[Bilateral pneumothorax, cervicofacial and mediastinal emphysema after surgical tracheostomy]

Tracheotomy is a surgical procedure for various indications, such as ventilator dependence and airway obstruction. Reported rates in the literature of complications of tracheostomy vary widely. We report an unusual presentation of serious complication after surgical tracheostomy. The correct timing of tracheostomy is still controversial in the literature. A 74-year-old male had emergency surgical tracheostomy under general anesthesia. At the end of the procedure, in recovery room, he developed subcutaneous emphysema of the eyes. There was no pneumothorax seen on chest X-ray. Bronchoscopic examination through the tracheostomy tube showed no evidence of damage to the posterior tracheal wall. Three hours later patient had difficulty breathing requiring sedation with respiratory assistance. X-ray of the chest at this stage showed a right pneumothorax and extensive subcutaneous emphysema of the chest wall. Pneumothorax was managed using a chest tube. Two days after, a control CT scan of the chest showed a left pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum. The pneumothorax was managed using a chest tube. Bronchoscopic examination showed no obvious lesion in the tracheobronchial tree. The patient was treated successfully with supportive care and large doses of antibiotic to prevent mediastinitis. Seven days later, recovery was rapid and complete and CT scan of the chest was completely normal. The patient was discharged from the hospital on the 13th postoperative day. This case illustrates that complications occurring after surgical tracheostomy could be dramatic. Management of tracheotomy is important to prevent complications. There is still debate on optimal timing of tracheotomy. The last three trials have shown no interest to perform an early tracheotomy, neither in terms of vital prognosis nor in terms of the duration of mechanical ventilation.

[Unanticipated difficult extubation]

Complications at extubation remain an important risk factor in anaesthesia. Airway related complications at extubation are relatively frequent but are usually dealt with by simple basic measures. We report a new case of respiratory complications associated with tracheal extubation in a 59-year-old woman. Her medical history included obesity, no criteria difficult intubation and no adverse events during her previous anesthetic procedures. At the end of surgery, immediately after extubation, the patient developed respiratory distress requiring reintubation. A second extubation performed in postoperative recovery room was complicated by a new respiratory distress with reintubation. The patient was then admitted to the ICU. The examination on admission was unremarkable. Chest X-ray and a chest CT scan were performed in search of an etiology. Both tests showed a large thyroid "goitre plongeant" (plunging goiter) and compressive. In the suites, a thyroidectomy was performed with excision of a large cervical plunging goiter para- and retropharyngeal bilateral chest, allowing extubation successfully. The postoperative course was uneventful.

Expression of dUTP nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase) and thymidylate synthase (TS) in stage III colon cancer patients treated with either bolus 5-FU or infusional 5-FU in the adjuvant setting: Results of a translational study of the PETACC-2 trial

417

Background: Pts with stage III colon cancer have been treated with either infusional 5-FU or bolus 5- FU in the adjuvant setting (PETACC-2 trial). DUTPase and TS demonstrated potential as predictive markers for 5-FU efficacy in pts with advanced colorectal cancer. Here we aimed to explore whether TS or dUTPase protein levels may predict recurrence of disease for stage III colon pts treated with 5-FU.

Methods: Tumor (T) blocks of 324 pts were analyzed for protein expression of dUTPase and TS. For analysis monoclonal antibodies DUT415 and TS106 were used. T were evaluated by two investigators as follows. Only nuclear staining for both, TS and dUTPase, was analyzed. If tumor cells (TC) showed a nuclear dUTPase expression in >10% of cells, the sample was scored positive. Positive nuclear staining for >20% of TC, when using the TS antibody, determined a positive sample.

Results: Analysis for dUTPase was successful in 308 samples (95.1%, 308/324). 263 out of those 308 pts showed a positive dUTPase expression (85.3%). 297/324 samples (91.7%) could be evaluated for TS. In the TS group 62.3% (185/297) showed a positive expression for TS protein. In 281 cases analyses were successful for both TS and dUTPase. We observed a significant association between dUTPase and TS expression with a majotity of 71.4% (172/241) dUTPase positive T also being positive for TS as compared to 32.5% (13/40) of dUTPase negative T that showed positivity for TS protein expression (p< 0.0001). Of pts with dUTPase positive T 64.7% showed no recurrence of disease as compared to 44.7% of those with dUTPase negative T 5 years after completion of therapy (HR 0.61 [95% CI 0.36, 1.03], p=0.06). No associations between TS and DFS were observed. Both TS and dUTPase expression did not correlate with OS in this patient cohort.

Conclusions: High TS protein levels appeared to be significantly correlated with high protein levels of dUTPase in stage III colon cancer pts. Neither dUTPase nor TS protein levels appeared to be significantly associated with DFS or OS of stage III colon cancer pts that received adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-FU.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Strontium hexaferrite nanomagnets suspended in a cosmetic preparation: a convenient tool to evaluate the biological effects of surface magnetism on human skin

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Magnetic therapy has been popular for ages, but its therapeutic abilities remain to be demonstrated. We aimed to develop a homogeneous, stable dispersion of magnetic nanoparticles in a skin-care preparation, as a tool to analyze the biological and physiological effects of superficial magnetism in skin.

METHODS

SrFe(12)O(19) nanoparticles were generated by ultrasound, dispersed in glycerol, stabilized in Dermud cream and permanently magnetized. The magnetic cream was applied on the epidermis of human skin organ cultures. The effects on UV-induced cell toxicity, apoptosis and inflammatory cytokine expression were analyzed. A clinical test was performed to check skin moisturization.

RESULTS

Nanomagnets were found to be homogenously and stably dispersed. After magnetization, the preparation generated a magnetic field of 1-2 G. Upon cream application, no cytotoxicity and no impairment of cellular vitality were found after 24 and 48 h, respectively. The anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties of Dermud were not modified, but its long-term effect on moisturization in vivo was slightly increased.

CONCLUSION

Nanomagnetic Dermud cream can be used as a tool to analyze the biological effects of nanomagnets dispersed on the skin surface at the cellular and molecular levels, thus allowing to explore the possible therapeutic uses of superficial magnetism for skin care.

Monitoring levels of nephrotoxicity of different aminoglycosides during febrile neutropenia caused by nephrotoxic chemotherapy: a single centre study

PURPOSE

To investigate the possible existence of increased nephrotoxicity caused by once-daily aminoglycosides in febrile neutropenic patients who were previously treated with cisplatin-based nephrotoxic chemotherapy.

METHODS

Thirty-one patients with metastatic tumors received chemotherapy and, as a result, developed febrile neutropenia. Patients were stratified with regard to chemotherapy with cisplatin (n=15) or without cisplatin (n=16). Both groups received i.v. empiric antibiotic treatment which included combinations of once-daily aminoglycosides (amikacin vs. gentamicin) with beta-lactams.

RESULTS

Increased nephrotoxicity due to administered aminoglycosides appeared significantly more frequently (p<0.05) in patients who received cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Increased nephrotoxicity differed significantly between various aminoglycosides regimens (p<0.05), being greater in the gentamicin group.

CONCLUSION

These results showed that cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by a once-daily aminoglycosides regimen caused increased renal toxicity, which was more pronounced in patients treated with gentamicin vs. those treated with amikacin.

Acute spinal cord injury in pregnancy: an illustrative case and literature review

Acute trauma is not all that uncommon in pregnancy. It accounts for 15% of non-obstetric maternal deaths. Moreover, about 15% of acute spinal cord injuries involve young women of childbearing age (Gilson et al., 1995). Most of the existing literature on spinal cord injury in pregnancy is concerned with the management of patients with pre-existing lesions; very few articles deal with acute injuries. We report the management of a case of acute spinal cord injury in the third trimester of pregnancy and review the major clinical issues associated with such cases.

[Effect of small-doses ketamine on postoperative pain management with combinations morphine/ketoprofen or lidol/ketoprofen after major gynecological surgery] [corrected]

We examine the potential beneficial effect of small-doses ketamine on postoperative pain management with combinations morphine/ketoprofen or lidol/ketoprofen after major gynecological surgery. After patient written consent, 50 healthy women, which were scheduled for abdominal gynecological surgery were randomly allocated into two groups depending of postoperative analgesic technique--morphine/ ketoprofen or lidol/ketoprofen. The quality of postoperative analgesia, total opioid consumption for the first postoperative day and unwished side effects were assessed. Demographic and surgical data were identical in the groups. Using ketamine during the anesthesia improve quality of postoperative analgesia in accordance with less opioid consumption for the combination morphine/ ketoprofen, but not for the combination lidol/ketoprofen. Adding small doses ketamine to combination morphine/ketoprofen improve postoperative analgesia; reduce morphine consumption and incidences of morphine-related side effects after major gynecological surgery.

Biweekly oxaliplatin, fluorouracil and leucovorin versus cisplatin, fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with advanced gastric cancer

PURPOSE

To compare a bi-weekly infusion of leucovorin (LV) 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for 2 days, plus oxaliplatin (LV5- FU2-oxaliplatin) and LV5-FU2-cisplatin (CDDP) regimens with respect to toxicity, objective response rates, time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients received LV5-FU2- oxaliplatin (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2), day 1; folinic acid 200 mg/m(2), days 1-2; 5-FU 400 mg/m(2), i.v. bolus, days 1-2; 5-FU 600 mg/m(2), 22-hour continuous infusion, days 1-2) or LV5- FU2-CDDP (CDDP 50 mg/m(2), day 1; plus LV5-FU2). A total of 72 patients were enrolled into this study (36 vs. 36).

RESULTS

A total of 305 cycles were administered in the LV5-FU2-oxaliplatin arm (median 8) and 272 cycles in the LV5-FU2-CDDP arm (median 8). Grades 3-4 toxicity were as follows (LV5-FU2-oxaliplatin %/LV5-FU2-CDDP %; p<0.05): neutropenia 5/49, thrombocytopenia 2/6, anemia 6/16 nausea/vomiting 2/15, and mucositis 0/3. Response rate of LV5-FU2-oxaliplatin was 41% (partial response/PR 41%, stable disease/SD 31%, progressive disease/PD 28%; 95% confidence internal/95% CI 27-58) and of LV5-FU2-CDDP was 25% (PR 25%, SD 36%, PD 39%; 95% CI 14-41; p =0.013). The median TTP of the patients in the LV5-FU2-oxaliplatin arm was 8 months and 6 months for those in the LV5- FU2-CDDP arm (p=0.073). The median survival time of the patients in the LV5-FU2-oxaliplatin arm was 10 months and 7 months for those in the LV5-FU2-CDDP arm (p=0.003).

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that oxaliplatin may be substituted for cisplatin with LV5-FU2 with favorable safety and efficacy profile. The encouraging results from our study support the effectiveness of oxaliplatin-fluoropyrimidine- containing chemotherapy in gastric cancer and could provide a new core on which to add other agents in future investigations.

[The study of ovarian autoimmunity and ovarian reserve in women with uncertain sterility]

Ovarian autoimmunity can be induce ovarian function, which is shown clinically with premature ovarian failure, unknown sterility and unsuccessful in vitro fertilizations. Antiovarian antibodies are directed to antigens functional zones of zona pellucida and granulose cells with important part in follicle genesis and fertilization.

AIM

We have to investigate the influence of ovarian autoimmunity, antiovarian and antizona pellucida antibodies on endocrinology markers of ovarian reserve: inhibin B, FSH, LH by the women with unknown sterility.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

340 women were investigated with unknown sterility and 60 women were investigated with only one successful pregnancy at least. We investigated them for presence of antiovarian antibodies, antizona pellucida antibodies, and of course the levels of FSH, LH, inhibin B on the third day of menstrual cycle. Serological methods were used: ELISA- biochemical technique to detect the presence of antiovarian antibodies and antizona pellucida antibodies, inhibin B, FSH, LH. Statistical methods for analysis were also used.

RESULTS

In investigated group was found the presence of antiovarian antibodies in 58 women (17.05%) and in control group was not found. Antizona pellucida antibodies presence was found in 43 women (12.64%) in investigated group and in control found was not found. It was not found important difference in levels of FSH, LH, inhibin B on the third day of menstrual cycle between women with and women without antiovarian antibodies.

CONCLUSION

Antiovarian antibodies were observed only in women who have had laparoscopic ovarian drilling. The frequency of antiovarian antibodies among the Bulgarian women with unknown sterility is 17.05%. The presence of antiovarian antibodies is not associated with poor ovarian reserve as we investigated the levels of FSH, LH, inhibin B on the third day of the menstrual cycle.

[The importance of the presence of antisperm antibodies in serum and ejaculate of men with infertility]

There are multiple insults to the male genital tract that have been associated with an increased risk of antisperm antibodies (ASA) formation. The presence of ASA has been regarded as typical and specific for the immunological infertility. It has been suggested that the presence of agglutinated spermatozoa is suggestive of the existence of an immunological cause of infertility such as the existence of ASA.

AIM

The objective of this study was to determine the clinical significance of serum and seminal plasma ASA as well as whether varying degrees of sperm agglutination can be a predictive indicator of positive serum and/or seminal plasma ASA.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

100 infertile and 30 fertile men were tested for ASA in seminal plasma and serum. The evaluation of patients included complete history, physical examination, scrotal ultrasound and semen analysis. ASA in serum and seminal plasma were tested by ELISA (Biosource, Belgium) and results were compared with the data of the semen analysis.

RESULTS

44 (44%) of the patients tested positive for ASA in seminal plasma, 9 of them had positive serum ASA. In the control group, seminal plasma ASA were not detected and two men (6.7%) tested positive for serum ASA. Correlation was established between seminal plasma ASA and two of the semen analysis markers: agglutination and increased viscosity.

CONCLUSION

ASA in seminal plasma are much more predictive than ASA in serum and have major role in the pathogenesis and diagnostics of male infertility.

[Therapeutical management of the most frequent gynaecological diseases and chronic pelvic pain in the Gynaecological Clinic, UMPHAT "Dr. G. Stransky"-Pleven in the period 2004-2007]

OBJECTIVE

To determine the trend in application of the basic therapeutical procedures in the most common gynaecological diseases combined or not with chronic pelvic pain /CPP/.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the prospective study conducted in the Gynaecological Clinic at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, MU-Pleven in the period 01.03.2004-01.07.2007, 1356 women with leiomyomatosis /L/, endometriosis /E/, adenomyosis /A/, pelvic congestion syndrome /PCS/, Allen-Masters syndrome /AMS/, pelvic inflammatory disease /PID/ and adhaesion syndrome /AS/, were included in it. They were grouped according to their age, type of disease, presence of CPP, type of therapeutical procedure and histological verification of the condition. For the purpose of the study the following methods were used: documentary method, R-AFS classification of E, inquiry method-by a questionnaire /form/, based on instruments for pain assessment, accepted worldwide.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The highest frequency was determined for L, E and A, and AS. In the majority of the total number of consecutively admitted patients with those diseases an operative intervention was done, and almost one-sixth of women underwent conservative treatment. The same trend was observed in patients with chronic pain symptomatic, regarding their operative and conservative management. Histological verification of the condition was closely related with etiological reason and diagnostic approach.

CONCLUSION

A balance between conservative and operative treatment should be set in the basis of therapeutical management, consistent with modern diagnostic procedures. Determination of the trend in treatment of women with CPP will lead to falling off of indiscriminate application of operative methods prior to exact diagnostic specification and setting of multidisciplinary approach. That will serve as a background for the future conduct to that group of patients.

[Chronic pelvic pain and combined oral hormonal contraception]

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

To determine the frequency of usage of combined oral hormonal contraception/COHC/ and its efficiency in women with chronic pelvic pain/CPP/.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three-hundred and seventy, consecutively admitted in the Clinic women with CPP, were included in the study. They were divided into 2 groups--group A/n = 80/--women that had used COHC, and group B/n = 290/--women that had not used COHC in order to cope with pain symptomatic. The patients from the both groups were compared according to their socio-demographic, menstrual and reproductive characteristics, type of disease, duration of CPP assessment of pain intensity and McGill pain indices, subjective rating of efficiency of the used COHC by the means of 5-rate scale in diseases, manifested with chronic pain symptomatic/leiomyoma /L/ endometriosis/E, pelvic congestion syndrome/PCS/, adhaesion syndrome/AS, Allen-Masters syndrome and other gynaecologic pathology/OGP/--chronic pelvic inflammatory disease/ CPID/, ovarian cysts /OC/, etc./.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Duration of CPP /in months/ was comparatively longer in group A /50,74 +/- 10,33/in comparison wit group B/41,38 +/- 5,97/. No significant difference was found in quantitative pain assessment, but in group A higher values of all pain indices/sensory, affective, total pain rating index/and of evaluative overall pain intensity of total pain experience were set, compared with those of group B. It was ascertained a bigger number of types of used medicines in group A/analgesics, spasmolytics, gestagenes and GnRH-agonists/. Efficiency of COHC was assessed by the patients in the range "good-/basically/very good-excellent", and that was well demonstrated by women with L, E, AS and OGP/CPID, etc./.

CONCLUSION

COHC was administered to patients with more heavily demonstrated chronic pelvic pain symptomatic, that required combination of more than two medicines in order to obtain a better therapeutic effect. Diseases, manifesting with CPP like E, L and OGP/CPID, OC, AS, etc/are of great priority in treatment with COHC.