindamycin, and less nephrotoxicity was encountered with cefotaxime.